UNIT 2. URBANISATION

Communication and Culture
Communication

The urban world in 2050
Task 1. Listen to a talk about predictions for life in cities in 2050 and choose the correct option in each of the following sentences.

_… By 2050, 70 per cent of the world\'s people will live in cities._

1. By 2050, 50/70 per cent of the world\\'s people will live in cities.

2. Energy, especially electricity/oil, will be very expensive.

3. Human resources/Natural resources are running out due to the excessive exploitation.

4. Many people will probably have their workplaces close to/far from where they live.

5. It will be difficult to provide enough water, gas and electricity for really big cities/the countryside.

6. Many people from the countryside will move to smaller cities/big cities.

1

2

3

4

5

6

_Energy, especially oil, will be very expensive because natural resources are running out due to the excessive exploitation._
_As a result, many people will probably work at home, or have their workplaces close to where they live…_

_It will be difficult to provide enough water, gas and electricity for really big cities…_

_Many people from the countryside will move to smaller cities rather than to big cities..._

70

oil

Natural resources

close to

big cities

smaller cities
Task 2. Work in groups. Which of the predictions in 1 are likely to come true to the city you live in, or a city in Viet Nam that you know most about? Make some more predictions about that city in 2050.

Infractructure

Environment

Population

Transportation

…
Culture

Urbanised Bangkok
Task 1. Look at the two photos of Bangkok, Thailand. What aspects of city life do they show?

_modern Bangkok with its improved infrastructure and high-rise buildings_

_the other side of urbanization: the growth of slums and urban poverty_
Task 2. Read the text about urbanisation in Bangkok. Answer the questions that follow.

1. What is the role of Bangkok in Thailand?

2. What benefits has urbanisation brought about?

3. What problems has urbanisation caused?

1. Bangkok plays an important role inThailand. It has been a capital city for over 200 years. The growth of Bangkok is the world\\'s window on the growth of Thailand.
2. It has brought about economic, social and cultural benefits.
3. The drawbacks include the growth of slums, social issues such as drugs and crime, traffic congestion, and environmental pollution.

_As the capital city of Thailand for over 200 years, Bangkok has an important role to play. Its growth is the world\'s window on the growth of Thailand._

_These include economic, social and cultural ones._

_However, urbanisation has also resulted in massive problems. For example, thousands of migrants live in the modern slums surrounded by poverty, crime and drugs, and with no hope of getting a job… The problems of traffic congestion, pollution and urban slums will continue to grow worse_
&

_Ha Noi, Viet Nam_

_Bangkok, Thailand_

_What are the similarities and differences between the urbanisation in Bangkok and that in Ha Noi?_