Look at the following pictures and
answer the questions.

Amusement park in
the city

Amusement park in
the countryside

Workplace in the
city

Workplace in the
countryside

Service in the city

Service in the countryside

School in the city

School in the countryside

1. Is life in the city different from that in the
countryside?
2. Why are more and more people from rural areas
moving to the city?

Unit 2: Urbanization
Lesson 3: Reading
Urbanization and its
causes

Task 1. You are going to read a text about urbanisation.
Predict whether the following statements are true (T) or false
(F).

1. Urbanization
first in more
Task 2. Read
the text happened
and check
youreconomically
predictions in 1.
developed countries, then in less economically developed T
Urbanisation is the process by which urbancountries
areas grow bigger as more and more people leave

the countryside to live in towns and cities.
Before the 1950s, urbanisation mainly occurred in more economically developed countries
(MEDCs). Rapid urbanisation happened during the period of industrialisation in Europe and
North America in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. A lot of people left their home
villages for urban areas hoping to find jobs in the rapidly expanding industries in big towns and
2. Urbanization has increased in rich countries since 1950s.
F
cities. Since 1950s urbanisation has become slower in most MEDCs. Now, some of the biggest
cities are losing population because people go back to live in rural areas. This is known as
counter-urbanisation.
Since 1950, urbanisation
hasresources
grown rapidly
in LEDCs
Economically
Developed
Countries) in
3. Lack of
in rural
ares(Less
is one
of the factors
leading
T
Africa and South America.to
Between
1950 andin1990
the urban
population in LEDCs
urbanization
less while
developed
countries.
doubled, increase was less than half in developed countries.
There are various causes of urbanisation in LEDCs. Here are some major ones. First, people
migrate to urban areas on a massive scale due to lack of resources in rural areas. Second, small
farmers find it4.
h to
make
a living of
notliving
just because
of and
bad we
conditions
as drought,
The
standard
in cities
rural
areas issuch
more
or F floods,
or storms, because they can't compete with large agricultural companies. These are considered
less the same .
'push' factors.
People living in rural5.
areas
are alsomore
'pulled'
to cities,
which areofknown
to be places of financial
By 2050,
than
two –thirds
the world's
centres, services, wealth and opportunities. Believing that standard of living in urban areas T
will
population are expected to live in urban areas .
be higher in rural areas, many people come to the city seeking their fortune.
Today, about half of the world's population in urban areas. Urbanisation has provided
opportunities, higher incomes and better access to health facilities and education. The urban
population will continue to grow and it is expected that proportion will increase to 70% by 2050.

Answer key
v
v
v
v
v

Task 3. Find the words in the text that have the following
meanings. Write the words in the space provided.

Words
1. Becoming larger in size or
amount
2. The movement of people out
of cities to the surrounding areas

Meanings
Expanding
Counter-urbanization

3. Became twice as big or twice
as many

Doubled

4. A rise in size, amount or
degree

Increase

5. Go to live in another area or
country

Migrate

Vocabulary
- Expanding (adj) /ik'spænding/: Mở rộng 
- Counter-urbanization (n) /'kaʊntə[r]/  /,ɜ:bənai'zei∫n/  
Đô thị hóa ngược
- Double (v)
- Increase
- Migrate

/'dʌbl/: Gấp đôi 
/in'kri:s/: Tăng lên
/mai'greit/: Di cư

Task 4. Read the text carefully. Answer the following
questions.
1. What is urbanisation?
2. What do MEDCs and LEDCs stand for?
3. Where did rapid urbanisation take place prior to
1950? Why?
4. What happened after 1950?
5. What are some of the 'push' factors of
urbanisation?
6. Why are small farmers' lives difficult?
7. What are some of the 'pull' factors of
urbanisation?

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Do

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Ly
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Die

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Chi Lam

SPIN!

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Ho
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h
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a

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Bao Nam

Huu Ha

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Bo

Die

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Bao Do

Ng

u
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g

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G
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Task 5. Discuss with a partner. 
How has your area been affected by urbanisation?
Follow this sample conversation
A: Where do you live, in the city or in the countryside?
B: I live in………………………….
A: Do you see many people move out of your area to
other places or people from other places move to your
area?
B:…………………………………..
A: Has your area been affected by that?
B:………………………………………….
A: How has it been affected?
B: ………………………………………………..

-Learn all the new vocabulary by heart.
- Prepare the new lesson - Speaking

1. What is urbanisation?
=> It's a process by which urban areas grow bigger
as more and more people leave the countryside to
live in towns and cities.

2. What do MEDCs and LEDCs stand for?
=> MEDCs stands for more economically developed
countries. LEDCs stands for less economically
developed countries.

3. Where did rapid urbanisation take place prior
to 1950? Why?
=> Before the 1950s, rapid urbanisation took
place in Europe and North America because it
was the period of industrialisation in these areas.

4. What happened after 1950?
=>  After 1950, urbanisation started to grow
rapidly in LEDCs.

5. What are some of the 'push' factors of
urbanisation?
=> Some of the 'push' factors of urbanisation are
lack of resources in rural areas, bad weather
conditions, and competition from large
agricultural companies.

6. Why are small farmers' lives difficult?
=> Because they have to suffer bad weather
conditions and competition from large agricultural
companies.

7. What are some of the 'pull' factors of
urbanisation?
=> Some of the 'pull' factors of urbanisation are
the centralisation of resources such as money,
services, wealth and opportunities as well as the
higher living standards of these areas.

Trò chơi “Spin wheel”, các bạn xóa
tên trong vòng tròn đi và viết tên
học sinh của mình vào. Quay vào tên
bạn nào thì bạn đó sẽ chọn ngôi sao
để trả lời. Bạn bấm vào ngôi sao nào
là là ra câu hỏi nhé.