Track 007
Narrator: Now turn to part 3.
You will hear an interview in which two students called Susie Ward and Tom Smith are talking about their travel experiences.
For questions 1–6, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which fits best according to what you hear.
You'll hear the recording twice.
You now have 70 seconds to look at part 3.
Interviewer: In today’s programme, we have Susie Ward and Tom Smith, just returned from travelling around the world in a highly unusual way. They took absolutely no spending money with them on their trip!
Firstly Susie, what motivated you to do this?
Susie: At the end of our final year at university we were burnt out, both intellectually and financially.
But we were desperate to prolong our freedom before tying ourselves down to a career and travelling seemed like the ideal way to do that.
We’d initially dismissed the idea as it all looked so prohibitively expensive.
Then, we discovered all these blogs about travelling around the world without a penny to your name, and that was it, really.
We looked at each other and knew exactly what we had to do.
Interviewer: So, did you leave straight away, or did you seek other advice before you left?
Susie: Initially we approached our friends for any words of wisdom.
Some suggested setting up a crowdfunding page, asking for online donations.
A great idea on paper, but not really true to the spirit of what we intended.
Instead, we emailed some of the bloggers whose work we’d liked, telling them how inspirational their posts had been and that we were off on a similar, cash-free adventure, and left it at that.
I do sense that, because what we wrote was pretty restrained, rather than us contacting them and expecting help, we got back some great, tailored advice.
Astonishingly, one of them even offered us a place to stay when we got to her city.
Interviewer: Tom, what were those first few weeks of travelling like?
Tom: Well, we set off with high expectations and this childish sense of excitement, you know, the world was our oyster.
We couldn’t have been more deluded if we’d tried.
One night during our very first week, we found ourselves desperately cold and wet, trying to get to sleep at the side of a road in France, because there was nowhere to stay.
I know it sounds irrational, but we both felt alone in the world and sort of abandoned.
It was a steep learning curve.
That miserable night we swore to make sure it never happened again.
Interviewer: So, when did you start enjoying life on the road?
Tom: For weeks after that, we’d obsess about how to get to the next town, or where to stay.
But then we got to a village on the German border, just as the sun set over the hills.
It was so beautiful that we sat down to enjoy it.
Susie took a few pictures and uploaded them to her feed.
Shortly afterwards, a stranger joined us.
It turns out he’d seen the photos that Susie had just put online, lived nearby, and thought he’d come up to see us.
After chatting for a while, he invited us back to his place, where we stayed for a week, free of charge.
Sometimes, when you’ve been at a low ebb, fortune will smile upon you.
That was a turning point.
Interviewer: Susie, what would you say to anyone considering following in your footsteps?
Susie: Well, I’d definitely draw up a detailed plan before setting off and do regular reviews of your gear.
Go through your rucksack and, if you don’t need it, ditch it, or else it’ll just weigh you down.
There’s no room for sentimentality on a trip like this.
And if you have any expectations about what’s likely to happen to you, leave them at home – your experience will improve tenfold as a result.
Interviewer: What do you think has given you the most personal satisfaction from your adventures?
Susie: Well, it’s certainly been fun watching Tom become more socially confident.
When he turns on the charm, it's surprising how persuasive he can be.
What else?
Well, initially we both struggled if people refused to help us.
We’d just give up after the first ‘no’, so it’s a huge badge of honour that along the way we learned to be more persistent and always keep going even when we were getting the cold shoulder.
Aside from that, we spent a lot of time helping locals in some pretty neglected areas in exchange for bed and board, something I found particularly rewarding, especially since the work often required a fair bit of practical improvisation.
Tom: I was already accustomed to volunteer work from uni, so that was nothing new for me.
Helping people is its own reward, regardless of their circumstances.
What gave me the biggest thrill was our ability to take the knockbacks and keep going regardless.
I guess we have more inner strength than I previously thought.
Vocabulary
Questions
chance:not planned synonym unplanned
E.g. a chance meeting/encounter
Script
spending money: money that you can spend on personal things for pleasure or entertainment. Sp. dinero para gastos.
E.g.
You’ll need to take money for food and some spending money.
I don't know how much spending money to take on holiday.
burnt-out: feeling as if you have done something for too long and need to have a rest.Sp. quemado. E.g.
I'm feeling burnt-out at work—I need a holiday.
tie somebody down (to something/to doing something) to limit somebody’s freedom, for example by making them accept particular conditions or by keeping them busy.
E.g.
Kids tie you down, don't they?
I don't want to tie myself down to coming back on a particular date.
She didn’t want to be tied down by a full-time job.
I’m not trying to tie you down. Sp. No estoy intentando atarte.
not have a penny to (one's) name To be extremely poor; to have very little or no money to spend.
E.g. During college I didn't have a penny to my name.
They used to be so well off, but the economy crashed and their business closed, and they don't have a penny to their name anymore.
Four months after emigrating, the couple returned to Britain without a penny to their name.
true to the spirit in keeping with [sth]. Sp. acorde al espíritu de, fiel al espíritu
E.g.
I think his interpretation of the song was true to the spirit of the original. Sp. Creo que su interpretación de la canción estuvo acorde al espíritu de la original.
be off: Leave, depart.
E.g. I'm off to the races; wish me luck.
leave it at that abstain from further comment or action. to not do anything more about something. Sp. dejémoslo como está.
E.g.
If you are not sure of the answers, say so, and leave it at that.
Let's leave it at that for today and meet again tomorrow.
You’ve said you’re sorry, so let’s leave it at that.
restrained: behaviour that is restrained is calm and controlled.
E.g.
a restrained and cool-headed response to their criticisms.
tailored: made for a particular person or purpose.
E.g.
Diane is following a tailored diet plan. Sp. Diane está siguiendo una dieta hecha a medida
astonishingly: in a way that is very surprising. Surprisingly
E.g.
Jack took the news astonishingly well.
Astonishingly, a crowd of several thousands turned out to hear him
set off: to begin a journey.
E.g.
We set off for London just after ten.
the world is your oyster: there is no limit to the opportunities open to you.
E.g.
With talent like that, the world is her oyster.
delude: /dɪˈluːd/ to make somebody believe something that is not true. Deceive.
E.g.
Don't be deluded into thinking that we are out of danger yet.
learning curve: the rate at which you learn a new subject or a new skill; the process of learning from the mistakes you make. Sp. proceso de aprendizaje.
E.g.
We have all been through a steep learning curve to master the new procedures.
We expect a learning curve as we develop the project.
Steep learning curve. Sp. duro proceso de aprendizaje.
feed: a special feature on a blog, news website, social media site, etc. that allows you to see new information that has been added without having to visit the website.
E.g.
The film's official Twitter feed
be at a low ebb:in a poor state; worse than usual. Sp. estar en un mal momento.
E.g.
Morale among teachers is at a low ebb.
turning point (in something) the time when an important change takes place, usually with the result that a situation improves. Sp. punto de inflexión, momento decisivo.
E.g.
The promotion marked a turning point in her career.
I was at a turning point in my life.
draw something up to make or write something that needs careful thought or planning. Sp elaborar
E.g.
to draw up a contract/list/plan
Make sure the contract is properly drawn up.
gear:
1. the equipment or clothing needed for a particular activity. Sp. equipo.
E.g.
climbing/fishing/sports gear
2. the things that a person owns. Possessions. Sp. pertenencias.
E.g.
I've left all my gear at Dave's house.
ditch something/somebody (informal) to get rid of something/somebody because you no longer want or need it/them.
E.g.
The new road building programme has been ditched.
He ditched his girlfriend.
weigh somebody/something down
to make somebody/something heavier so that they are not able to move easily.
E.g.
I was weighed down with baggage.
She tried to swim to the surface, but her clothes and shoes weighed her down.
Sally was weighed down with shopping bags. Sp. Sally iba cargada de bolsas de compras.
tenfold: /ˈtenfəʊld/ ten times as much or as many of something.
E.g.
Business has increased tenfold in the past two years.
a badge of honour/courage something that shows that you have a particular quality. Sp medalla
E.g.
He now sees his wartime injuries as a badge of honor.
give somebody the cold shoulder (informal) to treat somebody in a way that is not friendly. Sp. hacer(le) el vacío a alguien, hacer(le) el feo a alguien.
E.g.
After I got the promotion, a few of my co-workers started giving me the cold shoulder.
neglected: not receiving enough care or attention.
E.g.
neglected children
a neglected area of research
The yard looked very neglected. Sp. El jardín se veía muy abandonado/ descuidado
bed and board a room to sleep in and food. Sp casa y comida, techo y sustento.
E.g.
She paid £80 a week for bed and board.
thrill: a strong feeling of excitement or pleasure; an experience that gives you this feeling.
E.g.
It gave me a big thrill to meet my favourite author in person.
knockback: A refusal, rejection, or setback. Sp. revés
E.g.
He had a few knock-backs, but eventually became one of the most highly paid footballers in England
‘Don't despair if you have a few knock-backs’
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