My Trip to Arizona, Part 1
Vocabulary
Read each word out loud.
boar
/bɔɹ/
noun
a wild pig with tusks
Example:
Domesticated pigs are the descendants of wild boar.
perimeter
/pəˈɹɪmɪtɚ/
noun
the line forming the edge or boundary of an object or space
Example:
My gym teacher would make us run around the perimeter of the basketball court any time we were late to class.
foliage
/ˈfoʊliɪdʒ/
noun
the leaves of a plant as a whole; leaves in general
Example:
The foliage in Brazil is very different than the foliage in Canada.
charge
/tʃɑɹdʒ/
verb
to rush violently towards someone or something to attack
Example:
My dog isn't friendly with other dogs, he always charges at them and tries to attack.
anxiety-inducing
/æŋˈzaɪəti ɪnˈdusɪŋ/
adjective
something that causes you to feel anxious, nervous, or on-edge.
Example:
Just thinking about riding a roller-coaster is anxiety-inducing.
fairly
/ˈfɛɹli/
adverb
in a reasonable way; between a little and very much
Example:
The movie was fairly interesting, but it could have been better.
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My Trip to Arizona, Part 1
In 2019, I took a trip to Arizona. I stayed at a friend’s house just north of Phoenix in a community named New River. It was so beautiful and the foliage was quite different from what I was used to here in Florida.
New River was very relaxing, but also a bit anxiety-inducing. My friend’s dogs enjoyed taking walks at night when it was cooler outside, but walking at night came with risks. After sunset, it was fairly common to see wild boar roaming around the apartment complex. There were no gates or fences around the perimeter of the complex and it was surrounded by open desert. I’m sure you can imagine how easy it was for wild animals to walk right in—and they did.
One time, my friend and I were walking the dogs about two hours after sunset, and as we rounded a corner, we were met by a gang of boar. Four of them, to be exact. We tried to slowly back away, but they immediately took notice of us and started charging at us. My friend and I ran back to his apartment building and rushed the dogs back up the stairs. Thankfully, his apartment was on the second floor and boar do not like climbing staircases.
It was a bit scary, although in the end we couldn’t help but laugh. It was such a wild and unexpected moment. Thankfully there are no wild boar where I live in Florida. However, we do have alligators and crocodiles, but that’s a story for another day.
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Conversation Practice
Working with a tutor? Try asking or answering these questions out loud with them.
Working alone? Try speaking your answers out loud or write them in the lesson discussion below.
1. Have you spent time in the desert before? If yes, how did you enjoy it?
2. Describe an anxiety-inducing situation you have experienced in the past.
3. Have you ever seen a wild boar before?
4. Have you ever had to run away from an animal that was charging at you?
5. What wild animals can you find wandering around your city?
Written by:
Thomas
Lesson updated:
September 2, 2026