Episode 0185
Summary
A person (Host) expresses their long-held dream of owning a farm and living in the countryside, while their companion (Guest) becomes increasingly unsettled by the various farm animal sounds. Despite the Host's reassurances, the Guest ultimately decides that country life is not for them and opts to return to the city.
Transcript (Click timestamp to jump)
Isn't this great? I always wanted to own a farm, live out in the country, grow my own food.
This is very beautiful. Though, I have to confess, I don't know the first thing about farming.
That's fine. Don't worry about it.
What was that?
Relax. It was just a goat.
And that?
Is just the cows that are grazing over there. We can milk them later.
What was that?
Honey, seriously, it's just a sheep. Relax.
Relax. That was just the horses and donkeys that are in the stable.
You know what? I don't think I can hack it out here in the countryside. I'm going back to the city.
Summary
The English Pod hosts, Marco and Catherine, introduce a lesson about farms and the countryside, discussing related vocabulary. A dialogue is played twice, featuring a couple visiting a farm; the male enjoys it, but the female finds it overwhelming and decides to return to the city. The hosts then explain key phrases from the dialogue, such as "I have to confess," "I don't know the first thing about," and "I can't hack it," relating them to adapting to rural life. They encourage listeners to visit their website and share their own experiences.
Transcript (Click timestamp to jump)
Hello everyone and welcome back to English Pod. My name is Marco.
My name is Catherine and today we have a wild lesson for you at the elementary level.
That's right. We are actually going to visit a farm. So yeah, it's gonna be fun. We're gonna see a lot of animals. And not only that, but we're gonna learn a lot of interesting words and phrases in English today.
But before we get started, let's take a look at vocabulary preview.
Vocabulary preview.
Old McDonald had a farm, ee-i-ee-i-o. And on his farm he had a duck, ee-i-ee-i-o.
We're not going to be teaching you this song today. Don't worry. You you don't have to listen to us sing.
But we do have a great word to start us off. It's called um the word is country.
The country. Okay, so you know country as like the United States, Mexico, Mexico, China, etc.
But in this case, we are going out to the country, not out of the country. We're going out to the country.
To the country, okay?
The country, or you might hear the countryside is is a place that's not like a city. So it's the opposite of city. It means
there's lots of uh grass, it's very natural, there are very, very few houses and people. It's very quiet. So it's the opposite of a busy city. It's the country.
Right. And you'd have a lot of animals. So usually, farms are found on the countryside or at the countryside.
In the countryside.
So usually farms are found in the countryside.
That's right. And I personally am a big fan because it's so quiet and peaceful. So
Yeah, very good.
We can talk about that in a minute. Let's listen to today's dialogue first and then we'll be back to talk about some of the words and phrases.
Isn't this great? I always wanted to own a farm, live out in the country, grow my own food.
This is very beautiful. Though I have to confess, I don't know the first thing about farming.
That's fine. Don't worry about it.
What was that?
Relax. It was just a goat.
And that?
It's just the cows that are grazing over there. We can milk them later.
What was that?
Honey, seriously, it's just a sheep. Relax.
Relax. That was just the horses and donkeys that are in the stable.
You know what? I don't think I can hack it out here in the countryside. I'm going back to the city.
All right, we're back. So obviously, some people cannot go to the countryside.
That's right. Some people get very, very upset. In fact, there was a whole TV show in America that was about city people living in the countryside, in the country. see how they can do it, right?
Uh-huh.
That's right.
All right, but before we talk about that, why don't we take a look at four keywords in language takeaway?
Language takeaway.
The first word is the name of an animal. Okay, so you've all heard of cows, but have you heard of goats?
A goat.
A goat.
All right, so a goat is a strange looking animal. It's kind of skinny and uh what do you get from a goat?
You can actually drink goat's milk and many people like to eat goat's cheese, which is cheese made from goat's milk.
Uh-huh. Okay.
So a goat, can you and we heard that the sound that a goat makes. So I think it's pretty clear what a goat is and they're very common as we say in farms such as sheep and horses, cows, etc.
That's right. And normally when they're in the wild, they like to live in rocky places, like mountains.
Right. That's why they say they're very good climbers because they don't fall off the mountains.
All right.
And well, if you have cows, then they're probably going to be grazing.
Okay, so to graze is a verb, it's something we do, well, we people don't do it. Animals do it. It's a way for us to describe how animals, like cows, eat. Means to eat grass.
Okay.
So if your cows or horses are grazing, that means they're eating grass somewhere out.
That's right. They're walking, they stop, they eat some grass, they walk, they stop again. It's a very slow process.
All right, so cows are usually grazing out in the countryside and well, once they finish grazing and they get all fat, then in the mornings you have to milk them.
Okay, so we drink milk, milk is a thing, but it's also a verb. So to milk something.
All right, and if you milk a cow is when you extract the milk, the liquid from them, right?
That's right. So underneath a cow, there's an udder or there underneath a cow, there are udders, which you have to squeeze with your hands to make the milk come out.
Okay.
Okay.
Interesting word as well, udder, right? It's like that big bag full of milk.
Exactly. So to milk a cow.
All right.
And you have cows out in the fields grazing and probably your horses and donkeys are going to be in the stable.
The stable is a place, okay? So this is something that's often found on farms, um where the horses or the cows live. It's a it's a structure, it's a building for those animals.
Okay, so they're probably separated in different little rooms or compartments and that's called a stable. So as you say usually find horses and uh cows and donkeys in there.
That's right. So a stable is a way to protect animals from the weather.
All right, very good. So four keywords there as we just saw. Why don't we listen to this dialogue again and we'll be back soon.
Isn't this great? I always wanted to own a farm, live out in the country, grow my own food.
This is very beautiful. Though I have to confess, I don't know the first thing about farming.
That's fine. Don't worry about it.
What was that?
Relax. It was just a goat.
And that?
It's just the cows that are grazing over there. We can milk them later.
What was that?
Honey, seriously, it's just a sheep. Relax.
Relax. That was just the horses and donkeys that are in the stable.
You know what? I don't think I can hack it out here in the countryside. I'm going back to the city.
All right, we're back. So now let's take a look at fluency builder.
Fluency Builder.
You know, Marco, I have to confess. I love fluency builder.
All right, and that's our first phrase for today. I have to confess.
Okay, so to confess is to tell someone something that's a secret. Okay, so we can confess with a priest. No. So we can confess to a priest. We can confess a secret to a friend.
Okay.
Um, but I have to confess is a very common phrase. It's a way for us to start a sentence. I have to confess.
Right. So you're saying, I have to be honest with you. I have to tell you the truth.
Exactly. So I have to confess, I'm not a huge fan of that sweater.
Okay.
So, I have to be honest. I really don't like your sweater. This is a way for us to be more polite when we're saying something that's negative.
Right. And in this case it was the girl who was confessing and what she confessed is our second key phrase.
I don't know the first thing about farming.
Okay, so uh I don't know anything about farming is another way we could say this or um I don't know a thing about farming. But I don't know the first thing about farming means I don't even understand what a farm is.
Okay.
The first thing is what is a farm? I don't even understand what a farm is for. This is a way for us to say, I don't know anything at all about this.
And if we change the noun, right? And we can say, for example, I don't know the first thing about cars. So I have no idea what models they are or what type of engine they have. I don't know the first thing about cars.
All I know is how to turn them on.
Right. Right?
Or I don't know the first thing about wines. I'd love to learn about wine but I don't know the first thing about it.
Okay.
So it's a phrase that you can use with many, many different nouns, right? I don't know the first thing about architecture or I don't know the first thing about English.
Right. Well, we do and that's why we're here to help you. But this is a really great phrase to describe not understanding anything at all about something.
Right.
So this is a really great way to describe not knowing anything at all about something.
Okay.
And well, obviously, since she didn't know the first thing about farming, she ended up leaving and she said, you know what? I don't think I can hack it out here in the countryside.
Okay, so I can hack it, he can't hack it. We use this with the verb to be able to. And it means I don't think I can do this. I think this is too hard.
Uh-huh.
Or maybe if somebody quit right after a week at at the office and you can and you can say he can't hack it, he couldn't hack the pressure and he left.
Exactly. So that means to handle or to be able to handle or to um to withstand. So I just don't think I can hack the cold.
Right? I can't handle the cold. It's too cold here. I'm moving somewhere warm.
All right, so I'm sure you guys will be able to hack our dialogue one last time, so let's listen to it and we'll be back.
Isn't this great? I always wanted to own a farm, live out in the country, grow my own food.
This is very beautiful. Though I have to confess, I don't know the first thing about farming.
That's fine. Don't worry about it.
What was that?
Relax. It was just a goat.
And that?
It's just the cows that are grazing over there. We can milk them later.
What was that?
Honey, seriously, it's just a sheep. Relax.
Relax. That was just the horses and donkeys that are in the stable.
You know what? I don't think I can hack it out here in the countryside. I'm going back to the city.
All right, we're back. So as you said, you're a fan of the countryside and about farming, right?
That's right. Well, I wish I knew more about farming. I don't know the first thing about milking a cow.
But I do come from a part of the world in Illinois, near Chicago, where we have a lot of farms and I appreciate the quiet and.
Yeah, it's nice.
Oh, having animals around and being able to go on long walks without cars and horns and bicycles.
And it is actually a little bit refreshing to be out in the countryside sometimes and not even have uh internet or cell phone coverage or anything. So it's just basically you can't do anything else but relax, read a book, talk to people.
Exactly. Exactly.
Now, an interesting thing about this is a lot of people take for granted the countryside because I've met many people who live in the city, who grew up in the city and have never seen, for example, a live chicken. And when they see it, they just freak out and take pictures with the chicken or or a cow or something. It's it's amazing.
That's funny.
That's really funny. Well, I think it's it's very valuable I think there are very valuable skills that you learn being out in the countryside like uh how to cook for yourself. There's no one else who can cook for you or how to get food from animals.
Or maybe you can't even use a microwave. So how do you cook without a microwave or something?
That's right. And I think the biggest problem for city people when they come to the countryside is that it's dirtier. You know, you get mud and there are bugs and uh I imagine some of our co-workers here having a very hard time in the countryside.
Yes, indeed.
So, why don't you guys uh come to our website Englishpod.com. Let us know what you think about this. Maybe you're very familiar with the countryside or have a relative who's a farmer. It's it's great. So, uh visit us englishpod.com and if you have any questions or comments, you can leave them there as well.
Can't wait to hear from you. Happy studies. Bye everyone.
Summary
This audio file provides an English vocabulary review, where a narrator introduces a word or phrase, and a second speaker repeats it, sometimes at a faster pace, and then uses it in a contextual sentence. The vocabulary covered includes terms like "rural areas," "country," "to feed in a meadow or pasture," "graze," "get the milk from a cow," "milk," "know little about," "don't know the first thing about," "stable," "be able to manage," and "hack it." Some sentences convey personal feelings like fear, enjoyment, or difficulty.
Transcript (Click timestamp to jump)
The English audio review.
Listen to the meaning, then say the vocabulary word.
Rural areas.
Country.
To feed in a meadow or pasture.
Graze.
Get the milk from a cow.
Milk.
Know little about.
Don't know the first thing about.
A building for the shelter and feeding of domestic animals, especially horses and cattle.
Stable.
Be able to manage or manage successfully.
Hack it.
Let's try that faster.
To feed in a meadow or pasture.
Graze.
Know little about.
Don't know the first thing about.
Get the milk from a cow.
Milk.
Rural areas.
Country.
A building for the shelter and feeding of domestic animals, especially horses and cattle.
Stable.
Be able to manage or manage successfully.
Hack it.
Now say the word and hear it in a sentence.
Country.
It took only 10 minutes of driving before we were out of the city and in the country.
Country.
My mom grew up on a farm out in the country and met my dad one day when his truck broke down on the country road beside the farm.
Country.
I love being out in the country because it is so peaceful.
Don't know the first thing about.
I would be so scared to have a baby because I don't know the first thing about being a mom.
Don't know the first thing about.
I don't know the first thing about teaching, so there is no way I am going to look for a job teaching English.
Don't know the first thing about.
My sister is your babysitter? But she doesn't know the first thing about taking care of kids.
Graze.
The cows grazed in the field.
Graze.
I knew that something was wrong when I looked out over the countryside and saw only one horse grazing in the field.
Graze.
Every morning he takes the sheep out to graze.
Stable.
The little girl led the donkey back into the stable.
Stable.
He went into the stable to take a look at the new kittens.
Stable.
Your father put the new horse in the big stall in the stable.
Hack it.
I think the new employee is going to quit because he just can't hack it.
Hack it.
I can't hack it being a nanny because the kids won't listen to me.
Hack it.
She's not too sure if she could hack it in the city with all the people and all the noise.