ESL Podcast 806 - Essential and Optional Things
to pack - to prepare for a trip by placing all of the things one will need in a bag or suitcase
Don't forget to pack your toothbrush for your overnight trip.
essential - necessary; important; not optional
It is essential to sign your tax forms before submitting them.
unpredictable - changing and without a defined outcome; difficult or impossible to know what will happen in the future
Maria is so unpredictable that nobody knows whether she will laugh or cry when she hears the news.
advisable - recommended; a good or wise thing to do
It is advisable to get all the vaccinations your doctor recommends.
malady - illness; ailment; something that will affect one's health in a negative way
As a Peace Corps Volunteer, Bea got every malady possible, from malaria to tuberculosis.
health danger - something that threatens or affects one's health in a negative way
Pollution can be a serious health danger in industrial areas.
optional - something that is not required, but that one may choose to have or do
We bought a tour group package with optional trips to two islands.
to suggest - to recommend; to present as an option; to present an idea
Martin suggested shortening the long report to just two pages.
valuables - things that are worth a lot of money; things that are expensive to buy and replace
We put our jewelry, passports, and other valuables in the hotel safe.
crime rate - the number of crimes committed per 1,000 people in the population; how likely and frequent crimes may occur
The mayor hopes that increasing the number of police officers will lower the city's crime rate.
to target - to intend for one's actions to affect a particular group of people; to intentionally affect a group of people in some way
The anti-smoking signs and commercials are targeting teenagers.
to take in - to receive information and accept or fully understand it
Justin has never spent any time away from his parents, so going to college and moving out of their home will be a lot to take in.
you're telling me - an informal phrase used to show one's full agreement with what another person has just said
A: It seems like you've had a really difficult year. B: You're telling me!
required - necessary; obligatory; mandatory; something that must be done
People who want to apply for a driver's license are required to show their birth certificate and other forms of identification.
self-defense - the practice and knowledge of how to protect oneself against an attacker, usually a combination of learning to stay out of dangerous situations and using one's body to protect oneself and hurt an attacker during an attack
The university offers free self-defense classes to all students.
to have second thoughts - to have doubts; to question whether one is doing the right thing
Many people have second thoughts before they buy a home.