Unit 1 – City vs Village Life
Warm-Up Activities
Activity 1: Image Association
Look at the two images below. In the text box, write down at least three words or phrases that come to mind for each picture.
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Activity 2: Vocabulary Matching
Match each word to the definition that best explains its meaning.
Activity 3: Quick Poll
Where would you rather live? There is no right or wrong answer!
- A) A big, bustling city
- B) A small, serene village
- C) I’m not sure.
Hearing the Big Picture: Listening for Gist and Main Ideas
On the TOEFL test, one of the first questions you will always be asked is about the main idea or gist of the listening passage. The gist is the overall topic or main point of the conversation or lecture.
How to Listen for the Main Idea:
- Listen carefully to the first 20-30 seconds. The main topic is usually introduced at the beginning.
- Pay attention to repeated words or ideas. If you hear words like “traffic,” “convenience,” and “shopping malls” multiple times, the topic is likely about city life.
- Listen for summary statements. Often, speakers will summarize their point of view at the end.
TOEFL-Style Gist Questions:
- “What are the speakers mainly discussing?”
- “What is the main topic of the conversation?”
- “What is the main purpose of the lecture?”
Now, let’s practice this skill. You will listen to a short conversation between two students, Rina and David.
By applying the skill above, we can figure out the main idea of the conversation between Rina and David.
- Listen to the beginning: David mentions his commute taking 90 minutes. Rina contrasts that with her short walk. → The topic seems to be about where they live and commuting.
- Notice repeated ideas: They talk about “traffic,” “convenience,” “peaceful environment,” “amenities,” “cost of living.” These all compare living in the city vs. living outside the city.
- Listen for summary statements: Toward the end, they say, “It’s all about trade-offs… Neither is perfect.” That clearly sums up their discussion.
With that, we can conclude that the main idea is that Rina and David are comparing the advantages and disadvantages of living in the city versus living outside the city.
Skill Practice
Let’s practice your listening skills! Below are audio clips for each question in the quiz. Make sure to listen to the audio clip that corresponds to its question. (i.e. question 1 audio for question 1 in the quiz).
Question 1
Question 2
Question 3
Question 4
Question 5
You’ve reached the end of the lesson. Click the button below to begin your Evaluation Quiz.