Getting Ready
Match the statements with the correct cities.
a Paris b Rio de Janeiro |
c Hong Kong d San Francisco |
e Sydney f Montreal |
1 It’s a beautiful city with a very famous beach.
Thousands of people attend Carnival here every year.
2 It’s a popular city for tourists from all over the world.
It is famous for its cable cars.
3 It’s a beautiful city on a harbor. It has a famous opera house.
4 It’s a noisy city and it’s very crowded. People there speak English and Chinese.
5 It’s a modern city where people speak both French and English. It has very cold winters.
6 It is a romantic city with some beautiful old buildings.
It has a very famous tower.
Answer
1 b 2 d 3 e 4 c 5 f 6 a
Listening 1
Do the people like the cities they live in? Listen and check (✓) the correct answer.
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Likes it a lot |
Likes it a little |
Doesn’t like it |
1 |
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◻ |
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2 |
◻ |
◻ |
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3 |
◻ |
◻ |
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4 |
◻ |
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5 |
◻ |
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6 |
◻ |
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Answer & Transcript
1 Likes it a lot 2 Likes it a little
3 Likes it a lot 4 Doesn’t like it
5 Likes it a lot 6 Likes it a little
Transcript
1
A: How do you like where you’re living?
B: Oh, I love it. There’s so much to do here. And I have a lot of friends here, too.
2
A: What’s your city like?
B: Well, the good thing is there are a lot of things to do here. There are good theaters and restaurants. The trouble is it’s getting very polluted, so it’s not as nice as it used to be.
3
A: Do you enjoy where you’re living?
B: Well, I enjoy a lot about it. The city has a very nice climate. It’s never too hot or too cold. And it’s a safe place to live.
4
A: What’s it like to live in this city?
B: Well, it’s very noisy and crowded. And the pollution is getting really bad. And I think we have one of the worst transportation systems in the world. I’d love to live somewhere else.
5
A: How is it here, anyway? Is this a nice place to live?
B: Oh, I’m really glad we moved here. The air is fresh and the people are very friendly. Rents are pretty reasonable, and it’s a very safe city, too. That’s so important. Also, it’s close to the sea, so it’s great in the summer.
6
A: Do you enjoy living here?
B: Some things are okay. The restaurants are pretty good, and the subway system is pretty good, too, but it’s very old and not very clean. The weather also isn’t that great. It’s very hot and humid in the summer and pretty cold in the winter. But in general, it’s not too bad.
Listening 2
Task 1
People are talking about cities. Listen and check (✓) the word that describes each city.
1 ◻ great
◻ safe
◻ cheap
2 ◻ crowded
◻ quiet
◻ polluted
3 ◻ noisy
◻ clean
◻ crowded
4 ◻ boring
◻ great
◻ cheap
5 ◻ small
◻ crowded
◻ noisy
6 ◻ boring
◻ small
◻ lovely
7 ◻ ugly
◻ dangerous
◻ safe
8 ◻ expensive
◻ large
◻ small
Answer
1 great 2 quiet 3 crowded 4 great
5 small 6 lovely 7 safe 8 large
Task 2
Listen again. Choose the correct answer for each question.
1 a There aren’t many interesting places to visit.
b There is a lot to do.
2 a People are noisy in the street.
b It’s nice and quiet.
3 a The air isn’t clean.
b The streets are not crowded.
4 a Everything is cheap.
b Everything is expensive.
5 a It’s pretty small and quiet.
b It’s crowded and noisy.
6 a It’s not a pretty city.
b The scenery is beautiful.
7 a It’s good for families.
b It’s dangerous.
8 a It’s a small city.
b It has great nightlife.
Answer & Transcript
1 b 2 b 3 a 4 b 5 a 6 b 7 a 8 b
Transcript
1
A: So tell me about Tokyo. What’s it like?
B: I love it. There are so many great things to do. I’m busy all the time.
2
A: Do you like living here?
B: Well, It’s okay. One thing I do like is that there’s very little noise. People don’t walk down the street with loud radios or anything. It’s pretty nice.
3
A: Do you like it here?
B: It’s okay. But it’s awfully crowded and the air is so dirty. To tell you the truth, I’m thinking about moving.
4
A: What’s it like living in New York?
B: Oh, it’s really a great city, but you have to pay a fortune for everything.
5
A: Is Auckland a very big city? Is it crowded?
B: Not really. It’s really quite small. It’s never very crowded or noisy. In fact, it’s like a small town in many ways.
6
A: So what’s San Francisco like? I hear it’s very scenic.
B: Yes, it is. The Golden Gate Bridge is great any time of the year. The parks and the ocean are beautiful, too. It really is a very lovely city.
7
A: What’s your hometown like? Is it a nice place to live?
B: It’s great, especially for families with children. It’s pretty and quiet and it isn’t dangerous at all.
8
A: Is Osaka a big place?
B: Sure. That’s why I like it. Lots of people. Lots of nightclubs and discos. I don’t like small cities.
Listening 3
Task 1
People are comparing two cities. Listen and circle the city each person prefers.
1 a Washington, D.C.
b New York
2 a Los Angeles
b San Francisco
3 a Singapore
b Hong Kong
4 a Sydney
b Melbourne
Answer
1 b 2 a 3 a 4 b
Task 2
Listen again. Which city do the words describe? Check (✓) the correct answer.
1 |
Washington D.C. |
New York |
more exciting |
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more beautiful |
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cheaper restaurants |
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better theater |
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2 | Los Angeles | San Francisco |
huge | ◻ | ◻ |
more beautiful | ◻ | ◻ |
boring | ◻ | ◻ |
fast-moving | ◻ | ◻ |
3 |
Singapore |
Hong Kong |
more beautiful |
◻ |
◻ |
more comfortable |
◻ |
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clean |
◻ |
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polluted |
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4 |
Sydney |
Melbourne |
more exciting |
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more beautiful |
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better prices |
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more relaxing |
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Answer & Transcript
1 more exciting New York
more beautiful Washington D.C.
cheaper restaurants Washington D.C.
better theater New York
2 huge Los Angeles
more beautiful San Francisco
boring San Francisco
fast-moving Los Angeles
3 more beautiful Hong Kong
more comfortable Singapore
clean Singapore
polluted Hong Kong
4 more exciting Sydney
beautiful Sydney
better prices Melbourne
more relaxing Melbourne
Transcript
1
New York has great museums, and so does Washington. But Washington feels more serious because the government is there, so it isn’t as exciting as New York. Washington is more beautiful for sure, and the restaurants are cheaper there. But you know, I love theater, and New York is the best! Washington is okay, but I love New York!
2
Los Angeles is a huge place. You need a car to get around. San Francisco is more beautiful and it’s a great place for a weekend, but I get bored there after a few days. I enjoy the fact that in Los Angeles everything moves really fast. I love living here.
3
Hong Kong may be more beautiful than Singapore because it’s got that fantastic harbor, but I like Singapore better. It’s smaller, so I think it’s more comfortable. It’s easy to get around and everything is very clean. Hong Kong is pretty polluted and it’s always very crowded.
4
Melbourne is smaller than Sydney. It has a lot of lovely old buildings and great restaurants. Sydney is more exciting and probably more beautiful, but I think it’s too busy and too expensive. Melbourne prices are better and it’s a more relaxing place. That’s why I prefer Melbourne.
Conversation Corner: City living
Task 1
Listen to the conversation. Write the missing words.
A: So, how do you like living here?
B: Well, it’s okay. The ……………. are ……………. friendly.
A: That’s true.
B: And there are lots of great ……………. and ……………. .
A: Yeah, the nightlife is terrific. I go out all the time.
B: But it’s too ……………. for me, and I can’t ……………. the ……………. .
A: I know what you mean. The ……………. gets ……………. every year!
Task 2
Practice the conversation with a partner. Be sure to use the correct stress in each sentence.
Answer & Transcript
A: So, how do you like living here?
B: Well, it’s okay. The people are really friendly.
A: That’s true.
B: And there are lots of great museums and nightlife.
A: Yeah, the nightlife is terrific. I go out all the time.
B: But it’s too crowded for me, and I can’t stand the pollution.
A: I know what you mean. The traffic gets worse every year!
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