Intro
1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.
2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.
Portland is one of the fastest growing cities in the United States. For a number of years, it has been ranked as one of the best places to live. It is only two hours from the coast and it is surrounded by beautiful forests and mountains. There is not a lot of serious crime, and people in the city are generally friendly and approachable.
With all of these great features, why am I so disappointed with the city?
Listen to Kevin and I talk about it.
Dialog
1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.
2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.
Kevin |
Dave: Hey, Kev, I’ve been in Portland now for maybe five months. It’s just not my cup of tea.
Kevin: Why not?
Dave: Ah, you know, I’ve told you this before. There are so many hippies here, people, people are polite, but I don’t find them to be very friendly.
Kevin: Really?
Dave: Yeah.
Kevin: I’ve, I’m, in all seriousness, I mean, you know this, that I’ve lived in a lot of places and I’ve never lived in a place where there are friendlier people. More like, outgoing, really, you know, like, relaxed and it’s a very chilled out place. You know, a lot of people – maybe it’s the high unemployment, lots of people hanging out in coffee shops…
Dave: Yeah.
Kevin: ...and, you know, just, I just find people very friendly. People come up to me all the time and just chat.
Dave: Like I’ve said, I’d really like to go back to Boston. That’s a place where I felt people were doing cool things, instead of just hanging around, smoking 420 and having a good old time. People were actually doing things, and I found them friendly. But, then, I know people who’ve been to Boston and find people cold, so.
Kevin: Well, that’s why you move to different cities to find your spot.
Dave: Right.
Kevin: I was talking to a friend of mine the other day, who moved here like a year and a half ago from Philadelphia, and he said the same thing, that when he first moved, he said it took him about a year, but first he was like, ‘God, what is it? These people are like, just too chilled out.’
Dave: Yeah!
Kevin: He said, after a year, he said now he loves living here. He said, ‘I just love it.’
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Discussion
Although the city is surrounded by the natural beauty of forests and mountains, Portland leaves much to be desired. The city has poor job and income growth compared to other cities around the nation, even though a number of large companies such as Intel, Nike and Columbia Sportswear have headquarters nearby.
What do you look for in a city? Do you like living in small towns or large cities?