Module 1A Mission Impossible One attraction of a city is the great number of choices in work, recreation and social contacts that it offers to its residents Cultural and recreational facilities have always been part of every city But living in large cities also has its costs Laws and the police control human behaviour but the opportunities for crime, alcoholism, and drug abuse are much greater On the one hand, cities offer the best of human culture, from restaurants and theatres to museums, art galleries, symphony orchestras and universities On the other hand, they generate juvenile delinquency, prostitution, murder, suicide and mental breakdowns Urbanisation seems to be an inevitable aspect of modernization In the 21st century, the world’s fastest growing urban areas are in developing countries These are also experiencing the greatest overall population increases In the Western hemisphere, Mexico City and São Paulo have shown the largest explosive growth In contrast, many large cities in the developed world are scarcely growing; some are losing population The urban areas of most developing countries show a complete mixture of modern Western technology and architecture with traditional customs and lifestyles One of the main problems of developing countries is that their cities grow faster than their capacity to provide life’s basic needs Also, much of their working population is unemployed or underemployed Activities 1 Put these ideas in order according to the text a Technology and architecture in developing countries b Attractions and costs of living in large cities c Overall population in developing countries d Examples of positive and negative aspects of cities English Toolkit - Social Sciences Photocopiable © Ediciones Santillana S.A / Richmond 2011 Explosive Growth Module 1A 2 Match these words with a word of similar meaning a choices b facilities c laws d behaviour e crime f overall g murder h growth rules conduct development buildings (sports centre) killing variety wrong act total 3 Complete the form below In order to improve our local area, we need to know your necessities Please fill in this form a Which of these services would you like to be improved? lighting water supplies cleanliness transport b Which of the following you consider essential to prevent accidents in your area? more traffic lights more road signs more alternative roads for buses Name: Address: Occupation: Would you like to have more open spaces? more cultural and entertainment facilities? more housing? c Which environmental problem is affecting your area? air pollution noise pollution others e d Does your area provide disabled people with ramps (streets, public places)? special buses? lifts? f What you consider important to improve safety? increasing the number of policemen putting alarm buttons at many points installing more lighting 4 Match the adjectives to the pictures a overcrowded b clean c safe d dangerous e polluted f rural g quiet h urban 5 Choose one of the two pictures above and describe it using some of the words in activity English Toolkit - Social Sciences Photocopiable © Ediciones Santillana S.A / Richmond 2011 Survey