A Hiking Family: Camping, Hiking, and Outdoor Recreation

A Hiking Family

II. Listening Exercises
Listen to the conversation again by pressing the Play Audio button and read along with the conversation. Review the Key Vocabulary and the sample sentences.

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My name's Randall Davis, and I'm originally from the state of Indiana in the United States. When I was 19 years old, I moved to Venezuela in South America, and later returned to the United States, where I attended Brigham Young University in the 1980s. I majored in Spanish education and TESOL, or teaching English as a second language. After graduating from college, my wife and I moved to Japan where we lived for eight years. Now, I work back in the States in Utah.
However, my greatest interests are my family. Years ago, I wanted to make something of myself in my profession . . . you know . . . get ahead in life. However, I realized that the most important things in life lived within the walls of my own home, and today, I try to put them first. My kids wouldn't remember me for the work I did outside of the home; they would only recall the moments we spent together.
Therefore, I enjoy spending time with my family. I have four children, and we go hiking and camping together, usually in Utah. On our hikes, we often talk about life, and I tell stories or share personal experiences. When I do this, I can focus on the kids without the distractions of video games or the Internet. Telling stories sounds easy, but when you have to think of a new story on a hot, 12-kilometer hike through the desert, you have come up with ideas off the top of your head.
Now, this doesn't mean we don't have problems; all families face challenges in their lives, and our family is no exception. However, we try to talk openly about our problems, and we try solve our problems together. Building a strong family takes time, but it is worth the effort.

Family pictures from hiking trips in Utah:
Right: Park Avenue, Arches National Park
Below: Mill Creek Canyon, Moab, Utah
Bottom Right: Eye of the Whale, Arches National Park

Key Vocabulary [Top]

make something of oneself (idiom): become successful in a career
- My dad never thought I would make something of myself because I didn't graduate from a prestigious university, but I proved him wrong.
get ahead (phrasal verb): become successful in the business world
- If you want to get ahead in life, you have to set clear goals.
realize (verb): understand the importance of something
- Many young married couples don't realize how challenging raising children can be until they have children of their own.
recall (verb): remember something from the past
- I can't recall a time when my parents argued in front of me and my brothers.
focus on (verb): pay careful and direct attention to a particular person or thing
- When people focus too much on their careers, they sometimes neglect their family's needs.
distraction (noun): something that takes your attention away from another activity
- Watching too much TV can be a big distraction from building a good relationship with children.
off the top of your head (idiom): think of something immediately without preparation
- I felt really embarrassed when I couldn't remember her name off the top of my head.

Vocabulary Activities [Top]

Now, do these exercises to review the vocabulary. Then, return back to the Post-Listening Exercise to use the vocabulary in real conversations.

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