UNIT 2: CITY LIFE

Exercise 1: Listen to a podcast. For questions 1 – 6, choose the correct answer, A,

B or C.

1. The podcast presenter thinks Central Park is _________.

A. the busiest place in the world

B. like a garden for New Yorkers

C. a good place to enjoy city life

2. Central Park is a good place to _________.

A. be alone

B. go shopping

C. keep fit

3. The two French girls that the presenter speaks to _________.

A. only have a few hours in New York

B. both want to spend all day in the park

C. don't want to do the same things

4. The 'Team Central Park' runner is _________.

A. training for a marathon

B. not going to do a marathon

C. doing a 5K fun run

5. The group of young people _________.

A. spend a lot of time in the park in summer

B. always bring a picnic

C. are not allowed to use skateboards

6. The group of young people _________.

A. watch people playing Frisbee

B. ride bikes fast through the park

C. enjoy a lot of different things in the park

Exercise 2. Now listen again and answer the questions.

1. Which sporting activities do New Yorkers do in Central Park?

_____________________________________________________________________

2. Apart from sports, what other things can you do there?

_____________________________________________________________________

3. Why did the French girls hire bicycles?

_____________________________________________________________________

4. Why isn't the 'Team Central Park' runner sure he can complete the marathon?

_____________________________________________________________________

5. Why do you have to be careful when you skateboard in Central Park?

_____________________________________________________________________
 ANSWER KEY

Exercise 1:

1. B 2. C 3. C 4. A 5. A 6. C

Exercise 2:

1. They come to walk, run, cycle, work out, train, climb and play football in Central
Park.
2. You can go to a zoo, a theatre, a reservoir, places where you can eat.
3. They just have a few hours in Central Park, and they wanted to see as much of the
park as possible.
4. Because he isn't very fit.
5. Because you have to use the bicycle paths on which some cyclist ride very fast
through the park.

AUDIO SCRIPT (Recording 3.33)

Reporter: Good morning from Central Park in New York city. I can't believe I'm in
the middle of one of the busiest cities in the world, and yet I can't hear any traffic
noises. Pollution levels are low and the air quality is good. I can understand why New
Yorkers say that Central Park is their backyard or garden and their escape from city
life. Looking around, I'd say it's also their gym – it's where people come to walk, run,
cycle, work out, train, climb and play football.

Central Park is huge! There are over ninety-three kilometres of pathways, twenty-six
playing fields and twenty-one playgrounds for children, and when you need a rest,
there are 9,000 benches to sit on. There's a zoo, a theatre, a skating rink, a reservoir,
places to sail and swim, and plenty of places to eat – I could live here! It's a beautiful
sunny morning, and I want to find out what people are doing here and how they use
Central Park.

Hi! I see you're having a rest. Are these your bicycles?

Girl 1: No, we hired them. We just have a few hours in Central Park today, and we
wanted to see as much of the park as possible.

Reporter: So you don't live in New York?

Girl 1: No, we're from France. We're on holiday. I'd like to spend longer in Central
Park but Julie wants to go shopping.

Girl 2: Of course I do – you can't visit New York and not go shopping, right?

Reporter: No, I agree. Well, enjoy the rest of your stay. I can see a runner with 'Team
Central Park' on his T-shirt. I want to find out more. Hi, can I ask you a few
questions?

Man: Sure, go ahead.

Reporter: Are you training for something?

Man: Well yes, the New York City Marathon is in November. I don't know if I can do
it because I'm not very fit, but I want to try.

Reporter: Oh wow, good luck with that.

Man: Thanks. I need all the luck I can get.

Reporter: Well, the marathon is twenty-six miles – that's way too much for me.
Maybe I'll sign up for one of the 5K fun runs. I'm going to talk to a group of young
people sitting on the grass over there. Hi!

Teen 1: Hi.

Reporter: Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?

Teen 1: Er, no. Are you from our school?

Reporter: Haha, no, I'm recording a podcast about parks. You look very relaxed Do
you come to Central Park a lot?

Teen 2: Yeah, we hang out here all the time in summer. This is Sheep's Meadow – it's
a really good place for sitting on a blanket, reading a book, people-watching.

Reporter: So you guys hang out here all day?

Teen 2: Sometimes. We bring a picnic and we play Frisbee in the afternoon.

Reporter: I see some of you have skateboards. Is it okay to skate in the park?

Teen 3: Yeah, we have to use the bicycle paths, and then you have to be really careful
because some cyclists ride very fast through the park.

Reporter: Yes, I've seen them. So what's your favourite thing in Central Park?

Teen 2: Mine is the Alice in Wonderland statue.

Teen 1: Oh yeah, I love that too. But I really like climbing to the top of the rocks and
looking at the view.

Teen 3: Does anybody here like the zoo?

Teen 2: No, it's for kids.

Teen 3: I like the zoo.

Reporter: Well, thanks, guys. I'm going to see Alice in Wonderland. Catch you later!

Read the article about green spaces in the city and do the tasks that follow.

Bringing the countryside into the city centre

[Student architect Alan Clark talks about parks around the world]

Most people in the world live in cities. But city life isn’t always great – it’s often too
hot to spend time outside in the summer, there’s pollution from traffic and there are
signs everywhere saying that people can’t ride skateboards or bikes. However, green
spaces can bring the countryside into city centres and really make people’s lives
better.

I played in my local park as a child, but I never thought about how important it was to
me. Then, at sixteen, my uncle invited me to stay with him in Valencia during the
school holidays and took me to the Jardín del Turia. This amazing park is over seven
kilometres long and until 1986 it was just empty land after the river flooded the whole
city. It now has space for walking, social areas for chatting and even a playground for
kids. You don’t have to pay to use it, so everyone can enjoy it. People who live nearby
are healthier and happier and love their city park.

I started reading about other exciting green spaces and found the High Line in New
York. This was an old railway line, ten metres above the city, and is now a colourful
park with flowers and wild areas, and amazing views over the city. The city
government was worried it would be expensive to build and no one would use it.
However, it was popular from day one. As well as New Yorkers, it attracts thousands
of tourists, and the money they spend in the city more than pays for it. Local people
work with city gardeners to keep it tidy.

The Underpass Park in Toronto is on land under road bridges, which was covered in
rubbish before. You don’t see it as you drive past, so it’s a special, secret place. It’s
also peaceful, as you can’t hear the traffic above. Because the road gives it a roof,
people can use it in all weather and it’s lovely and cool in the summer. It doesn’t have
much natural light, but mirrors on the ‘walls’ solve this problem. Mainly teenagers use
it, and because they feel it’s theirs, they know they must keep it clean and they
mustn’t leave rubbish.

Exercise 1. Choose the best answer A, B, C, or D.

1. What is the writer doing in the first paragraph?
A. Explaining how his work as an architect helps to make cities better.
B. Telling people about the dangers of pollution in cities.
C. Explaining the need for green spaces in cities.
D. Giving advice to people on how to build new parks in their city.
2. Alan first became interested in parks while he was _____________.
A. visiting a relative
B. playing in his local park
C. studying at school
D. working with his uncle
3. What do we learn about the High Line in New York?
A. Not many people used it at first.
B. There are sometimes too many tourists.
C. It is quite expensive for the city.

D. People who live nearby help to look aſt er it.

4. How does Alan feel about the Underpass Park?

A. He is disappointed that it doesn’t get much natural light.
B. He is glad that people of different ages use it.
C. He is worried that people might leave rubbish there.
D. He is pleased that people can’t see it from the main roads.
5. Which best describes Alan’s opinion about green spaces in cities?
A. They’re nice, but they aren’t as good as the real countryside.
B. They are a good way to use empty land and can bring lots of benefits to people.
C. They are expensive to build, and they can cause problems.
D. They make cities look more attractive, but people don’t always use them.
Exercise 2. Match the adjectives to describe places in bold in the article with
their meanings.
1. with nothing in it: _____________
2. growing in a natural way, not like a garden: _____________
3. with lots of different colours: _____________
4. where people can meet and be together: _____________
5. away from the heat of the sun: _____________
6. not busy and with no noise: _____________

ANSWER KEY
Excercise 1.
1. C 2. A 3. D 4. D 5. B

Excercise 2.
1. empty 2. wild 3. colourful
4. social 5. cool 6. peaceful

Cities
Task 1. Fill in the gaps with the words in the box.
canals bike stations roads

underground boat streets bus

1. In Bangkok, there are a lot of __________. Sunan goes to school by _________ .

2. In Mexico, there are a lot of cars on the __________. Going by car is slow. Carmen
goes to school by _______ because it is fast.
3. In New York, Sophia goes to school by __________. There are 468 underground
_________ in New York.
4. In Amsterdam, Lars and his friends go to school by _________. There are a lot of
bike _________ in Amsterdam. They are safe because there are no cars.

Task 2. Read the sentences and match the words in bold with their meanings (a–
h).
1. The house had been well maintained and was in excellent condition.
2. The room was full of stylish furniture and expensive paintings.
3. The house was elegant and well kept.
4. The house isn’t very secure. We need to change the locks.
5. It’s an old house with a lot of character.
6. The rooms are very spacious with large windows opening out onto balconies.
7. Bel Air is an exclusive suburb of Los Angeles.
8. The area near the harbour has become very fashionable.
a. beautiful, attractive or graceful
b. in a particular physical state, e.g., clean, dirty, messy, etc.
c. attractive in a way that is modern and popular
d. large, with plenty of space to move around
e. a combination of qualities that makes a place different to others
f. so expensive that most people cannot afford it
g. protected so that people cannot get in or out
h. popular at the moment

Task 3. Choose the correct words to complete the text.

Marmalade Lane – Cambridge, UK
Cambridge is one of the most (1) fashionable / character cities in the UK to live in.
But price increases have meant the city has become quite (2) stylish / exclusive and it
can be difficult for young people to afford to buy or rent properties which are (3) in
good / of good condition.
Marmalade Lane is Cambridge’s first co-housing community project, and its residents
include families with young children, retired couples, single-person households and
young professional couples. The architects have designed (4) stylish / exclusive houses
of different sizes and the houses have their own (5) character / stylish. The
architecture is (6) in terrible condition / elegant and even the smaller houses
feel (7) spacious / fashionable. Residents live in their own houses, which
are (8) secure / exclusive, but they share communal spaces and facilities, like a gym
and a laundry. There is also a shared garden and a “common house” where the
community can eat together and socialise.

ANSWER KEY
Task 1.
1. canals / boat
2. roads (streets) / bus
3. underground / stations
4. bike / streets (roads)
Task 2.
1. b 2. c 3. a 4. g
5. e 6. d 7. f 8. h
Task 3.
1. fashionable 2. exclusive 3. in good 4. stylish
5. character 6. elegant 7. spacious 8. secure

WORDLIST
Word Pronunciation Meaning
canal (n) /kəˈnæl/ Con kênh
character (n) /ˈkærəktə(r)/ Đặc điểm, điểm đặc biệt, cá tính
elegant (adj) /ˈelɪɡənt/ Thanh lịch
exclusive (adj) /ɪkˈskluːsɪv/ Riêng biệt, độc nhất
fashionable (adj) /ˈfæʃnəbl/ Thời thượng, hợp mốt
laundry (n) /ˈlɔːndri/ Việc giặt giũ, phòng giặt đồ
property (n) /ˈprɒpəti/ Tài sản, bất động sản (nhà, đất)
socialise (v) /ˈsəʊʃəlaɪz/ Giao lưu, giao tiếp xã hội
spacious (adj) /ˈspeɪʃəs/ Rộng rãi
stylish (adj) /ˈstaɪlɪʃ/ Sành điệu
Co-housing Dự án nhà ở xã hội theo mô hình
community project chia sẻ không gian chung
(np)
In (good/ terrible) Trong điều kiện (tốt/ tồi tệ)
condition