📘 Part 3: Beauty and aesthetics

This episode's vocabulary

Scenic spot (noun) – a place with beautiful natural views. → Tourists love visiting scenic spots in the mountains.

Atmosphere (noun) – the feeling or mood of a place. → The café had a cosy atmosphere.

Soak up (phrasal verb) – to enjoy and absorb an experience fully. → We sat by the beach to soak up the sun.

Flock to (phrasal verb) – to go to a place in large numbers. → Tourists flock to Paris every year.

Accessible (adjective) – easy to reach or use. → The museum is accessible by public transport.

Portable (adjective) – easy to carry or move. → A laptop is more portable than a desktop computer.

Prolonged (adjective) – lasting for a long time. → He was absent from work due to a prolonged illness.

Stare at (phrasal verb) – to look at something for a long time. → She stared at the painting in silence.

Ornamental (adjective) – designed to be decorative rather than useful. → The ornamental vase stood in the hallway.

Liven up (phrasal verb) – to make something more lively or interesting. → The decorations really livened up the party.

Reaction (noun) – a response to something. → His reaction to the news was surprising.

Awe-inspiring (adjective) – causing feelings of wonder or admiration. → The Grand Canyon is awe-inspiring.

Cliff (noun) – a high, steep rock face. → The waves crashed against the cliff.

Sunrise (noun) – the time when the sun appears in the morning. → We woke up early to watch the sunrise.

Cynical (adjective) – believing people are motivated by selfishness or doubt good intentions. → He gave a cynical laugh when he heard the promise.

Picturesque (adjective) – visually charming, like a painting. → The village looked picturesque with its old cottages.

Landmark (noun) – a famous or easily recognisable building or feature. → Big Ben is a well-known London landmark.

Serene (adjective) – calm, peaceful, and quiet. → The lake was serene at dawn.

Majestic (adjective) – grand and impressive in beauty or scale. → The majestic mountains rose above the valley.

Heritage site (noun) – a place recognised for cultural or natural importance. → The Pyramids are a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Questions and Answers

Maria: Why do many people go to scenic spots in person instead of just reading about them in books?

Rory: Well, there's something to be said for being in the actual place and soaking up the atmosphere that just can't be conveyed in a book, I suppose. I can't really put my finger on it, but it's definitely something people talk about and believe in, since lots of people flock to these places rather than just reading about them.

Maria: Do people in your country prefer listening to music to appreciating paintings or literature?

Rory: Yes, although I'm not sure that's just people in my country. Music is more accessible, portable, and reliable than something like reading a book for a prolonged period or staring at a painting for hours on end, so it makes sense that more people would choose to do that.

Maria: Where do you think people usually come into contact with beautiful things?

Rory: Well, that's pretty subjective, to be honest. You know what people say about beauty being in the eye of the beholder. However, if we talk about things commonly considered to be nice to look at, then probably museums, since their collections are usually filled with ornamental objects. I think that's the main one.

Maria: Why do people create beautiful things?

Rory: I suppose they liven the place up. It would be a bit dull to walk into a room and have nothing to look at or discuss, and when we see something pretty, I imagine that creates some sort of reaction in the head that people would like to replicate.

Maria: What beautiful scenery spots are there in your country?

Rory: Well, I'd argue that the whole place is one big scenery spot, frankly. Although some places that stand out include the mountains in the north, both in terms of the view of them and the views from them, since they're both pretty awe-inspiring. And anywhere along the coast, there are cliffs and islands that make for some really nice sunset viewing or sunrise if you get up early enough.

Maria: Are there more beautiful things now than in the past?

Rory: Well, in absolute terms, I'd certainly say so. I know that there are more people making more things, so it makes sense that there would be more beauty in the world. A more cynical person might say that there are more people to mess up the place and make it uglier, but I think people are more inclined to appreciate and create beauty.

Discussion

Maria: So, beauty. The examiner might ask you about scenic spots. So first of all, this adjective “scenic”.

Rory: But that just means it looks nice.

Maria: Exactly. So scenic scenery, it refers to nature. Si scenic - having you to see beautiful natural features. Okay, so scenic beauty is the beauty of nature. You can say, for example, I have a scenic drive home.

Rory: It's so beautiful, I can't even describe it because my voice box just dies.

Maria: I have the forest and nature, and everything's beautiful. C1, dear listener, so 8, band 8, 7.5. And here, the question is like, why do people go to scenic spots, so scenic places, so beautiful places, rather than read about them? And Rory says that, well, when you go to a place, you soak up the atmosphere. That's a nice phrase. You take it in, you kind of experience the atmosphere, you feel it, okay? Soak up the atmosphere. And this can't be conveyed in a book. This can't be felt in a book. This can't be experienced in a book, expressed. You can't express the atmosphere. You just have to feel it, right? Yeah, but sometimes in books, like, the writer tells us about smells, views, but still, it may not be enough to experience it in reality. And then Rory uses an idiom. I can't put my finger on it. C2, band 9. I can't really put my finger on it, which means - discover the exact reason why a situation is the way it is. So there's something wrong, but I can't quite put my finger on it. So I don't know why it's wrong. And here, Rory, why have you used it?

Rory: Because I wasn't sure about how to describe it. So even though you're trying to describe things, you might not necessarily be able to because it's difficult.

Maria: Yeah, so the question is, like, why? And you say, yeah, maybe it's this, but I can't really put my finger on it. And people flock to scenic spots. Flock to, they go to. Like, lots of people go to such places. People flock to scenic spots to enjoy beautiful nature. When we talk about beauty, we talk about appreciating beauty. So you appreciate paintings, you appreciate literature.

Rory: We appreciate Maria.

Maria: Yeah, we appreciate Rory. So appreciate - to recognise how good something is. And you can say that people appreciate literature, people appreciate paintings. But some people prefer listening to music and some people prefer to scroll their Instagram feed forever. Here, Rory says that music is more accessible. So, guys, music is everywhere. Is it everywhere?

Rory: It is, I think. Oh, compared to art, you know.

Maria: And music is portable, so you can carry it with you. And reliable, music is reliable.

Rory: I think so, compared to having access to art. I mean, that could rely on when an art gallery decides to be open, for example.

Maria: Yeah, but to enjoy a painting, you should go to a museum or to an art gallery. It may not be enough just to look at a photo of a painting. But these days they have these, you know, like 3D tours. If you can't go to the Louvre, you can just take a 3D tour to experience all the beauty in the world.

Rory: A three-day tour?

Maria: No, no, no, a 3D.

Rory: Oh, okay. Sorry, I thought you said a three-hour, a three-day tour. I was like, wow, that's crazy.

Maria: Yeah, a three-day tour in the Louvre.

Rory: I mean, that's one way to make money from these things.

Maria: Yeah, they give you VR glasses, virtual reality headsets, and you just take a tour. You choose a museum, and you just like walk there, and it's like reality. So that's pretty cool. Where do people come in contact with beautiful things? Or come in contact, like, where do people see beautiful things? And here you can say that, well, that's subjective. Because like, what do you call beautiful? You know, this thing is beautiful for me, but it's ugly for Rory, yeah? Or it's ugly for you, dear listener, it's beautiful to us, okay? So you can say, well, that's really subjective, isn't it? You can say a tag question. And then this phrase, dear listener, are you ready? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. So if you want to say that it's subjective...

Rory: Then say it's in the eye of the beholder.

Maria: What's the full sentence?

Rory: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, that's all.

Maria: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Beholder, a person who looks at something. And this means that beauty is subjective. So it depends on the individual's personal perception, on your opinion. One person thinks it's appealing, it's beautiful, appealing. Another person thinks it's ugly, right? So you say, well, that's pretty subjective, you know? Because beauty is in the eye of the beholder. And then you say that people usually go to museums, art galleries to enjoy different collections, exhibits. Exhibits, things you see. And also, you can mention nature. So people usually go to nature to see beautiful things.

Rory: If there is no art gallery nearby.

Maria: Yeah, so something to a park. People usually go to different countries, to a forest, to, I don't know, to different cities, you know? So just like you can talk about nature. To see beautiful sunsets, for example. A sunset could be a beautiful thing, right? Or to see a beautiful lake. Or just people go to the countryside to enjoy scenic views. Dear listeners, remember? Scenic views. When people see something pretty, that creates some sort of reaction in the head, okay? So our brain reacts to beauty. Rory, did you know that beautiful people are considered smart as well? So if we see a beautiful person, our brain thinks that they are smarter than they are. Just because they're beautiful. Yeah, because we think that beautiful things are just better than they really are. Just because of the beauty.

Rory: Maybe they are better than they are.

Maria: Yeah, yeah, but kind of we overestimate beautiful people in their, you know, cognitive abilities.

Rory: Oh, that's not good.

Maria: Well, this is interesting. In your country, dear listener, what scenic spots do you have? Again, scenic spots, scenery spots, spots, places with beautiful nature. And here Rory gave us a lot of synonyms and phrases about mountains. So he's got the mountains in the north, which are awe-inspiring.

Rory: That just means, do you look at them and you go, wow!

Maria: Awe-inspiring, causing you to feel great respect and admiration, all right? So, oh, I have awe-inspiring mountains, or lakes, or forests, cliffs, and islands. So you can see some nice sunsets and sunrises. Yeah, sunrises could be beautiful, okay? So just remember to talk about nature. So nature is beautiful, not only like material things, but also like nature. And also animals, flowers, you know, what's beautiful. Just widen your perspective of beauty. All kinds of feelings might be beautiful as well, you know? So yeah, scenic spots in your country, nature spots. What do you have in your country?

Rory: We have everything.

Maria: Yeah, Rory has everything. Do you have deserts, Rory, in your country?

Rory: No, but apart from that, I think we have everything.

Maria: So mountain ranges, gorgeous sights, and landmarks. Maybe you have some landmarks like Niagara Falls, for example. Just picturesque landscapes. Picturesque, beautiful landscapes. Coastlines, forests, volcanoes, dear listener, maybe. National parks, for example. You might have like reefs with beautiful fish, canyons, I don't know, valleys, waterfalls. Oh, waterfalls, stunning waterfalls. Dramatic cliffs, dear listener, all right? And the final question about now and the past, and Rory's favourite strategy. Well, people create more, so now there are more things. Just because there are more people who create more things. So we have more beauty in the world.

Rory: Well, I think so.

Maria: But on the other hand, there are more people to mess it up. More people can mess up our beautiful places, our gorgeous mountains, and make them uglier. Careful with like, it's more beautiful, but it's prettier than something else. Or it's uglier. So now some beaches, for example, are dirtier than they used to be in the past. You don't say, now some beaches are more dirty. No, no, no. They are more ugly. No, no, no. So dirtier, prettier, uglier. So let's appreciate and create more beauty.

Rory: Or let's try. Hopefully, you enjoyed our beautiful episode. Hopefully, we are bringing more beauty to this world. Always remember, you are beautiful. Everybody is beautiful. More beauty. Beautiful vibes. Okay, thank you very much for listening. And we'll get back to you in our next episode. Okay, bye! I'm so full of beauty now. Just beauty. Beauty vibes, everybody. Like this. Rory, do you feel my beauty vibe?

Maria: That's the sound of the beauty being sent out into the world.

Rory: Into the world, yes. Bye.

Maria: Bye.

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