A21 – Towns and Places
Vlastnosti
| predmet | Anglický jazyk |
| typ | maturitná téma |
| okruh | anglický jazyk |
| číslo | 21 |
| stav | vypracované |
Talk about different places and the people who live there, your favourite place, places to spend a holiday, and towns and places in Slovakia.
1. Osnova témy
- Different kinds of place and how people's lives differ in them.
- Life in a big city versus life far from civilisation.
- What a typical town contains — buildings, services, sights.
- Your home town and your favourite place.
- Interesting places in the world worth seeing.
- Places for a holiday — the sea, the mountains, cities.
- Towns and places in Slovakia.
- Asking for and giving directions.
2. Kľúčová slovná zásoba
- kinds of place: capital city, city, town, small town, village, hamlet, suburb (predmestie), outskirts (okraj mesta), housing estate (sídlisko), city centre / downtown, industrial zone, countryside, urban and rural areas
- in a town: town hall (radnica), main square, church, cathedral, castle, museum, gallery, theatre, cinema, library, hospital, post office, police station, railway station, bus station, shopping centre, park, stadium, swimming pool, pedestrian zone (pešia zóna), fountain (fontána)
- describing a place: picturesque (malebný), historic, modern, lively, crowded, quiet, peaceful, dull (nudný), industrial, well-preserved, to be famous for, to be worth seeing, to be situated in, to be surrounded by
- sights: sight, landmark, monument, statue, tower, bridge, ruins, palace,观 viewpoint, guided tour, tourist attraction, UNESCO World Heritage Site
- landscape: mountains, hills, valley (údolie), plain (rovina), river, lake, pond (rybník), forest, cave (jaskyňa), spa (kúpele), national park, seaside, coast
- directions: to go straight on, to turn left / right, to take the first turning, to cross the street, at the crossroads, next to, opposite, behind, in front of, on the corner, within walking distance
- big city — advantages: job opportunities, culture, entertainment, shops, transport, universities, anonymity
- big city — disadvantages: crowded, noisy, polluted, expensive, stressful, crime, traffic jams
- countryside — advantages: clean air, peace and quiet, nature, community, cheaper housing
- countryside — disadvantages: few jobs, poor transport, no cultural life, everybody knows everything about you
3. Užitočné frázy a väzby
- There are enormous differences between the places where people live.
- Life in a big city is fast, while in a village it goes at a completely different pace.
- My home town is situated in the western part of Slovakia.
- It is famous above all for…
- The place I like best is definitely… because…
- What I like about it is that…
- It is well worth seeing, especially in summer.
- If you have only one day, you should definitely visit…
- Slovakia is a small country, but it has a surprising amount to offer.
- Personally, I would rather spend my holiday in the mountains than at the seaside.
- All in all, home is home, however many places you visit.
4. Modelová odpoveď
There are enormous differences between the places where people live and, as a result, between the way they live.
In huge cities such as Tokyo, New York or London life is fast and highly developed. People there cannot imagine life without public transport, shops open late into the night and every kind of entertainment. Some of them are rich and live in beautiful houses with gardens; others live in blocks of flats and travel to work by underground. City life offers jobs, universities, theatres, galleries and concerts, but it is also noisy, crowded, polluted, expensive and stressful, and there is more crime.
At the other extreme there are people living far away from civilisation — in Siberia, in the Amazon rainforest or in remote mountain regions. Their life is simple. They often live in wooden houses, grow their own food and keep animals, and they have far less access to education and health care. On the other hand, they are usually hospitable and generous, they are satisfied with their way of life, and they keep their own customs and traditions.
A typical town has a main square with a town hall and a church, a few historic buildings, a museum, a library, a cinema, schools, a hospital, a post office, shops and a railway station. Larger towns also have theatres, galleries, universities, a stadium and a swimming pool.
My favourite place is my home town. I have lived here all my life, my family is here and I have a lot of friends here. I know every street, and even if I move away one day, I will always be glad to come back. My second favourite place is my grandmother's house in the countryside. I have spent a lot of holidays there — she looks after me well, she bakes wonderful cakes, and because the house is right next to a forest, I can go for long walks and pick mushrooms in summer.
There are of course many places in the world worth seeing. In the United States there is New York with the Statue of Liberty and Manhattan, and the great national parks such as the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone. In Europe there is Paris with the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre, London with Buckingham Palace, Tower Bridge and Big Ben, and Rome with the Colosseum. Further away there is the carnival in Rio and safaris in Africa.
People also choose very different places for a holiday. Some go to the seaside to swim and sunbathe, others prefer the mountains for hiking and skiing, and some spend their holidays visiting historic cities. Slovaks often travel to Croatia, Italy or Greece in summer.
Finally, Slovakia itself is a small country but it has a surprising amount to offer. The capital is Bratislava, with its castle above the Danube, the old town and Michael's Gate. Košice in the east has the largest Gothic cathedral in the country, St Elizabeth's. We have the High Tatras, which are the highest mountains in the Carpathians, and other ranges such as the Low Tatras and the Malá Fatra. There are many castles — Spiš Castle, Bojnice, Orava, Trenčín — a great number of caves, spa towns such as Piešťany, and old mining towns such as Banská Štiavnica. For such a small country, that really is not bad.
5. Otázky na diskusiu
- What are the main differences between life in a city and in a village?
- Would you rather live in a big city or in the countryside? Why?
- Describe your home town.
- Which place in Slovakia would you recommend to a foreign visitor?
- What is your favourite place, and why is it special to you?
- Which foreign city would you most like to visit?
- Do you prefer a holiday at the seaside or in the mountains?
- What makes a town pleasant to live in?
- How has your town changed in the last ten years?
- Could you give a tourist directions from the station to the main square?
6. Zhrnutie na ústnu odpoveď
- Rôzne miesta: big cities (fast, developed, jobs, culture) vs. remote places (simple life, traditions, hospitality).
- Mesto — plusy a mínusy: jobs, culture, transport vs. noise, pollution, cost, crime.
- Vidiek — plusy a mínusy: clean air, peace, community vs. few jobs, poor transport, no culture.
- Typické mesto: main square, town hall, church, museum, library, cinema, station, shops.
- Moje obľúbené miesto: home town (family, friends, memories) + grandmother's house.
- Svet: New York, the Grand Canyon · Paris, London, Rome · Rio, Africa.
- Slovensko: Bratislava (castle, old town) · Košice (St Elizabeth's) · the High Tatras · Spiš Castle, Bojnice · caves and spa towns.
Ak dostaneš doplňujúcu otázku „describe the way from A to B", oplatí sa mať pripravené tri vety: Go straight on until you reach the crossroads, Turn left and take the second street on your right, It's opposite the post office, you can't miss it. S týmito tromi zvládneš takmer akékoľvek udávanie smeru.
Súvisiace poznámky
- A04 – Housing and Home — bývanie v meste a na dedine
- A20 – Travelling — ako sa na tie miesta dostať
- A30 – Slovakia – My Homeland — slovenské mestá a pamiatky podrobnejšie
- A26 – The United Kingdom — Londýn a britské reálie
- Anglické ekvivalenty — slovná zásoba a termíny po anglicky
Kontrolné otázky
What are the main differences between life in a city and in a village?
A city has more jobs, shops, culture and transport but also traffic, noise and pollution. A village is quieter and closer to nature, but you have to travel for many things.
Would you rather live in a big city or in the countryside? Why?
Now a city, because of school and opportunities. Later maybe a village near a city, for peace and fresh air.
Describe your home town.
Say where it is, how big it is, its main sights, what you can do there, its advantages and disadvantages.
Which place in Slovakia would you recommend to a foreign visitor?
The High Tatras for hiking, Banská Štiavnica for its history, or Bojnice Castle.
What is your favourite place, and why is it special to you?
Describe a place you like (a park, the mountains, your grandparents' cottage) and what memories or feelings you connect with it.
Which foreign city would you most like to visit?
London, New York or Tokyo – say what you would like to see and do there.
Do you prefer a holiday at the seaside or in the mountains?
The mountains – I like hiking and the views. The seaside is good for relaxing, but it is often too hot and crowded.
What makes a town pleasant to live in?
Good public transport, parks, safety, clean streets, schools, jobs and cultural and sports facilities.
How has your town changed in the last ten years?
New buildings and shopping centres, more traffic, new cycle paths and renovated parks.
Could you give a tourist directions from the station to the main square?
"Go straight along this street, turn left at the traffic lights, walk past the church and the square is on your right. It is about ten minutes on foot."