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Hello and welcome back to your English Five a Day on the English Like a Native Podcast. This is the daily podcast that helps intermediate to advanced level learners build natural English vocabulary through stories. My name is Anna, and today we begin week nine of Gabriel's journey across Britain. After the lively streets and music venues of Glasgow, Gabriel is now heading north into the Scottish Highlands. The landscape here is very different, wilder, quieter, and far more dramatic. And he's not travelling alone. Isla is coming with him. As always, supporting materials for season three are available over at www.joineelan.com forward slash plus. Now let's begin, as we always do, with a snapshot of what's to come. As Gabriel and Isla drive north into the highlands, the rolling moorland slowly opens into sweeping valleys and mountains looming above the road. Small locks appear between the untamed hills, and when they arrive in Ullapool, the quiet harbour town feels like a stark contrast to the lively city of Glasgow. Let's now break down the vocabulary that we're looking at today. Sweeping, sweeping. This describes something that's large, wide, and impressive. It's often used to describe landscapes. For example, the sweeping valley stretched for miles. So the large, wide, and impressive valley. Next, stark. Stark. We spell this S T A R K. Stark. This means very clear or extreme. It's often highlighting a strong contrast. For example, the quiet village was a stark contrast to the busy city. Next, rolling. This means gently rising and falling, often used to describe hills or countryside rolling. For example, the rolling hills were covered in green grass. Next we have loom loom L O O M. This is to appear as a large, often threatening or impressive shape, especially when something is partly hidden by distance, mist or darkness. To loom. For example, the mountains loom above the small village. Next and last we have untamed untamed. We spell this UN T A M E D. Untamed. This describes something that is wild and not controlled by people. For example, the region is famous for its untamed landscapes. Fabulous. I hope one or two of those items were new to you. Either way, try to keep them in mind and listen out for them as we now head into today's story. Gabriel is leaving Glasgow with Isla. They're heading for Ullapool, a fishing town on the edge of the Northwest Highlands where Isla grew up. She drives a blue Subaru forester, which she says is perfect for narrow highland roads. They pass through rolling moorland and hills at first, before the scenery opens up into sweeping valleys and breathtaking mountains which loom through the windows. In the passenger seat, Gabriel takes a moment to review the new words that he has picked up in Scotland. He says to Isla that the journey is pure bonny, and she smiles, teasing Gabriel by saying, If you go to the trouble of learning all our words, you may as well stay in Scotland.

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You won't need them when you go back down south.

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Is she serious about me staying? Or is it just an example of British humour? Gabriel silently wonders. Along the way, Isla points out small locks lying between the untamed hills. When they reach Ullapool, which sits beside a sheltered sea lock, Gabriel sees ferries slowly arriving and departing. The peace and pace of life here are a stark contrast to the lively city of Glasgow. Isla explains that ferries are lifelines here, connecting scattered communities that depend on the sea as much as the road. She tells him about her uncle, who owns a small fish shop in the harbour, which is known for its delicious fresh fish and seafood. It's around lunchtime when the water is bright in the loch. Gabriel is struck by the white buildings along the shore and the dark hills beyond. They continue a short way along a winding coastal road to Isla's family home near Loch Broom. Her parents come out to greet them and they show Gabriel around the garden. From the kitchen Gabriel is almost salivating as he smells butter melting over freshly grilled scallops. The way to a man's heart is through his stomach, they say. All right, let's bring today's vocabulary back into focus. I will repeat each item twice. I'd like you to repeat them out loud after me, and then I'll recap the meaning. First we have sweeping. Sweeping. This means that something's large, wide, and impressive, often used to describe landscapes. Next we have stark. Stark. This means something's very clear or extreme. It often is used to highlight a contrast. Next, rolling. Rolling. Yes, this describes a gentle rising and falling. Often we're talking about hills or countryside when we use this. Next, loom. Loom. This means that something appears as a large, often threatening or impressive shape that's maybe partly hidden by distance, mist or darkness. To loom. And finally, we have untamed. Untamed. This means that something's wild and not controlled by people. Fabulous. These are fantastic words to use when talking about landscapes, if you're doing travel writing and even general storytelling. So Gabriel has arrived in the Highlands, welcomed with spectacular scenery and an unforgettable seafood lunch. But the adventure isn't over yet. Tomorrow, Gabriel and Isla set out on a dramatic clifftop walk where the Highland weather brings biting winds, low-hanging cloud, and sudden showers. That's all from me for today. If you are enjoying the podcast, then don't forget to leave a like, a rating, or review, and feel free to recommend the English Like a Native podcast to your English learning friends. Until tomorrow, take care and goodbye.