Unit 2: SPEAKING
Life in big cities
Discuss and choose the words/ phrases below and define what are the Advantages or Disadvantages of living in big cities.

- air pollution - better transport service
- good education - high cost of living
- higher standard of living - jobless
- job opportunities - noisy
overcrowded - slums
Advantages: good education/ higher standard of living/ job opportunities / better transport service
Disadvantages: air pollution/ high cost of living/ overcrowded/ jobless / noisy/ slums
1. Read a conversation between two friends about life in big cities. What features do they mention? Are they positive or negative?
A. Positive features:
-There are more employment opportunities.
-People have chances to get high-paying jobs.
-People’s standard of living is higher.
B. Negative features:
-Big cities are overcrowded and overpopulated.
-Many people are jobless/ unemployed.
-Some people live in slums.
2. Look at the features. Decide whether they are positive or negative. Can you think other features?
A. Positive:
-job opportunities, efficient services
B. Negative:
-noisy, densely populated, traffic congestion, severe shortage of housing, air pollution
Others:
- higher rate of crime (N)
- stressful (N),
- social and cultural integration (P),
- sports facilities (P),
- better schools (P)
3. Discuss the positive and negative features of city life and decide if you want to live in an urban or rural area. What are your reasons? Present your group’s decision to the whole class, using the ideas in 2
Reasons for living in big cities 
- more employment/job opportunities 
- chances to get high-paying jobs 
- higher living standard 
- efficient services 
- sports facilities 
- better schools 
Reasons for going back to live in rural areas 
- cheaper cost of living in rural areas 
- friendly and helpful people 
- little or no pollution 
- low crime rate 
we like life in the big city more than that in the countryside for a number of reasons.
- Firstly, jobs are more available in big cities.
- Secondly, living in big cities is a lot more interesting and fun.
- Lastly, living in big cities, people can enjoy better education, public transportation, and health care service.

All members of our group think that rural life is better than urban life.
- We all agree that the cost of living is much cheaper in rural areas.
- People are also more friendly and helpful.
- We can live in an environment with little or no pollution.
In addition, the crime rate is fairly low compared to the city.
The only problem is that people have little access to modern facilities and technology.
-> It is important that the government invest more in rural areas so that people there can have the same opportunities as people in the cities.