City Living

Reading
A What are the advantages and disadvantages of living Word Focus
in a big city? Discuss the following with a partner.
slum: a very poor and crowded area in a city
discrimination: treating a group of people unfairly
• safety • work because of their skin colour, religion, etc
• transport • leisure time ethnic group: a group of people with a particular
• environment • community nationality
immigrant: a person who has come to a different
B What do you think it would be like to live in country to live there permanently
these cities? Read the article and see how many mugged: attacked and robbed in a public place
of your ideas were right. gritty: rough and not attractive

BIG CITY
LIVING
A Carolina, 17 (Sao Paulo, Brazil)
I live in Heliopolis, a favela in Sao Paulo. A favela is called a slum in
English, so you can probably guess what it’s like. Most favelas began as
illegal settlements, where poor workers built very simple homes, and
is no exception. My house has three small rooms and I live with my parents
and two brothers, so we’re cramped. A cousin from Rio de Janeiro recently
asked me if I would prefer to live in a more attractive district. I suppose
a larger house on a pretty street would be nice, but to me, Heliopolis is
special because it has so much community spirit and I don’t think I’d find
that anywhere else. The Heliopolis residents are warm and friendly and live
well together. The problem is the discrimination we suffer from middle-class
neighbourhoods that look down on us.
Heliopolis
Ben, 16 (Sydney, Australia)
Sydney is a city on the water that is also close to mountains, so
B we have a great lifestyle here. Not many cities can combine
urban living with such activities in the fresh air. I surf at the local
beach, but I do have to be careful about sharks - they’re a real
threat!
Another great thing about Sydney is the mix of different ethnic
groups and cultures; just in my street, there are families with
backgrounds from Croatia, Lebanon, Vietnam, China and India.
That’s typical in this city. My own grandparents came here from
Wales in the 1960s. There are opportunities for everyone here and
resources for immigrants and disadvantaged people. I think we’re
really fortunate to live in a metropolis that has so much to offer
and so few of the problems that affect other major cities. I’d love
to travel and see the world one day, but Sydney will always be
44
C Read the Exam Close-up. Then read the
Exam Task below and underline the key
words. Exam Close-up
Skimming and scanning for specific in ormati on
D Now complete the Exam Task. • Before you read the text, underline the
key words in the questions.
Exam Task • Skim read the text to get the main ideas.
You are going to read an article about four teenagers who • Scan the text to look for specific information
live in big cities. For questions 1 – 10, choose from the which matches the key words in the
teenagers (A – D). The teenagers may be chosen more questions.
than once.
Which teenager
E Find the meaning of the words in the
1 is from a city with two distinct architectural styles? article. Then use the words to
2 lives in a disadvantaged area? complete the sentences below.
3 has never been a victim of crime? district (para A) community (para A)
4 enjoys an active outdoor life? resident (para A) metropolis (para B)
5 is proud of their city’s place in the world? alley (para C) pedestrian (para D)
6 talks about a feeling of belonging in the neighbourhood? 1 Only one in the street
7 dislikes it when some people break the law? complained about the noise from the party.
8 is in a city that has welcomed many new residents? 2 The local council is responsible for
collecting the rubbish in our
9 mentions a popular pastime in their city?
10 feels lucky to live in the their city? .
3 Tokyo, the capital city of Japan, is a huge
with millions of inhabitants.
C Alison, 16 (New York City, USA)
4 This is a dangerous road to cross; a
New York has a reputation as a dangerous city. was nearly killed here
Personally, I’ve never been mugged and I’ve last week.
never seen any kind of violence, but there are
times when I do feel insecure. It really depends 5 The largest Greek outside
on what of Greece is in Melbourne, Australia.
neighbourhood I’m in. Some are worse than others, 6 Don’t park your motorbike in the
so I just have to be careful where I go and when I because it isn’t safe there.
go there. For example, I wouldn’t walk down a
dark alley alone at night. It’s just common sense to
avoid certain places, and it’s something you would
do in any big city. On the plus side, though, there’s
a buzz and energy in New York that no other city
has. You feel that things are happening here and
that you’re part of something special. We New
Yorkers like to think our city is the centre of the
universe. I’m sure some people would disagree,
but for me, it truly is the most exciting city on
Earth.

D Petros, 17 (Athens, Greece)

It’s hard to describe Athens. For most foreigners, it’s a city famous
for its ancient ruins, but they don’t see the gritty side. It has its
fair share of ugly modern buildings and graffiti, too. I suppose you
could say it’s a city of contrasts. Another thing that characterises
Athens are the pedestrian-only areas in different parts of the city.
There are cafes, pastry shops and restaurants with outside seating
in these areas, but cars and motorbikes drive through them illegally!
That kind of behaviour is typical, too. I find it pretty annoying, but
there aren’t enough police to stop them. Speaking of cafes,
Athenians spend a lot of time there. It’s another feature of
Athenian life. Spending two or three hours over a coffee is
acceptable, and no one is pressured to drink up and leave. Unlike
other cities, we never drink coffee on the run. It has to be enjoyed,
and preferably with friends!

Ideas Focus • What are the best things about city living?
• Would you live in the countryside? Why? / Why not?
45