SPEAKING VOCABULARY BOOSTER

LEVEL 2 – LESSON 3

Culture and Travel

A: Hey, I heard you had a wonderful trip. Where did you go?
B: You know I have a thirst for adventure and often get itchy feet so I decided to take a trip to
Phan Thiet after finishing my final exam.
A: Oh, sounds exciting!
B: Yeah, my dad used to take business trip’s to Phan Thiet occasionally and he highly
recommended that I go there so that I could immerse myself in the breathtaking scenery. My
budget doesn’t quite stretch to luxury trips so I booked a ticket with a low-cost airline to the
city.
A: What did you do there?
B: There were a lot of things for me to enjoy in such an amazing tourist destination, but I spent
most of my time admiring the views of the tranquil countryside, which dominates the
landscape, not too far outside of the city, and can you guess what I found?
A: What?
B: I was lucky enough to find a beautiful secluded beach! I took heaps of photos of it, I’ll post
them on my Facebook so that you can see them. How about you? Do you have any plans for
the summer?
A: Oh yes. My friends and I plan to visit Quang Binh province where we can visit Phong Nha
cave – a famous national park -- as well as visiting some of the unexplored wilderness areas.
Oh, my mom is calling so I have to go home now. See you next time!
B: Ah OK, See you soon. Take care!
Glossary
Phrase Pronunciation Definition
1. business trip ˌˈbɪznɪs trɪp a journey taken for business purposes

2. breathtaking ˈbreθˌteɪ.kɪŋ ˈsiː.nər.i Extremely striking and beautiful views

scenery
3. admire the view ədˈmaɪə ðə vjuː to look at something and think how beautiful
or impressive it is
4. dominate the ˈdɒm.ɪ.neɪt ˈlænd.skeɪp the biggest, most obvious or notable feature
landscape that can be seen
5. secluded place sɪˈklu·dɪd biːtʃ A quiet place away from people
6. a thirst for θɜːst fɔːr to want something very much
7. get itchy feet get ˈɪtʃ.i fiːt to want to travel
8. low-cost ˌləʊˈkɒst ˈeə.laɪn Cheap, or not costing as much as other things
of the same type.
9. immersed in ɪˈmɜːs ɪn to spend most of your time doing something
or thinking about it
10. tranquil ˈtræŋ.kwɪl ˈkʌn.tri.saɪd quiet, peaceful countryside
countryside
11. my budget maɪ ˈbʌdʒ.ɪt ˈdʌz.ənt I can’t afford something
doesn’t quite stretʃ tuː
stretch to
Practice

Exercise 1:
Circle the correct word
1. My father has little chance to go sightseeing when he’s on a business / foreign trip.
2. You can see a lot of stunning scenery and enjoy the relaxed pace of life with a trip to the
tranquil / bustling countryside.
3. A secluded / excluded beach is a place for you and your family to enjoy your holidays without
being amongst too many people.
4. The breathtaking / breathe taking scenery of Britain can offer you a feeling of being closer to
nature.

Exercise 2:
Complete using the correct form of the word in the box.

tranquil countryside        a thirst for low-cost breathtaking scenery

my budget doesn't quite stretch to dominates the landscape

1. Most students tend to buy ……………items in order to save money even though some of them
are of poor quality.
2. Tom has ………………… knowledge so he spends most of his free time reading academic books.
3. I prefer…………… to a busy city so I often drive my girlfriend outside of the city so that we can
enjoy the fresh air and the ……………
4. If ………………………………………………… this trip to Africa, I will ask my parents to lend me some
money.
5. That castle, which attracts thousands of tourists every year, is so huge that it ……………………….  
Exercise 3

Rewrite the following sentences, using the words/phrases from the box.

a thirst for immerse myself in breathtaking scenery

my budget doesn’t quite stretch to itchy feet

1. I’ve just graduated so now I really want to travel somewhere after studying hard for the last
four years.

2. I’d like to have a huge library in my house so that I can spend most of my time reading my
favorite books.

3. I can’t afford to buy a car so I have to walk to school which is 3 km away from my house.

4. I’m very proud of my country which has plenty of beautiful views and great hiking spots.

5. Many actors really want to be famous. So much so, that they dare to create controversial
scandals.

Exercise 4

Answer the following questions, using the words/phrases that you’ve learned.

1. Do you prefer to live in the city or the countryside?

2. What are some advantages and disadvantages of low-cost flights?

Exercise 5:

Do the following IELTS Part 2, using the words you have learned.

Describe an interesting place that few people know about.

You should say:
● where it is
● When you go there
● What you can do there
● why few people go there

Exercise 6:

Do the following IELTS Part 2, using the words you have learned.

Describe a place in your country that you would recommend to a foreign traveller.
You should say;
● Where it is
● How to travel there
● What they can do or see there

And explain why you think this is a good place for foreign tourists.