1. Comprehension

Small-Town Life

Which way of completing each of the following sentences agrees with the original text?

Some sentences may be completed in more than one way.

1. The Rundens moved to Corydon because

1. Linda was born there.

1. Ed had been offered a job at the local newspaper.

2. they had been attracted by the reports in the local newspaper.

2. Professionally, Edward Runden

1. had always wanted to become a teacher.

1. used to work as a correspondent for different press agencies.

2. failed to make a career in the Foreign Service.

3. Ed Runden met Linda in Chicago when

1. he reported on a demonstration for a news agency.

1. he protected her from demonstrators.

2. she took part in a demonstration.

4. Ed Runden left the Foreign Service because

1. they sent all newspapermen back to Chicago.

1. he tried in vain to get to Teheran.

2. he did not agree with the U.S. foreign policy.

5. When comparing small-town life and life in the big cities

1. both Ed and Linda were equally glad to have left big city life.

2. Ed is happier about small-town life than Linda.

3. Linda is happier about small-town life than Ed.

6. Linda Runden likes living in Corydon because

1. everybody knows and is involved with everybody else.

2. the people there are very conservative.

3. she hates the crowds in big cities.

7. According to Ed Runden, one of the disadvantages of small-town life is, for example, that

1. private life is rather restricted.

2. people look at each other from a distance.

1. he does not want other people to know about his Swiss bank account.

8. In Ed's opinion, however, the advantages of small-town life outweigh the disadvantages because

1. there is not so much theft in small communities.

2. people take less interest in their neighbors' affairs.

3. the individual plays a more important role than in the big cities.

2. Text Reproduction

Revival of a City's Virtues

The diagram below renders the structure and organization of the article, which falls into three parts:

The visit

Life in the city

The development of inner city neighborhoods On the basis of the diagram, use your own words to reconstruct the argument and organization of this text.

purpose of the visit

the outside of the house

the inside of the house

THE URBANIZATION OF AMERICA 95

racial problems in inner city neighborhoods

first experience of living in an inner city neighborhood

frequent misconceptions of city life

attractiveness of city life

the original neighborhood60 or 70 years ago

change of the social structure of thecommunity

deterioration of the neighborhood

recent renewal of neighborhoods

the diversity of neighborhoods

3.Discussion

1. List and discuss the arguments for and against small town or city life mentioned in the texts "Small-Town Life" and "Revival of a City's Virtues."

2. Is there a similar difference between small town life and city life in your country?

3. Where would you prefer to live, in a small town or in a big city a) in America? b) in your own country? Give reasons.