English Dialogue Lesson 2 (Ep. 7): Environment
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English Dialogue Lesson 2 – Episode 7 Transcript
(Translations: فارسی, Tiếng Việt)
Welcome to the Magoosh IELTS Podcast! This is Lesson 7. In this episode, you’re going to hear dialogue containing the vocabulary words that your teacher Eliot defined in Vocabulary Lesson 2. These are 4 words all related to the environment: Pollution, Erosion, Emissions, and Sustainable.
If you haven’t listened to lesson 2 yet, you might want to listen to that first, so that you know the definitions of these words. I’ll put a link in the show notes.
Also, check out the show notes to get your free download: the IELTS vocabulary list, which contains these words and others that you’ll find on the test. Plus visit us at IELTS.Magoosh.com for more great resources to improve your IELTS band score. Use coupon code “ieltspodcast” (that’s one word) to save 20% off your IELTS test prep!
Okay let’s get started! Listen to this dialogue between Andre and Yuriko as they talk about their new jobs. See if you can pick out the 4 IELTS vocabulary words as you listen.
Dialogue Part 1
Andre: Wow, it’s so good to see you Yuriko. How long has it been? Eight months?
Yuriko: Yeah eight months…I’ve been traveling a lot for work. But I’m so glad we could get lunch while I’m in town! I’m flying out again on Friday. It’s so hard to fit everything into my schedule these days.
Andre: Sounds like it. So tell me about this new job. Last time I saw you, I think you were still a raft guide in Colorado…?
Yuriko: Well, I graduated at the end of last May, and that’s when I started the guiding job. But that was just for the summer.
Andre: Remind me what your degree was in again?
Yuriko: I did a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Science and Sustainable Agriculture.
Andre: Oh yeah, I remember now. Okay, so you were a raft guide for the summer…was that in the Grand Canyon?
Yuriko: Yes, we were in the Grand Canyon. It was such an amazing opportunity. As you know, I’ve spent a lot of time in the backcountry, but there’s no place on earth quite like the Grand Canyon. I really got to know the land. But the National Parks Service is facing a lot of challenges…it was so sad to see how fast the erosion of the canyons is progressing. The way we’re treating the land really isn’t sustainable.
Andre: So why did you leave that job?
Yuriko: Oh, that kind of guiding is just seasonal work, and I needed to be making money year-round. I would love to go back again, but I’m pretty locked in to my current job for now.
Andre: Yeah, so tell me about this new job!
Yuriko: Well my official job title is Environmental Sustainability Consultant. I work as a part of a larger consulting firm of about thirty-five people. We’re contracted out to help companies create plans and programs that will reduce their negative impact on the environment…things like bringing down their emissions, properly disposing of their waste, cutting down on pollution…that sort of stuff.
Andre: And that has you traveling a lot? How do you like that lifestyle?
Yuriko: Yeah, I’ll go to the headquarters, or different worksites, and get a feel for what sort of policies the company already has in place. From there we can develop a plan for the areas where they may be able to improve. It’s really important to get facetime with the people on the ground, and I love seeing new places…but it can be exhausting to be on the road all the time.
Andre: But you like the work, overall?
Yuriko: It was a difficult transition for me at first, of course. Going from being out on the river every day to a lot of paperwork and corporate stuff and waiting in airports. As a raft guide, you get to be out in nature, but you’re also seeing the negative effects humans are having on the environment…the dams, and the pollution, the trash in the river…and you can’t do anything about it. At least at this job I feel like I’m really making a difference.
Andre: Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.
Yuriko: It does bother me that I’m flying so much though—from an environmental perspective. Did you know that one round-trip flight from New York City to Los Angeles produces the same amount of greenhouse gas emissions as ten weeks of driving a car? The carbon footprint of air travel is huge.
Andre: Oh wow, I knew planes used a lot of fuel, but I didn’t realize it was that much.
Yuriko: Yeah. Hopefully as technology advances we’ll be able to create more sustainable ways of traveling….but what about you, what are you up to these days? Still leading backpacking trips?
Midroll
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Now back to the story!
Dialogue Part 2
Andre: Yeah, I’m working full-time for the Outdoor Leadership School now. It’s definitely a for-profit organization, but I like the work.
Yuriko: What kind of trips have you been leading?
Andre: I specialize in the Southwest. So we’re doing one to three month trips out in the desert and canyonlands, which is a whole lot of hiking, as well as courses on outdoor survival skills and ecology. We teach students some of the same things you were talking about: the erosion of the land from farming and development, and how the desert ecosystems have been impacted by people.
Yuriko: I actually did my college thesis on the erosion caused by industrial farming practices in the parts of Arizona that get their water from the dams.
Andre: Oh wow, I didn’t know that…you should definitely pass that along to me, I’d love to share some of that information with my students.
Yuriko: I’d be happy to. Helping businesses lower their emissions is obviously important, but it’s so vital to connect with the younger generation and teach them about the land. How does that quote about love and conservation go?
Andre: It’s “People protect what they love, they love what they understand, and they understand what they’re taught.” Jacques Cousteau. Good quote for a teacher to know [chuckles].
Yuriko: [Laughs] Yeah, you were ready for that one.
Andre: So how’s your family doing?
Yuriko: They’re good. My younger sister is about to start university, so I think my parents are getting a little emotional. Empty nest and all that. I know they miss me, but they respect my work.
Andre: Yeah, I mean it’s hard to criticize your daughter when she’s fighting corporate pollution.
Yuriko: I do what I can. How about you, are you still with Amelia?
Andre: Yeah, we’re good…we’re good. We just got a place together on the west side. It’s a big step for me.
Yuriko: Wow, that’s amazing! I’m so happy for you!
Andre: Yeah, the idea of moving in with someone has always been a bit scary to me…but when you think about it, we’re both out leading trips for at least six months out of the year. And those six months don’t necessarily overlap.
Yuriko: So Amelia works for the Outdoor Leadership School as well?
Andre: Yeah, we met as co-trip leaders actually.
Yuriko: That’s very sweet.
[phone rings]
Andre: Oh, sorry, I’ve got to take this. But I’ll be right back, don’t go anywhere!
Yuriko: No worries, take your time! I’ll get another coffee.
Outro
So how did you do? Did you hear and understand all of the vocabulary words? If you need more practice, check out the show notes for a transcript of this episode so that you can follow along and listen again.
Oh and by the way! We’re looking for volunteers to help us translate the show transcripts from English to your first language. If you are interested, please email me at [email protected] with the subject line “translation,” and let me know what language you can translate into!
Thanks for listening! If you like our show, help us out by leaving a rating and review in Apple Podcasts, it helps people find us! And don’t forget to hit the subscribe button. Until next time! This is Naomi at Magoosh, wishing you happy studying!
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