IELTS Listening: city problems and solutions

Watch the video and fill in the gaps in the summary below.

Summary:

There are more people living in cities than in ______ areas. Urbanisation is the defining phenomenon of this century; half of the world’s population is urban. Many people are enticed from rural areas by the ______ of a better life. We need to improve living conditions for the urban poor by providing adequate ______, clean water and ______.

One key to making cities ______ better is good planning. Planners need to ______ cities to make them beneficial for all citizens. Cities need green transport and green ______; they need to be energy ______ and pedestrian- ______, with housing and jobs to ______ people to come to live there.

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Comments

[ahmedtawfik13@yahoo.com]

Hi,Simon;
1-Rural areas
2-year
3-shelter
4-work
5-Transform
6-spaces
7-efficient
8-friendly
9-attract
CHEERS.AHMED

[ahmedtawfik13@yahoo.com]

I forgot sanitation which is in the blanket 4

[Jean]

Hi Simon,
1. rural
2. yearn
3. shelter
4. sanitation
5. spaces
6. work
7. transform
8. efficient
9. friendly
10. provide

Regards!

[Johnny]

Hi Simon
My answers:
1. rural
2. liver
3. shelter
4. sanitation is a must.
5. work
6. transform
7. spaces
8. efficient
9. friendly
10.attract

[Brey]

Hi simon my answers are:
1. rural
2. lure
3. shelter
4. sanitation
5. work
6. transform
7. spaces
8. efficient
9. friendly
10. attract

hope i got it all right... thanks!

[Vu Hai]

1. rural
2. yearn
3. shelters
4. sanitation
5. worth
6. transform
7. spaces
8. efficient
9. friendly
10. attract

[leo]

hi~ simon
my answer is

1. rural
2. near?
3. work
4. slether
5. work
6. transfrom
7. spaces
8. efficient
9. friendly
10.attract

[Diane]

Hi Simon,

My answers are:
1. rural
2. lure
3. shelter
4. sanitation
5. work
6. transform
7. spaces
8. efficient
9. friendly
10. attract

Thank you.

[m hatab]

hi

[m hatab]

hi simon
thanks for your help
1-rural
2-yearn
3-shelter
4-sanitation
5-work
6-transform
7-spaces
8-efficient
9-friendly
10-attract

[Trang Tran]

Hi, Simon. Here is my answer:
1. rural
2. lier
3. shelter
4. sanitation
5. worth
6. transform
7. spaces
8. efficient
9. friendly
10. attract

[Simon]

FROM SIMON. CORRECT ANSWERS:

1. rural
2. lure (means "attraction" or "temptation")
3. shelter
4. sanitation
5. work
6. transform
7. spaces
8. efficient
9. friendly
10. attract

Check your answers, especially number 2.

Thanks for your contributions.

Simon

[Cuong coc]

Hi Simon,

The last sentence the speaker said " to keep our cities ... in the future". I can hear the sound but do not know how to spell the word. Could you help me? Thank you.

Cuong

[Simon]

Hi Cuong,

The speaker said "livable/liveable" (it can be spelled in 2 ways). It means "good to live in".

[Cuong coc]

Thank you, Simon.

[Simon]

No problem.

[Asma]

what is the meaning of sanitation

[Simon]

Hi Asma,

This is what the dictionary says:

conditions relating to public health, esp. the provision of clean drinking water and adequate sewage disposal.

[susan]

hi simon
1 rural
2 lurel
3 shelter
4 sanitation
5 work
6 transform
7 space
8 efficient
9 friendly 10 attract

[Simon]

Hi Susan,

Check my answers in my comment further up this page. Look for "FROM SIMON. CORRECT ANSWERS"

Simon

[TinaLeng]

Hi Simon,

I have been keen on browsing your site in order to prepare my ielts exam these days. I would like to say THANK YOU for so much valuable, practical information.

Here's my dictation for this video.

For the first time in history, there are more people living in cities than in rural areas. the number is expected to double in the next 30 years. Urbanization is the defining phenomenon of this century; Today, as we speak, half of the world's population is urban. one major challenge is that more than 1 billion people living in slums or squater(?) settlements. Many enticed from rural areas by the lure of a better life.Improving living conditions for the urban poor by providing adequate shelter, clean water and sanitation is a must.

while the incidence of the poverty might be more in rural areas. the concentrate of poverty is definitely more alarming in urban areas.

organization is expected to do increase build areas by a third. straning(?) services in available space dramatically.

It's very likely if our current trends continue that the wold is urbanized in a very disfunctional, inefficient and ultimate count product(???) fashion.

one key to making cities work better the expert say is good planning. what is really needed is long-term planning which allows for the reality that to really transform a city so that it becomes beneficial to all citizens, is something it would take, depending on the size of cities, a decade or more.

some urban authorities including half of the Phillipines,120 cities have already taken this to heart. and adopting city developement strategies,encouraged by the city alliance in the world bank.

if you're looking at cities where you want green transport, if you want green spaces, you want energy efficient cities, you want pedestrian-friendly cities, if you want cities which have housing for all, and at the same time cities which are competitive to be able to attract industries and provide jobs to people and attract people into the cities.

there're still some places unclear to me:
in slums or squater(?) settlements
straning(?) services
and ultimate count product(???) fashion

[Tony]

rural, year, ??, ??
work, transform, spaces, ??, ??, attract

[Tony]

rural, year, shelter, sanitation,
work, transform, spaces, efficiency, ??, attract

[sam]

-rural
-allure
-shelter
-sanitation
-work
-transform
-spaces
-efficiency
-friendly
-the

[Harry Vo]

rural
lure
shelter
sanitation
work
transform
spaces
efficient
friendly
attract