English, baby!

City or Country?

Date: May 01 2009

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

When you think of life in a big city, do you picture crowds, traffic, noise, and pollution? Or do you imagine soaring skyscrapers, an exciting mix of cultures, and endless restaurants, nightclubs, museums, and shops to visit?

Cities usually offer plenty of entertainment and excitement. But country life has its attractions as well. In the country, everything moves a bit slower. You can relax, lead a simpler life, and feel closer to nature.

Jason is sick of the city and thinking about moving to the country. But Ella grew up in the country. Find out if she thinks moving there is a good idea.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Jason

Ella

Jason: I just moved in to a new apartment downtown to save on my commute time. But I’ve been feeling so claustrophobic that I almost just want to leave the city altogether, get out of the rat race, go out to the country.

Ella: I don’t know. I grew up kind of in the countryside, in Florida. There was one bus stop, we had a sheriff, you know, less than 5,000…Everyone basically knew each other, there was like one grocery store…

Jason: Did you like growing up like that?

Ella: It was a good childhood. But it took forever to get to the mall. I mean, the beach was only a couple miles away, so that’s all we did, was like play tag or go to the beach or go to school. But everything was pretty far away to get to.

Jason: It must have been easy to go camping and stuff. You don’t have to go far to get back to basics.

Ella: Yeah, exactly.

Jason: I mean, but do you think it was simpler? Did you feel calmer?

Ella: It was nice to know everyone. You felt safe. I feel like if you live in the city you always have to watch your back and you’re not sure who’s out to get you. You get this kind of paranoid like, “Someone’s gonna rob me, someone’s gonna try to kill me!” You didn’t have that in the country. What do you think?

Jason: That’s interesting. It seems to me like the country’s almost more dangerous. Like if you’re in the middle of nowhere there’s crazies out there…

Ella: Well we’ve got that one sheriff.

Grammar Point

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Quizzes

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Discussion

Jason doesn’t like how crowded and fast-paced the city is, and he thinks he might prefer to live in the country. Ella grew up in a very small town in the countryside where there was hardly anything to do and it took a long time to get anywhere. She doesn’t think living there as an adult would be very fun.

Some people don’t like cities because they think they have a lot of crime. But New York, one of the biggest and most crowded cities in the United States, actually has a much lower crime rate than many smaller cities.

Do you think city or country life is better? Why? Did you grow up in a city?

Comments

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nurime

Turkey

I love country this point: it is very calm so ıf I want to be alone I can be.and it's more comfortable but there are a lot of lack in Turkey's country so that I'm happy live in city (:

linlisha003

China

I agree country is more comfortable. I’d like to see the countryside in your hometown

ice cold

India

super topic

kukuka

Ukraine

Hey, the little girl, there is no need to repeat twice

oooomm

Thailand

As for me,i am alittle girl that want to joy with u.

city or country? The answer of this quetion depend on people that like city or county .

The both have even merit and disadvantage,namely in the city is very convenient but it has much pollution,

in the country has good air but there are not much facilities

oooomm

Thailand

As for me,i am alittle girl that want to joy with u.

city or country? The answer of this quetion depend on people that like city or county .

The both have even merit and disadvantage,namely in the city is very convenient but it has much pollution,

in the country has good air but there are not much facilities

冉卫民

China

i like both the city and coutry ,in my opinion,the children should live in the country,this is good for them to grow,but for us ,the city is the only choice.why? live

Mira_Memoir

Egypt

play tag? what does that mean? does anybody know this game???

mona.f1985

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

I grew up in tehran which is big and crowded enough but when i go to small city once a year for the first 2 days i become relax and calm but for rest of it i get tired and i love to come back to tehran because i think i used to this kind of life style i used to going cinema ,shopping ,etc .Ithink country is good for retirement time

ciberd7

Brazil

I grew up in Sao Paulo, one of the biggest cities in South America. I agree big cities are hard to live, because you have to pay more for using public services or to buy food and clothes, but You can easily go to mall or study at colleges.

Country life is calmer than city life, however, it has some problems that big cities would solve them easier than country cities.

maggiewangdandan

China

For my part,i think it is the best way to move into country.essential character ,of course it is the crux factor:you can feel closer to nature and mitigate the pressure from the taut life in city,except that you can be far from the noisy、traffic and pollution and so on.everythings has two sides,just like one coin.you can reap the chance and money from the city.you can get experience from it.verily,if you can find your momentum and passion,you can lead a simple and glorious life in city.being suit to you is bang-up.

Marcelolic

Brazil

I love the excitement of the big city…I go to the field,get two or three days and after I back to the city,is great ;)

Marcelolic

Brazil

I can to say that I'm a urban guy,I grew up in a big city (Rio de Janeiro) and I wouldn't change the city life for the quiet field life,but sometimes is good to escape to the field and rest a little ;)

sofree

China

I was born in Yangzhou, a small city, not countryside but much more peace and leisure than big cities.

Big cities have a lot problems, the pollution is the one I hate most. Basically big cities are better for making money, that's why I'm here in Shanghai now..lol~ So my opinion is, enjoy life in country and make money in city.

I think for the locals that country is safer than cities, but for visitors, big cities are better. In my hometown, it's easy to bump in some friends, while hardly in Shanghai.

And in small cities or country side, sometimes the government work with gangs, everyone has relations, that's maybe one of the reason why local people feel safe there.

Kaan

Turkey

I wanaa move from the crowded and noisly city… is there one who wanna join me_?

LEE CHANGWOO

South Korea

I think country life is better than city life. Because i grew up in a countryside it is more comfortable than living in the city because of no pollution. People are much polite than those in the city.

kukuka

Ukraine

I happened to live both in a city and in a small town. I don't see much difference. It depends on your life style of course. I work daily and don't have much time for fun. And i am always away during vacations. but the main thing we have to remeber THE BEST IS THE ENEMY OF THE GOOD. Enjoy what you've got.

Radiowagner

Brazil

I grew up in a city. I like to step in the mall, in a cinema watch a movie. Can to have everything in a city. But the country is very good, meanly when the person have a stressed routine. In the otherside who live in a country, and like new adventures, think that the life in a city is very interesting. Can step for skycrapers, to drive for big avenues, to know diferents persons and cultures.

Each life have positives points and negative points, the best is the middle term of this.

zeinabou

Egypt

I grew up in country side,for childhood period it is the perfect place ,safe ,calm and healthy.as an isolated place it helps parents to have their own influence over their children.

For the teenager it is boring,a small town would be better ,you could have more activities,exposed to have experience by meeting diffrent people.

A big city for those people who has nothing to do with night life as am i it doesn t worth it.

Michel001

Brazil

I grew up in a big city.. However i prefer the country, because in fact neither all big cities has a great life like NY and Vancouver for exemple.. So its more common u meet countries more peaceful than big cities..