Unit 2 CITY LIFE
LESSON 1: GETTING STARTED

How is your city?

LESSON
1: GETTING STARTED
LESSON 1: GETTING STARTED
Option 1: Think!
Option 2: City Debate

WARM-UP

PRESENTATION

•
•
•
•

PRACTICE

FURTHER
PRACTICE

CONSOLIDATION

Vocabulary

Task 1: Listen and read.
Task 2: Read the conversation again and tick T or F.
Task 3: Match the words/ phrases with their pictures.
Task 4: Choose the correct answer A, B, C, or D.

• Task 5: Quiz: A lifestyle survey: City life or Village life?
• Wrap-up
• Homework

WARM-UP

OPTION 1

Answer the questions:
1/ Can you name some big cities in Viet Nam
and in the world?

THINK!

2/ Can you describe something you know
about these cities?
(population, traffic, tourist attractions, ….)

WARM-UP

OPTION 1

Answer the questions:
3/ Do you want to live there?

THINK!

4/ Can you describe where you live? Is it a
city or town?
5/ Do you like living there?

WARM-UP

OPTION 2

- Work in teams.
- You have 2 minutes think about City
advantages and disadvantages.

DEBATE

PRESENTATION

traffic jam (n)
/ˈtræfɪk ˌdʒæm/
kẹt xe

a large number of vehicles
close together and unable to
move or moving very slowly.

PRESENTATION

congested (adj)
/kənˈdʒestɪd/
tắc nghẽn (giao thông)

PRESENTATION

construction site (n)
/kənˈstrʌkʃn saɪt/
công trường
xây dựng

PRESENTATION

underground (n)
/ˌʌndəˈɡraʊnd/
hệ thống
tàu điện ngầm

PRESENTATION

itchy (adj)
/ˈɪtʃi/
ngứa, gây ngứa

PRESENTATION

downtown (n)
/ˌdaʊnˈtaʊn/
khu trung tâm
thành phố, thị trấn

in or to the central
part of a city

PRESENTATION

unreliable (adj)
/ˌʌnrɪˈlaɪəbəl/
không đáng tin

not able
to be trusted

PRESENTATION

grand (adj)
/ɡrænd/
hoành tráng

important and large
in degree

PRESENTATION

pricey (adj)
/ˈpraɪsi/
đắt đỏ

expensive

PRESENTATION
New words

1. traffic jam (n)
2. congested (adj)
3. construction site (n)
4. underground (n)

Pronunciation

Meaning

/ˈtræfɪk ˌdʒæm/

kẹt xe

/kənˈdʒestɪd/

tắc nghẽn (giao thông)

/kənˈstrʌkʃn saɪt/ công trường xây dựng
/ˌʌndəˈɡraʊnd/

hệ thống tàu điện
ngầm

PRESENTATION
New words

Pronunciation

Meaning

5. downtown (n)

/ˌdaʊnˈtaʊn/

khu trung tâm thành phố,
thị trấn

6. unreliable (adj)

/ˌʌnrɪˈlaɪəbəl/

không đáng tin

7. grand (adj)

/ɡrænd/

hoành tráng

8. pricey (adj)

/ˈpraɪsi/

đắt đỏ

PRACTICE
Look at pictures on p.28
1. What do you see in each picture?
traffic jam / traffic congestion, construction
site
2. Are the things in the pictures
common in your home town?

PRACTICE

1 Listen and read.

Trang: Hi, Ben. Sorry I couldn't get online earlier. I got stuck in a traffic jam and came home late.
Ben: No problem, Trang. Did you go by bus?
Trang: No. My dad picked me up. I rarely use the bus. It's slow and packed with people.
Ben: I mostly get around by underground. It's more reliable than the bus.
Trang: That's great.
Ben: But traffic congestion is terrible in London. You know, the more crowded the city gets, the more congested
the streets are.
Trang: Yeah … and the more polluted they may become. There's a construction site in my neighbourhood. It's
dusty, so people easily get itchy eyes.
Ben: It must be noisy, too. The noise probably makes people feel stressed sometimes.
Trang: That's right. But new buildings make the city look modern and attractive. Do you remember the grand
building downtown?
Ben: Of course. How's it now? When I left Viet Nam, they nearly finished it.
Trang: Well, it's now a shopping mall. Teens like it because it's modern and fun.
Ben: Do you often go there?
Trang: Sometimes. I watch movies there with my sister. I want to go there more often, but it's a bit pricey.
Ben: It's expensive here in London, too …

PRACTICE

Underline the words in the text that you
think are related to the topic City life.

PRACTICE

1 Listen and read.

Trang: Hi, Ben. Sorry I couldn't get online earlier. I got stuck in a traffic jam and came home late.
Ben: No problem, Trang. Did you go by bus?
Trang: No. My dad picked me up. I rarely use the bus. It's slow and packed with people.
Ben: I mostly get around by underground. It's more reliable than the bus.
Trang: That's great.
Ben: But traffic congestion is terrible in London. You know, the more crowded the city gets, the more congested
the streets are.
Trang: Yeah … and the more polluted they may become. There's a construction site in my neighbourhood. It's
dusty, so people easily get itchy eyes.
Ben: It must be noisy, too. The noise probably makes people feel stressed sometimes.
Trang: That's right. But new buildings make the city look modern and attractive. Do you remember the grand
building downtown?
Ben: Of course. How's it now? When I left Viet Nam, they nearly finished it.
Trang: Well, it's now a shopping mall. Teens like it because it's modern and fun.
Ben: Do you often go there?
Trang: Sometimes. I watch movies there with my sister. I want to go there more often, but it's a bit pricey.
Ben: It's expensive here in London, too …

PRACTICE

2 Read the conversation again and tick T (true) or F (False).
1. The bus in Trang's city is slow and crowded.
Trang: I rarely use the bus. It's slow and packed with people.
2. The underground system in Ben's city is unreliable.
Ben: I mostly get around by underground It's more reliable than the bus.

3. There is a dusty and noisy construction site near
Trang: There's a construction site in my neighbourhood. It's dusty,
Trang's house. so people easily get itchy eyes.
Ben: It must be noisy, too.

4. Trang thinks new buildings make the city look ugly.
Trang: But new buildings make the city look modern and attractive.
5. Both Trang and Ben find shopping malls expensive.
Trang: Well, it's now a shopping mall. I want to go there more often, but it's a bit pricey.
Ben: It's expensive here in London, too.

T

F

PRACTICE

3 Match the words/phrases with their pictures.
1. congested road
2. construction site
3. the underground
4. itchy eyes
5. entertainment centre

PRACTICE

3 Match the words/phrases with their pictures.
1. congested road
2. construction site
3. the underground
4. itchy eyes
5. entertainment centre

PRACTICE
3
3 Match the words/phrases with their pictures.

1. congested road
2. construction site
3. the underground
4. itchy eyes
5. entertainment centre

PRACTICE

3 Match the words/phrases with their pictures.
1. congested road
2. construction site
3. the underground
4. itchy eyes
5. entertainment centre

PRACTICE

3 Match the words/phrases with their pictures.
1. congested road
2. construction site
3. the underground
4. itchy eyes
5. entertainment centre

PRACTICE

Extra Activity: Work in groups. Each group makes
sentences with the words/phrases.
1. congested road
2. construction site
3. the underground
4. itchy eyes
5. entertainment centre

PRACTICE

4 Choose the correct answer A, B, C, or D
1. I like getting around by ______. I hate the smell of car exhaust.
A. underground
B. private car
C. taxi
D. bus
2. Road dust may badly affect our ______.
A. stomach
B. back
C. eyes
D. leg
3. There's a ______ in my neighbourhood. It's noisy and dusty.
A. building
B. construction site
C. hospital
D. lake

PRACTICE

4 Choose the correct answer A, B, C, or D
4. The road is narrow, so ______ often occurs at rush hour.
A. traffic light
B. traffic flow
C. traffic congestion
D. traffic safety
5. Many teens fancy spending their weekends in an
entertainment ______.
A. industry
B. value
C. business

D. centre

FURTHER PRACTICE

5 Quiz: A lifestyle survey: City life or Village life?
Complete the quiz. Then compare your choices with your friends'
and the teacher's explanation. Which suits you more, life in the
city or in a village?
You have 4 minutes to do this activity individually.

FURTHER PRACTICE
1. What kind of house do you want to
live in?

2. How do you like to get around?

A. A small and modern apartment.
B. A house with a garden

A. By public transport.
B. By motorbike or bicycle.

3. Where do you frequently enjoy
visiting?

4. How do you describe your favourite
neighbourhood?

A. Shops, restaurants, cinemas, and art
galleries.
B. Local farmers' markets.

A. Crowded and busy.
B. Quiet and green.

5. How do you like to spend time outdoors?
A. Going for a walk or running in the park.
B. Doing gardening or visiting next-door neighbours.

FURTHER PRACTICE
Compare your choices with your partner.
If you choose lots of A.

You will fit in the city.

If you choose lots of B.

The village is your
better choice.

FURTHER PRACTICE

Show me more ideas about:
City Life

Village Life

WARM-UP
* Advantages of living in a city (Ưu
điểm)
1. Better job opportunities – Nhiều cơ
hội việc làm hơn.
2.High-quality education – Có nhiều
trường học, đại học tốt.
3.Modern healthcare – Dịch vụ y tế,
bệnh viện hiện đại.
4.Convenient transportation – Hệ thống
giao thông công cộng đa dạng (bus,
subway, taxi…).
5.Shopping & entertainment – Nhiều
trung tâm thương mại, rạp chiếu phim, nhà
hàng.
6.Advanced technology – Tiếp cận công
nghệ mới nhanh chóng.
7.Cultural diversity – Nhiều nền văn hóa,
phong tục khác nhau.

OPTION 2
* Disadvantages of living in a
city (Nhược điểm)
1.High cost of living – Chi phí sinh
hoạt đắt đỏ.
2.Traffic jams – Ùn tắc giao thông
thường xuyên.
3.Pollution – Ô nhiễm không khí,
tiếng ồn, rác thải.
4.Overcrowding – Quá đông dân,
chật chội.
5.Stressful lifestyle – Nhịp sống
nhanh, áp lực, căng thẳng.
6.Limited green spaces – Ít công
viên, không gian xanh.
7.Crime – Tỷ lệ tội phạm có thể cao
hơn nông thôn.
8.Social isolation – Người dân
sống vội vã, ít quan tâm nhau.

PRODUCTION

EXTRA ACTIVITY

Work in groups and talk about the
differences between living in the city and
living in the countryside.

PRODUCTION

EXTRA ACTIVITY
Living in the city

Accommodation
Means of transport
Facilities
Neighbourhood
Outdoor activities

Living in the
countryside

* Advantages (Ưu điểm)
1.Living in a city offers better job opportunities
than the countryside.
2.There are many good schools and universities,
so students can get a quality education.
3.Cities provide modern healthcare services,
with hospitals and clinics everywhere.
4.Public transport like buses, subways, and taxis
makes it easy to get around.
5.People can enjoy shopping, entertainment,
and restaurants anytime.
6.City life is full of cultural diversity, with people
from different backgrounds.

* Disadvantages (Nhược điểm)
1.The cost of living is very high, including
housing, food, and services.
2.Traffic jams happen every day,
especially during rush hours.
3.Cities often face pollution from
vehicles, factories, and construction sites.
4.They are usually overcrowded with too
many people.
5.Life in the city can be very stressful and
competitive.
6.There are few green spaces, so people
don't have much fresh air.
7.Sometimes, the crime rate is higher
than in rural areas.

CONSOLIDATION

1 Wrap-up
What have we learnt in this lesson?
 Gain an overview about the topic City life
 Gain vocabulary to talk about life in the city

CONSOLIDATION

2 Homework
- Do exercises in the workbook.
- Prepare for the Project of the unit

CONSOLIDATION
MY FUTURE CITY
Name of the future city:
The population of the future city:
The type of houses people will live in:
The means of transportation that people will use:
The kinds of school and number of schools in the city:
The kinds and/or places of entertainment in the city:

Website: hoclieu.vn
Fanpage: facebook.com/www.tienganhglobalsuccess.vn/

Living in a city has both advantages and disadvantages. First of all,
people can find better job opportunities and study at good schools or
universities. Cities also provide modern healthcare services and
convenient transportation such as buses and subways. In addition, there
are many places for shopping and entertainment, which makes life more
interesting.
However, city life also has some problems. The cost of living is very high,
and there are traffic jams every day. Pollution is becoming more serious
because of cars and factories. Cities are often overcrowded, which
makes people feel stressed. Moreover, there are few green spaces, so it
is hard to relax in nature.
In conclusion, living in a city is modern and exciting, but it also brings
many challenges.

IELTS Speaking Part 1 – Sample
Q: Do you like living in a city? Why or why not?
- Yes, I like living in a city because it offers a lot of opportunities. For example, I can go to good schools and
hospitals, and I can enjoy shopping or entertainment easily. However, sometimes I feel stressed because of
traffic jams and pollution.
IELTS Speaking Part 2 – Cue Card
Describe the advantages and disadvantages of living in a city.
You should say:
• What the advantages are
• What the disadvantages are
• And explain whether you prefer living in a city or not
- Sample answer:
Living in a city has both pros and cons. On the positive side, cities provide better job opportunities and highquality education. People can also use modern healthcare services and enjoy convenient public transport.
There are many shopping malls, cinemas, and restaurants, so life is very exciting.
On the negative side, city life can be stressful. The cost of living is quite high, and traffic jams happen every day.
Pollution from vehicles and factories makes the air dirty. Moreover, cities are usually crowded, and there are
only a few green spaces.
Personally, I enjoy the opportunities in the city, but sometimes I miss the peaceful life in the countryside. If
possible, I would like to live in a quiet area but still close to the city.