A Nature-Lover’s Vacation

by Smokey Parker

Many peopIe enjoy spending their vacations swimming, Iying in the sun, and staying at
Iuxurious hoteIs. But there are countIess others who prefer a different kind of hoIiday. They
head for the country, to one of the numerous United States nationaI parks, and take
advantage of the fresh air and many outdoor activities that nature has to offer.
“l’m a successfuI Iawyer from San Francisco,” says Gavin Murphy. “But every once in a
whiIe l Iike to get back to nature. l usuaIIy go to Yosemite NationaI Park, where l sIeep in a
tent, hike, and enjoy the peace and quiet.”
Visitors to our country’s nationaI parks have a wide variety of activities to choose from.
They can go fishing in a coId stream, hiking on a winding nature traiI, or biking aIong scenic
paths. At certain times of the year, guided nature walks and interesting lectures on a variety
of topics are offered to park guests. These responsibiIities, aIong with protecting the parks
and keeping them cIean, are part of the duties of the park rangers, who have
undergone intensive training, and are considered to be nature experts as weII as nature
Iovers. “Our job is to do aII we can to heIp our visitors enjoy their stay and Iearn more about
nature and wiIdIife,” says Darby Graham, who has been a park ranger for eIeven years.
“Some of our guests have no experience being in the country, so we often have our work cut
out for us,” Graham expIains. Camping out does have its disadvantages, however. lf it rains,
there is not much to do, and even after the weather cIears up, there’s stiII Iots of mud to deaI
with. The weather can be quite chiIIy at night, and there are aIways many mosquitoes. Park
rangers aIso recommend that visitors watch out for snakes, whose bites can be
poisonous. They stress the fact that it is essentiaI that food be kept packed away, so that an
unexpected bear doesn’t pay an unweIcome visit to some surprised guests. Yet, nature Iovers
continue to visit nationaI parks year after year. “lt might be nice to sit by a swimming pooI
and sip a tropicaI drink,” Tanya Rodriguez says, “but nature is reaIIy so beautifuI, and l’ve
met such interesting peopIe here. Nothing compares to a vacation Iike this!”

a. " A Nature-Lover's Vacation" has many adjective-noun combinations

(collocations) that are often found together when talking about holidays. Find the
adjectives from the text that collocate with the following nouns and write them in
the space provided. Then add at least one more adjective to each noun.
1. ___________________________________________ air
2. ___________________________________________ hoteI
3. ___________________________________________ park
4. ___________________________________________ nature waIks
5. ___________________________________________ traiI
6. ___________________________________________ path
7. ___________________________________________ night
8. ___________________________________________ visit
9. ___________________________________________ stream
10. ___________________________________________ drinks
A Nature-Lover’s Vacation
by Smokey Parker

Many peopIe enjoy spending their vacations swimming, lying in the sun, and staying at
luxurious hotels. But there are countless others who prefer a different kind of holiday. They
head for the country, to one of the numerous United States nationaI parks, and take
advantage of the fresh air and many outdoor activities that nature has to offer.
“l’m a successful lawyer from San Francisco,” says Gavin Murphy. “But every once in a
whiIe l like to get back to nature. l usually go to Yosemite Nationa Park, where l sleep in a
tent, hike, and enjoy the peace and quiet.”
Visitors to our country’s nationaI parks have a wide variety of activities to choose from.
They can go fishing in a coId stream, hiking on a winding nature traiI, or biking aIong scenic
paths. At certain times of the year, guided nature walks and interesting lectures on a variety
of topics are offered to park guests. These responsibiIities, aIong with protecting the parks
and keeping them cIean, are part of the duties of the park rangers, who have
undergone intensive training, and are considered to be nature experts as weII as nature
Iovers. “Our job is to do aII we can to heIp our visitors enjoy their stay and Iearn more about
nature and wiIdIife,” says Darby Graham, who has been a park ranger for eIeven years.
“Some of our guests have no experience being in the country, so we often have our work cut
out for us,” Graham expIains. Camping out does have its disadvantages, however. lf it rains,
there is not much to do, and even after the weather cIears up, there’s still Iots of mud to deaI
with. The weather can be quite chilly at night, and there are aIways many mosquitoes. Park
rangers aIso recommend that visitors watch out for snakes, whose bites can be
poisonous. They stress the fact that it is essentiaI that food be kept packed away, so that an
unexpected bear doesn’t pay an unweIcome visit to some surprised guests. Yet, nature Iovers
continue to visit nationaI parks year after year. “lt might be nice to sit by a swimming pooI
and sip a tropicaI drink,” Tanya Rodriguez says, “but nature is reaIIy so beautifuI, and l’ve
met such interesting peopIe here. Nothing compares to a vacation Iike this!”

a. " A Nature-Lover's Vacation" has many adjective-noun combinations

(collocations) that are often found together when talking about holidays. Find the
adjectives from the text that collocate with the following nouns and write them in
the space provided. Then add at least one more adjective to each noun.
1. ___________________________________________ air
2. ___________________________________________ hoteI
3. ___________________________________________ park
4. ___________________________________________ nature waIks
5. ___________________________________________ traiI
6. ___________________________________________ path
7. ___________________________________________ night
8. ___________________________________________ visit
9. ___________________________________________ stream
10. ___________________________________________ drinks