Advantages and disadvantages

Sometimes you may think that city life is better than village life. However there are many advantages and disadvantages of living either in a city or in a village.

I here there are a lot of facilities for people in the city and they have more opportunities for making money. Children can get a good education. Living in a big city with a large population, you get used to making contacts and in this way you become more socialized. There are large shops, banks, offices, cinemas, hotels, clubs, hospitals etc in and around a city. People have also transport facilities. There are the facilities of electricity, highways, communication, telecommunication and plumbing. So people lead a comfortable and enjoyable life.

But there are some disadvantages too. The cost of living is very high in the city. Most goods and food products are expensive. There is no fresh air and pure water. The price of life is high.

The environment is polluted with dust, smoke, garbage and dioxide gases from factories. The streets are dusty and unclean. So it is hard to lead a healthy life. Many criminal activities often take place in the city. The city is always busy and noisy. There are a lot of vehicles and people on the roads.

There are also many advantages in village life. Generally, people there live in harmony and peace. They have more friends in the community since it is small. The village people always try to protect their traditional habits and culture. The village has clean air, less noise, pollution and rush, and the environment is very beautiful. The village has few vehicles, so roads are less dangerous for driving or cycling. People can easily get fresh vegetables, fruits, meat and milk.

Village life also has its bad points. Some people are not well-educated. Villagers' child has to go to the village school. They have difficulty in keeping up with new developments in their field or profession. They have to face many difficulties in their everyday lives, like travelling problems, entertainment and culture. They have to go to the city to supply some of their needs.

SPEAKING

Answerthequestions.

· Whereareyoufrom?

· Wheredoyoulive?

· What are advantages/disadvantages of living in it?

· Where do you usually spend your free time?

Make a meeting dialogue in small groups pretending you are abroad at a friend’s birthday party.

VOCABULARY

a population – (n, countable usually singular) the number of people living in a particular area, country etc.

a cathedral – (n, count.) the main church of a particular area under the control of a bishop

to link – (v) to make a connection between two or more things or people, if two things are linked, they are related in some way

industry – (n, uncountable)the large-scale production of goods or of substances such as coal and steel

coal – (n, uncount.) a hard black mineral which is dug out of the ground and burnt to produce heat

tomovefrom– (v) to change from one place or position to another, or to make something do this

a stream – (n, count.) a natural flow of water that moves across the land and is narrower than a river

READING

Read the text and try to guess the meanings of the underlined words using their definitions in vocabulary list.

MY HOME TOWN

I was born in Newcastle, a city in the north-east of England. Newcastle is on the bank of the River Tyne. It is quite big, with a population of about 200,000 people. There is a cathedral and a university. There are five bridges over the River Tyne, which link Newcastle to the next town, Gateshead, where there is one of the biggest shopping centres in the world, the Metro Centre.

A few years ago, the main industries were shipbuilding and coalmining, but now the chemical and soap industries are more important.

I moved from Newcastle ten years ago but I often return. I miss the people, who are so warm and friendly, and I miss the wild, beautiful countryside near the city, where there are so many hills and streams.

People who are born near the River Tyne have a special name. They are called "Geordies". I am very pleased to be a "Geordie"!

WRITING

1. Write a similar description of your home town. First write some facts about it:

· Where is it?

· Is it big or small?

· What buildings and industries does it have?

· Next write some personal opinions:

· Do you like it? Why?

LEISURE TIME