Work with a partner and discuss if life in the city is more dangerous than in the country. Draw up a list of the main dangers.

Reading.

(H = Helen; R = Robert)

H: Well, I don't really think it's particularly dangerous. Not any more than any other large city. You have to be sensible, take the normal precautions. I mean I wouldn't walk down a street and stare at somebody and I certainly wouldn't walk home alone, and I wouldn't go down unlit alleys, you know, dark alleys at night, and obviously there are certain areas that you just know you wouldn't go into, but I think on the whole it's not a particularly dangerous city.

R: Yeah, I think I agree, but, um, actually there have been a couple of stories in the papers recently about this spate of muggings that's been going on.

H: Oh, yeah; I read about that. Yeah, because they say things are changing and things are getting worse in the city. I did have a friend, actually, she was on the underground, and her wallet was snatched from her bag just as the train was coming into the station, and of course they got off straight away and there was absolutely nothing she could do about it.

R: Well, I sympathise with her. I mean I've seen that happen too, and, er, you've just got to watch it in a place like that, or like the street market. You've got to be really careful there because there is a big crowd and a lot of pickpockets and they can steal something and run away.

H: But I don't think it's really dangerous. They're not violent people, you just have to be sensible and keep your eyes open, and...

R: Well, I don't know. This article I read they said that a lot of the thieves were carrying knives, which means if you resist then, er, you could get badly hurt, so that really makes you think, doesn't it?

H: Mmm, I said it wasn't violent, maybe it is. I heard about a group of tourists the other day who were mugged. What do you do if you see something like that? You don't really know what's going on and you don't really want to get involved in case you get hurt.

R: Yes. I think it's stupid to try and be a hero. I mean you could get very badly hurt and all they want is just money. I mean I know that is a terrible thing to say, but it's just money. It's not worth losing your life for.

H: I suppose so. Apparently these guys had a knife and they cut one of the women's handbags from her shoulder. I think she thought they were going to stab her husband actually.

R: Did you hear if anybody was hurt at all?

H: No, no one was hurt. Apparently the woman had had her passport stolen, and her travellers cheques taken but the sad thing was that they had only just arrived and they didn`t want to leave all their stuff in the hotel. They thought it was safer with them.

R:Yeah. well, that’s a problem with tourists.

H:I mean, it happens to locals too. I think, it’s very important when something like that happens there should be more police around, they should be on streets at night driving up and down every now and then.

R:I think you are right. Anyway, you would feel better protected.

 

Follow up.

1. After you have read two friends’ conversation about the city they live in answer the following questions:

1) Do they think they live in a particularly dangerous city?

2) How many dangers from your list do they mention?

3) Do they mention any other dangers?

 

2. Compare your answers with a partner and discuss these questions:

a) What precautions do they suggest you should take when walking home at night.

b) In what places do they suggest you should take special care with your bag or wallet? Why?

c) There seems to have been an increase in crime recently. What sort of crime?

d) Have the friends been victims of crime themselves?

e) What exactly happened to the group of tourists?

f) What do they think the police could do to improve the situation?

 

SPEAKING

Work in small groups. Discuss one of these sets of questions.

· Is your home town a dangerous place to live in? Do you need to take precautions when you go out at night? Would you go out alone at ten o’clock? If you were a member of the opposite sex do you think your answers would be the same?

· Which of the following safety measures are used in your town:

- police patrols at night

- close-circuit TV cameras in public places

- security guards on public transport

- street lighting all night?

 

What are the measures that can be taken to make our city safer?

Which of the measures mentioned above do you think most effective?

 

GRAMMAR AND SPEAKING

Read Louis’ story to

Retell it in the reported speech.

Discuss if you had a similar incident.

Did I tell you about what happened to us last week? No? Well, we were out in a bar in town, quite a crowd of us, and of course Kelly had her mobile phone with her. Anyway, while we were in the bar Kelly left her mobile in her coat pocket and we were chatting and laughing and having a good time. It was some time later when Kelly noticed this couple rummaging around in the pile of coats and then getting ready to leave. Well, Kelly was a bit suspicious, so she went over to check if her phone was still there and of course it wasn't! So she went to follow the couple outside to ask them if they'd taken her phone and a couple of the others went with her. They were just approaching the couple when Hannah had a brainwave. She had her mobile on her too, so she phoned Kelly's number and just as Kelly was asking the couple whether or not they'd got her phone, it started ringing in one of their pockets! They couldn't very well deny having it and handed it over very sheepishly! Lucky, eh?

 

 

UNIT V

NATIVE TOWN

My favourite part of town.

Pre-reading.

What's your favourite town or city? Why do you like it? Which parts of it do you particularly like?

Read the description of a part of London.

SOHO

One of my favourite parts of London is Soho, which is right in the centre, and includes Piccadilly Circus, Shaftesbury Avenue, and Leicester Square. One of the main reasons I like it is that it is always lively and colourful, with people dashing around going about their business, which is mainly honest but not always.The place is a bit of a mess, and the buildings aren't the most beautiful in London, but the streets are always interesting, with surprises around every corner. The name is derived from a hunting call, 'So-ho' that huntsmen were heard to cry as they chased deer in royal parklands. It has been a cosmopolitan area since the first immigrants, who were French Huguenots, arrived in the 1680s. More French arrived escaping the revolution during the late 18th century, followed by Germans, Russians, Poles, Greeks, and Italians. Soho is packed with continental food shops and restaurants. More recently there have been a lot of Chinese from Hong Kong. Gerrard Street, which is pedestrianized, is the centre of London's Chinatown. It has restaurants, dim sum houses, Chinese supermarkets, and in February, there are the New Year celebrations. Many famous people have lived in Soho, including Mozart, Karl Marx, and the poetT. S. Eliot. It has a reputation for attracting artists, writers, poets, and people in the media. Shaftesbury Avenue is in the heart of London's theatre land, and there are endless clubs, pubs, and cafes. There are also street markets, advertising agencies, clothes shops, music publishers, and recording studios, which makes it an exciting place to live and work. Piccadilly Circus is like a magnet for young people from all over the world.They like to sit on the steps under the statue of Eros, celebrating the freedom and friendship of youth. It is said that if you wait long enough at Piccadilly Circus, you'll meet everyone you've ever known!

 

Follow up.

Divide the text into four or five paragraphs. What is the purpose of each paragraph?

The description is partly facts and partly opinions. Find examples of both.

Underline examples of relative clauses and participles.

4 Write a description of your favourite part of a town. Write about 300 words. Divide the paragraphs into...

- general impressions,

- personal impressions

- history

- a description of some particular aspects

- a conclusion

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

WRITING