The big idea: should cars be banned from cities?

This is a list of key vocabulary and expressions from the article in order of how useful they are. The student must choose 6 items from the list to study in the lesson.

Flood

In order to

Temporary/ Permanent

Host

To shake (something/ someone)

To reduce (something)

To turn into

What would happen if we banned cars from cities altogether?

Though

Environmentally friendly

To keep an eye out for something/ someone

In short

To fill in

Mindset

Within

Take up space/ room/ time

Self-sufficient

To pop up

Inevitable

To hinder (something/ someone)

To bring on (something)

Swathes (of something)

A plethora (of something)

To take precedence

The scourge of something

15 conversation-provoking questions related to the article.

1.      According to the article, how have our cities changed over the last century?

2.      What has happened in Barcelona, Groningen and Utrecht?

3.      At the end of the article, what vision does the author offer for a better city in the future?

4.      ‘Travelling on public transport is a much more pleasant experience in my native country than it is in the UK.’ Do you agree?

5.      ‘Having a car in London is a complete waste of money!’ Do you agree?

6.      ‘I used to play out on the street when I was younger, but kids never do that nowadays.’ Is this true for you?

7.      ‘I often try to encourage people I know to move to the city where I’m living now.’ Is this true for you?

8.      ‘There are some parts of the city where I live that I try to avoid.’ Is this true for you?

9.      ‘There are many cultural events happening in the city where I live, but I hardly ever go to any of them.’ Is this true for you?

10.    ‘Extreme weather causes a lot of disruption in my native city.’ Is this true for you?

11.    ‘In my native country, the capital city is the best place to live.’ Is this true for you?

12.    ‘I would prefer to live in a different city. The only reason I stay here is because my work, friends and family are here.’ Is this true for you?

13.    ‘There is a big community of people from my native country in the city where I live, but I usually try to avoid them.’ Is this true for you?

14.    ‘In terms of parks, safety, job opportunities, culture and nightlife, London is the best city in the world.’ Do you agree?

15.    ‘In order to be more environmentally friendly, people in cities need to share more stuff. We should be sharing bikes, cars, clothes, and many other things.’ Do you agree?