Katia: Hello, Felipe, how are you?

Felipe: Hello, I'm fine. You?

Katia: Good, good, but, you know, I was wondering for me Ecuador and Colombia seem to be so the same. Can you tell me how can I distinguish them or what is the difference between Ecuador and Colombia?

Felipe: Well I don't think, maybe OK let's say culture is pretty much the same but let's talk about people OK? Ecuadoreans and Colombians are different I think. Colombian people are more hard working people. They really, they really worry about working and earning a lot of money and stuff like that, you know. But Ecuadoreans are more like, you know, easy-going people so I think that's the main difference between them.

Katia: That is so interesting. What about climate or the cities or the nature? Is there any differences between Ecuador and Colombia?

Felipe: Yes, you're right. The climate and environment is quite different. Well, there is one similarity and it's that they, both countries have their highlands which is the Andes highlands and the Amazon region and the coastal region but the size of the countries are different. Colombia is a huge country and also it has the Caribbean Sea which Ecuador doesn't have. And now if you look at Ecuador, Ecuador is quite a small country compared to Colombia.

Katia: That is so interesting. What about some similarities? Is there any similarities between Ecuador and Colombia?

Felipe: Well if you, yes there are many similarities. For example, if you look at the food, mainly the food is composed of, you know, potatoes and corn and many fruits that both countries have so if you travel to Colombia, if you travel to Ecuador, you will pretty much find the same kind of food because it's made of the same, from the same kind of ingredients.

Katia: OK, perfect. So now I have a better idea of the differences and some similarities over Ecuador and Colombia. Thank you, Felipe.

Felipe: OK, you're welcome.

重点词汇：

Learn Vocabulary from the lesson

distinguish

Can you tell me how I can distinguish between Ecuador and Colombia?

When you 'distinguish' between two things, you recognize that they are different from each other. Notice the following:

What is the best way to distinguish between local people and foreigners?

They are twins, and it's very difficult to distinguish between them.

easy-going

Ecuadoreans are more easy-going than Colombians.

'Easy-going' people are relaxed and don't get too stressed about things. Notice the following:

When you are backpacking, you need to be really easy-going.

She's pretty easy-going, so I don't think she'll mind if we change plans.

climate

The climate and the environment are quite different in each country.

When you are talking about general weather patterns during the year, you are talking about the 'climate' of a place. Notice the following:

What is the climate like in that part of the country?

I would like to live in a place with a warmer climate.

mainly

People from Ecuador and Colombia eat mainly the same kinds of food.

'Mainly' can be replaced with 'generally' or 'mostly.' There are differences between foods from the countries, but most of what they eat is the same. Notice the following:

He works mainly during the week, but sometimes he has to work weekends too.

She eats mostly fish and seafood, because it's healthier than red meat.

composed of

The food is composed of potatoes and corn.

What something is 'composed of' is what it is made of. Notice the following:

Much of the trip will be composed of meetings, but we will get a little time to explore.

Most of what they eat here is composed of rice and vegetables.