Have You Felt the 'Walls Are Closing in on You'?
2022-11-20
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1And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English.
2On this program, we explore words and expressions in the English language.
3We give you examples and notes on usage.
4Today we go inside a building and talk about a feature of every building - walls.
5Walls protect us from the outside world.
6They can help us stay safe and give us comfort.
7But what if we are inside a room too long?
8Those same walls can start to feel like a prison.
9We can feel trapped by them. When that happens, we can say the walls are closing in on us.
10This means you are feeling confined, or stuck, in an area.
11For example, after a year of living with the COVID-19 pandemic, I felt like the walls of my house were closing in on me.
12When that feeling came over me, I knew I needed to go outside for a walk!
13When you feel trapped or confined indoors, a walk outside usually helps.
14Not only are you in the fresh air, but you are also looking at different things.
15A change of scenery can help when you feel like the walls are closing in.
16Sometimes the "walls" in this idiom are not actual walls in a building.
17Instead, they are walls in our minds or in a certain situation.
18We can use the expression the walls are closing in when we are sick and tired of something.
19For example, if you unable to make advances in your job, you could feel like the walls have closed in on your career.
20You may feel like you don't have the chance to advance or try new things.
21It can feel like the "walls" are closing in on a relationship too.
22When people find themselves in very restricted relationships with someone who is trying to control them, it may feel like the walls are closing in on them.
23In these cases, a change of scenery is not found outside in the woods.
24The change of scenery is a new job or a new relationship.
25When the walls feel like they are closing in, we can also use another word to describe what we are feeling: claustrophobic.
26Claustrophobia is defined as an abnormal fear of being in closed or confined spaces.
27Sometimes, we use the term "claustrophobic" to mean we feel uneasy by a situation that is limiting or restricting.
28This feeling of unease could be from physical or non-physical reasons.
29A job and a relationship can also feel claustrophobic.
30Now let's listen to two people use the words and expressions you heard in this story.
31A: Hey, what happened to Chad? I haven't seen him around DC lately.
32B: During the pandemic, he moved out west...somewhere in the desert.
33A: The desert? What made him do that!?
34B: He said he felt too claustrophobic in the city and was sick and tired of being around so many people. He needed more space and open skies!
35A: I can understand that. Sometimes the walls of my apartment feel like they are closing in on me. But moving to the desert is a pretty extreme decision.
36B: He'll be back. He texted me last night complaining that it takes him 30 minutes to drive to the nearest store.
37A: Well ... he wanted more space. Now he's got it!
38B: Yep.
39And that brings us to the end of this Words and Their Stories.
40Until next time ... I'm Anna Matteo.
1And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English. 2On this program, we explore words and expressions in the English language. We give you examples and notes on usage. 3Today we go inside a building and talk about a feature of every building - walls. 4Walls protect us from the outside world. They can help us stay safe and give us comfort. 5But what if we are inside a room too long? Those same walls can start to feel like a prison. We can feel trapped by them. When that happens, we can say the walls are closing in on us. 6This means you are feeling confined, or stuck, in an area. 7For example, after a year of living with the COVID-19 pandemic, I felt like the walls of my house were closing in on me. When that feeling came over me, I knew I needed to go outside for a walk! 8When you feel trapped or confined indoors, a walk outside usually helps. Not only are you in the fresh air, but you are also looking at different things. A change of scenery can help when you feel like the walls are closing in. 9Sometimes the "walls" in this idiom are not actual walls in a building. Instead, they are walls in our minds or in a certain situation. We can use the expression the walls are closing in when we are sick and tired of something. 10For example, if you unable to make advances in your job, you could feel like the walls have closed in on your career. You may feel like you don't have the chance to advance or try new things. 11It can feel like the "walls" are closing in on a relationship too. When people find themselves in very restricted relationships with someone who is trying to control them, it may feel like the walls are closing in on them. 12In these cases, a change of scenery is not found outside in the woods. The change of scenery is a new job or a new relationship. 13When the walls feel like they are closing in, we can also use another word to describe what we are feeling: claustrophobic. 14Claustrophobia is defined as an abnormal fear of being in closed or confined spaces. Sometimes, we use the term "claustrophobic" to mean we feel uneasy by a situation that is limiting or restricting. This feeling of unease could be from physical or non-physical reasons. A job and a relationship can also feel claustrophobic. 15Now let's listen to two people use the words and expressions you heard in this story. 16A: Hey, what happened to Chad? I haven't seen him around DC lately. 17B: During the pandemic, he moved out west...somewhere in the desert. 18A: The desert? What made him do that!? 19B: He said he felt too claustrophobic in the city and was sick and tired of being around so many people. He needed more space and open skies! 20A: I can understand that. Sometimes the walls of my apartment feel like they are closing in on me. But moving to the desert is a pretty extreme decision. 21B: He'll be back. He texted me last night complaining that it takes him 30 minutes to drive to the nearest store. 22A: Well ... he wanted more space. Now he's got it! 23B: Yep. 24And that brings us to the end of this Words and Their Stories. 25Until next time ... I'm Anna Matteo. 26Anna Matteo wrote this lesson for VOA Learning English. 27______________________________________________________________ 28Words in This Story 29feature - n. a part or detail that stands out 30comfort - n. to give strength and hope to 31confined - adj. limited to a particular location 32scenery - n. a view or landscape resembling a beautiful painting