This series of Everyday Conversations is about a family traveling to each of the 50 states in the U.S. Join the family members as they learn about local pastimes and history. These conversations are for intermediate-level English-language learners or higher.
The family visits Florida and spends a few days at the entertainment complex Walt Disney World.
Sam: There are four theme parks and two water parks here! Maybe we should stay here for more than three days.
Gina: Three days will be plenty. Why don’t you figure out what you want to do today?
Claudine: Of course I want to go on as many water rides as possible. But I also want to learn to surf.
Paul: Okay, that sounds like a good plan. How about you, Sam?
Sam: I want to go on all of the roller coasters today. And I want to play some carnival games.
Gina: And I want to go on the space shuttle simulator.
Paul: Sounds like we’re going to have a very busy day!
Now let’s review the vocabulary.
A theme park is an amusement park that includes rides and attractions that are connected to one idea, or theme. At Walt Disney World, the theme parks are Epcot, Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios.
A water park is an amusement park that includes rides involving water as well as places where people can play or swim in the water.
Figure out means to think about something until you understand it. In the conversation, “figure out” is used to mean think about something and then decide. “Why don’t you figure out what you want to do today?” means “Why don’t you think about and decide what you want to do today?”
Water rides are rides that involve water, such as riding in a tube on the water or taking an adventurous boat ride.
To surf is to ride on ocean waves using a surfboard. A surfboard is a special board that a person stands on when surfing.
A roller coaster is a ride at an amusement park. It is like a small, open train attached to a track. It goes up and down very steep hills and has sharp curves.
A carnival game is a game of chance or skill that is played at amusement parks, fairs, or carnivals. Players pay to play the game. If they win, they receive prizes. Some of the games include squirting water into a small hole or shooting a basketball into a net.
A space shuttle is a spacecraft that carries people into outer space and back to Earth.
A simulator is a machine that shows people what something looks or feels like without them having to experience it for real. In this conversation, the space shuttle simulator lets people feel and see what it is like to be on a space shuttle, without actually being on a real space shuttle.
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