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This episode’s vocabulary
- Boondocks (noun) — any area in the country that is quiet, has few people living in it, and is a long way away from a town or city.
- Greenery (noun) — green leaves and plants.
- Transport links (noun) — places to travel from and to, like bus stops, metro, railway stations and airports.
- To renovate (verb) — restore (something old, especially a building) to a good state of repair.
- To resurface (roads) (verb) — to put a new surface on a road.
- Residential area (noun) — a residential area is a land use in which housing predominates, as opposed to industrial and commercial areas.
- Shopping spree (noun) — a short period of time in which someone buys a lot of things.
- Facility (noun) — a place, especially including buildings, where a particular activity happens.
- Foodstuff (noun) - a substance suitable for consumption as food.
- To poke around (phrasal verb) - to search for something by moving things around, usually not in a very careful or organized way.
- Well-off (adj.) - rich.
- Foreseeable (adj.) - a foreseeable event or situation is one that can be known about or guessed before it happens.
We have also added these words to a “Quizlet” set for you to study and revise in your free time: bit.ly/quizlets04e05
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Questions and Answers
Maria: Rory, where are you living now?
Rory: I live in a... Well, now I live in a three bedroom apartment with a pair of colleagues. It's great! It's kind of central, actually, or at least I think so.
Maria: What's your address and the flat number?
Rory: I'm not telling you that.
Maria: What's your passport number?
Rory: No!
Maria: OK, right. Confidential. Off record. Do you like the area where you live in?
Rory: Well, I like it, but my friend said it's like the boondocks. I wish there were more shops nearby, I guess. But that's what the subway is for, so it's not so bad.
Maria: What do you like most about your area?
Rory: It's... Well, it's mostly quiet and there's a lot of greenery around. And I have a balcony this time so I can actually, like, stand outside and see the trees, which is good. And the transport links are quite well developed as well. So I can get around a bit more easily than before.
Maria: What do you dislike about your area?
Rory: It's mostly quiet, I suppose. There's a children's play park outside which can get pretty loud. And despite the fact I have a balcony, it probably needs to be renovated. So there are some small dislikes, but nothing major, to be honest with you.
Maria: What have been some changes in your area?
Rory: Um, well, I'm not sure about this exact place because I just moved here. But if we talk about the area in general, people say that the immigrant population is growing. But I guess you could say that about a lot of Moscow... and some of the roads seem to have been resurfaced as well. But those are the only big changes that I noticed. Everything seems to remain the same.
Maria: hat can be improved in your area?
Rory: We could get rid of the play park outside of my apartment. That would be nice. But actually, I'd like to see a greater range of shops nearby. Even though I can get there by the Metro, it would just be nicer to be able to walk outside and go to a shop. Although, obviously this place is more of a residential area than a place for shopping sprees. Um, and it would be nicer if I had a gym closer to where I live as well... Or a cheaper gym anyway, at the very least.
Maria: What facilities are there in your area?
Rory: Well, like I say, the gym, but it's very expensive, so I don't go there. I go to one that's further away and a little bit cheaper. It's almost exactly the same, though. I don't know why it's so expensive. Then there are a few shops for some foodstuffs and some parks. I suppose, maybe if I poke around a bit more I can find some new stuff.
Maria: Do you know any famous people in your area?
Rory: Not really. But then it's not like this place is a very well-off area or anything... So I doubt there are any famous people living here.
Maria: Do you intend to stay in this area in the future?
Rory: Well, I'll stay here for the foreseeable future or at least... Sorry for the rest of the year and then I'll move back to Scotland.
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