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City or Country?

City or Country?

Date: May 01 2009

Grammar: Comparatives and Superlatives

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

When you think of life in a big city, do you picture crowds, traffic, noise, and pollution? Or do you imagine soaring skyscrapers, an exciting mix of cultures, and endless restaurants, nightclubs, museums, and shops to visit?

Cities usually offer plenty of entertainment and excitement. But country life has its attractions as well. In the country, everything moves a bit slower. You can relax, lead a simpler life, and feel closer to nature.

Jason is sick of the city and thinking about moving to the country. But Ella grew up in the country. Find out if she thinks moving there is a good idea.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Jason

Jason

Ella

Ella

Jason:  I just moved in to a new apartment downtown to save on my commute time. But I’ve been feeling so claustrophobic that I almost just want to leave the city altogether, get out of the rat race, go out to the country.

Ella:  I don’t know. I grew up kind of in the countryside, in Florida. There was one bus stop, we had a sheriff, you know, less than 5,000…Everyone basically knew each other, there was like one grocery store…

Jason:  Did you like growing up like that?

Ella:  It was a good childhood. But it took forever to get to the mall. I mean, the beach was only a couple miles away, so that’s all we did, was like play tag or go to the beach or go to school. But everything was pretty far away to get to.

Jason:  It must have been easy to go camping and stuff. You don’t have to go far to get back to basics.

Ella:  Yeah, exactly.

Jason:  I mean, but do you think it was simpler? Did you feel calmer?

Ella:  It was nice to know everyone. You felt safe. I feel like if you live in the city you always have to watch your back and you’re not sure who’s out to get you. You get this kind of paranoid like, “Someone’s gonna rob me, someone’s gonna try to kill me!” You didn’t have that in the country. What do you think?

Jason:  That’s interesting. It seems to me like the country’s almost more dangerous. Like if you’re in the middle of nowhere there’s crazies out there…

Ella:  Well we’ve got that one sheriff.

 

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Discussion

Jason doesn’t like how crowded and fast-paced the city is, and he thinks he might prefer to live in the country. Ella grew up in a very small town in the countryside where there was hardly anything to do and it took a long time to get anywhere. She doesn’t think living there as an adult would be very fun.

Some people don’t like cities because they think they have a lot of crime. But New York, one of the biggest and most crowded cities in the United States, actually has a much lower crime rate than many smaller cities.

Do you think city or country life is better? Why? Did you grow up in a city?

 

Comments

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Staisy

Staisy

Russian Federation

I  have read some articles about the history of our district, which tell  that it  was a countryside about sixty  years ago. It is discribed  like a quiet place with wooden houses and orchards, and  even a large pond was somewhere.  It sounds like a fairytale , as this area is very polluted and overcrowded now. We  only  have  a small park for walking, and new buildings are still constructed  around. A nearby plant contaminates the air. The  number of cars  is increasing  day after day, and  sometimes  i have difficulties  with parking    near my   house , as there are no vacant  places for it. It is very annoying.  


I think it is not a good place for living now . I would like to move to the country,  as   Jason.

09:13 PM Oct 16 2014 |

Tarita_Rambler

Antarctica

I grew up in a big city that was considered to be one of the industrial centers. There are not so many skyscrapers there, however.


It’s good that stores, theaters and other institutions are not far from your house.


Though I think it’s pretty bad to live near the stadium (fans occupy the yard during football matches, drinking beer and make a noise).


Once one of my friends decided to move to the country and to become a farmer. His project failed because he knew nothing about farming. As it turned out hens and pigs wasn’t able to take care of themselves as well as potatoes and strawberries didn’t do that.


Of course if you have enough money and an automobile you might like living in the country. A comfortable cottage, clean air, a lake is close by, singing birds, croaking frogs and everything.



08:17 AM Aug 10 2014 |

1 person likes this

sherrysherryy

China

I come from country and groew up there, the environment of country is better than the city’s and the pace of life is also slower. Now I’m studying in a city, when i go out, the terrible traffic, crowded street, disgusting noises always make me uncomfortable. sometimes, i really cannot understand the exchange that people have made, for convenience? for passion? for enjoyment? amybe there are still many other reasons, but i think we should take the nature into account before we make a change.

03:34 AM Oct 18 2013 |

samoorayigirl

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

i’m living in city, and i think in this days when u want to catch ur goals u have to be in the city and for fun and to have relax day after alot of work go to a country to enjoy the views…in fact i LOVE countries…because the things there give u alot of energy…specialy it’s good for writer to finde a realy good topic for her/his book _ :D

07:33 AM Oct 17 2013 |

ziczachzuc

ziczachzuc

Viet Nam

I really love living in the country side, but when i left from my city, i feel uncomfortable. And i am worried about everthing.



07:16 PM Nov 20 2012 |

princessanika

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

country is more beautiful than city,cause in country is a lot of flowers,a very good wether,oxsygen is very clean and much,but in the city many things are different,but i like just live in the city i think we needs to live in city cause in many country isen’t goodthings.

10:10 AM Nov 20 2012 |

Zari

Zari

Azerbaijan

Agree with cassie502. I never change country to a city.

08:28 AM Feb 07 2012 |

1 person likes this

masiran

masiran

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

i grew up in a city and i like cities it's so much better for living you can access to everything easily and everything you need  is near you plus facilities are available everywhere but it's got it's own downsides like pollution or traffics  or crimes but i like it overall

09:46 AM Mar 23 2011 |

genvers

Russian Federation

I was born in a very small town but now I live in Moscow. Life in Moscow is very energetic, fast, tiring. I sometimes feel exausted by crowds of people and enormous traffic jams. However, I can't imagine my life without all conveniences that a city provides. I like cities but don't mind spending some quiet days in the country.

10:29 AM Aug 20 2010 |

DanielleSG

Israel

I grew up in the city since I was a little child and basically I can't see myself moving to some town in the middle of nowhere when everything is so far away and there's quite most of the time eccept of the birds and chicken sounds . I really love the intensive movement of the city, I love the fact that you can go buying food and stuff in the middle of the night, and actually I'm kind of hyper so I really love the nosie and the fact that everything is going so fast in the city.

I think that it's ok to go camping sometime's or to do a vacation in the country for relaxation and to get out a little bit from that rate race once in a while …but not more than that.

06:07 AM Dec 30 2009 |

Ana Maria Garcia Muñoz

Spain

yes yes yes

11:07 AM Sep 17 2009 |

weeranuch

Thailand

I like country but I stay in the city .the country very silent from pollution

06:33 AM Jul 21 2009 |

ngongon

Viet Nam

i prefer living in city to country, specially big cities. Of course in the country there is fresh air but not convenient for everything. But sometimes when i’m tired, going to the country is a good idea.

01:52 PM Jun 15 2009 |

cassie502

China

For me, I like country, for i perfer fersh air conditions, and the peopel in the contry usually are more friendlier and closer

05:17 AM May 18 2009 |

1 person likes this

amany7

amany7

Saudi Arabia

I love the country life very much I always want to live there but actullt it is diffecult, they dont have every thing we do in the city so stay in the city better Tongue out

09:56 PM May 12 2009 |

paulki

Morocco

i beg and u

02:07 PM May 10 2009 |

Mehmet_G

Turkey

In my opinion,I'd like to living in city because bigger countries got the biggest problems ;) . I grew up in a small city and I dont know much disadvantages.thats all i wanted to say for now guys ;)

08:08 PM May 07 2009 |

natalka8846

Poland

In my opinion living in city enables many ways for development, which is very important for me. Furthermore citylife is more interesting from my angle. But sometimes i'd like to spend my free time in country because of pleasant ambience, it's just easy life. 

06:39 PM May 07 2009 |

csteilpo

csteilpo

Germany

Big city life. that's the only thing for me. i grew up in a very big city and i like all the advantages that it brings. but it is easy to imagine that some people gets sick in it. the daily life is very fast and loud usuall. maybe i i'd like to life  at countyside when i'm old and want more calmnessand a settled life

05:34 PM May 07 2009 |

nurime

Turkey

I love country this point: it is very calm so ıf I want to be alone I can be.and it's more comfortable but there are a lot of lack in Turkey's country so that I'm happy live in city (:

02:29 PM May 07 2009 |

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