Sangkhlaburi,Thailand: 1_________ the plunge
We were in a long-tail 2__________ crossing the Khao Laem reservoir 3________ Sangkhlaburi, close 4________ the Burmese border in Western Thailand, when our driver 5_________ us on a detour to Thailand's longest wooden bridge. As he cut the 6________ and we idled up 7________ the bridge for a closer look , some local boys were enjoying 8___________ bombing (diving) competition. When they saw us, they seized 9________ moment 10__________ showcase some of their diving and one after the other plunged 11_________ the water . We were only there for a few minutes but 12_________ impromptu performance remains one of the highlights of my time in Thailand. This shot embodies 13_________ spontaneity of the country, and its 14________ vibrancy.
Havana, Cuba: Seeing the light
‘The Malecón is a five-mile-long, six-lane sea road, laid 15________ by US Marines from 1901 and fronted 16__________ nineteenth-century buildings in various 17_________ of disrepair. It is where Habaneros hang 18_________ and party at the weekends and is the unique fingerprint 19________ Havana. When I got there, the sun was starting to set. There was a warm breeze blowing and a strong 20__________ swell, with 21____________ crashing against the sea wall. The sun was barely peeping 22______________ the clouds when I noticed a 1950s Pontiac approaching in the distance. I waited until 23___________ drew closer before pressing 24__________ shutter. For me this 25___________ captures the essence of Havana: a uniquely photogenic 26__________ frozen in time for fifty years.’
Matera, southern Italy: Time 27_____________ still
‘Nothing 28__________ have prepared me for my first sight of the Sassi di Matera. I wasn’t sure 29___________ to expect from a cave town where the locals live in the same houses 30_________ their ancestors 31_________ 9,000 years ago. I felt like I’d wandered onto a 32_________ set. The jumble 33____________ stacked cave houses appeared to tumble 34_________ a ravine. Adding to the magic of the place was the fact that I was the only person there and it felt like a 35_________ town. I left 36___________ slightly humbled – maybe it was knowing that my hotel room was once a cave dwelling 37__________ a family of ten and 38___________ livestock!’
KEY
1. taking
plunge: /plʌndʒ/ an act of jumping or diving into water; a quick swim. E.g. He took the plunge into the deep end. She went for a plunge.
2. boat
long-tail boat
3. in
reservoir: /ˈrezəvwɑː(r)/ a natural or artificial lake where water is stored before it is taken by pipes to houses, etc.
4. to
Burmese: /ˌbɜːˈmiːz/
5. took
detour: /ˈdiːtʊə(r)/ a longer route that you take in order to avoid a problem or to visit a place. E.g. We had to make a detour around the flooded fields. It's well worth making a detour to see the village. The driver took us on a detour to Thailand's longest wooden bridge.
6. engine
cut or cut off [transitive] to stop the supply of something, or to stop something working. E.g. The accident had cut the oxygen to her brain. All lines of communication had been cut. Could you cut the engine for a minute?
7. to
idle: /ˈaɪdl/ walk slowly and with no particular purpose. E.g. They idled along by the river.
8. a
bombing: /ˈbɒmɪŋ/
9. the
seize an opportunity/chance to act quickly in order to use an opportunity that may not be available later. E.g.seize the day (make the most of the present moment). Seize the moment.
10. to
showcase: exhibit; display. E.g. the albums showcase his production skills. Jack found a film role that showcased all his talents.
11. into
plunge in/ plunge into something to jump into something, especially with force. E.g. The pool was declared open and eager swimmers plunged in.
12. this
impromptu: /ɪmˈprɒmptjuː/ done without preparation or planning. Improvised. E.g. an impromptu speech. They often held impromptu meetings in their house.
13. the
embody: /ɪmˈbɒdi/ to express or represent an idea or a quality.
spontaneity: /ˌspɒntəˈneɪəti/
14. people's
vibrancy /ˈvaɪbrənsi/ excitement
15. out
lay out: to plan how something should look and arrange it in this way. E.g. The gardens were laid out with lawns and flower beds. A well-laid-out magazine.
16. by
front: /frʌnt/ to face something or be in front of something; to have the front pointing towards something. E.g. front something The cathedral fronts the city's main square. Front onto something The line of houses fronted straight onto the road.
17. states
disrepair: /ˌdɪsrɪˈpeə(r/ a building, road, etc. that is in a state of disrepair has not been taken care of and is broken or in bad condition. E.g. The station quickly fell into disrepair after it was closed. The buildings were in various states of disrepair.
18. out
hang out: (informal) to spend a lot of time in a place. E.g. The local kids hang out at the mall.
19. of
fingerprint: a distinctive identifying characteristic. E.g. The Malecón is the unique fingerprint of Habana.
20. sea
swell: the slow, regular movement of the sea when it rises and falls without the waves breaking. E.g. The boat was caught in a heavy (= strong) swell. There was a heavy swell.
21. waves
crash: to hit something hard while moving, causing noise and/or damage; to make something hit somebody/something in this way. E.g. + adverb/preposition A brick crashed through the window. Waves crashing against the sea wall.
22. through
barely: /ˈbeəli/ in a way that is just possible but only with difficulty. E.g. He could barely read and write. The music was barely audible. She was barely able to stand. We barely had time to catch the train.
peep: + adverb/preposition to be just visible. E.g. The tower peeped above the trees. The sun peeped out from behind the clouds.
Pontiac /ˈpɒntiæk/ was an automobile brand established in 1926 as a companion make for General Motors' Oakland.
23. it
draw: + adverb/preposition to move in the direction mentioned. E.g. The train drew into the station. The train drew in. The figures in the distance seemed to be drawing closer. Their car drew alongside ours. (figurative) Her retirement is drawing near. (figurative) The meeting was drawing to a close.
24. the
shutter: the part of a camera that opens to allow light to pass through the lens when you take a photograph. E.g. the quiet click of the shutter. I waited until the car drew closer before pressing the shutter.
25. photo
capture something to succeed in accurately expressing a feeling, an atmosphere, etc. in a picture, piece of writing, film/movie, etc. E.g. The article captured the mood of the nation. This picture captures the essence of Havana.
26. city
photogenic /ˌfəʊtəʊˈdʒenɪk/ looking attractive in photographs. E.g. I'm not very photogenic. A photogenic child.
27. stands
still: not moving; calm and quiet. E.g. still water. Keep still while I brush your hair. The kids found it hard to stay still. Can't you sit still? We stayed in a village where time has stood still (= life has not changed for many years).
28. could
sight of somebody/something the act of seeing somebody/something. E.g. After ten days at sea, we had our first sight of land. I have been known to faint at the sight of blood. The soldiers were given orders to shoot on sight (= as soon as they saw somebody). She caught sight of a car in the distance. The mere sight of him makes me want to scream.
29. what
30. as
31. did
32. film
set: a collection of scenery, stage furniture, and other articles used for a particular scene in a play or film. E.g. We need volunteers to help build and paint the set.
33. of
jumble (of something): /ˈdʒʌmbl/ an untidy or confused mixture of things. E.g. a jumble of books and paper. The essay was a meaningless jumble of ideas.
stacked: arranged in a pile. If a surface is stacked with objects, there are large numbers or piles of them on it. E.g. a table stacked with glasses. Shelves stacked with files. Logs stacked up against a wall.
34. down
Tumble (down): to fall suddenly and in a dramatic way. E.g. The scaffolding came tumbling down. (figurative) World records tumbled at the last Olympics.
ravine: /rəˈviːn/ a deep, very narrow valley with steep sides. Sp. barranco, garganta. E.g. The track continued along the bottom of the ravine.
35. ghost
36. feeling
humble somebody: to make somebody feel that they are not as good or important as they thought they were. E.g. He was humbled by her generosity. A humbling experience. We feel humbled by our local community's generosity and support.
37. for
dwelling: a house, flat/apartment, etc. where a person lives. E.g. The development will consist of 66 dwellings and a number of offices.
38. their
livestock: /ˈlaɪvstɒk/ the animals kept on a farm, for example cows or sheep. E.g. markets for the trading of livestock.
Full text
Every month the BBC Lonely Planet Magazine runs a photo competition. They ask readers to send in pictures they have taken on their travels and tell the story behind them.
Sangkhlaburi,Thailand: Taking the plunge
We were in a long-tail boat crossing the Khao Laem reservoir in Sangkhlaburi, close to the Burmese border in Western Thailand, when our driver took us on a detour to Thailand's longest wooden bridge. As he cut the engine and we idled up to the bridge for a closer look , some local boys were enjoying a bombing (diving) competition.When they saw us, they seized the moment to showcase some of their diving and one after the other plunged into the water . We were only there for a few minutes but this impromptu performance remains one of the highlights of my time in Thailand. This shot embodies the spontaneity of the country, and its people's vibrancy.
Havana, Cuba: Seeing the light
‘The Malecón is a five-mile-long, six-lane sea road, laid out by US Marines from 1901 and fronted by nineteenth-century buildings in various states of disrepair. It is where Habaneros* hang out and party at the weekends and is the unique fingerprint of Havana. When I got there, the sun was starting to set. There was a warm breeze blowing and a strong sea swell, with waves crashing against the sea wall. The sun was barely peeping through the clouds when I noticed a 1950s Pontiac approaching in the distance. I waited until it drew closer before pressing the shutter. For me this photo captures the essence of Havana: a uniquely photogenic city frozen in time for fifty years.’
Matera, southern Italy: Time stands still
‘Nothing could have prepared me for my first sight of the Sassi di Matera. I wasn’t sure what to expect from a cave town where the locals live in the same houses as their ancestors did 9,000 years ago. I felt like I’d wandered onto a film set. The jumble of stacked cave houses appeared to tumble down a ravine. Adding to the magic of the place was the fact that I was the only person there and it felt like a ghost town. I left feeling slightly humbled – maybe it was knowing that my hotel room was once a cave dwelling for a family of ten and their livestock!’
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