DISCUSSION TOPICS – CITY VERSUS COUNTRY

How to practise gathering ideas and arguments for the level 3 speaking TASK 2? How to prepare yourself for the part of the oral exam that requires discussing general or military topics? In this post, you will find a few ideas on how to do it on the example of the topic related to differences between living in the city and in the country.

Go to the the following posts to see the details of what the exam looks like and what the requirements are: 

STANAG 6001 LEVEL 3 DISCUSSION

DISCUSSION USEFUL PHRASES

SAMPLE DISCUSSION

DISCUSSION TOPICS TOURISM

The today's example is the topic connected with living in the city versus living in the country, their advantages and disadvantages.

COSTS OF LIVING

PLUSES

• food is cheaper if you live in the
  country, you can buy from local;
  producers and avoid intermediaries;
• if you live in the house of your own,
  you don’t pay the rent;
• land and property prices are lower.

MINUSES

• to buy other goods and
  services it might be necessary
  to travel long distances;
• the house maintenance costs
  may be significant
• infrastructure is poorer;
•  it is more difficult to sell the
  property in the countryside.

LIVING CLOSE TO NATURE

PLUSES

• better air quality, better health, less pollution,
  better living conditions;
• healthier food, not processed,
  straight from the fields,
  you can grow fruit and vegetables;
• contact with wild nature,
  walking in the forest,
  waking to the music of birds chirping
  can have a calming effect on
  people’s nerves.

MINUSES

• transport infrastructure is poorer,
  it may be necessary to have
  a private car to be able to
  move around effectively;
• nature can be unpredictable
  and dangerous,
  in winter roads may become
  impassable;
• wild animals can be dangerous
  or ill, spread diseases or attack
  farm animals or pets.

PEOPLE

PLUSES

• fewer people;
  less crowded, 
  no queues in offices or shops;
• more space in the house than in
  the flat,
  more space around the house,
  more privacy and independence,
  longer distances between houses
  and properties,
• fewer people means less trafficand noise,
  quieter and more peaceful life,
  easier to relax.

MINUSES

• everyone knows each other,
  less privacy – people are more
  interested in each other’s lives,
• more seclusion means you are
  more prone to criminal
  activity of e.g. burglars,
  neighbours may not notice
  anything as they live at
  a distance,
• closed community may generate problems,
  social and entertainment opportunities are limited.