29   I can describe urban life

A    The inner city

I parked in the multi-storey car park and went the rest of the way on foot. The street lights had just come on, and I could see the pavements were filthy. At the entrance to the subway, there was an old guy begging for money. I gave him something and hurried on down. There was the usual graffiti all over the walls, and litter everywhere. I came up the other side and passed a man who was whistling quite cheerfully, but I found this part of the inner city so depressing that I wondered if my decision to walk had been a good idea.

 

Glossary

multi-storey  a large car park with several floors.

car park     

pavement  the part of the road where people walk.

filthy  very dirty.

subway  a tunnel that goes under a road or railway so people can walk to the other side.

beg  ask for food or money.

hurry  move or do sth quickly. SYN rush.

graffiti  pictures or writing on a wall in a public place (often humorous or political).

litter  paper and rubbish that is dropped and left on the ground in a public place.

whistle   make a musical sound with your lips nearly closed.

inner city  the part of a large city which is near the centre and often poor.

depressing  making you feel sad and without hope.

wonder  ask yourself questions about sth.

4     Test yourself. Cover the glossary words and look at the meanings. Can you remember the words?

 

B    In a suburb

The area where I live is ideal. It’s a suburb not far from the centre and it’s quite lively, but there’s still a feeling of space, and my block of flats is surrounded by trees. It’s also a handy place to live because there are good local shops, and a bus service that gets me into the centre in 15 to 20 minutes. The only disadvantage is that with the growth in the population, it’s gradually becoming more built-up than it used to be, which is a shame.

 

spotlight  area, region, district, part

The word area can be used for part of a town, country, or the world. A region is part of a country or the world, e.g. a desert region. A district is part of a town or country, often with special qualities, e.g. the financial district. A part is often used when we are talking about a town, e.g. a lovely part of the city.

 

Glossary

suburb  an area outside the centre of a town, where a lot of people live.

ideal  perfect; the best possible.

lively  full of interest, and with things to do.

space  a place or area that is empty and not used.

surrounded by sth if a building is surrounded by sth, that thing is all around it.

handy  INF located near to things you need. SYN convenient.

local  located in the area where you live.

disadvantage  a situation or thing that is not good or causes problems. SYN drawback. OPP advantage.

growth  an increase in size or number.

built-up  with a lot of buildings.

a shame  a fact or situation that makes you feel disappointed. SYN a pity.

7     ABOUT YOUR AREA Write your answers, or ask another student.

1     Is your area built-up, or is there a feeling of space? ________________

2     What is your home surrounded by? ________________

3     What local shops do you have? ________________

4     Is it a handy place to live for you? ________________

5     What are the disadvantages? ________________

Answers from a Japanese person

1     The area where I live is built-up. I’d like to live in the country where I could have a nice garden.

2     My home is surrounded by other houses.

3     There are a few convenience stores and a small supermarket in the area.

4     It’s not handy at all! The nearest bus stop is 15 minutes’ walk away and the nearest train station is a 15-minute bike ride away. Wherever you go, it takes quite a while.

5     One of the disadvantages of where I live is that there is no park nearby where children can play or where you can go for a walk.