Slow down, you move too fast

The clock rules our lives. The more we try to save time, the less time we seem to have. In every area of our lives we are doing things faster. And many of us live in towns and cities which are getting noisier and more stressful as each day passes. But now a worldwide movement, whose aim is to slow life down, has started a counter-revolution. Its supporters are people who believe that a happier and healthier way of life is possible...

Do you eat Slow Food ‘Slow Food’?

The Slow Food movement was founded the day that an Italian journalist, Carlo Petrini, saw that McDonald's had opened a restaurant in Piazza di Spagna, the beautiful square in Rome. He thought it was tragic that many people today live too quickly to sit down for a proper meal and only eat mass-produced fast food. He decided that he had to try to do something about it and so he started the Slow Food movement. Although he didn't succeed in banning McDonald's from Piazza di Spagna, Slow Food has become a global organization and now has more than 80,000 members in 100 countries. 'We believe,' says Fiona Richmond of Slow Food UK, 'that people should take time to enjoy food.' Slow Food also encourages people to eat local and regional food, to use local shops and markets, to eat out in small family restaurants, and to cook with traditional recipes. 'There is nothing more satisfying than relaxing around a lively table in the company of family and friends. The pleasure of eating quality food should be celebrated,' says Richmond.

Would you like to live in a ‘Slow City’?

The idea of 'Cittaslow' or 'Slow Cities' was inspired by the Slow Food movement and it was started by the mayor of the small Italian town of Greve in Chianti. The aim of Slow Cities is to make our towns places where people enjoy living and working, and where they value and protect the things that make the town different. Towns which want to become a Slow City have to reduce traffic and noise, increase the number of green areas, plant trees, build pedestrian zones, and promote local businesses and traditions. Many other small towns in Italy have joined the movement and it has spread to other countries all over the world, from the UK to Japan and Australia. Aylsham in the UK recently became a Slow City, and most people are delighted. ‘Slow Cities are about having a community life in the town, so people don't come home from work, shut their doors and that's it,’ said a local resident. 'It is not "slow" as in "stupid". It is "slow" as in the opposite of "frantic" and "stressful". It is about quality of life.' But not everybody in Aylsham is happy. For teenagers, who have to go 25 km to Norwich, the nearest city, to buy trainers or CDs, living in a Slow City is not very attractive. ‘It's all right here,’ says Lewis Cook, 16. 'But if you want excitement, you have to go to Norwich. We need more things here for young people.'

Ex. 4. Group 1 students speak about the Slow Food movement. Use the answers to the questions given in exercises 2 a). Group 2 students speak about the Slow City movement. Make use of the answers to the questions of the previous exercise.

Ex. 5. Discuss the following questions.

a) Do you think these movements are a good idea? Why?

b) Would you like to become a member of the Slow Food movement? Why?

c) Would you like to live in a Slow City? Why?

Focus on speaking II

Ex. 1. Work in pairs. Imagine that your town is thinking of becoming a ‘Slow City’ and is planning to do the following things.

· Ban all fast food restaurants.

· Promote small family restaurants.

· Ban cars from the city centre.

· Create more pedestrian zones.

· Create more green areas and plant more trees.

· Reduce the speed limit in the town to 30 km/h.