ESL Podcast 953 - Living With Insects and Spiders

spider - arachnid; a small bug (a creature like an insect, but without antennae) that has 8 legs and creates a spider web

A spider sits in the center for a web and waits for an insect to get caught so that it can eat it.

to freak out - to lose control of one's words and actions, usually because one is very frightened or angry

Her parents freaked out when they saw that she had dyed her hair bright pink.

to rough it - to live without modern comforts; to live under more difficult circumstances in natural surroundings, usually without electricity or running water

They spent the weekend roughing it without electricity or showers and sleeping in their tent at the state park.

cabin - a small building, usually with only one room, normally found in a forest or near a body of water

We don't have a tent, so we're going to rent a cabin when we visit Yosemite National Park next month.

cockroach - a large brown insect with log antennae and legs, often found in dirty apartments and restaurants

If everyone kept their kitchen clean, we wouldn't have so many cockroaches in this apartment building.

next best thing to - almost as good as; one's second choice

Renting a home is the next best thing to owning one.

in the open - outdoors, without walls or a roof

They got married in the open. Fortunately it didn't rain that day.

fly - a small, black, flying insect that is attracted to garbage, feces (poop) and rotting meat

There are so many flies around the garbage cans. It's disgusting!

moth - an flying insect, usually white, grey, or brown, that has large wings, often with spots or patterns, and flies toward light

All these socks and sweaters have small holes. Do you think we have moths in our closet?

bee - a flying insect with yellow and black stripes that visits flowers, makes honey, and can sting

Eleanor hates springtime, because when all the bees come to visit flowers, she's scared she'll get stung.

wasp - a long, skinny flying insect with yellow and black stripes that builds large nests and produces a painful sting

Be careful! There's a huge wasp nest in that tree.

cricket - an insect that is similar to a grasshopper and makes a chirping sound, mostly at dusk (the time around sunset)

The crickets are so loud that I can't even concentrate on our conversation!

mosquito - a small flying insect that lives in damp or wet areas, is active mostly at dawn (the time around sunrise) and dusk (the time around sunset) and bites humans and animals to drink their blood

Justin has lots of red marks on his legs. They look like mosquito bites.

butterfly - an flying insect with large, brightly colored wings that drinks nectar (sweet liquid) from flowers

Isn't it amazing that such an ugly caterpillar will become a beautiful butterfly?

mosquito net - a net (a piece of fabric with many very small holes) hung over a door or window or over a bed to keep insects away from people

Giving people mosquito nets can be a good way to reduce problems with diseases, such as malaria.