ESL Podcast 747 - Visiting a Ranch
ranch - a large farm where many cows, horses, and other large animals are raised
When Victor got a job working on a ranch, the first thing he did was to buy a good pair of boots.
to fit right in - to be the same as everyone or everything else; to appear to belong in a particular place or situation; to be dressed as other people are dressed and act as other people are acting
Reya was worried about how her son would do on his first day at school, but he fit right in.
alongside - together with another person; doing something next to or at the same time as another person
Little kids often play alongside each other rather than playing alone.
to look the part - to appear the way people expect one to appear; to dress and act as one is expected to dress and act
When Pepe was auditioning for a role as a hippy, he decided to look the part by letting his hair grow long and growing a beard.
cowboy hat - a very large hat made from felt (thick, soft fabric), traditionally worn by men who work outdoors with cows and sheep, used to protect one's face and eyes from sunlight
A lot of people wear cowboy hats when they go to country-western dances.
lasso - a long rope with a large circle tied at one end that is thrown to fall over the horns or neck of a cow and then pulled so that the circle becomes smaller and the animal cannot run away
When Marty was just learning how to use a lasso, he threw it at objects before he started trying to throw it at live animals.
chaps - a piece of clothing similar to pants and made of leather, worn over one's pants to protect them while riding a horse
Chaps are great for riding horses, but they make it very difficult to walk.
cattle drive - the process where several cowboys work together to move many cattle (cows) over a long distance
How many cows die on a typical cattle drive?
horse - a large animal with four legs, used to pull heavy things, such as farm equipment or carriages, and ridden on by people
If you give a horse an apple or carrot, it will eat it out of your hand.
livestock - animals that are raised on a farm, usually for food, such as cows, sheep, pigs, or goats
They have many different kinds of livestock on their farm, but they're considering specializing in sheep.
bridle - the pieces of leather that are placed over a horse's head and held in the rider's hands to control where the horse goes
Make sure the bridle isn't too small, because you don't want it to hurt the horse.
bit - the metal bar that is put in a horse's mouth and held between its teeth, attached to the bridle and used to control how the horse moves
Sarah thinks it isn't right to use a bit while riding a horse. After all, would you want to have to hold a piece of metal in your mouth?
ta-da - a phrase spoken or sung when introducing or showing something in a surprising or humorous way
Ta-da! What do you think of my new dress?
saddle - the large piece of hard leather placed on a horse's back for a rider to sit on
After spending all day sitting on the saddle, Mohammed's back, bottom, and legs were sore.
horseback riding - the practice of riding horses, usually for fun
They opened a business to offer lessons in horseback riding to children, but they won't teach children less than six years old because of the risk of falling.