Listening

 

Audio Track 4-7-1/Audio Track 4-7-2

 

Citizen: Mr. Mayor, I live in this community and I’ve got a complaint.

Mayor: Well, what seems to be the problem?

Citizen: A traffic light on the High Street is broken. It could cause traffic accidents and put people’s lives in danger.

Mayor: That isn’t good at all.

Citizen: No, it’s not. It’s dangerous.

Mayor: I agree that a broken traffic light could pose great danger. We cannot ignore it.

Citizen: Well,what are you going to do about it?

Mayor: I will have the Department of Traffic Control look into it immediately.

Citizen: Thank you for your help, Mr. Mayor. You’ve got my vote in the next election!

 

Audio Track 4-7-3/Audio Track 4-7-4

 

John: One of the areas where our neighborhood didn’t score a point is that most residents don't know their neighbors well. When there is a stronger sense of community, people are more willing to look out for one another, and the safety of the neighborhood is improved. To help build community spirit, we could establish block clubs and organize community events and public safety programs such as neighborhood watch. Neighbors can work together against problems such as vandalism, graffiti, and burglaries. We can also agree to watch each other’s houses and call the police if we see a problem. We can put signs in our windows to show that we are participating in such a program.

Susan: Nowadays, the police rarely patrol our neighborhood, and when they do, they are in patrol cars. This means, they don’t get to know the people in the neighborhood. I think we should bring back community policing. If they were to patrol on foot or on bicycle, we could say hello to them. That would make us feel safer. At the same time, the residents and community agencies should cooperate with the police to try and prevent crime. That’s the best way to build a safer neighborhood.

 

Audio Track 4-7-5/Audio Track 4-7-6

 

Esra: Hi, Dave! What a pleasant surprise. How are you and your family?

Dave: We’re all fine, thanks. And you?

Esra: I’m fine too. I haven’t seen you in ages. What have you been up to?

Dave: I’ve been busy. I’ve been getting advice from the mayor’s office on a project.

Esra: What kind of project?

Dave: A neighborhood association. It’s a group of people who are trying to improve life in this neighborhood.

Esra: This is the first I’ve heard of it. Is it a lot of work?

Dave: Yeah, but it’s interesting.

Esra: Well, I wish someone would do something about the traffic, especially during rush hour. It’s really bad in this neighborhood.

Dave: Actually, that’s one of our projects. We’re encouraging people to leave their cars at home and take the bus.

Esra: That’s good to hear. What else are you guys doing?

Dave: We’ve asked the police to increase their patrols and we’re working on another issue: noise pollution.

Esra: I know. Those garbage trucks wake me up at least twice a week. It’s too early!

Dave: That’s going to change. Starting next summer, garbage trucks won’t be allowed to pick up garbage before 7 a.m.

Esra: Wow, you guys are doing a lot!

Dave: You should come to one of our meetings. They’re on Thursday nights. At seven-thirty.

Esra: Thanks for asking, but I don’t want any more work to do. I’m already overworked at the office.

Dave: Well, let me tell you, it’s not all work. We have fun, too. In fact we’re planning a big block party for next weekend. Why don’t you come?

 

Audio Track 4-7-7

 

Announcer: You’re all familiar with the topic of urban sprawl. Well, in today’s radio show, we will talk to three guests about cities and suburbs. We can prevent urban sprawl by living closer together in cities. Will people in the suburbs want to do that? Or do people in the city want to move to the suburbs? Let’s find out!

Let me go to the first person on our panel. Tyra, which do you prefer, the suburbs or the city?

 

Audio Track 4-7-8/Audio Track 4-7-9

 

Announcer: You’re all familiar with the topic of urban sprawl. Well, in today’s radio show, we will talk to three guests about cities and suburbs. We can prevent urban sprawl by living closer together in cities. Will people in the suburbs want to do that? Or do people in the city want to move to the suburbs? Let’s find out! Let me go to the first person on our panel. Tyra, which do you prefer, the suburbs or the city?

Tyra: I love the suburbs! I have a big, beautiful house. I don’t ever want to move.

Announcer: But what about urban sprawl? It’s a big problem in our area.

Tyra: I’m sorry about that, but I live in the city before. I don’t like it. Not everyone is suited for that kind of life.

Announcer: What didn’t you like about it?

Tyra: There’s no privacy. You can hear your neighbors and smell their cooking.

Announcer: Matt, what about you? You live in the city now. Do you want to move?

Matt: Well, I’m in college now and the city is really fun.

Announcer: Think ahead to the future, though. Let’s say ten years from now …

Matt: That’s different. When I get married, I think I want to live in the suburbs.

Announcer: Why is that?

Matt: Well, it’s easy to live in the city when you’re young and single. The suburbs are a better place for a family. It’s safer for the kids and they have more room to play.

Announcer: Mercedes, it’s your turn. You’ve heard Tyra and Matt. Do you agree with either one of them?

Mercedes: Not really.

Announcer: Explain.

Mercedes: Well, I don’t like the suburbs. And I don’t like urban sprawl. The city is too expensive, but I’m comfortable here.

Announcer: You don’t think it’s too dangerous … or there’s not enough privacy?

Mercedes: Nah. I prefer it here. I get too lonely when I’m in the suburbs. I like the energy of the city.

 

Audio Track 4-7-10

 

The shrinking family

Do you know the following facts?

1. Every 20 minutes, 3,500 new lives are added to the world’s population.

2. It took only 12 years — from 1987 to 1999 — for the population of the world to increase by one billion.

The world's population now stands at over six billion people.

3. There were 111 cities with more than one million people in 1960. By 1995 there were 280. By 2007, this number had risen to 468. What's worse, as of 2011, there are 26 megacities in existence — with conurbations such as Shanghai, Beijing, New York City, Tokyo, Seoul, Mumbai, and Mexico City having populations in excess of 20 million inhabitants each.

In many countries, the population continues to grow and create a lot of new problems. Interestingly, however, family size is not increasing everywhere in the world. In some places, women are having fewer babies. Experts believe that the education of women is important for successful population control. When women and young girls are educated, they participate more in family decisions: They become equal partners in the decision-making process. In both Mexico and Italy, family planning programs and new job opportunities for women have changed everything.

 

Audio Track 4-7-11/Audio Track 4-7-12

 

They have two children. They don’t plan to have any more. “I was one of six children,” says Elisa. “My husband comes from a family of seven. People used to have more children in the sixties and seventies. Now it’s different.” Elisa’s husband thinks the lower birthrate is a positive change. “With a smaller population, there will be less competition. That means there will be more job opportunities for young people.”

Gina Moretti works hard as a TV news announcer in Milan, Italy. “My mother thinks I work too hard. Every time I visit her she asks me the same question: When are you getting married?”

Gina is 32 and her mother is worried about Gina’s ability to get married and raise a family in the future. The Italian government is worried, too. In 1958, one million babies were born in Italy. In 1998, it was half that number. The average mother in Italy has her first child at the age of 30. After 30, experts note, there isn’t a lot of time for women to have many children. The population is aging rapidly. Some wonder: Has population control in Italy been too successful?

 

Audio Track 4-7-13

 

1. A: Is rush hour busy?

B: Yes, it’s really busy.

2. A: Is the housing affordable downtown?

B: No, it’s very expensive.

3. A: Is the meeting on Thursday or Friday?

B: It’s on Thursday.

4. A: Does your neighborhood have any ethnic restaurants?

B: Yes, it does. You can eat Thai or French food.

5. A: Can I walk to the shopping district?

B: No, it’s too far. You should take the bus.

 

Speaking & Communication

 

Audio Track 4-7-14

 

Man: Mr. Mayor, I own a business in the main shopping district and I’ve got a complaint.

Mayor: Well, what seems to be the problem?

Man: There is too much graffiti. Kids are always spraying words on the front of my store.

Mayor: That isn’t good for business, I’m sure.

Man: No, it’s not, and it looks terrible.

Mayor: I agree that graffiti is a serious issue. We cannot ignore it.

Man: What are you planning to do about it?

Mayor: I think we need to study the problem. If necessary, we’ll increase the police patrols at night in this area.

Man: Thank you for your help, Mr. Mayor. You’ve got my vote in the next election!

 

Audio Track 4-7-15

 

Conversation 1

Citizen: Mr. Mayor, I live in this community and I’d like to make a complaint.

Mayor: Well, what seems to be the problem?

Citizen: A traffic light on the East Street is broken. It could cause traffic accidents and put people’s lives in danger.

Mayor: That isn’t good at all.

Citizen: No, it’s not. It’s dangerous.

Mayor: I agree that a broken traffic light could pose great danger. We cannot ignore it.

Citizen: Well, do you think you could do anything about it?

Mayor: I will have the Department of Traffic Control look into it immediately.

Citizen: Thank you for your help, Mr. Mayor. You’ve got my vote in the next election!

Conversation 2

Citizen: Mr. Mayor, I’m sorry to bring this up, but there are too many stray dogs around my community. I think it is a serious issue. What do you think?

Mayor: Yes, that is a serious issue.

Citizen: I mean some of them are dangerous. They could bite someone, and they might be carrying fleas or diseases.

Mayor: OK. Give me a moment to think about the best way to tackle the issue.

Citizen: Sure, we want to find a good solution.

Mayor: Now, I think we need to have the Local Dog Houses assist us. They will collect the animals and give them proper veterinary care. They can also help find them a proper home.

Citizen: That’s a great suggestion. Thank you for your help, Mr. Mayor.

Conversation 3

Citizen: Mr. Mayor, I live in this community and I’d like to ask for your help.

Mayor: What seems to be the problem?

Citizen: Do you think you could do something about the junkyard down the street. It’s an eyesore.

Mayor: Well, that can’t be good for the local community.

Citizen: No, it’s not. There is a lot of scrap objects and garbage.

Mayor: I see. Let me speak to the City Planner and see if we can have it moved to someplace far away.

Citizen: Thank you for your help, Mr. Mayor.

 

Audio Track 4-7-16

 

Talk 1

Nowadays, the police rarely patrol our neighborhood, and when they do, they are in patrol cars. This means, they don’t get to know the people in the neighborhood. I think we should bring back community policing. If they were to patrol on foot or on bicycle, we could say hello to them. That would make us feel safer. At the same time, the residents and community agencies should cooperate with the police to try and prevent crime. That’s the best way to build a safer neighborhood.

Talk 2

One of the areas where our neighborhood didn't score a point is that most residents don't know their neighbors well. When there is a stronger sense of community, people are more willing to look out for one another, and the safety of the neighborhood is improved. To help build community spirit, we could establish block clubs and organize community events and public safety programs such as neighborhood watch. Neighbors can work together against problems such as vandalism, graffiti, and burglaries. We can also agree to watch each other’s houses and call the police if we see a problem. We can put signs in our windows to show that we are participating in such a program.

 

Video Course

 

Video Track 4-7-1

 

Malinda: There are many things that concern me in my community, but one of the issues that really concerns me is that a lot of people don’t have enough affordable housing. And I think the city should try to make more houses available to people who don’t have a lot of money.

Martin: We need to do something about noise pollution. I live near a fire station, and every time the fire truck leaves the station, all you can hear for about two to three minutes is the siren and the horns.

Natalie: Living in a big city, one problem that I see a lot is graffiti. Graffiti on buildings … graffiti on sidewalks … It really bothers me because I’ve lived here all my life and I like to see my city clean.

 

Video Track 4-7-2

 

Catherine: I think globally one of the biggest problems that we face is poverty.

Nick: I think global warming is a very serious issue. The oceans are rising as well as the temperatures and something needs to be done about it before it’s too late.

Malinda: One of the biggest issues facing the world today is the spread of HIV and AIDS, and something that I think needs to be done is that we need to do more to educate each other about this disease and how we can help people.

Alejandra: I think that we need to do something about hunger. There are too many people who do not have enough food.

Jennifer: I think it’s a very sad situation when we have enough food in the world, but no ways to get it to the people who need it the most.

Gian: I think that it’s really important that the world get together and help to make sure that all children become educated, that everyone gets a chance to learn and everyone gets a chance to go to school.

 

Video Track 4-7-3

 

Nick: I think global warming is a very serious issue. The oceans are rising as well as the temperatures and something needs to be done about it before it’s too late.

Gian: I think that it’s really important that the world get together and help to make sure that all children become educated, that everyone gets a chance to learn and everyone gets a chance to go to school.

 

Video Track 4-7-4

 

Reporter: Excuse me. We’re conducting a survey of opinions about city living. Do you have a couple of minutes to answer a few questions?

Takeshi: Sure.

Sun-hee: Why not.

Reporter: Great! This won’t take long. Question number one: Do you agree, disagree, or have no opinion about each of the following statements: “There’s too much noise pollution in New York.”

Sun-hee: I agree.

Takeshi: (loud car honk ) What? Me too.

Reporter: OK. Next: “Rush hour in the city has become unbearable.”

Sun-hee: I totally agree. I mean, traffic’s been an issue here for years, but recently it’s gotten a lot worse with all the construction going on.

Takeshi: I walk to school so it’s not an issue for me, so “no opinion” I guess.

Reporter: OK. Now just a few more questions. “What do you like most about living in New York?”

Sun-hee: That’s easy — the restaurants. There are so many of them, Mexican, Japanese, Indian and Thai …

Reporter: (to Takeshi ) How about you?

Takeshi: I like the fact that there are so many opportunities in New York. If you work hard and push yourself, you definitely can succeed here.

Sun-hee: (to Takeshi ) That’s true, but it goes the other way too … like if you make a mistake, there are a hundred people waiting to take your place.

Takeshi: Yeah, but if you’re really talented …

Reporter: (interrupting ) OK … OK … thank you. Next: “Is there anything you don’t like about

living in New York?”

Sun-hee: Where do I start? There’s not enough parking, there aren’t enough affordable apartments, too many people … and they can be so rude!

Takeshi: Come on! I … I totally disagree! It’s not that bad. The truth is, the biggest problem is there’s not enough time to enjoy everything the city has to offer.

Reporter: Well, that’s an interesting viewpoint … so …

Sun-hee: (interrupting reporter ) Enjoy it? If you can get there in this traffic!

Reporter: (tries to interrupt ) That’s about all I have …

Takeshi: Yeah, but there are so many beautiful buildings, interesting places …

Sun-hee: But there are a lot of problems too …

Takeshi: Wait … wait …

Sun-hee: There’s the crime …

Takeshi: … wait a minute … wait a minute.

Sun-hee: … there’s the pollution …

Takeshi: I thought you liked it here in New York.

Reporter: All righty, then … thanks a lot for your help! (leaves)

Sun-hee: … well, yeah. But it can get expensive … you know?

Takeshi: So all this time you’ve been pretending you liked it here?

Sun-hee: (notices reporter walking away ) What? Where?

Takeshi: Where’s she going?

Sun-hee: I don’t know. But see? I told you New Yorkers were rude …

Takeshi: They are not … come on …

 

Video Track 4-7-5

 

Reporter: Excuse me. We’re conducting a survey of opinions about city living. Do you have a couple of minutes to answer a few questions?

Takeshi: Sure.

Sun-hee: Why not.

Reporter: Great! This won’t take long. Question number one: Do you agree, disagree, or have no opinion about each of the following statements: “There’s too much noise pollution in New York.”

Sun-hee: I agree.

Takeshi: (loud car honk ) What? Me too.

Reporter: OK. Next: “Rush hour in the city has become unbearable.”

Sun-hee: I totally agree. I mean, traffic’s been an issue here for years, but recently it’s gotten a lot worse with all the construction going on.

Takeshi: I walk to school so it’s not an issue for me, so “no opinion” I guess.

Reporter: OK. Now just a few more questions. “What do you like most about living in New York?”

Sun-hee: That’s easy — the restaurants. There are so many of them, Mexican, Japanese, Indian and Thai …

Reporter: (to Takeshi ) How about you?

Takeshi: I like the fact that there are so many opportunities in New York. If you work hard and push yourself, you definitely can succeed here.

Sun-hee: (to Takeshi ) That’s true, but it goes the other way too … like if you make a mistake, there are a hundred people waiting to take your place.

Takeshi: Yeah, but if you’re really talented …

 

Video Track 4-7-6

 

Reporter: (interrupting ) OK … OK … thank you. Next: “Is there anything you don’t like about living in New York?”

Sun-hee: Where do I start? There’s not enough parking, there aren’t enough affordable apartments, too many people … and they can be so rude!

Takeshi: Come on! I … I totally disagree! It’s not that bad. The truth is, the biggest problem is there’s not enough time to enjoy everything the city has to offer.

Reporter: Well, that’s an interesting viewpoint … so …

Sun-hee: (interrupting reporter ) Enjoy it? If you can get there in this traffic!

Reporter: (tries to interrupt ) That’s about all I have …

Takeshi: Yeah, but there are so many beautiful buildings, interesting places …

Sun-hee: But there are a lot of problems too …

Takeshi: Wait … wait …

Sun-hee: There’s the crime …

Takeshi: … wait a minute … wait a minute.

Sun-hee: … there’s the pollution …

Takeshi: I thought you liked it here in New York.

Reporter: All righty, then … thanks a lot for your help! (leaves)

Sun-hee: … well, yeah. But it can get expensive … you know?

Takeshi: So all this time you’ve been pretending you liked it here?

Sun-hee: (notices reporter walking away ) What? Where?

Takeshi: Where’s she going?

Sun-hee: I don’t know. But see? I told you New Yorkers were rude …

Takeshi: They are not … come on …

 

Audio Track 4-7-17

 

A reporter stopped Sun-hee and Takeshi on the sidewalk and asked them some questions for a survey about city living. She asked them about noise pollution, traffic, and what they liked and disliked about living in New York. Sun-hee and Takeshi agreed on the issue of noise pollution but seemed to have different opinions about other issues. When the reporter asked what they didn’t like about New York, Sunhee pointed out that there was not enough parking, too few affordable apartments, and too many rude people. However, Takeshi disagreed with her and said that the biggest problem was that there was too much to enjoy in the city but not enough time to enjoy it. Eventually, the two friends started arguing about the issues and the reporter left. When Takeshi asked Sun-hee where the reporter was going, Sun-hee said she didn’t know. Then she added “But see? I told you New Yorkers were rude.”