Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks.

The world is full of lively cities, and each offers a unique blend of culture, infrastructure, and opportunities. However, some cities (26) ___________ for their exceptional liveability.

Vienna, the capital city of Austria, consistently ranks as the most liveable city in the world. It boasts excellent education, health services, and a rich culture.

Copenhagen, the capital city of Denmark, is considered one of the best places to live in the world. It is known (27) ___________ its high quality of life, sustainable practices, and beautiful architecture.

Melbourne and Sydney, two Australian cities, are famous for their high living standards, excellent education systems, and wonderful places for (28) ___________.

Vancouver, Canada, is praised for its stunning natural beauty, clean environment, and a rich culture. Zürich, Switzerland, offers a high standard of living, excellent services, and a strong (29) ___________.

These cities, while diverse in culture and geography, (30) ___________ common traits that make them highly liveable. They offer a balance of economic prosperity, cultural richness, safety, and a high quality of life. However, what makes a city "liveable" can vary greatly depending on personal preferences and needs.

(Adapted from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki)

10. Lovers of Jane Potters books should also walk to the Green Valley woods, which have not changed since Jane Potter ______  her stories there one hundred years ago.

9. “Wendy’s Gift shop where you can find lots of unusual gifts made ______ hand by local artists.

8. Tatter bridge has a number of interesting shops ________ excellent cake shop

7. lt also has a gift shop where you can buy ______ and books.

6. Jane Potter’s home is now a museum and tea shop, and is a well _________  visit just for its wonderful gardens.

5.  stories of Benjamin Bear ____ loved by adults and children around the world.

4. The beautiful village of Tatter bridge was _________to the children's writer Jane Potter.

3. This brochure will tell you what you can see if you _______ a short bus ride out of the city.

2. Few people go outside the city, and so they miss out on  _______ the scenery and the fascinating history of this beautiful area.

1. Many visitors come to Tatter bridge to see the wonderful art _____ and museums, the beautiful buildings and the fantastic parks.

How is your city?

(Thành phố của bạn thế nào?)

1. Listen and read.

(Nghe và đọc.)

Trang: Hi, Ben. Sorry I couldn't get online earlier. I got stuck in a traffic jam and came home late

Ben: No problem, Trang. Did you go by bus?

Trang: No. My dad picked me up. I rarely use the bus. It's slow and packed with people.

Ben: I mostly get around by underground. It’s more reliable than the bus.

Trang: That's great.

Ben: But traffic congestion is terrible in London. You know, the more crowded the city gets, the more congested the streets are.

Trang: Yeah... and the more polluted they may become. There's a construction site in my neighbourhood. It's dusty, so people easily get itchy eyes.

Ben: It must be noisy, too. The noise probably makes people feel stressed sometimes.

Trang: That's right. But new buildings make the city look modern and attractive. Do you remember the grand building downtown?

Ben: Of course. How's it now? When I left Viet Nam, they nearly finished it.

Trang: Well, it's now a shopping mall. Teens like it because it's modern and fun.

Ben: Do you often go there?

Trang: Sometimes. I watch movies there with my sister. I want to go there more often, but it's a bit pricey.

Ben: It's expensive here in London, too...

2. Read the conversation again and decide if the following statements are true (T) or false (F).

(Đọc lại đoạn hội thoại và quyết định xem những câu sau đây là đúng (T) hay sai (F).)

3. Match the words / phrases with their pictures.

(Nối các từ/cụm từ với hình ảnh của chúng.)

1. congested road

2. construction site

3. the underground

4. itchy eyes

5. entertainment centre

A. industry

B. value

C. business

D. centre

Transport in the city

(Giao thông vận tải trong thành phố)

3. Work in pairs. Read the descriptions of three teenagers about their favourite means of transport. Then complete the table below.

(Làm việc theo cặp. Đọc mô tả của ba thiếu niên về phương tiện giao thông yêu thích của họ. Sau đó hoàn thành bảng dưới đây.)

Hoang: I live in the suburbs of Ha Noi. I use my bike to get around. It's convenient because I can ride it to places where the bus line doesn't reach. Going by bike might be a bit slow, but I can avoid traffic jams.

Cholada: My favourite means of transport in Bangkok is the sky train. It's crowded at rush hour, but it's always on time. It doesn't get stuck in traffic jams, so I can save time travelling.

Kathy: I love the tram in Melbourne. It offers a discount for students. Sometimes the tram is late, but it always updates its arrival on a smartphone app, so I know in advance and arrange my time easily.

4. Make notes about a means of transport you are using.

(Ghi chú về phương tiện giao thông bạn đang sử dụng.)

- Name of the means of transport

(Tên của phương tiện giao thông)

- Its advantage(s) and drawback(s)

(Lợi ích và bất lợi của nó)

- Why you choose to use it

(Vì sao bạn chọn nó)

Reading

1. Work in pairs. Match the words / phrases with their pictures.

(Làm việc theo cặp. Nối các từ/cụm từ với hình ảnh của chúng.)

2. Read part of an announcement about the Teenovator competition. Match the topics in the competition with their winners. There is one extra topic.

(Đọc một phần thông báo về cuộc thi Teenovator. Hãy nối các chủ đề trong cuộc thi với người chiến thắng. Có một chủ đề thừa.)

List of topics:

(Danh sách các chủ đề)

A. The street-safe city

(Thành phố với đường phố an toàn)

B. The teen-friendly city

(Thành phố thân thiện với thanh thiếu niên)

C. The food-smart city

(Thành phố thực phẩm thông minh)

D. The waste-free city

(Thành phố không rác thải)

Teenovator competition

Teenovator is an annual competition by the City Teen Council. We ask teens to find problems of the city and suggest solutions. Here are this year's winners

1. _________: Central School

They see that the more developed a city is, the more food people throw away. They suggest carrying out a project which turns food waste into energy. Students would sort their leftovers at school canteens. A nearby farm would come to take the food waste and process it into biogas.

2. _________: Bookworm Team

This team feels that many public amenities, particularly the city library, are not teen-friendly. They suggest a list of changes so that the library can attract more teens. Some of them include designing lively learning spaces for teens and having teen's favourite desserts in the cafeteria.

3. _________: Helena Wilson

Helena realises that there are too many vehicles around school gates. This is unsafe for children who walk to school. She suggests that the city authorities not allow cars at school gates at drop-off and pick-up times. In addition, they should not let motorbikes park on the pavement near school gates.

5. Which of the following is INCORRECT about Helena Wilson?

A. She suggests banning bikes at school gates

B. She wants the city authorities to take action.

C. She thinks cars moving near school gates can cause accidents to children.

D. Her concern is road safety around school for children.

a. Read Lisa's blog post about two interesting solutions. What problems do they solve?

(Đọc bài đăng trên blog của Lisa về hai giải pháp thú vị. Họ giải quyết những vấn đề gì?)

1. people not following traffic laws and pollution

2. poor pedestrian safety and littering

Sep 13, 2023

Lisa Thompson

Hey, everyone! Today I want to talk about something different. I got the idea for this after I saw something last Friday.

I was walking home when I saw some tourists struggling to cross the street. People were driving fast, and those tourists were scared someone would hit them. This happens every day to tourists, kids, and old people. What can we do?

The city of Tuscon, Arizona, USA found that its streets were becoming more dangerous for pedestrians, and it had a creative solution. It created beautiful paintings on some crosswalks and sidewalks so that cars would see them better and avoid pedestrians. A study showed that this solution reduced accidents involving pedestrians by up to 50%.

Pollution is another problem in my city, so I looked into what other cities did. London and Edinburgh, UK found a fun solution. They were having problems with people littering. They used clear trash cans with fun questions like "Which came first? Chicken or Egg?", and people answered by putting trash in the can with the answer they agreed with. Littering reduced up to 18%!

I think these solutions are simple and interesting, and my city should use them. What other creative solutions do you know?

b. Now, read and fill in the blanks.

(Bây giờ hãy đọc và điền vào chỗ trống.)

1. Tourists, kids, and old people struggle to cross the street in Lisa's city.

(Khách du lịch, trẻ em và người già chật vật băng qua đường ở thành phố của Lisa.)

2. The city of Tuscon, Arizona saw its streets becoming less safe for _______

3. Paintings on _______ reduced accidents by up to 50%.

4. People in London and Edinburgh were _______.

5. The cities installed _______ and used fun questions to encourage people to put trash in the right place.

c. Listen and read.

(Nghe và đọc.)

a. Read the passage about the city of Johannesburg and choose the best title.

(Đọc đoạn văn về thành phố Johannesburg và chọn tựa đề đúng nhất.)

1. How the City Is Improving

2. The Perfect City

3. How Can We Fix the City?

I believe all humans have the right to live in a safe and clean place. However, that need solutions. Johannesburg, South Africa, is one of these cities. I will explain some of its problems and potential solutions below.

A big problem is that crime is high in the city. There are so many criminals that life for normal people is beginning to break down. They may move away from the city. For this reason, the government should provide more police officers on the streets.

Another problem is that the population is rising quickly. It might make more people homeless. Having more homeless people can cause many problems. The government should build more apartments around the city.

The final problem is that air pollution is getting worse. Because of this, more people will need medical help. This could make hospitals very busy. To improve this, the government should ask people to ride bicycles more and use cars less.

To conclude, the number of criminals, the population growth, and air pollution are problems in Johannesburg. However, there are solutions the government can implement. They should train more police officers, build more apartments, and ask people to ride bicycles instead of using cars.

b. Now, read and choose the correct answers.

(Bây giờ hãy đọc và chọn câu trả lời đúng.)

1. The word They in paragraph 2 refers to

A. cities

B. people living in Johannesburg

C. criminals

D. government

2. What does the writer say people may not be able to do because of criminals?

A. move away

B. live normal lives

C. rob people

D. raise children safely

3. Which of the following is true about Johannesburg?

A. There won't be enough homes for people in the future.

B. There aren't enough jobs for people.

C. Johannesburg doesn't have any homeless people anymore.

D. There aren't many apartment buildings in Johannesburg now.

4. Which of the following is NOT true according to paragraph 4?

A. Air pollution isn't so bad in Johannesburg right now.

B. Encouraging people to ride bicycles more would help.

C. People will get sick if things continue.

D. Air pollution is getting worse in Johannesburg.

5. Which of the following can you infer from the passage?

A. Johannesburg will improve by itself.

B. Johannesburg is becoming a nice place to live.

C. The government are making a lot of improvements.

D. The government has a lot of work to do.

c. Listen and read.

(Nghe và đọc.)

4. There are ___ in the schools every year.

A. more teachers

B. fewer teachers

C. more children

D. fewer children

5. He thinks the city should ___ to encourage people to have children.

A. make school cheaper

B. make child care free

C. make families rich

D. make safer roads

5. Think: Listen and read the text quickly. What do you think the text is about?

(Suy nghĩ: Nghe và đọc nhanh văn bản. Bạn nghĩ văn bản nói về điều gì?)

URBAN AND RURAL AREAS

Life is different in urban and rural areas. Urban areas are typically crowded areas with cities or towns, whereas rural areas are more connected to the countryside. Both places have their advantages, but they also have challenges for those who live there.

Urban areas have a lot of advantages and opportunities for a better life. Many good schools, universities and companies here offer excellent education and job opportunities. Besides, the city provides modern facilities and good public services. Also, easy access to a healthcare system and the support of police, firefighters and other public servants give urban people a sense of security. Unfortunately, they are facing the problems of heavy traffic, a high cost of living and a large population.

Life in urban areas can be exhausting for people who like peace and quiet, but rural areas are perfect places for them. It is because rural areas have beautiful scenery, fresh food and friendly people. However, there are fewer education and job opportunities in rural areas than in urban areas. Also, the lack of facilities and public services in another disadvantage. Therefore, life in rural areas is not so convenient as life in urban areas for some people.

6. Read the text again and complete the sentences (1-5). Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each gap.

(Đọc lại đoạn văn và hoàn thành các câu (1-5). Viết KHÔNG QUÁ BA TỪ cho mỗi chỗ trống.)

1. Rural areas and urban areas have both advantages and _______.

2. Urban areas offer lots of education and job _______.

3. It is _______ to access the healthcare system in urban areas.

4. Life in urban areas can make people who like _______ feel exhausted.

5. For some people, life in rural areas is less _______ than life in urban areas.

7. Read the text again and answer the questions (1-4).

(Đọc lại đoạn văn và trả lời các câu hỏi (1-4).)

1. What are the facilities like in urban areas? (Tiện ích ở khu đô thị như thế nào?)

__________________________________________________________

2. What gives urban people a sense of security? (Điều gì mang lại cho người dân thành thị cảm giác an toàn?)

__________________________________________________________

3. What are the disadvantages of urban areas? (Nhược điểm của đô thị là gì?)

__________________________________________________________

4. What are the advantages of rural areas? (Nông thôn có những lợi thế gì?)

__________________________________________________________

1. Think: What makes a city green? Look at the picture and guess. Listen and read to check.

(Hãy suy nghĩ: Điều gì làm cho một thành phố trở nên xanh? Nhìn vào bức tranh và đoán. Nghe và đọc để kiểm tra.)

Green Cities: THE CHALLENGE OF TOMORROW

What makes a city green? how do cities become green? Read about the two cities below to learn more.

Singapore

Singapore is a city which has a lot of the features of a green city because the city planners try to reduce pollution in many ways. For instance, it has hundreds of electric charging stations for vehicles. At some of these stations, people can even charge their electric vehicles for free. Singapore has a lot of walking paths and cycling path; this makes it easy for people to get around without using cars. Since Singapore is a small island without much rural space, city planners also developed urban farming to provide the residents with fresh food.

Sydney

Sydney tries to make it a good living environment for all people who live there. This means that low-cost housing, which is affordable for those with limited incomes, is a priority. Besides, green buildings are also important. One example of a green building is the large Central Park, which has flats, shops, offices and more. It runs on thermal energy, which does nit pollute the air. The city planners, who have many ideas for the future, are transforming streets into greener spaces in the hope of making Sydney one of the top green cities in the world.