Neighborhood
What do you like and dislike most about your neighborhood? What are some of the changes you have noticed in your area? What facilities are there in your neighborhood?
Vocabulary
  • Boondocks (noun) — any area in the country that is quiet, has few people living in it, and is a long way away from a town or city.
  • Greenery (noun) — green leaves and plants.
  • Transport links (noun) — places to travel from and to, like bus stops, metro, railway stations and airports.
  • To renovate (verb) — restore (something old, especially a building) to a good state of repair.
  • To resurface (roads) (verb) — to put a new surface on a road.
  • Residential area (noun) — a residential area is a land use in which housing predominates, as opposed to industrial and commercial areas.
  • Shopping spree (noun) — a short period of time in which someone buys a lot of things.
  • Facility (noun) — a place, especially including buildings, where a particular activity happens.
  • Foodstuff (noun) - a substance suitable for consumption as food.
  • To poke around (phrasal verb) - to search for something by moving things around, usually not in a very careful or organized way.
  • Well-off (adj.) - rich.
  • Foreseeable (adj.) - a foreseeable event or situation is one that can be known about or guessed before it happens.
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Questions and answers
Maria: Rory, where are you living now?

Rory: I live in a... Well, now I live in a three bedroom apartment with a pair of colleagues. It's great! It's kind of central, actually, or at least I think so.

Maria: What's your address and the flat number?

Rory: I'm not telling you that.

Maria: What's your passport number?

Rory: No!

Maria: OK, right. Confidential. Off record. Do you like the area where you live in?

Rory: Well, I like it, but my friend said it's like the boondocks. I wish there were more shops nearby, I guess. But that's what the subway is for, so it's not so bad.

Maria: What do you like most about your area?

Rory: It's... Well, it's mostly quiet and there's a lot of greenery around. And I have a balcony this time so I can actually, like, stand outside and see the trees, which is good. And the transport links are quite well developed as well. So I can get around a bit more easily than before.

Maria: What do you dislike about your area?

Rory: It's mostly quiet, I suppose. There's a children's play park outside which can get pretty loud. And despite the fact I have a balcony, it probably needs to be renovated. So there are some small dislikes, but nothing major, to be honest with you.

Maria: What have been some changes in your area?

Rory: Um, well, I'm not sure about this exact place because I just moved here. But if we talk about the area in general, people say that the immigrant population is growing. But I guess you could say that about a lot of Moscow... and some of the roads seem to have been resurfaced as well. But those are the only big changes that I noticed. Everything seems to remain the same.

Maria: hat can be improved in your area?

Rory: We could get rid of the play park outside of my apartment. That would be nice. But actually, I'd like to see a greater range of shops nearby. Even though I can get there by the Metro, it would just be nicer to be able to walk outside and go to a shop. Although, obviously this place is more of a residential area than a place for shopping sprees. Um, and it would be nicer if I had a gym closer to where I live as well... Or a cheaper gym anyway, at the very least.

Maria: What facilities are there in your area?

Rory: Well, like I say, the gym, but it's very expensive, so I don't go there. I go to one that's further away and a little bit cheaper. It's almost exactly the same, though. I don't know why it's so expensive. Then there are a few shops for some foodstuffs and some parks. I suppose, maybe if I poke around a bit more I can find some new stuff.

Maria: Do you know any famous people in your area?
Rory: Not really. But then it's not like this place is a very well-off area or anything... So I doubt there are any famous people living here.

Maria: Do you intend to stay in this area in the future?

Rory: Well, I'll stay here for the foreseeable future or at least... Sorry for the rest of the year and then I'll move back to Scotland.
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