Mexican Vacation
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Simon
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Todd
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Todd: Simon, when you were younger, did you take vacations with your family?
Simon: Yes, I did.
Todd: OK, where did you go?
Simon: Well, I went to many places, but I have one memorable experience. I went to Baja, California.
Todd: Baja, California. Nice. Can you explain where Baja, California is?
Simon: Actually, it's not in California. It's south of California. It's in Mexico, and it's on the west side of Mexico, below California, of course, and it's a desert surrounded by beautiful ocean. Todd: Oh, sounds good. Sounds nice. What's the landscape like?
Simon: Dry, dusty, and beautiful.
Todd: So it's a desert?
Simon: Yeah, it's a desert with lots of cacti.
Todd: Oh, OK. What are cacti?
Simon: Well, maybe you know what a cactus is. It's a, you know, the desert plant from Cowboy movies, and it has needles which stick and hurt and it's green, but yeah. That's about it and beautiful blue waters.
Todd: You mean water from the ocean.
Simon: Water from the ocean. There's no water on the land. You know, there's no lakes, probably no rivers, just dust, yeah!
Todd: How did you get there?
Simon: I drove.
Todd: You drove?
Simon: Yeah! We drove. I didn't drive. I was too young but my parents drove. Baja is very long. It's about 2,000 miles, or 2,000 kilometers and we drove.
Todd: What do you remember most about your trip?
Simon: Well, I remember the color of the water, the white sandy beaches, and the desert at dusk. It's a pretty cool place, you know.
Todd: How long did you stay for your vacation?
Simon: 6 weeks.
Todd: 6 weeks. That's a long time.
Simon: Yeah, well, my parents were a little bit different from other parents.
Todd: Sounds like a really good time. So do you plan to back to Baja sometime?
Simon: I hope so. Yeah. But I won't prick myself on a cactus.
Todd: OK. Well, take me. I want to go, too.
Simon: OK.
memorable
We went to many places, but I have one memorable
experience, which is in Baja.
If an event is 'memorable' it is special and something that you will remember. We usually use this talk about positive experiences, but it can be used for negative memories as well. Notice the following:
- This will definitely be a memorable experience.
- Thank you for making this a memorable birthday for me.
landscape
What's the landscape in Baja, California like?
The 'landscape' is the natural form or the land and how it looks over a long, open distance. Notice the following:
- Why would they build a city in a landscape like this?
- The landscape in this part of the country is really
boring.
cactus, cacti
Baja is a desert with lots of cacti, and it's dry and
dusty.
A 'cactus' is a desert plant that can grow without a lot of water. It has sharp needles that stick out of it and sometimes grows flowers or fruit. 'Cacti' is the plural of cactus. Notice the following:
- There is nothing around here except for cacti.
- A cactus is a great plant to have in the house because
it can survive for a long time if you forget to water it.
needles
Cactus is a desert plant that has needles which stick and
hurt.
Cactus 'needles,' like the needles you use for sewing something, are long, thin objects with a sharp point at one end. If you push your hand against them they will enter your skin and make you bleed. Notice the following:
- Sea urchins use their needles to sting fish and kill
them.
- A cactus has needles to protect it from animals.
prick
I hope to go back to Baja, but I won't prick myself on a
cactus.
You 'prick' yourself with something sharp when it enters your skin and makes you bleed. Notice the following:
- A small piece of wood pricked my skin when I was
carrying that desk.
- It is very easy to prick yourself if you aren't careful
when you hold a rose.
Vocabulary Quiz
needles • prick
