Practice English Listening A1 Exercises – Life in the city

B

I think it’s taller

I think the Freedom Tower is taller than the Shard, but I think the Shard is more beautiful.

I think the Underground is more expensive than the Subway, and the trains are more crowded.

There are more parks in London, and they are bigger – and nicer, I think.

I think the weather in New York is hotter in summer and colder in winter. It’s also wetter, but I think New York is sunnier.

I think the people in New York are friendlier, but I think Londoners are more polite.

A

Larry says it’s easier to walk around New York, that the winters there are sunnier and that New Yorkers are generally friendlier than Londoners.

He says that the London Underground is nicer and that he likes London summers and parks. He thinks that Londoners are more polite than New Yorkers.

B

1   easier, smaller

2   better, nicer, more expensive

3   older, more interesting

4   hotter, warmer

5   friendlier

6   faster, more polite

Audioscript

Larry – an American living and working in London

Well, I like both New York and London, but they’re good for different things. New York is easier to walk around, because it’s smaller. The Underground is better than the Subway – it’s much nicer … but it is more expensive. Of course, there are a lot of older buildings here, so it’s kind of more interesting. And I really love the parks here. My favourite is Regent’s Park, but there are so many. I read that nearly half of London is green – that’s amazing! I like it here in summer – it’s a lot hotter in New York, and it can get way too hot there. Winters are warmer here in London, but they’re so grey! In New York winters are colder, and snowier, but sunnier! As for the people, well, generally Americans are friendlier to strangers than the British. Life is faster in New York, though, and Londoners are probably more polite.

A

She’s from Manchester, in England. She lives and works in New York. Yes, she is married.

B

I   Have you both got jobs here?

G   Yes, I’ve got a really good job. I work for a fashion company.

I   Has Luke got a good job, too?

G   Yes, he’s got a wonderful job!

I   Have you got an apartment?

G   Yes, we’ve got a lovely apartment in Brooklyn.

I   So, you haven’t got a car here?

G   No, we haven’t. We had a car in Manchester.

Audioscript

A Brit in New York

I = interviewer G = Gemma

I   So, Gemma, you’re British, but you live in New York, yes?

G   Yes, that’s right. I’m from Manchester.

I   And … er, here in New York, do you live on your own?

G   No, I’m here with my husband, Luke. We both come from Manchester.

I   I see. And have you both got jobs here?

G   Yes, I’ve got a really good job. I work for a fashion company.

I   Oh, great! And has Luke got a good job, too?

G   Yes, he’s got a wonderful job! He’s a gardener, and he works in Central Park!

I   Wow! Nice place to work! So where do you live? Have you got an apartment?

G   Yes, we’ve got a lovely apartment in Brooklyn. We take the subway to work.

I   So you haven’t got a car here?

G   No, we haven’t. We had a car in Manchester, but here we go everywhere on public transport. It’s much easier – the traffic’s terrible in New York!

I   I know. Well, thanks for answering my questions. Have a nice day!

A

1   Cleopatra’s Needle

2   Bow Bridge

3   The Carousel

4   Strawberry Fields

5   Wollman Ice Rink

6   Belvedere Castle

Audioscript

A

New York’s Central Park

Central Park is one of the most amazing sights in the world – an enormous swimming pool of green, surrounded by skyscrapers! Central Park is America’s oldest and biggest city park, and the most popular. It appears in more than 350 movies! It’s busiest on Sundays, with nearly a quarter of a million visitors, so try and find a quieter time to visit. Here’s a guide to some of the best things to see.

Bow Bridge is one of the most beautiful old iron bridges in the world. Perhaps you recognize it – it’s the most popular movie location in the park.

The Carousel is the largest in North America. With its 58 brightly-coloured horses, it’s obviously a favourite with children.

Wollman Ice Rink: The most wonderful thing you can do on a winter’s evening is go ice-skating here. You can skate to the music under the skyscrapers and stars!

Cleopatra’s Needle is definitely the oldest thing in the park – it’s from Egypt and is 3½ thousand years old!

Belvedere Castle is the highest point in the park, so you can get the best views from here.

Strawberry Fields is a garden named after one of the most famous Beatles’ songs. John Lennon lived and died in New York. The Imagine mosaic here is in memory of him.

B

1   The tallest building in Europe is the Federation Tower in Moscow. It’s 374 metres.

2   The most expensive hotel in London is the Lanesborough. The Royal Suite there costs £27,000 per night!

3   The world’s biggest car park is at the West Edmonton Mall in Canada. It has 20,000 spaces.

4   The most popular tourist attraction is the Las Vegas Strip. It has 40 million visitors a year.

5   The hottest city in the world is Ahwaz, in Iran. The highest temperature ever reached there was 54°C.

6   The oldest city is Jericho in the Palestinian Territories. It dates back 11,000 years.

A

1 along   2 past   3 over   4 At   5 down

6 onto   7 up   8 through   9 under   10 on

B

1   Train station

2   Supermarket

3   Stadium

Audioscript

A

Satnav directions

Continue along George Street, past the Bristol Hotel and over the bridge. At the roundabout, take the first exit on the left and drive down Park Hill. In 200 yards, at the junction, turn right onto Bagley Wood Road. Continue up the hill along Bagley Wood Road and through the wood. Drive under the railway bridge and the destination is on your right – Sherford Petrol Station.

B

Directions

1   Go along George Street, past the hotel and over the river. Turn right at the roundabout, go along Lake Road, with the lake on your left, and then take the first turning on the left, onto Station Road. Keep going along Station Road and you’ll see it in front of you. The road stops there, so you can’t miss it.

2   Continue along George Street. At the roundabout, take the third exit onto Lake Road. Continue along Lake Road. In 100 yards, at the roundabout, turn left onto High Street. Continue along High Street and drive under the bridge. The destination is on your right.

3   Go over the bridge and when you come to the roundabout, follow the sign to the town centre. You’ll come to another roundabout, and you want to go straight over that one and drive into Town Hall square. Keep left, past the statue, and take the road on the left, where there’s traffic lights. You’ll see it on your right and there’s a car park opposite, on your left.