Pronunciation ChallengeThe Point of Travel

Hey, guys! How’s your 2021 going so far? So, we’re already three months into the new year, but still pretty limited when it comes to travel. Don’t worry! Those of you itching to hop on a plane again to venture into the lands beyond, I’m sure you’ll have the chance to do so again… soon. Maybe. Well, today’s video happens to point out the importance of travel - comparing the past with the present. Why do people enjoy traveling anyway? Is it just for those posts on social media or is there more behind it? The video talks about the origins and reasons for travel, and these go waaaay back. Go check it out! Okay, we’re going to highlight one particular sentence from the video, and make sure to expand our vocabulary just a little bit more today. Ready?

We should follow old-fashioned pilgrims in striving to evolve our characters according to the suggestions offered up by the places we've been to.

Pronunciation tips:
should (no long ‘o’ sound)
pilgrims (pill-grims)
to the
suggestions
we’ve been to


old-fashioned: adj. oʊldˈfæʃ.ənd

As we can see this word consists of two other words. “Old” obviously referring to something from the past, and then “fashioned” like “fashion” relating to something that is current and popular. However, in this combination, it simply implies that it’s something that used to be common in the past, but also something that is very traditional.

Example: Instead of using a laptop or a tablet, my dad prefers to write his books the old-fashioned way, with a pen and some paper.

Even though it may be faster and more convenient to use electronic devices to write, my dad feels comfortable doing it the traditional way with pen and paper.


strive: v. /straɪv/ [+to-v] [+for/after]

Strive is a verb. It means to try hard, give your best, to continue trying and not stop. However, strive, this word, it rarely comes alone. In this example we see strive is followed by ‘to’ and then another verb. We could say “strive to succeed”, “strive to work harder”, “strive to learn as much as you can”.

Example: Despite the endless challenges in the marketing department, the team strives to impress their boss.
They work very hard, and usually this will go over a longer period of time in order to achieve success. Hopefully!

evolve: v. /ɪˈvɑːlv/

Evolve!! You’ve probably already seen this word without realizing it. For all of you Pokémon GO fans out there, this is something that your little creature does. They change, and grow, and develop into something bigger and stronger. Societies, people, animals, and even languages evolve - they need to in order to adapt to our changing world. This process usually happens slowly and over time.

Example: The tiny business evolved into a multi-million dollar organization within a ten-year period.

So within ten years time this small company changed into something really big and probably really powerful.

Again, this usually needs time, but some things change a little faster than others. And that’s okay. Take your time with what you’re doing. You’ll get there. I think I’ve mentioned that I live in Taiwan and I’m learning Mandarin. So, I can totally relate to those trying to learn a new language. Some days, you feel like you’re still at the most basic level, but when we compare ourselves to where we were a few years ago, we often notice that there has been improvement and change. So keep going! Keep striving to learn English, or whatever it is that you’re trying to learn. You can do it!

Alright, well then, how about we finish here, on a positive note for today. When it comes to travel, what are your reasons for spending money and time just to see another part of the world? Does it really help us change and become better people? Let me know in the comments below, along with a recording. Okay, I’ll say good-bye for now and hope you have a wonderful, wonderful day! Cheers!

^ ^

Thank you, Adam. Have a good one, everyone.

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