Town or countryside?

Liz is a journalist. She is fifty-five years old. She is not married and she has no children. She
loves animals: horses, dogs and cats. Her office is in London,
but she lives in Yorkshire. Yorkshire is a district, called a
‘county’ in the north of England. Liz does not have to go into
the office; she works from home. She writes articles and
sends them by email. She has to travel, because she
interviews people all over the world: actors, writers, fashion
models. At the moment, her house is rented. Now she wants
to buy a house. She has to decide: live in London, or live in
the Yorkshire countryside. If she lives in London, there are
cinemas and theatres, which she loves. There are great
restaurants, so she will be able to eat out a lot. Travel will
be easy – there is the Underground and buses. Life will be
busy! If she buys a house in Yorkshire, there will be fields and open spaces. She can get a
horse and some dogs and cats. There will be fresh air and she can go hill-walking. The evenings
will be very quiet, just herself and her animals. However, getting to the airport will be
difficult. She has a boyfriend – David. He lives in London, but he is happy to travel to
Yorkshire and see Liz from time to time. He does not give her any advice. Liz does not know
what to do.
Say if the statements are true or false: Liz lives
here
1. Liz is an artist.T/F
2. She is over fifty.T/F
3. She has three children.T/F
4. She is an animal lover.T/F
5. She is thinking about moving house.T/F
6. An advantage of living in London is the theatre.T/F
7. If she stays in Yorkshire, she can get some animals.T/F
8. Transport is excellent in Yorkshire.T/F
9. Her boyfriend wants her to stay in Yorkshire.T/F

Answer the questions:

1. What is Liz’s job?
________________________________________________________
2. Where does she live? _____________________________________________________
3. What is her marital status? ________________________________________________
4. How does she feel about animals?
____________________________________________
5. Does she have to go to the office every day? __________________________________
6. What kind of people does she interview?
_______________________________________
7. How does she feel about the theatre? ________________________________________
8. What is one advantage of living in Yorkshire?
___________________________________
 9. Where does David want Liz to live? __________________________________________

>>> Where would you like to live – in town, or in the countyside? What are the main
advantages of living in town? What are the disadvantages? What are the positives about living
in a small village in the countryside? What are the downsides?

KEYS

1f, 2t, 3f, 4t, 5t, 6t, 7t, 8f, 9f

1. She is a journalist.
2. She lives in Yorkshire. (so do I. We call in ‘God’s own country’).
3. She is single/ unmarried/not married.
4. She loves them.
5. No, she works remotely (from home).
6. Actors, writers, fashion models.
7. She loves it.
8. The hills/the open spaces/fresh air/you can have animals.
9. We don’t know. He doesn’t get involved! He is terrified of her, so he says nothing… 😊