Page 185 - English Vocabulary in Use (Pre & Intermediate)

89 On the beach and in the country

Places to stay
When people go on holiday they stay in various places
(= a number of different places): some go to hotels; others
rent an apartment (a ‘holiday’ flat) or villa (= a house by
the sea or in the countryside; often in the Mediterranean /
southern Europe); some prefer sleeping in a tent at a
campsite.
At the beach

Many people spend their holiday in seaside resorts (= towns by the sea for tourists, e.g.
Malaga, St. Tropez, Okinawa) where they can spend most of their time on the beach. Some
people enjoy swimming, others love sunbathing (= lying on the beach in order to get a
suntan). If you like sunbathing, you should use suntan lotion to help you get a tan and
protect your skin. If you don’t have any protection, you may get sunburn, which is painful
and can be dangerous. And if you want total protection you should use sunblock, or sit
under a beach umbrella.
Swimming can also be dangerous if there are rocks under the water or if the sea is rough,
e.g. with big waves.

In the country

People who live in large towns often like to get away (= leave the place where they live) at
weekends or in the summer, and enjoy the peace and quiet (= calm and tranquillity) of the
country (also called the countryside). Some people just like to put their feet up (= relax and
do nothing) and occasionally go for a stroll (= a slow casual walk); while others enjoy
hiking (= long walks, often hill walking) across hills and valleys. And the countryside is a
great place to have a picnic (= eating a prepared meal of cold food outside).
Note: Learners sometimes say ‘I love to be in the nature’. This is usually a translation from
their first language and it is not correct in English. The nearest we can say is probably ‘I
love being in the countryside’.

182 English Vocabulary in Use (pre-intermediate & intermediate)