📘 Part 3: Living in the countryside

This episode's vocabulary

Surrounding (noun) - the place where someone or something is and the things that are in it.

Unequivocally (adverb) - in a way that is total, or expressed very clearly with no doubt.

Migration (noun) - the process of people travelling to a new place to live, usually in large numbers.

Manicured (adj.) - if something, such as a garden, is manicured, it is well cared for and looks very tidy.

Rugged (adj.) - (of land) wild and not even; not easy to travel over.

Untamed (ad.) - left in a natural or wild state.

Sparsely (adj.) - small in numbers or amount, often spread over a large area.

Setting (noun) - the position of a house or other building.

Nature connectedness - how being in nature is good for you

Association (noun) - the fact of being involved with or connected to someone or something.

Resentful (adj.) - feeling angry because you have been forced to accept someone or something that you do not like.

In a nutshell (idiom) - very briefly, giving only the main points.

Environmental degradation (noun) - reduction in the quality of the environment due to man-made and natural factors.

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Questions and Answers

M: Rory, do you think more people will leave in the countryside in the future?

R: Oh, I hope not. It might disrupt the natural balance even more than it already is. But they should definitely visit. Despite my hopes, though, I can see more and more people moving there since they can work online, and the relatively nicer surroundings that the countryside provides.

M: Is it possible that all the population will move to the cities?

R: Well, up until two years ago, if you'd asked me that, I would have said unequivocally yes. But there seems to be a trend of outward migration now. Like I said, people know that they can work online, so they no longer have to move to the cities unless they have some sort of job that demands this. So when it comes to the future, your guess is as good as mine now.

M: Is there anything special about the countryside in your country?

R: Well, it's interesting, you should say that because I was thinking about this recently. England tends to have flatter and more manicured countryside areas. By comparison, Scotland seems more rugged and untamed with a wilderness in forests in greater numbers, or amounts, if it's the wilderness, we definitely have everything at a higher altitude as well. It's also more sparsely populated. If we compare it to the rest of the world, then we have some unique species like the red squirrel and the Osprey, which tend to live there in greater numbers too.

M: Why do people like to go to the countryside?

R: Well, generally, I'd say people like to be in natural settings. There's this concept called nature connectedness. And that means that we feel better when we're in such places for more than, well, anything more than 20 minutes. So it's like there's this natural pool that takes people there to have this experience.

M: And why do some people dislike going to the countryside?

R: I think it's because they just have negative associations with it. So perhaps they've been before and didn't have a very good time, or they're worried about getting dirty. Or maybe they just don't have access. And so they're a bit resentful of the people that do have access.

M: What do people usually do when they go to the countryside?

R: Well, in a nutshell, they walk and generally enjoy the experience. Outside of that, I think it depends on your age. Older people will be happy to watch the wildlife and see how it looks. Younger people will probably want to play in it and interact with the wildlife if they can.

M: Do you think young people who live in the country want to move to a city?

R: I think it's certainly one of the more likely possibilities. People often want to experience things outside of what they take for granted, and they want to explore a bit. And why not, it's not like the rural areas are going anywhere. So they can go back if they want to, assuming the environmental degradation isn't too bad. But that shouldn't happen in their lifetimes to such a great extent.

M: And do you think that the countryside has changed over the years?

R: It's probably changed over the decades and centuries, but I don't think it's changed over individual years. These processes take much longer.

M: And what are some of the advantages and disadvantages of living in the countryside?

R: Well, I suppose the advantages are that you have the sense of nature connectedness, like I said. A serious disadvantage to overcome would be the fact that you're far from like cities and all of the creature comforts that are there.

M: Thank you, Rory, for your lovely answers!

R: That's okay. Hopefully, I've given you fields of vocabulary to cover!

M: Oh, fields of vocabulary and valleys of grammar.

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