English Listenign Lesson Lab Online
Views #141 | Low Intermediate 4

Wind Surfing

Roe talks a little about his sport of windsurfing and who he admires.
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Todd: OK, let's talk about hobbies. What do you like to do in your free time?

Roe: You mean other than seducing ladies?

Todd: Yeah, well, we might actually have women listen to this.

Roe: Just joking. Just joking OK. I like windsurfing. That's my number one hobby, and surfing I'm in progress, and I like skateboarding but I'm getting old, so it is kind of tiresome. What else do I like? I like going to restaurants, going out, bars, restaurants, bar hopping.

Todd: Cool, yeah, I like to bar hop. Let's go back to the windsurfing, um, how long have you been windsurfing?

Roe: Since 26, so that's 4, 5, 7 years.

Todd: 7 years! Yeah, where did you first begin windsurfing?

Roe: Kamakura.

Todd: Oh, in Kamakura. That's a beautiful place.

Roe: In winter, yeah, but in summer, it's, I don't know, it's questionable.

Todd: Really? Why?

Roe:Oily.

Todd: Oh, cause the water is polluted.

Roe: Yeah, cause people, a lot of people come from the city. They put oils right oil, and they go swimming into the ocean.

Todd: You mean suntan lotion from people's bodies gets in the water and makes it oily. That's disgusting.

Roe: Isn't it. You see the oil floating around in the ocean. It's kind of sick in summer, so I really don't windsurf in summer.

Todd: Wow, it must be hard to, if there is so many people in the water.

Roe: Yeah, but there is a swimming section and a windsurfing section, but anyway.

Todd: So, did somebody teach you to windsurf?

Roe: Yeah, my brother. Oh, your brother. OK. Did it come easy for you, or was it difficult?

Roe: It is really difficult to explain windsurfing cause, I show you. Can you stand up?

Todd: OK, so I'm standing up?

Roe: And your holding your rig, and go back, you are like 80 kilometer and your body is more closer to the ocean and your body is like down here and like 80 kilometer and waves are like 4 meters and on a good day so that is really radical.

Todd: Yeah that sounds difficult. I don't think I'm ready for windsurfing.

Roe: It's pretty interesting though. It's free too.

Todd: But the equipment must be very expensive.

Roe: The first time yeah, but once you buy and have everything down it's free to go surfing to the beach so.

Todd: How many windsurfing boards do you have?

Roe: Two.

Todd: Two. And do you have to do a lot of work to maintain them, to keep them clean?

Roe: Not really cause out in the ocean just wash with the water, clean water, that's about it.

Todd: How far do you live from the beach?

Roe: It takes me about, about an hour from my house.

Todd: One hour. Boy. That's dedication.

Roe: It's like, how can I explain this, what are your hobbies there?

Todd: I like running so yeah I run all the time.

Roe: Right, but it's not, you feel like you are dedicating your energy to the running.

Todd: No, No. Yeah

Roe: You do it because it is fun.

Todd: Yeah

Roe: Exactly.

Todd: OK, yeah, maybe I'll have to try windsurfing one of these days. I've always wanted to try that and surfing. It look like a lot of fun.

Roe: Come. I have my board and my surfboard too.

Todd: Oh, that's right, you have two boards, so, hey OK. Thanks and we have to go before it's summer. Now it is spring, and all the oil in the water, that's disgusting. I can't. I thought you meant like oil from ships or sewage from the city. OK. Oil from people's bodies. Well, there must be a lot of tan bodies.

Learn vocabulary from the lesson!

free time

What do you like to do in your free time?

Time when you have no other obligations like school or work is your 'free time.'  Notice the following:

  1. When do you have free time to go out for coffee with me?
  2. She doesn't have enough free time to do what she wants.

tiresome

I'm getting old, so skateboarding is kind of tiresome.

If something is 'tiresome' it makes you feel tired.  This can be physically or mentally tired.  Notice the following:

  1. Traveling can be very tiresome.
  2. Please stop asking me the same questions.  It's very tiresome.

bar hopping

I like to go bar hopping.

'Bar hopping' is going from on bar to another all night.  Notice the following:

  1. He was really interested in bar hopping for a few years.
  2. We are going out bar hopping to celebrate my birthday on Tuesday.

maintain

Do you have a lot of work to maintain the windsurfing boards.

To 'maintain' something is to keep it in good or working condition.  We can use this word to refer to things or our bodies.  Notice the following:

  1. She maintains a good balance between work and pleasure. 
  2. After he moved in to his own house, he discovered it takes a lot of energy to maintain everything.

dedicate

One hour from your home. That's dedication.

In the example 'dedication' is very similar to commitment.  If you continue to do something even though it is difficult or time consuming you are dedicated to what you are doing.  Notice the following:

  1. How can you dedicate so much time to exercising?
  2. He dedication to studying increased a lot after he started paying for his own education.

Vocabulary Quiz

free time • tiresome • bar hopping
maintain • dedicate
  1. Long car trips with children are .
  2. It's important to work hard to your health as you get older.
  3. Work is really busy right now and I don't have a lot of .
  4. I really wish I could more time to reading.
  5. We are going of Friday to celebrate his birthday.
Answer the following questions about the interview.

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