LearnEnglishProfessionals

CITYPOPULATIONAUDIOSCRIPT
Answerkey:
1.T2.T3.F4.F5.T6.F7.F8.T.
www.britishcouncil.org/professionals.htm
TheBritishCouncil,2007
The UnitedKingdomsinternationalorganisationforeducationalopportunitiesandculturalrelations. WeareregisteredinEnglandasacharity.
Listentothisexcerptfromaradioprogrammeaboutlivinginabigcity.
Optionalactivity: Whileyoulisten,decidewhetherthefollowingsentencesaretrueorfalse.
Sentence Trueorfalse?
1. SueShawisanexpertonhowtoprotecttheenvironment.
2. MasakoItolivesinTokyo.
3. TodaytheTokyoBayAreahasapopulationof18million.
4. NewroadshavesolvedTokyostransportproblems.
5. Therearehighchargesforcarstousethecitysexpressways.
6. Travelbycarisfasterthantravelbyrail.
7. Tokyostransportinfrastructureisausefulmodelfordevelopingcountries.
8. Citiesindevelopingcountriesshouldnotrelyoncarstosolvetheirtransport
problems.
Presenter:HelloandwelcometoVisionsoftheFuture.Thisweekwerediscussingthegrowthofcitiesinthetwentyfirst
century.InthestudiowehavetheenvironmentalistSueShawandMasakoItoanurbanplannerbasedinTokyo.Forthefirst
timeinhumanhistorymorepeoplenowliveincitiesthaninthaninthecountryside.TodayTokyoistheworldslargest
conurbation.ThecombinedcitiesoftheTokyoBayAreanowhaveapopulationof28million.Masako,howhasTokyo
solvedtheproblemoftransport?
Masako:Well,manyTokyoresidentswouldsaythatthecitystransportproblemshavenotbeensolved...,Tokyoisdifferent
frommostcitiesindevelopingcountriesbecauseithasmany,manysuburbanrailwaylines.Theselinesbringcommutersto
theYamamoteline,thecircularlinearoundthecitycentre,andtothecitys12subwaylines.
Presenter:Railtravelseemstobetheanswer...
Masako:Yes,itisreally.Inadditionthereareexpensivetollsonthecitysurbanexpressways,traintravelisoneandahalf
timesfasterthantravelbycarandcitycentreparkingisveryexpensive.
Presenter:SoTokyoitesdontusecarsthatmuch...
Masako:Wellyouknow,beforeyoucanbuyacarinTokyoyoumustprovethatyouhaveaplacetoparkit,parkingspaces
cancostasmuchasapartmentstorent...NewroadsarebuiltinTokyobutpriorityisgiventonewtrainlines..
Presenter:SothetrainiskinginTokyo,Sue,anythingtoadd?
Sue:Tokyoisagoodmodelforourfuturemegacitiestoaspireto,but,andthisisabigbut,Japanisawealthycountryand
mostoftherailsystemwaspresentbeforeTokyodevelopedorwasbuiltasthecitygrew.Mostofournewmegacitieswill
beinAsiaandAfricawheretheresourcestodevelopatransportinfrastructuresimilartoTokyosjustarentpresent.
Presenter:Whatcanthesecitiesdo?
Sue:Theymustdoalltheycantostopthecarfrombecomingthemainmeansoftransport.Carsbringpollutionandthe
constructionofnewroadscandestroythefabricofacityastheydividecommunitiesandleadtothebuildingofnewtypesof
housingusuallyhighapartmentblocks..
Presenter:So?...
Sue:Integratedtransportsystemsthattakeintoconsiderationlocalfactorsaretheanswer.TakeCalcuttaforexample.
Therehandpulledrickshawsarebeingincludedintheplansforthetransportsystem,alongsidebusesandtrams.Bangkok
andManilahavebuiltoverheadrailsystems.Thesearecheaperandquickertobuildthanexpensiveundergroundsubway
lines.
Presenter:Soforthefuturemegacitiesthemessageisforgetaboutcars..
Sue:Mostdefinitely..
Masako:Idagreewiththattoo