TOEFL Topic: Town and country Go Back

Exercise 1 - Complete sentences 1 – 12 with a word or phrase from the box. Then take the letter indicated at the end of each sentence, and write it in the grid that follows the sentences. If you do this correctly, you will 'find' another word which means 'showing the influence of many different countries and cultures'.

  1. If the town in which you live offers you good _____________, it offers you the chance for success, especially in a job or career. (Write the 7th letter of this word in the grid)
  2. A _____________ is a big city, especially one that is busy and exciting. (Write the 5th letter of this word in the grid)
  3. An _____________ is the set of systems within a place or organization that affects how well it operates (for example, a public transport system or road system). (Write the 6th letter of this word in the grid)
  4. A _____________ is someone who travels regularly to and from work. (Write the 3rd letter of this word in the grid)
  5. The _____________ of a town or city are the areas that are furthest away from the center. (Write the 1st letter of this word in the grid)
  6. _____________ is a situation in which many people leave a place in order to live somewhere else, leaving very few people living there. (Write the 3rd letter of this word in the grid)
  7. _____________ occurs when there are a lot of vehicles on the road, and as a result the traffic moves very slowly. (Write the 2nd letter of this word in the grid below)
  8. If a town or city is described as a _____________, it has people of many different races, religions, cultures, etc., living together. (2 words: Write the 3rd letter of the 1st word in the grid)
  9. _____________ refers to the movement of people from one place to another (often from one part of a country to another, or from one country to another country). (Write the 2nd letter of this word in the grid)
  10. If a situation, place, etc., is _____________, it causes a lot of pressure and makes people worry. (Write the 2nd letter of this word in the grid)
  11. _____________ is an adjective relating to towns and cities. (Write the 4th letter of this word in the grid)
  12. A town's _____________ are the things that make it comfortable and pleasant to live in (for example, parks, theaters, stores, etc.). (Write the 4th letter of this word in the grid)
Sentence Number: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Letter:
  1. If the town in which you live offers you good prospects, it offers you the chance for success, especially in a job or career. (Write the 7th letter of this word in the grid)
  2. A metropolis is a big city, especially one that is busy and exciting. (Write the 5th letter of this word in the grid)
  3. An infrastructure is the set of systems within a place or organization that affects how well it operates (for example, a public transport system or road system). (Write the 6th letter of this word in the grid)
  4. A commuter is someone who travels regularly to and from work. (Write the 3rd letter of this word in the grid)
  5. The outskirts of a town or city are the areas that are furthest away from the center. (Write the 1st letter of this word in the grid)
  6. Depopulation is a situation in which many people leave a place in order to live somewhere else, leaving very few people living there. (Write the 3rd letter of this word in the grid)
  7. Congestion occurs when there are a lot of vehicles on the road, and as a result the traffic moves very slowly. (Write the 2nd letter of this word in the grid below)
  8. If a town or city is described as a melting pot, it has people of many different races, religions, cultures, etc., living together. (2 words: Write the 3rd letter of the 1st word in the grid)
  9. Migration refers to the movement of people from one place to another (often from one part of a country to another, or from one country to another country). (Write the 2nd letter of this word in the grid)
  10. If a situation, place, etc., is stressful, it causes a lot of pressure and makes people worry. (Write the 2nd letter of this word in the grid)
  11. Urban is an adjective relating to towns and cities. (Write the 4th letter of this word in the grid)
  12. A town's amenities are the things that make it comfortable and pleasant to live in (for example, parks, theaters, stores, etc.). (Write the 4th letter of this word in the grid)

Exercise 2 - Complete this essay with appropriate words and phrases from Exercise 1. You may need to change the form of some of the words, and one of the words you will need is the extra word you revealed by doing Exercise 1.

Describe a place where you live or have lived, outlining its good points and bad points.

For seven years I lived in Singapore, a (1) _____________ of over three million people. Like London, Paris, and New York, Singapore is a (2) _____________ city, with people from different parts of the world living and working together. I enjoyed the (3) _____________ lifestyle I led there, and made the most of the superb (4) _____________, ranging from the excellent stores and shopping malls to some of the best restaurants in the world. In the evenings and at weekends there were always (5) _____________: with such diverse attractions as classical western music, an exhibition of Malay art, or a Chinese opera in the street, it was difficult to get bored. Perhaps most impressive, however, was the remarkable transport (6) _____________, with excellent roads, a swift and efficient bus service, and a state-of-the-art underground system which could whisk (7) _____________ from the suburbs straight into the heart of the city. This was particularly important, as the government imposed a charge on private cars entering the (8) _____________ during the morning and afternoon (9) _____________ in order to reduce (10) _____________ on the roads and (11) _____________ from the exhausts. Of course, living in a city like this had its disadvantages as well. For a start, the (12) _____________ was very high – renting an apartment, for example, cost me almost half my salary. And as the city was continually expanding, there were a lot of (13) _____________ where new apartments were continually being built to deal with the (14) _____________, a direct result of the government encouraging people to have more children. Fortunately, Singapore doesn't suffer from problems that are common in many cities such as (15) _____________, which is partly the result of the government imposing very severe penalties on anyone bringing narcotics into the country, so it is safe to walk the streets at night. In fact, the (16) _____________ housing estates there are probably the safest and most orderly in the world. Singapore wouldn't be ideal for everyone, however, especially if you come from the countryside and are used to a (17) _____________ lifestyle. The traditional villages that were once common have disappeared as the residents there realized there were no (18) _____________ for their future and moved into new government housing in the city. Nowadays, there is very little (19) _____________ around the city, which means that Singapore imports almost all of its food. And despite a 'green' approach to city planning, the (20) _____________ which has eaten into the countryside has had a detrimental effect on the (21) _____________.

For seven years I lived in Singapore, a (1) metropolis of over three million people. Like London, Paris, and New York, Singapore is a (2) cosmopolitan city, with people from different parts of the world living and working together. I enjoyed the (3) urban lifestyle I led there, and made the most of the superb (4) amenities, ranging from the excellent stores and shopping malls to some of the best restaurants in the world. In the evenings and at weekends there were always (5) cultural events: with such diverse attractions as classical western music, an exhibition of Malay art, or a Chinese opera in the street, it was difficult to get bored. Perhaps most impressive, however, was the remarkable transport (6) infrastructure, with excellent roads, a swift and efficient bus service, and a state-of-the-art underground system which could whisk (7) commuters from the suburbs straight into the heart of the city. This was particularly important, as the government imposed a charge on private cars entering the (8) Central Business District during the morning and afternoon (9) rush hour / peak periods in order to reduce (10) congestion on the roads and (11) pollution from the exhausts. Of course, living in a city like this had its disadvantages as well. For a start, the (12) cost of living was very high – renting an apartment, for example, cost me almost half my salary. And as the city was continually expanding, there were a lot of (13) building sites where new apartments were continually being built to deal with the (14) population explosion, a direct result of the government encouraging people to have more children. Fortunately, Singapore doesn't suffer from problems that are common in many cities such as (15) drug abuse / street crime, which is partly the result of the government imposing very severe penalties on anyone bringing narcotics into the country, so it is safe to walk the streets at night. In fact, the (16) inner city housing estates there are probably the safest and most orderly in the world. Singapore wouldn't be ideal for everyone, however, especially if you come from the countryside and are used to a (17) rural lifestyle. The traditional villages that were once common have disappeared as the residents there realized there were no (18) prospects for their future and moved into new government housing in the city. Nowadays, there is very little (19) productive land / cultivation / arable land around the city, which means that Singapore imports almost all of its food. And despite a 'green' approach to city planning, the (20) urban sprawl which has eaten into the countryside has had a detrimental effect on the (21) environment.