Unit 12: Urban Life

Expanding Tactics for Listening, 3rd Edition » Unit 12: Urban Life

Word List

business
cleanliness
club
crime
deserted
economy
factory
fence
industry
inexperienced
open (start a business)
planted (v.)
redevelop
site
train
air quality
community center
bring more business (to a place)
eat out
green space
hardly any
outdoor market
out of business
public transportation
sound barrier
tore (something) down

Vocabulary Worksheet

‣ Part 1: Match the words and phrases on the left with their definitions on the right.

economy _____
fence _____
industry _____
factory _____
club _____
business _____
out of business _____
public transportation _____
deserted _____
inexperienced _____

a. a group for people with the same interests
b. a facility for manufacturing goods
c. lacking knowledge, training, or involvement
d. people or companies that produce and sell goods
e. totally empty of people
f. a barrier
g. having to do with money, business, and sales
h. a single money-making enterprise
i. means of mass travel, such as trains, subways, and buses
j. no longer in operation

‣ Part 2: Complete the sentences. Use the words or phrases from Part 1.

I use _____ to get around the city because I don't have a car.
No one was in the building when he arrived; it was completely _____.
My first _____ was an Internet company that I started while I was in school.
No one would hire the young man because he was still _____.
In college, I belonged to a _____ devoted to movies and filmmaking.
After several banks and companies closed, the _____ began to worsen.
The company built a new _____ to produce its new line of cars.
Having lost too much money, the company finally went _____.
I built a tall _____ around my yard so I could have privacy from my neighbors.
With more _____ in the area, there would be more jobs.

a. a group for people with the same interests
b. a facility for manufacturing goods
c. lacking knowledge, training, or involvement
d. people or companies that produce and sell goods
e. totally empty of people
f. a barrier
g. having to do with money, business, and sales
h. a single money-making enterprise
i. means of mass travel, such as trains, subways, and buses
j. no longer in operation

Answer Key

What do you like about your town or city? Check (x) your answers and compare them with a partner.

	Like a lot	Like a little	Don't like
the parks	_____	_____	_____
the public transportation	_____	_____	_____
the nightlife	_____	_____	_____
the restaurants	_____	_____	_____
the air quality	_____	_____	_____
the safety	_____	_____	_____
the traffic	_____	_____	_____
the cleanliness	_____	_____	_____
the economy	_____	_____	_____
other: ___	_____	_____	_____

Listening 1

Listening 1 ‣ People are describing their cities. What topic are they talking about? Listen and circle the correct answer.

- a. the economy
- b. the traffic
- a. the safety
- b. the shopping
- a. places for children
- b. the public transportation
- a. the economy
- b. the cleanliness
- a. the safety
- b. the restaurants
- a. the noise
- b. the air quality

Listening 2

‣ Task 1

People are talking about how their cities have changed. What is each city like now? Listen and check (x) the correct picture.

- a.
- b.
- a.
- b.
- a.
- b.
- a.
- b.
- a.
- b.
- a.
- b.

‣ Task 2

Listen again. Are these statements true or false? Check (x) the correct answer.

	True	False
1. They built a new road.	⁽¹⁾	⁽²⁾
2. The school looks worse now.	⁽³⁾_____	⁽⁴⁾_____
3. They're going to redevelop the site.	⁽⁵⁾_____	⁽⁶⁾_____
4. The old supermarket was excellent.	⁽⁷⁾_____	⁽⁸⁾_____
5. No one comes to town now.	⁽⁹⁾_____	⁽¹⁰⁾_____
6. The kids spend more time outside now.	⁽¹¹⁾_____	⁽¹²⁾_____

Listening 3

‣ Task 1

People are talking about their cities. What are their opinions? Listen and check (x) the correct answer.

	Like	Dislike
1.
the shopping	⁽¹⁾	⁽²⁾
the restaurants	⁽³⁾_____	⁽⁴⁾_____
2.
the mall	⁽⁵⁾_____	⁽⁶⁾_____
the restaurants	⁽⁷⁾_____	⁽⁸⁾_____
3.
the cleanliness	⁽⁹⁾_____	⁽¹⁰⁾_____
the parks	⁽¹¹⁾_____	⁽¹²⁾_____
4.
the nightlife	⁽¹³⁾_____	⁽¹⁴⁾_____
the safety	⁽¹⁵⁾_____	⁽¹⁶⁾_____
5.
the traffic	⁽¹⁷⁾_____	⁽¹⁸⁾_____
the subway	⁽¹⁹⁾_____	⁽²⁰⁾_____
6.
the air quality	⁽²¹⁾_____	⁽²²⁾_____
the economy	⁽²³⁾_____	⁽²⁴⁾_____

‣ Task 2

Listen again. What changes or improvements do the people suggest for each city? Write the correct letter.

_____
_____
_____
_____
_____

a. bring more businesses to the city
b. build bigger highways
c. open some nightclubs
d. build more parks downtown
e. open a restaurant that serves good salads
f. have a few inexpensive stores at the mall

✺ Pronunciation

Reduction of used to and use to

Pronunciation Help
How we spell it	How we say it
used to	useta
use to	useta

‣ Task 1

Listen and repeat.

1. There didn't use to be a lot of jobs.
2. We used to hear the cars all day and nights.
3. The kids used to skateboard in the street.
4. I used to eat out a lot.
5. There used to be a supermarket here.
6. There didn't use to be any industry here.

‣ Task 2

Read the sentences to a partner. Be sure to reduce used to and use to.

✺ Dictation

‣ Task 1

Listen to the conversation. Write the missing words.

A: This city has changed so much in the ⁽¹⁾_____ ⁽²⁾_____ ⁽³⁾_____.
B: What do you mean?
A: Well, there ⁽⁴⁾_____ ⁽⁵⁾_____ ⁽⁶⁾_____ be anything for kids to do after school, but now there's a great after-school program at the community center.
B: That's true. There are a lot of fun things for kids to do now.
A: Also, ⁽⁷⁾_____ ⁽⁸⁾_____ ⁽⁹⁾_____ be a lot of crime downtown, and there didn't use to be a lot of good restaurants there.
B: Yeah. It's safe downtown now, and there are ⁽¹⁰⁾_____ ⁽¹¹⁾_____ ⁽¹²⁾_____ places to eat.

‣ Task 2

Practice the conversation with a partner. Be sure to reduce used to and use to.

✺ Conversation

Work in pairs. Think of your city five years ago. What was it like? How has it changed? Tell your partner.

Answer Key

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