Watch the video:

Now imagine you are travelling around the world and keeping a video blog of your journey. You decide to post the comments below next to each video clip. In pairs, study the sentences. What do you think the underlined adjectives mean?

1. This part of the city is extremely impoverished. The standard of living is very low.
2. It’s totally deserted here. Where is everybody?
3. This district is very rundown. It urgently needs redevelopment.
4. It’s very drab here. Looks like most of the buildings were constructed during the Soviet era.
5. What a picturesque little town! It looks just like a postcard.
6. The city centre is really overcrowded. There’s no room to breathe!
7. This area is really vibrant. There’s so much life.
8. This part of town is very touristy. There aren’t many locals here.

 Now match the comments to the video clips. 

Clip 1. ________________

Clip 2.________________

Clip 3. ________________

Clip 4._________________

Clip 5._________________

Clip 6._________________

Clip 7._________________

Clip 8. ________________

Name that city!

Study the descriptions of the cities below. Try to guess the city.

1.  This vibrant city lies on the west coast of the United States. It is the second most populous city in the United States with a population of nearly 4 million people. The city is famous for its movie studios and is the home of many ?lm stars. While the downtown area is generally regarded as safe, the rundown ghetto areas of the east and south of the city are considered to be dangerous, high-crime areas.

Answer:                                

2. This city is situated in South-East Asia. With a population of 7 million people, it is one of the most densely populated areas in the world and has more high-rise buildings than any other city. It is also one of the world’s leading ?nancial centres. The city is renowned for its spectacular waterfront views and for famous actors such as Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan.

Answer:                                

3. This capital city has the largest community of billionaires in the world. However, there is also very high inequality and many impoverished areas in the outskirts of the city. The centre of the city features beautiful parks and historical landmarks. This contrasts sharply with drab suburban areas, which still feature Soviet-era tower blocks. It also has one of the most overcrowded and stressful metro systems in the world.

Answer:                                

4. This European capital city is one of the oldest cities in the world with a history of around 3400 years. It is widely regarded as the birthplace of democracy. The heritage of the past is still evident in the city’s ancient monuments, temples and works of art. The city is home to two UNESCO World Heritage sites and it hosted the ?rst modern Olympic Games in 1896. Today, it is a cosmopolitan metropolis and an economic, ?nancial, industrial, political and cultural centre.

Answer:                                

5. This European city is considered to be one of the most picturesque cities in the world. It is home to an abundance of historic sites, buildings, museums. The city is built on over 100 small islands and has more than 150 canals and 400 bridges. Not surprisingly, it is also known as the ‘Floating City’.

Answer:                             ___

Features of American cities

Americans have di?erent terms for some of the features of their cities. Can you match the American terms to their de?nitions or equivalent British/Australian English terms?

1. downtown                                                  a.    a building containing ?ats that are owned, not rented

2. uptown                                                        b. a car park

3. a mall                                                          c.    a ?at

4. a condominium (condo)                                 d. a petrol station

5. an apartment                                               e.    a shopping centre

6. a parking lot                                                 f.     in the city centre

7. a gas station                                                 g.    in the residential areas outside the city centre

8. the subway                                                    h. the underground, the tube (London)

Read and Guess:

A new report says living in a city makes it harder for people to concentrate. The research found that people who live in rural areas can focus better than people in urban areas. The study is from Goldsmiths College, which is part of the University of London. Head researcher Dr Karina Linnell and her team studied how two groups of people did the same “thinking tasks”. The team went to a remote part of Namibia, southwest Africa, to study the Himba tribe. Himba people live a very basic life in the desert, doing traditional farming. The team also studied members of the same tribe who had moved to the nearest town. Dr Linnell said the tribe who lived in the desert did much better on the tests than those in the town.

Dr Linnell’s research may change the way companies operate. In the future, workers may relocate from cities to live and work in the countryside. Linnell said there are too many things around us in the city that stop us from thinking about one thing for a long time. This means we do not work at our best. She asked: “What if, for example, companies realised certain tasks would be better carried out by employees based outside of the urban environment where their concentration ability is better?” The past century has seen billions of people move from the countryside to big cities. If Dr Linnell’s research is true, this century might see many of those people return to the great outdoors.

1)        A new report says living in a city makes it harder              

1. four people to concentrate

1. for people two concentrate

1. for people to concentrate

1. for people too concentrate

2)        people who live in rural areas can focus better than              

1. people in urban airs

1. people in urban areas

1. people in urban arrears

1. people in urban eerie ears

3)        her team studied how two groups of people did              

1. the same “thinking tasks”

1. this same “thinking tasks”

1. that same “thinking tasks”

1. these same “thinking tasks”

4)        The team also studied members of the same tribe who had moved              

1. to the nearer town

1. to the nearby town

1. to the near rest town

1. to the nearest town

5)        the tribe who lived in the desert did much better on the tests              

1. than whose in the town

1. than them in the town

1. than though sin in the town

1. than those in the town

6)        Dr Linnell’s research may change the              

1. way companies operated

1. way companies operate

1. way companies operates

1. way companies operator

7)        In the future, workers may relocate from cities to live and work              

1. in the countryside

1. in the countryside

1. in the countryside

1. in the countryside

8)        there are too many things around us in the city that              

1. stop us from thin king

1. stoppers from thinking

1. stops us from thinking

1. stop us from thinking

9)        certain tasks would be better carried out by employees based outside of               

1. the urban environmental

1. the urban environment

1. the urban environments

1. the urban environmentalism

10)     this century might see many of those people return to              

1. the grey tout doors

1. the great indoors

1. the great out of doors

1. the great outdoors