countryside

Từ điển Oxford Advanced Learner 8th

▪ I. coun·try·side [countryside] BrE [ˈkʌntrisaɪd] NAmE [ˈkʌntrisaɪd] noun uncountable
land outside towns and cities, with fields, woods, etc
• The surrounding countryside is windswept and rocky.
•magnificent views over open countryside
• Everyone should enjoy the right of access to the countryside.

Collocations:
Town and country
Town
live in a city/a town/an urban environment/(informal) a concrete jungle/the suburbs/shanty towns/slums
live (especially NAmE) downtown/in the downtown area/(BrE) in the city centre
enjoy/like the hectic pace of life/the hustle and bustle of city life
cope with the stress/pressure of urban life
get caught up in the rat race
prefer/seek the anonymity of life in a big city
be drawn by/resist the lure of the big city
head for the bright lights (of the big city/New York)
enjoy/love the vibrant/lively nightlife
have/be close to all the amenities
be surrounded by towering skyscrapers/a soulless urban sprawl
use/travel by/rely on (BrE) public transport/(NAmE) public transportation
put up with/get stuck in/sit in massive/huge/heavy/endless/constant traffic jams
tackle/ease/reduce/relieve/alleviate the heavy/severe traffic congestion
be affected/choked/damaged by pollution
Country
live in a village/the countryside/an isolated area/a rural backwater/(informal) the sticks
enjoy/like the relaxed/slower pace of life
enjoy/love/explore the great outdoors
look for/find/get/enjoy a little peace and quiet
need/want to get back/closer to nature
be surrounded by open/unspoilt/picturesque countryside
escape/quit/get out of/leave the rat race
seek/achieve a better/healthy work-life balance
downshift to a less stressful life
seek/start a new life in the country
(BrE, informal) up sticks/ (NAmE, informal) pull up stakes and move to/head for…
create/build/foster a strong sense of community
depend on/be employed in/work in agriculture
live off/farm/work the land
tackle/address the problem of rural unemployment

Synonyms:
country
landscape • countryside • terrain • land • scenery
These are all words for areas away from towns and cities, with fields, woods and farms.
country • (often the country) an area that is away from towns and cities, especially one with particular natural features: ▪ She lives in the country. ◇ ▪ an area of wooded country
landscape • everything that you can see when you look across a large area of land, especially in the country: ▪ This pattern of woods and fields is typical of the English landscape.
countryside • land outside towns and cities, with fields, woods and farms. Countryside is usually used when you are talking about the beauty or peacefulness of a country area: ▪ a little village in the French countryside.
terrain • (formal) land. Terrain is used when you are describing the natural features of an area, for example if it is rough, flat, etc: ▪ The truck bumped its way over the rough terrain.
land • (usually the land) the countryside; the way people live in the country as opposed to in towns and cities: ▪ Many younger people are leaving the land to find work in the cities.
scenery • the natural features of an area, such as mountains, valleys, rivers and forests, especially when these are attractive to look at: ▪ We stopped on the mountain pass to admire the scenery.
mountainous/mountain/wild/rugged country/landscape/countryside/terrain/scenery
beautiful/glorious/dramatic country/landscape/countryside/scenery
open country/landscape/countryside/terrain/land
rolling country/landscape/countryside
to protect the landscape/countryside/land

Example Bank:
•Castles and churches dot the countryside.
•I dream of living in the countryside.
•In the afternoons they roamed the countryside around the house.
•Police scoured the countryside in search of the missing man.
•Soon we were driving through pleasant open countryside.
•The countryside has been ravaged by pollution.
•The feel for his native countryside comes through strongly in his photographs.
•a delightful stretch of countryside
•a small town surrounded by picturesque countryside
•a walk through the lush green countryside
•miles of beautiful countryside
•the countryside around Oxford
•travelling through pleasant open countryside
•vast tracts of countryside
•During the school vacation we would roam the countryside.
•He knew the local countryside well.
•The surrounding countryside is magnificent.
•a little village in the French countryside
 
▪ II. the countryside [the countryside] The countryside of Britain is well known for its beauty and many contrasts: its bare mountains and ↑moorland, its lakes, rivers and ↑woods, and its long, often wild ↑coastline. Many of the most beautiful areas are ↑national parks and are protected from development. When British people think of the countryside they think of farmland, as well as open spaces. They imagine cows or sheep in green fields enclosed by hedges or stone walls, and fields of wheat and ↑barley. Most farmland is privately owned but is crossed by a ↑network of ↑public footpaths. Many people associate the countryside with peace and ↑relaxation. They spend their free time walking or ↑cycling there, or go to the country for a ↑picnic or a pub lunch. In summer people go to fruit farms and pick strawberries and other fruit. Only a few people who live in the country work on farms. Many ↑commute to work in towns. Many others dream of living in the country, where they believe they would have a better and healthier ↑lifestyle. The countryside faces many threats. Some are associated with modern farming practices, and the use of chemicals harmful to plants and wildlife. Land is also needed for new houses. The ↑green belt, an area of land around many cities, is under increasing pressure. Plans to build new roads are strongly opposed by organizations trying to protect the countryside. Protesters set up camps to prevent, or at least delay, the building work. America has many areas of wild and beautiful scenery, and there are many areas, especially in the West in states like ↑Montana and ↑Wyoming, where few people live. In the ↑New England states, such as ↑Vermont and ↑New Hampshire, it is common to see small farms surrounded by hills and green areas. In ↑Ohio, ↑Indiana, ↑Illinois and other Midwestern states, fields of corn or wheat reach to the horizon and there are many miles between towns. Only about 20% of Americans live outside cities and towns. Life may be difficult for people who live in the country. Services like hospitals and schools may be further away and going shopping can mean driving long distances. Some people even have to drive from their homes to the main road where their mail is left in a box. In spite of the disadvantages, many people who live in the country say that they like the safe, clean, attractive environment. But their children often move to a town or city as soon as they can. As in Britain, Americans like to go out to the country at weekends. Some people go on camping or fishing trips, others go hiking in national parks.