Basic Tactics for Listening, 3rd Edition » Unit 23: Places

Word List
  • beach
  • Carnival
  • climate
  • comfortable
  • crowded
  • dangerous
  • fantastic
  • fresh (air)
  • goverment
  • harbor
  • lovely
  • modern
  • nightclubs
  • nightlife
  • noisy
  • polluted
  • popular
  • reasonable (price)
  • romantic
  • scenic
  • sea
  • theater
  • tourist
  • tower
  • ugly
  • cable ar
  • for sure
  • get around
  • opera house
  • pay a fortune for (something)
  • subway system
  • transportation system
Vocabulary Worksheet

‣ Use the words and phrases in the box to complete the sentences below.

  1. a. beach
  2. b. opera house
  3. c. cable cars
  4. d. popular
  5. e. harbor
  6. f. romantic
  7. g. modern
  8. h. tourists
  9. i. noisy
  10. j. tower
  1. The new, _____ hotel looked strange in the old part of town.
  2. _____ are unusual these days, but they used to be a common form of public transportation.
  3. Richard took his wife to a _____ restaurant for her birthday.
  4. From the top of the _____, you can get a great view of the city.
  5. I still have sand in my shoes from when we went to the _____.
  6. My apartment is too _____. In the morning I can hear all of the traffic outside.
  7. The ships stop in the _____ to unload their cargo.
  8. This is one of the most _____ restaurants in the city. Lots of people come here.
  9. The _____ didn't know the city very well, and they quickly got lost.
  10. I'm going to see a musical at the _____.
Answer Key

Match the statements with the correct cities.

  1. It's a beautiful city with a very famous beach. Thousands of people attend Carnival here every year.
  2. It's a popular city for tourists from all over the world. It is famous for its cable cars. _____
  3. It's a beautiful city on a harbor. It has a famous opera house. _____
  4. It's a noisy city and it's very crowded. People there speak English and Chinese. _____
  5. It's a modern city where people speak both French and English. It has very cold winters. _____
  6. It is romantic city with some beautiful old buildings. It has a very famous tower. _____
  1. a. Paris
  2. b. Rio de Janeiro
  3. c. Hong Kong
  4. d. San Francisco
  5. e. Sydney
  6. f. Montreal
Listening 1

‣ Do the people like the cities they live in? Listen and check (x) the correct answer.

Likes it a lotLikes it a littleDoesn't like it
1.__________
2._______________
3._______________
4._______________
5._______________
6._______________

Listening 2

‣ Task 1

People are talking about cities. Listen and check (x) the word that describes each city.

1. great_____ safe_____ cheap
2._____ crowded_____ quiet_____ polluted
3._____ noisy_____ clean_____ crowded
4._____ boring_____ great_____ cheap
5._____ small_____ crowded_____ noisy
6._____ boring_____ small_____ lovely
7._____ ugly_____ dangerous_____ safe
8._____ expensive_____ large_____ small

‣ Task 2

Listen again. Choose the correct answer for each question.

    • a. There aren't many interesting places to visit.
    • b. There is a lot to do.
    • a. People are noisy in the street.
    • b. It's nice and quiet.
    • a. The air isn't clean.
    • b. The streets are not crowded.
    • a. Everything is cheap.
    • b. Everything is expensive.
    • a. It's pretty small and quiet.
    • b. It's crowded and noisy.
    • a. It's not a pretty city.
    • b. The scenery is beautiful.
    • a. It's good for families.
    • b. It's dangerous.
    • a. It's a small city.
    • b. It has great nightlife.
Listening 3

‣ Task 1

People are comparing two cities. Listen and circle the city each person prefers.

    • a. Washington, D.C.
    • b. New York
    • a. Los Angeles
    • b. San Francisco
    • a. Singapore
    • b. Hong Kong
    • a. Sydney
    • b. Melbourne

‣ Task 2

Listen again. Which city do the words describe? Check (x) the correct answer.

1.Washington D.C.New York
more exciting_____
more beautiful__________
cheaper restaurants__________
better theater__________
2.Los AngelesSan Francisco
huge__________
more beautiful__________
boring__________
fast-moving__________
3.SingaporeHong Kong
more beautiful__________
more comfortable__________
clean__________
polluted__________
4.SydneyMelbourne
more exciting__________
more beautiful__________
better prices__________
more relaxing__________

✺ Pronunciation

Sentence stress

‣ Pronunciation Help
Tap your desk as you read a sentence. It will help you to hear which words are stressed.

‣ Task 1

Listen and repeat.

  • 1. It's nóisy cíty.
  • 2. It's véry crówded.
  • 3. Esverything is chéap.
  • 4. The párks are beáutiful.

‣ Task 2

Listen. Mark the stressed words.

  1. Melbourne is a relaxing city.
  2. The pollution is getting really bad. _____
  3. Osaka has lots of clubs. _____
  4. This is a nice place to live. _____
✺ Dictation

‣ Task 1

Listen. Write the missing words.

A: So, how do you like living here?
B: Well, it's okay. The (1)_____ are (2)_____ friendly.
A: That's true.
B: And there are lots of great (3)_____ and (4)_____.
A: Yeah, the nightlife is terrific. I go out all the time.
B: But it's too (5)_____ for me, and I can't (6)_____ the (7)_____.
A: I know what you mean. The (8)_____ gets (9)_____ every year!

‣ Task 2

Practice the conversation with a partner. Be sure to use the correct stress in each sentence.

✺ Conversation

Work in pairs. Think about a city near you. What do you like about it? What do you dislike? Tell your partner.

Answer Key
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