节目资讯
刊物:空中英语教室
日期:2012-11-16
难易度:Medium
关键字:occasional, lodging, guesthouse, safari, jaguar
Welcome back, everybody.
As was mentioned earlier, the Pantanal wetlands lie pretty much in the heart of
South America,
a continent famous for its tall mountains, raging rivers and dense jungles.
Which leads us to the question:
How in the world would you get there?
Let's find out as we pick up the reading under "Where to start" on page 31.
The Pantanal: A Wetland Adventure.
Where to start.
Start your journey in the Brazilian cities of Cuiaba or Campo Grande.
Don't waste much time there though; there's not much to see in either place.
But both offer plenty of connections to lodging and tour packages in the
Pantanal.
From basic guesthouses to luxury resorts, your vacation can be as simple or
grand as you make it.
Experiencing the Pantanal.
The Pantanal is a place you need to see to believe, so get your camera ready.
Book a safari, where an open-air vehicle will take you to see the animals up
close.
OK. We're talking about traveling to the Pantanal in South America.
And we learned of the different things you can do there.
We talked about fishing or bird watching or just getting out to try and spot the
different wildlife.
Now you may think: Well, this is what I am going to do. But how do I get
started?
Exactly. You want to know how to start your journey here.
And so where do you start?
Take a look now on page 30... 31, and you'll see here how to start your journey.
Well, you can start your journey in Brazil, in the Brazilian cities of Cuiaba or
Campo Grande.
OK. So we are seeing here we can start in the eastern side of the Pantanal in
Brazil.
And these cities are actually probably the best places for you to begin your
journey throughout all of the Pantanal, not just the Brazilian area.
That's right, because as we saw earlier, the Pantanal covers a very large area
crossing three country borders.
So get your start in Brazil, but also remember it crosses into Paraguay and
Bolivia.
That's right.
So start here in Brazil.
But friends, don't waste too much time in these cities.
There's not much to see in either of those places.
That's right.
It's a good place to get your start, to kind of use it as a place to maybe take
the airplane or the bus or however you plan on getting there.
But don't stay there because there's not too much to see, which means there's
probably not very much to see compared to other areas in the Pantanal.
Right. That doesn't mean it's not beautiful, but there's not as much to see.
So don't waste all of your time there.
Don't worry though, friends, there is a lot of things that they offer there.
There's plenty of connections to lodging and tour packages that are in the other
areas of the Pantanal.
Now this is why you get your start here but you don't stay here.
It's kind of like an airport-type setup.
You go in, you get your start, you collect the different things you're going to
need and you make your connections.
Now to make a connection means you get in contact with and book and plan for
your lodging,
and for any kind of tour package that you might want through the Pantanal.
That's right.
And these offer plenty of those.
That means there is more than enough.
There's enough for you.
And they offer connections to lodging.
"Lodging" is temporary place where you stay.
Like a hotel or a hostel or a guesthouse.
So you want to make sure that you book these because you don't want to be
sleeping out in a car or in a tent or something.
You want to be staying inside.
And you can book lodging as well as a tour package, which could include many
different things.
It's not like walking around by yourself, just looking for things that would
provide a guide so you could see the things you're looking for.
Yeah. And this really is why you want to start in these cities because they'll
help you get through the rest of the Pantanal.
From... they have basic guesthouses to luxury resorts, your vacation can be as
simple or grand as you make it.
OK. I said "guesthouse" a little bit earlier in reference to something like a
hostel.
Well, it is a small and cheap hotel - is a basic name for a guesthouse.
So it's tiny.
You don't get much space, and it's very inexpensive, doesn't cost a lot of
money.
So you could stay at a guesthouse if you're going on a budget, going with only a
certain amount of money.
Or if you plan on spending a lot of money and having an expensive vacation, stay
in the luxury resort.
That's right.
Of course, we remember from a few months ago the word "luxury" means very nice,
usually very expensive.
And a resort is a much nicer place than a hotel.
They offer much larger rooms and many more things to do and other services.
They're very luxurious.
That's right.
A hotel would offer you a room and a bathroom.
And a... a resort would offer you not just your room and bathroom, but
restaurants and swimming pools and spas and golf courses and all kinds of
different things.
That's right.
You can find either guesthouses or luxury resorts.
Whatever you are looking for, you can find in this place.
That's right.
They'll help you book your lodging and get started on your way as you tour
through the Pantanal.
OK, friends, so how can you experience the Pantanal?
That's what we want to know next.
That's right.
Ooh, getting out and experiencing it.
We can talk about it as much as we want, which we do a lot of, but how are you
going to experience it?
What are you going to do?
What are you going to enjoy?
Will you fish or look at birds or look for jaguars?
What are you going to do?
OK. Well, Kaylah, I might believe this next sentence.
It says the Pantanal is a place you actually need to see in order to believe.
So make sure you bring your camera and have it ready.
OK.
"To see it to believe it" means you may know that it exists and we believe that
it's there,
but you can't understand how beautiful and amazing it is until you actually see
it.
So make sure your camera is ready to go with lots of space and plenty of
batteries.
That's right.
There are plenty of pictures you can see of the Pantanal, and they all do look
very beautiful.
But you actually need to see it yourself.
So bring your camera so you can capture some of those memories.
OK. So how are we going to experience?
Start by booking a safari.
All right.
Now a "safari" is a guided trip usually through a wild area so that you can see
animals or sometimes hunt them.
And safaris usually happen in places like Africa.
That's right.
We usually think: Oh, safari, that must mean Africa.
But once again, just like the word savanna, it's not just in Africa.
It means you are traveling through a natural environment to see animals.
Now how can you do this?
Well, we'll see that in a second, Kaylah.
First I'm looking at the word "book" here.
What does that mean if you book a safari?
"To book" means that you set up a reservation.
So you can book a restaurant table, or you can book a hotel room, or you can
book a safari.
That means you are reserving it for your use.
OK. So make sure you prepare and reserve that safari for your name.
Well, if you go on the safari, you will ride in an open-air vehicle, and they'll
take you to see the animals up close.
OK. So if you're walking through by yourself, please don't go near the animals.
Stay away from them for your safety and for their safety.
Keep the environment natural.
But if you book a safari, they have ways and they are trained to take you up
close to the animals so you can experience them.
So get your cameras ready and your safari hats on.
That's right.
And they're using open-air vehicles, which is great.
That means there's no pop to the vehicle, you can just see the animals right
there.
That's right.
Maybe there's a top for shade, but there's no walls on the outside so you can
just reach out.
And they're right there so you get nice up-close pictures.
Well, we're going to talk more about the Pantanal tomorrow.
But right now let's watch today's skit.
Welcome back to the Pantanal in the heart of South America.
Yes. This place is a paradise.
In April and May you can go fishing.
I love fishing.
Oh. But what about bird watching?
Ah, the best time for that is July until September.
It's cooler with only occasional rain.
When can you see a jaguar?
If you want to spot a jaguar, September to October is a good time to visit.
Great.
How long should you plan to stay at the Pantanal?
Stay at least four or five days.
The longer you stay, the better chance you have of seeing wild animals.
So where does this adventure begin?
Start your journey in one of the two Brazilian cities nearby.
Both offer plenty of connections to lodgings and tour packages.
So then how much will this adventure cost?
It's up to you.
There are basic guesthouses and luxury resorts.
So your vacation can be simple or grand.
Yes. It's what you make it.
The Pantanal is amazing.
You need to see this place to believe it.
Yes.
Be sure to book a safari in an open-air vehicle.
That way, you can see the animals up close.
What an adventure!
Get your cameras ready.
OK.
Smile!
(Music).
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle.
(Chinese).
And we're running out of time.
I'll see you tomorrow.
Bye-bye.
Thank you, Michelle.
Now with all its birds and butterflies, its howler monkeys and anaconda snakes,
the Pantanal has one of the greatest concentrations of fauna - remember, that's
the animal life - in all of South America.
And unlike the neighboring rain forests of the Amazon, with their broad leaves
and thick vegetation,
the Pantanal is more open, virtually guaranteeing visitors a look at its amazing
wildlife.
OK. How do you see animals that come out only at night?
You go on a night safari.
Be sure to join us for that tomorrow.
And so until then, friends, have a great Friday.