Topic Eleven: Town Life

Dictation 27

Budapest

Budapest has a population of over two million people. One in every five Hungarians lives there. The River Danube divides the city into two parts. Six bridges join them. On the west bank there are the woods and hills of Buda and the old town. On the east bank there is the bigger and

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more modern Pest, the business and shopping centre. From Buda there are wonderful views of Pest and the river.

For nearly a thousand years Buda and Pest were two towns. Then in 1873 they joined and became one city, Budapest.

Budapest is very unusual because it has two completely different parts. You can choose the peace and quiet of Buda's woods or the excitement of Pest, where there are exquisite theatres, restaurants, bars, and luxurious expensive boutiques. The public transport system in Budapest is one of the best and cheapest in the world. You can travel easily by underground, bus, tram, and taxi, but driving a car in Budapest is not a good idea as there are a lot of junctions, complicated crossroads and a lot of traffic jams. Moreover there are not many parking lots and the streets are crooked and narrow. So in the daytime it's tough to find a space to park. Most cars are old, so the level of pollution is very bad.

The healthiest thing to do in the city is to visit one of the thirty spa baths and swimming pools. The mineral waters of Budapest are famous and a very popular way to relax.

Dictation 28

Prague

In the heart of Europe there is a small country the Czech Republic. Its capital Prague has a population of over one million people. It is not an immense city, but it attracts thousands of tourists annually as it is certainly one of the most picturesque cities. It is built on seven hills on the banks of the River Vltava. Fifteen bridges cross the winding river. The most famous is Charles Bridge, which joins Prague castle and the old town. The view of it from the river is simply gorgeous.

Some people say Prague is the most beautiful city in the world! They call it "The Golden City" because it still has many statues and medieval buildings. Perhaps the most popular of them is the Old Town Hall with its amazing 15^th century astronomical clock. The chief peculiarity of the city is the quay paved with stones where pedestrians can stroll enjoying the scenery.

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People also call Prague "Europe's School of Music". There are many concert halls and every May there is a unique festival "Prague Spring". Visitors can enjoy not only spiritual advantages of the city but can experience the joys of life as well. There are more than twenty fashionable theatres, many old pubs, luxurious bars and exquisite restaurants.

In spite of the size of the city the public transport service is rather rapid and extended. There is now a modern underground, but traffic is still a real problem caused by different reasons: first of all a great number of traffic lights in the city centre slow down the streams of cars. Secondly there are a lot of walking areas especially in the ancient part of the city. Lastly the streets are rather narrow. So it is often better to walk and feel the atmosphere of the city with its pretty little streets.