📘 Part 3: Nature and environment

This Episode's Vocabulary

Nature connectedness (noun) – The sense of connection a person has with the natural world. → Example: Being in nature can create a sense of nature connectedness, which can improve our well-being.

To unwind (verb) – To relax and allow your mind to be free from worry after a period of work or stress. → Example: Visiting natural places is a nice way to unwind.

Fast-paced environment (noun phrase) – A setting characterized by high speed and activity. → Example: It's a chance to get out of the fast-paced environment of cities and relax more generally.

Natural contours (noun phrase) – The natural shapes and outlines of a landscape. → Example: The countryside might be more calming with all the natural contours.

Cooped up (phrasal verb) – Confined in a small space with no chance of leaving. → Example: Some people need nature more, like the ones who spend their lives cooped up in towns.

To disconnect from (verb) – To separate yourself from something. → Example: They probably get the chance to disconnect from their lives in towns and reconnect with nature.

Natural habitats (noun phrase) – The natural home or environment of an animal, plant, or other organism. → Example: They get the chance to see animals and plants in their natural habitats.

Urban sprawl (noun) – The uncontrolled expansion of urban areas, often characterized by low-density housing. → Example: It might be the only way for some people, especially people in urban sprawls.

The be-all and end-all (idiom) – The most important part of something or the only reason for it. → Example: That's not the be-all and end-all by any means.

Accessible (adjective) – Able to be reached or entered. → Example: The countryside of most countries is usually rather accessible.

Packed together (phrasal verb) – Crowded into a small space. → Example: In cities, you have buildings and people packed together in close quarters.

To cater to (phrasal verb) – To provide what is wanted or needed by a particular person or group. → Example: Visiting mountains would cater nicely to their interests.

Questions and Answers

Rory: What kind of people like to visit natural places?

Maria: Well, doesn't everyone? I feel like you'd have a harder time finding people who prefer unnatural places. We need to pick particular groups, though, I suppose. People into things like outdoor sports would love it, like hikers and hillwalkers. That would cater nicely to their interests.

Rory: Why do people like visiting places with trees or forests?

Maria: Lots of reasons. It's a nice way to unwind for starters. Actually, being in nature can create a sense of something called nature connectedness, which can improve our well being. It's also a chance to get out of the sort of fast-paced environment of cities and relax more generall,y since it, well, it should be quieter with fewer people to make demands of you.

Rory: Are natural views better than city views?

Maria: I imagine that depends on your individual tastes, really. It seems the countryside or other landscapes might be more calming with all the natural contours, while city views are more inspiring since they represent opportunities and possibilities.

Rory: Do all people need some nature?

Maria: Well, based on what I said about nature connectedness, I'd certainly say so. Though there might be people who need it more, like the ones that spend their lives cooped up in towns with nowhere to escape to.

Rory: What can people gain from going to natural places?

Maria: Other than what I already mentioned, they probably get the chance to disconnect from their lives in towns and reconnect with nature. Breathe fresher air. Oh, and they get the chance to see animals and plants in their natural habitats.

Rory: Do you think that going to the park is the only way to get close to nature?

Maria: Well, it might be for some, especially people in urban sprawls, but that's not the be-all and end-all by any means. The countryside of most places or most countries is usually rather accessible. And of course, there are many opportunities to travel around to natural places these days.

Rory: What are the differences between a natural place and a city?

Maria: Other than the obvious buildings and people packed together in close quarters. Well, there tends to be more development in general, I suppose. And fewer wild animals, more pollution. I suppose I could go on forever about them, but hopefully you get the idea.

Discussion

Maria: Natural places. And actually, Rory, what are natural places?

Rory: Places with nature. Parks, the outdoors, the countryside, away from the city.

Maria: The urban sprawl. Mountains, deserts, forests, oceans, waterfalls. So not only parks, but also mountains, waterfalls, and the sea.

Rory: You said "not only, but also." Nice.

Maria: Not only, but also. Yeah, nice grammar. Dear listener, usually we talk about parks, but think about other interesting and beautiful natural wonders of the world, like caves and hills. And what kind of people like to visit such places? What kind of people?

Rory: All people.

Maria: Everybody enjoys nature. Yeah, but maybe some people dislike nature. I don't know.

Rory: Who? Where are these people? We must help them.

Maria: And usually people who are into outdoor sports. Hikers, hillwalkers. So people who walk the hills. So hikers, so they go on a hike, they go on a kind of short tour to the mountains, for example. What kind of people?

Rory: Outdoorsy people.

Maria: Yeah, people who enjoy being outdoors. Or you can also talk about nature enthusiasts, okay? Adventure seekers, people who seek adventures. So people who enjoy adventure. Adrenaline. Also, families, you can talk about families who enjoy being in nature, or solo travelers, people who travel alone, who prefer being in nature. Photographers, also, what kind of people? Photographers. Visiting natural places is a nice way to unwind, dear listener. Unwind means…

Rory: Yeah, to chill out.

Maria: Relax.

Rory: Chill out. To unplug yourself from the stress of modern life.

Maria: Recharge. It's a nice way to clear your mind. And then we start a sentence with ING. So, "being in nature creates a sense of nature connectedness." A very good way to use complex grammar is to start with ING. Being in nature is... Spending time in nature is peaceful, okay? Here, nature connectedness—like connection, connection to nature, dear listener, all right? So when you are in nature, you feel a connection to nature. Connectedness.

Rory: The state of being connected.

Maria: The state of being connected to nature. Well done. So being in nature improves our well-being. Improves our health and mind, and everything. And people prefer getting out of the fast-paced environment. Paced meaning speed.

Rory: Not the hustle and bustle.

Maria: I'm very tired of hearing that. I think maybe we should just stick to the fast pace of city life rather than the hustle and bustle, because anytime someone says that, they say to get out of the hustle and bustle, and it's very stressful. And I'm just like, that does not... that does not sound natural at all.

Rory: Yeah, the hustle and bustle of a huge city means the chaos, this noise, and all this. But we say that in nature, you feel this slow pace, so slow speed. And a slow pace or a slow speed. And here we make it an adjective, fast-paced environment, or slow-paced environment. So people get out of the fast-paced environment of cities to enjoy a slow-paced life in nature. And people enjoy the quiet of a forest. And it's nice to have a quieter place. Quiet, not more quiet, no. Quieter, it's like calm, calmer, easy, easier, hot, hotter.

Rory: Well, I mean, you might get away with it. Some native speakers say "more quieter."

Maria: Really?

Rory: Or they say "more quiet."

Maria: Yes.

Rory: Obviously, I do not let them get away with that. But I was listening to someone the other day, and they said it.

Maria: If you can be accurate, then do.

Rory: Yeah.

Maria: Maybe it's a native speaker error. Like less people, fewer people.

Rory: Yeah, I don't think that would prevent a Band 9, maybe it depends how much.

Maria: No, if they make two such slips, it's okay, Band 9. They say less people and then more quieter. It's okay.

Rory: But what they should say is fewer people and more quiet.

Maria: Yeah. Because classical grammar rules, so we say hot, hotter, easy, easier, quiet, quieter. But in real life, even native speakers, even educated native speakers, such as Rory himself, Mr. Rory Duncan something something who writes books. So he may even say more quiet or more quieter. There we go.

Scenes. So we have views, nature views, or scenes, like the countryside. Pretty much like views, scenes of the countryside. Scene. S-C-E-N-E-S, scenes. Like from a movie, a scene from a movie. Landscapes are more calming. So countryside landscapes are more peaceful than city views.

Rory: They make people feel calm. They have natural contours.

Maria: Which just means natural shapes.

Rory: Contours or shapes.

Maria: If you are contrasting, you should use but or while. So "countryside views, blah blah blah, while city views are more inspiring." So cities inspire us to do something, they give us inspiration, motivation to work, to shop, to do stuff.

Rory: To leave for the countryside.

Maria: Yeah, and then when we burn out, we move to the countryside. For opportunities, possibilities that cities provide, that cities give us. When you talk about nature, you can say that, "Well, based on what I've read about nature connectedness, I'd say that, yes, all people do need nature." So you demonstrate that you do the reading, you have done the reading about nature, so you're super smart and educated, okay? So you say, "Well, I remember something from what I've read about nature connectedness, so I can say that, yes, all people do need nature in their life." And Rory, you've used an interesting verb. Coop.

Rory: Cooped up. It's a phrasal verb.

Maria: Cooped up.

Rory: Contained with no chance of leaving.

Maria: Coop up, like coop somebody or something up means to keep someone or something in a closed space. For example, if I stay in my house for days in winter without leaving it, I say "I was cooped up in my flat for days" because the weather was horrible and I didn't go out. And people spend their lives cooped up in towns. So they are stuck there. They just stay in towns without going out.

People could benefit from being in nature or they can gain something from being in nature. They get the chance to disconnect from their lives, disconnect, like lose the connection and connect to nature. And again, we can talk about people can unwind, they can relax. Unwind or relax, the same thing. They can connect to nature, they can clear their mind. They can reconnect with nature. People can breathe fresh air. People can get the chance to see wild animals. Where do they see such animals? In their natural habitats, dear listener, this is the phrase for you. Natural habitats. Natural places of life for animals. Habitats.

Rory: Oh, it's a good collocation.

Maria: Cities or urban sprawls. Rory, what are urban sprawls?

Rory: Just endless housing and no green space.

Maria: Yeah. Could you use it in a sentence?

Rory: America or at least suburban life in America is dominated by urban sprawl. So that just means there's lots of houses all packed together, not much green space, not many open spaces for people to get out.

Maria: For some people, the only way to get close to nature is going to a park, especially in urban sprawls, especially in cities. Sometimes the countryside could be accessible, so people could go there easily, but not everywhere. And in some places it's difficult to travel around to natural places. People are packed together in cities. So they're stuck in cities, they're cooped up in cities. And there is more pollution in cities, fewer wild animals. So we normally don't have any wild animals inside the city. Only if a city has massive parks. For example, Moscow, we do have wild animals inside the city. Amazing. Yay. Right, dear listener, thank you very much for listening and we'll get back to you in our next episode, okay? Sending love.

Rory: Hopefully our grammar and vocabulary comes to you naturally.

Maria: Sweet. Bye.

Rory: Bye.