England
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Eli
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Todd
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Todd: So, Eli, can you talk a little about England and maybe about it's climate and it's weather, it's leaders, what people eat?
Eli: Well, I'm not going to talk about leaders right now because that's a bit of a sore point but England weather, hmm, that is a bit of a sore point to. It's not the greatest weather in the world, especially compared to Japan where I am now, which the weather I just love. England is always cold, almost always cold even through the summer it's quite cold I hear. This summer it's been sort of jacket weather all summer with only a few days of sunshine and it rains a lot, so it's pretty miserable as far as weather's concerned.
Todd: Now, you're from Bristol right. What's your hometown like?
Eli: Bristol's a great town. I used to live in London which is the capital of England and it's very gray and big and unfriendly but when I moved to Bristol it was just great. It is a city but it's a very small city so you can always bump into your friends, um, always meet people. It's got big green areas. It's got a place called the downs which is a big park, and it's the architecture of the city is very old. It's very near Bath, which is a very famous old Roman town, where the Roman baths were, so all the sort of architecture of the city
the houses, all of it's very pretty.
Todd: OK. What are the Downs like? You said the downs. Is that a park?
Eli: The downs. It's, it's a big area of green basically. It's not a park as in lots of trees and trees and sort of shrubbery and stuff. It's just a big wide spread of greenery where you can play football. I mean there's
football matches sort of every week. You can go fly your kites. You can take your kids there. And that joins on to the Avon-gorge, which is where the Bristol suspension bridge is, which is very famous as being I think the first ever suspension bridge built, and from standing on the bridge and looking out into the gorge, I mean you'd think you're in the middle of the mountains, not in the middle of the city. It's a really pretty area.
Todd: Sounds like a nice place.
sore point
That's a bit of a sore point.
The phrase 'sore point' is used to describe a topic that
might be uncomfortable or sensitive to discuss.
Notice the following:
- The lack of money was a sore point for him.
- I don't think I want to date him any more, but that is a
sore point.
miserable
It's pretty miserable as far as weather's concerned.
'Miserable' means sad or depressing. It is not nice or
comfortable.
Notice the following:
- When my dog died I felt very miserable.
- When the sun doesn't shine it makes me feel miserable.
gray
It's very gray and big and unfriendly.
'Gray' is a color that is often used to describe
uninspiring and dull things. It is the combination of black
and white. Rain clouds are usually gray.
Notice the following:
- He was a very boring man and looked a little gray most
of the time.
- Cities are so gray. I prefer the countryside.
bump into
It's a very small city so you can always bump into your
friends.
When you 'bump into' someone it means that you see somebody
that you know unexpectedly.
Notice the following:
- I bumped into Mary last week. She was looking well.
- I think I will go on Friday, I might bump into you
there.
shrubbery
It's not a park as in lots of trees and sort of shrubbery.
'Shrubbery' is a collection of bushes and plants in a
concentrated area.
Notice the following:
- I am redesigning my garden, I would like more shrubbery.
- Prune your plants to make sure that the shrubbery does
not become overgrown.
Vocabulary Quiz
bump • shrubbery
