1. Lead-in. Is happiness connected to regional identity/the place where you live? How?

Discuss with a
partner.

2. Read the argumentative text below and underline pros and cons of city as well as country life that
you can find. Afterwards, write them into the table on the next page. Try to find even more.

Pros and cons of living in the city vs. in the countryside

Living in the city has both its advantages and disadvantages but in my opinion it is more comfortable and
exciting than life in the country or a small town.

First of all, cities offer better education and it is easier to find a good, interesting and well -paid job.
Therefore, it could be said that there are more opportunities to succeed in life. Moreover, there is a vast
variety of entertainment options such as cinemas, theatres, galleries or restaurants where people may
spend their leisure time. There is always something interesting to see or do and it is just impossible to be
bored. The services in a big city tend to be better too. There are a lot of good shops and department
stores where shopping can be done quickly and easily. Besides, there are many sports facilities such as
swimming pools, tennis courts or gym halls where people can practice their favourite sports.

However, living in the big city also entails disadvantages. Most city-dwellers are forced to live in blocks of
flats where they are quite anonymous. It often happens that they do not even know their neighbours and
in an emergency they cannot count on their help. Many of them feel lonely as it is rather difficult to strike
up a friendship in a big city. Young people are in a better situation, because they go to clubs, discos and
they have more opportunities to meet someone. Another big problem is pollution largely caused by the
high amount of traffic in cities. Fumes emitted directly into the atmosphere pollute the air so heavily that
many city-dwellers suffer from serious medical disorders. Besides, the noise never stops and there are
numerous car accidents almost every day. Furthermore, it is very difficult to find a parking space,
especially in the center. In addition to all this, the crime rate in most cities is very high. Some people never
go out in the evening because they are afraid of being robbed or abused. They also dread leaving their flat
due to the rising number of burglaries. In spite of all these disadvantages, many inhabitants love their
cities and cannot imagine themselves living in the country.
What about living in the country? People residing in the countryside usually emphasize the importance of
factors such as cleanliness of air and residential areas, stunning landscapes and the general peace and
quiet of country life. They also boast with the fact that people knowing each other quite well creates a
feeling of belonging and reinforces a sense of community.

What tends to be forgotten, however, is how easily you can get bored in the countryside. The lack or
shortage of possibilities for entertainment and leisure can quickly lead to a dreary, dull atmosphere where
people are left feeling frustrated or devoid of any sense of action or achievement. This is reinforced by the
total lack of proper infrastructure in small towns forcing people to stay put and preventing them from
seeing new things. Also, the fact that everybody knows everybody is not necessarily always a good thing
as gossip or too much curiosity may well often be the case. An additional problem of life in the country is
the greater difficulty of finding a job as compared to living in the city. Whereas agriculture was still
thriving many years ago and it was usual for kids to take over parents’ farms, many young people
nowadays are not as interested in farming anymore as they used to be.

All in all, life in the city and country both entail advantages and disadvantages. Everybody just has to
figure out for him or herself which one he considers more suitable.

city country

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