UNIT 2: CITY LIFE

A. PHONETICS
I. Underline the pronouns that sound strong.
1. Hey, wait for me!
2. This gift was sent to him not to his wife.
3. Look! Is it her? - No, I don't know that woman.
4. Among his close friends, Adrian likes her.
5. Who will be in charge of booking the tickets? - You.
6. He likes her, but does she like him?
7. We were there, but they weren't.
8. I'm not talking to you, so please step aside!
II. Decide whether the bold words are used as weak form (W) or strong form (S).
1. Jack: Will you (____) be at the opening ceremony on Sunday?
        Luke: Yes. Will you (____) be there too?
2. Julian: Is she (____) there?
        Mateo: Yes. Everybody else is studying, but she (____) is dreaming!
3. Bella: He (____) doesn't play video games or watch TV!
        Julia: Really? Is that what he (____) told you?
4. Penelope: Look! It's him! (____)
        Eleanor: Where? I can't see him. (____)
5. Jordan: Do you know that woman?
        Cooper: Her? (____) Yes, she (____) is my neighbour.
6. Carton: I'm afraid we (____) can't join the party this weekend.
        David: What do you mean, 'we'? (____) I'd like to come.
7. Adam: They told us (____) to wait here.
        Owen: Well, they didn't tell us! (____)
8. Carson: Many young people think it's better to live in the city.
        Robert: What about you? (____) Do you (____) think so?
B. VOCABULARY
I. Choose the most suitable adjective to fill in the blanks.
1. It's more (fabulous/ convenient/ comfortable) to ride a bicycle in crowded towns.
2. It's terribly (noisy/ crowded/ polluted) living near the airport - planes are coming over all the
time.
3. In her country, agriculture is the backbone of the (urban/ downtown/ rural) economy.
4. When I stepped into that shop, the salesman gave me a (helpful/ cheerful/ stressful) greeting.
5. Ho Chi Minh City is a vibrant, (fascinating/ frightening/ polluted) city, so lots of people want to
live there.
6. The Town Council spent a lot of money to preserve the castle and other places of (ancient/ old/
historic) interest.
7. Globalization is sometimes used as a term to describe increasing (local/ national/ international)
trade.
8. Indonesia, with around 275 million people, is the fourth most (liveable/ numerous/ populous)
country in the world.
9. He left his successful business and a (luxury/ fashionable/ popular) life in the city to become a
monk.

10. The parents usually take their children to the park because they quickly get (bored/ exhausted/
excited) with staying indoors.
II. Fill in each blank with a word or phrase from the box.

1. As a(n) ________ person, William has no difficulty in making friends in any situation.
2. ________ is caused because the body clock does not read just immediately to the time change.
3. Living in a multiracial and ________ city, people need to show respect for the sensibilities of
others.
4. In ________ areas, the living standards are higher, and life is more convenient.
5. The natural habitats of the country's wildlife have been ravaged by ________ and pollution.
6. Residents in the building have to pay for trash pickup and ________, including parks, community
pools and baseball fields.
7. Bordeaux has always been a dynamic, ________ city where tourists can try a variety of food and
drink from different countries.
8. Many countries preserve the important ________ in the cities such as rivers, lakes, and parks.
9. The ________ in the city is expensive, but salaries are supposed to be high as well.
10. The tallest buildings in London are still small in comparison with New York's
III. Choose the best answer to complete the sentences.
1. The ________ bread we occasionally buy from the mini-mart is not French but Irish.
        A. pleased        
B. reliable        
C. stressful        
D. delicious
2. Although Da Nang is a big city, the cost of living is _______.
        A. affordable          B. high        
C. fabulous        
D. comfortable
3. Perth is a very _______ city and I believe it to be an exciting education and tourist destination.
        A. exhausted         
B. helpful        
C. liveable        
D. cheerful
4. This street was renowned for its _______ sports stores, but it's starting to go downhill.
        A. easy-going         B. fashionable         C. frightening         D. annoying
5. There are also some commodities, soft drinks, fast food and _______ specialties in this shop.
        A. international         B. local        
C. nationwide         D. worldwide
6. She is still amazed by the _______ and sounds of the city though she has lived here for five years.
        A. sights        
B. attractions         C. destinations         D. sites
7. _______ is a real problem for new graduates and unskilled workers in the country now.
        A. Pollution        
B. Traffic jam         C. Unemployment D. Crime
8. The household registration reform abolished the distinction between farmers and city _______.
        A. natives        
B. villagers        
C. dwellers        
D. tenants
9. Inner city schools gleam with modern gadgetry, while _______ schools lack basic textbooks.
        A. suburban        
B. urban        
C. downtown         D. metropolitan
10. Despite all the _______, I still enjoy getting out in the countryside whenever I can.
        A. conveniences         B. comforts        
C. impacts        
D. drawbacks
IV. Write the correct form of the word in brackets.
1. He has a ________ with all forms of transport, but he can't stand traffic jams. (fascinate)
2. Street vendors are ________ to display their goods on this wayside. (forbid)
3. My uncle, a peasant, had only a tiny feeling of ________ as he glimpsed the city lights. (excite)
4. The noisy traffic is a continual ________ to the citizens in the town. (annoy)
5. The fair attracted hundreds of people from the ________ towns and villages. (neighbour)

6. My penfriend once said that it was ________ commuting from Brighton to London. (exhaust)
7. The ________ of the Earth and the consequent climatic changes affect us all. (warm)
8. ________, the city has been content to stand on its natural attractions in order to draw business.
(history)
9. There is a linkage between the ________ rate and crime in any society. (employ)
10. There is a contrast between tradition and ________ on the city's streets. (modern)
C. GRAMMAR
I. Choose the correct option to complete the sentences.
1. The Channel Tunnel project is (the bigger/ the biggest) civil engineering project in Europe.
2. Going out of the room, he shut the door behind him (as quiet as/ as quietly as) possible.
3. I don't think life in the countryside starts (earlier than/ early as) that in the city.
4. On Mondays everybody seems to be (much busier/ more busy) than on other weekdays.
5. The London Tower is one of the (most famous/ best famous) structures in the world.
6. I have tried a number of different dishes and this is (by far the best/ the best by far) restaurant in
the town.
7. The road soon became (more narrow and steep/ narrower and steeper), so we found another way
to the mall.
8. British Columbia is the (third largest/ largest the third) Canadian province, both in area and
population.
9. The charity aims at helping children in (least developed/ less developed) regions throughout the
country.
10. My old classmates and I meet up for lunch now and then, but not (often than/ as often as) we
used to.
II. Complete the sentences with the most suitable comparison form of the word in brackets.
1. The population of the city is expanding ________ (fast) than earlier predictions.
2. In those days, travelling and trading were not ________ (easy) as they are today.
3. By far one of the ________ (important) issues for the country is unemployment.
4. Hotels, restaurants, places of interests, tour guide, and transportation have been ________ (bad)
than expected.
5. The building was ________ (dirty) I had ever seen, with broken windows and dusty doors.
6. It is not as ________ (expensive) you might imagine living in a city with a secured job.
7. Plants climbing over the walls gives the villa an appearance which is ________ (ancient) than it
was.
8. My brother took the new job because he felt that the career prospects were much ________
(good).
9. The council has begun to listen ________ (careful) to its citizens, in an attempt to improve
policies.
10. It is difficult to find a parking lot in daytime when the downtown is in the ________ (busy)
hours.
III. Fill in each blank with the correct form or tense of each phrasal verb from the box.

1. Jennifer ________ her new dictionary for several days but she hasn't found it yet.
2. Sofia said she ________ at the thought of walking down the streets and going shopping at
Christmas.
3. Although Betty just moved to the boarding school last month, she ________ her new friends
quickly.

4. Lots of houses along this street ________ soon to make way for the new metro project.
5. Seeing the heavy traffic jam from a distance, Eric ________ and took an alternate route.
6. Prices ________ rising recently despite the government's efforts to bring them down.
7. This report ________ the causes of rising unemployment rate and offers some solutions.
8. When university students come to the city to start the new school year, the rent _________
9. Nowadays most children ________ in comfort and cannot imagine the hardships of the previous
generation's life.
10. Phong ________ his shoes while chewing some bread - he was late for school again.
IV. Choose the correct option to complete the sentences.
1. The busy life in the city has helped Emily (go/ get) over her homesickness.
2. They usually read the papers to keep (up/ on) with what's happening in the outside world.
3. When things aren't going well, my father always encourages me and tells me not to (give/ take)
up.
4. “Here is my phone number! Put (it down/ down it) in case you need some help,” said my uncle.
5. The foreigners were (brought/ shown) around the city by a local tour guide.
6. He always takes (down/ off) his hat when visiting sacred places such as churches and pagodas.
7. She forgot to (put/ turn) off the tap in the bathroom, so there was water all over the floor.
8. It isn't easy for her to (put/ set) up with people who are impolite or have crude behaviours.
9. They had gone about three kilometres when the motorbike (broke/ pulled) down this morning.
10. Could you please turn (down/ up) the volume on the television? It's too loud.
V. Choose the best answer to complete the sentences.
1. House prices have to _______ sooner or later because people keep moving to the city.
        A. take off        
B. go down        
C. get on        
D. go up
2. The students have devoted _______ time to this small town than to other _______ populous cities
and provinces.
        A. more far - much more                 B. far more - much more
        C. far more - more many                 D. more far - more many
3. The players were substituted because they failed to _______ to their coach's expectations.
        A. live up        
B. live on        
C. live off        
D. live out
4. Irish people are among _______ in Europe, as shown in a new study.
        A. as happy and healthy as        
B. more happy and healthy
        C. the happiest and healthiest         D. happier and healthier than
5. Have you _______ your little problems with the neighbour yet, or are you still not speaking?
        A. got on with          B. kept up with       C. put up with          D. got over
6. The cost of food, water, housing and electricity in the rural area is _______ in the city.
        A. cheaper than those B. cheap as that        C. as cheap as         D. the cheapest
7. The Prime Minister and his cabinet _______ to find the best means of solving the crisis.
        A. closed down          B. turned down         C. sat down        
D. stood up
8. The north-east, with 60 million people, is _______ part of the United States.
        A. second the most populous         B. the most densely populated
        C. the most third crowded                 D. most of the population
9. Frank apologised to Ann for not coming to her birthday party, but she _______ his excuse at
once.
        A. looked forward to B. looked through   C. saw off        
D. saw through
10. If they did move to Ho Chi Minh City, they'd stand _______ chance of getting a job.
        A. a much better         B. much the best    C. a better more        D. a much more

VI. Choose the word or phrase that needs correction.
1. I got up the bus with some of my friends with whom I went to primary school.
          A                      
B                               C                D
2. In the distance, there's a coal-fired power plant which has made the city one of the
            A                                                        
B                                C
world most polluted.
            D
3. Is it true that taking regular exercise is as actually important as having a healthy diet?
                     
A                                        
B                
 C             D
4. He turns down the job because it involved too much travelling, but later he regretted it.
              A                          B                          
C                                
D
5. Flowing through southern England including London, Thames River is second longest
         A                                              
B                                                
C
and most important river in Britain.
              D
6. It was getting darkness so I switched on the light, drew the curtains, and examined my
                         
A                     B                           C                                
D
surroundings.
7. A business that is located in a city is more likely to grow as compare to a business
    A                         B                        
C                        
D
situated in a village.
8. When the students returned back from the field trip, Mrs Sally was dismayed because
        A                                 B                                                                
C
her daughter did not get off the minibus.
                         
D
9. The struggle to survive in the city reduces as there are less commercial corporations
                         
A                             B                         C
offering jobs.
     D
10. Judy woke up at six this morning without the usual urgings of the alarm clock since
A
B
C
it has broken.
    D
D. SPEAKING
I. Complete the conversation with the sentences from the box.
A. I've never had a chance to try it.
B. That would be a burden for my parents.
C. My cousin took me to many interesting places.
D. Even though traffic jams and exhaust fumes can be a problem,
you can always wear a face mask.
E. You should make a plan right now and give it a try.
F. We walked down the pedestrian streets.
G. Now she enjoys it.
H. You must be among the best students.
Kelly: Hi, Grace. How was your visit to the capital?
Grace: Hi, Kelly. It was exciting! (1) __________________________

Kelly: What are they? Where did you go?
Grace: At first, we travelled to the downtown area. (2) __________________________ It was
Saturday evening so there were lots of people. Then we stopped by a restaurant to have
dinner. After that we went to a terrace coffee shop to enjoy the city view at night. It was
amazing!
Kelly:   Wow! Sounds like lots of fun!
Grace:   Yeah! You should visit it once to experience the city life.
Kelly: (3) __________________________But I heard that the streets are too crowded and
polluted. You can hardly breathe.
Grace: That's not totally true. It's only crowded in rush hours when people go to and come back
from work. (4) __________________________If you get familiar with the life there, you
will know how to avoid or reduce such things.
Kelly: How do you know this?
Grace: My cousin told me! Her thought was the same as yours when she first came to live in the
city. (5) __________________________
Kelly: Sooner or later, I will have to live in a big city when I study in the university. However, I
know that the cost of living there is high. (6) __________________________
Grace: You're right. Hey! Do you know that you can study hard and apply for a scholarship?
Kelly: Yes. Of course, I know that, but it's not easy at all to have a scholarship. (7)
_______________________________
Grace: It's totally possible. You are among the best ones in the class, aren't you? (8)
_______________________________
Kelly: Maybe I'll try. Thank you very much for your advice.
Grace: Never mind. I'm glad to help.
II. Put the sentences in the correct order to make a conversation.
        Of course! Come on in. Would you like some coffee?
        Oh, I also just moved in last month.
        Please call me Jimmy. We are neighbours now.
   1     Hello! Have you just moved in?
        Nice to meet you. I'm setting up something, please excuse me if I'm disturbing you. Never
mind. How were your first days here?
        Yes, I do. That's a little inconvenient. I know there's always traffic jam, but it's heavier than I
think. And the prices are little high. It also costs much more for daily expenses. But overall,
it's worth it. How about you? How long have you been here?
        In this neighbourhood?
        Hi, yes. We've been here for some days. I'm Henry, and you are...
        Do you have to travel far to work?
        Is it convenient for you?
        Yes, I'd love to.
        Both the neighbourhood and the city.
        It's great. Everyone seems helpful. It's just some minutes to drive my kids to school, and there
are only a few steps away from the markets, recreation centres, parks...
        Really? Hey! Would you like to go inside so we can talk more?
E. READING
I. Read the passage and decide whether the following statements are TRUE or FALSE.
During the Industrial Era, there was a growth spurt worldwide. The development of factories
brought people from rural to urban areas, and new technology increased the efficiency of
transportation, food production, and food preservation. For example, from the mid-1670s to the

early 1900s, London's population increased from 550,000 to 7 million. Global favourites like New
York, London, and Tokyo are all examples of postindustrial cities. As cities evolve from
manufacturing-based industrial to service- and information based postindustrial societies,
gentrification becomes more common. Gentrification occurs when members of the middle and
upper classes enter and renovate city areas that have been historically less wealthy while the poor
urban underclass are forced by resulting price pressures to leave those neighbourhoods for
increasingly decaying portions of the city.
Globally, 54 percent of the world's 7 billion people currently reside in urban areas, with the most
urbanized region being North America (82 percent), followed by Latin America/the Caribbean (80
percent), with Europe coming in third (72 percent). In comparison, Africa is only 40 percent
urbanized. With 38 million people, Tokyo is the world's largest city by population. The world's
most densely populated cities are now largely concentrated in the global south, a marked change
from several decades ago when the biggest cities were found in the global north. In the next forty
years, the biggest global challenge for urbanized populations, particularly in less developed
countries, will be to achieve development that occurs without depleting or damaging the natural
environment, also called sustainable development.
- spurt (n): sự bùng phát                - gentrification (n): sự chỉnh trang đô thị
- renovate (v): cải tạo                    - decay (v): suy tàn
1. The London's population was around half a million before the mid-1670s ________
2. The more the cities evolve from manufacturing-based industrial to service- and information-based
postindustrial societies, the less the gentrification becomes ________
3. Gentrification occurs when the rich enter and renovate the wealthier city areas ________
4. More than half of the world's population live in urban areas ________
5. Africa is the least urbanized region in the world ________
6. Tokyo, the world's largest city by population, is not a postindustrial city ________
7. The world's most densely populated cities used to be largely concentrated in the global south
________
8. Sustainable development will be the biggest global challenge for urbanized populations. ______
II. Fill in each blank with a word from the box.
conditions
percentage

major
urbanised

international
increase

following
density

Humans have been living in cities for more than 5,000 years, with the first cities founded (1)
________ the birth of agriculture. In contrast to previous living (2) ________, cities are
characterised as having a large population in a small area, a surplus of goods for trade, and
specialisation that allows for expert craft. Although there is no standard (3) ________ definition of
'urban', typically these environments include a high-population (4) ________ with a significant
amount of built infrastructure. The (5) ________ of the world's population living in urban
environments has increased dramatically over the past 200 years, from just three per cent in 1800 to
55 per cent at present, with projections to (6) ________ to 68 per cent by 2050. For the first time in
human history, most of the world's people live in urban environments. Australia ranks among other
nations as one of the most (7) ________ in the world, with more than two-thirds of our population
now living in (8) ________ cities.
F. WRITING
I. Rewrite the sentences, using the word in brackets as a cue.
1. Jack continues chatting although the teacher has warned him. (on)
   ______________________________________________________
2. If you want to lose weight, you should stop eating fast food. (give)
   ______________________________________________________

3. John refused the job offer because of low commissions and benefits. (down)
   ______________________________________________________
4. Lindsay doesn't like city life because she can't stand noisy places. (put)
   ______________________________________________________
5. His accountant has advised him to stop doing his business. (close)
   ______________________________________________________
6. I want to consider it carefully before I decide to join your project. (think)
   ______________________________________________________
7. She left her village and tried to find a job in Ho Chi Minh City. (look)
   ______________________________________________________
8. I spent my childhood in the countryside before moving to this city. (grow)
   ______________________________________________________
9. She loves putting on smart clothes before going to work or meeting friends. (up)
   ______________________________________________________
10. They entered the country and asked for permanent residence. (apply)
   ______________________________________________________
II. Complete the second sentence so that it means the same as the first one.
1. New York is the largest city in the United States.
        No other cities _______________________________________    
2. I have never visited such a crowded city as Tokyo.
        Tokyo is ____________________________________________       
3. They couldn't turn up on time because of the traffic jams.
        The traffic jams prevented ______________________________   
4. I'll be happy to give you a lift to school.
        I don't mind _________________________________________       
5. It took them an hour to travel to Da Nang City by airplane.
        They spent __________________________________________       
6. I don't know about this neighbourhood as well as Xavier does.
        Xavier knows ________________________________________       
7. Have you ever visited a bigger city than this?
        Is this ______________________________________________?
8. Staying at home is better than going out on the polluted street.
        I'd rather ____________________________________________       
9. High cost of living influences most city dwellers.
        Most city dwellers _____________________________________       
10. As people get older, they seem to travel less.
        The older ____________________________________________