Living in the city or living in the country?

Living in the city or living in the country?

Some people prefer the city, others like the countryside: the place where you live should reflect your personality and your lifestyle.
If you live in a big city, everything is very convenient and you never have to travel far to get anything. Shops stay open until late into the evening, and some stay open 24 hours a day. There are always lots of things to do, and you can see all the latest films, exhibitions, and concerts. There are plenty of buses and taxis, and it is easy to get round.
Unfortunately, if you live in a big city you have to put up with all the traffic and the pollution. Some people don`t care about their environment and throw litter everywhere, and the walls are often covered in graffiti.
Living in the country is great if you like doing outdoor activities such as walking and mountain biking. Houses are usually cheaper in the country, and people have more space. A lot of people have their own gardens. The quality of life generally is better in the country. People are friendlier and more relaxed, and there is less pollution than in the cities.
The trouble with living in the country is that it can be a little bit boring sometimes. There is not so much entertainment available, and you often have to travel a long way if you want to see a film or do the weekly shopping.
All in all, there are a lot of advantages and disadvantages to both cities and the countryside, so the choice where you live will depend on your personality and requirements.


... and more: television, technology, computers, organic food

Is television a good thing or a bad thing?

98% of homes in the USA have at least one television, and on average Americans watch about four hours every day. In other countries, the figures are similar. Television clearly plays an important part in most people`s lives, but this is far from being a good thing.
On the positive side, people use television as a way of entertaining themselves, especially in the evenings after work. After watching a soap opera or reality TV show, people often like to talk about it with their friends the next day. Television also provides an opportunity to keep up to date with the news, and people can increase their knowledge by watching documentaries and programs on practical subjects such as cooking.
Unfortunately, television also has many negative effects. It is not healthy for people to spend several hours on the sofa watching the screen. Sometimes people seem more interested in watching the TV than talking to their family. Furthermore, a lot of programs which are broadcast are of very poor quality. On top of that, there is too much violence on television which may be a bad influence on young people.
In summary, I would argue that although television can entertain and educate us, we must not let it take over our lives.

How has modern technology affected our lives?

Modern technology has had a great effect on our lives, both in the home and at work.
            Labour-saving devices such as washing machines, dishwashers, and microwaves have made life much easier, and mean that less time needs to be spent doing things like washing and cleaning.
            Unfortunately all the white goods that we buy need electricity, and we are using up the earth`s natural resources. Also when we throw away old fridges, microwaves etc., it can have a very bad effect on the environment.
            In the office, computers, email, and photocopiers have revolutinised the way we work. People in different parts of the world can communicate with each other instantly, and business can be done much more quickly. The business world is constantly changing. The end result is that workers have to change jobs much more often and learn new skills in order to keep up with all the latest technological advances.

The advantages of computers

         
It is difficult to imagine a world without computers. We use them in almost every area of our lives: at work, at school, and in our homes.
Computers have brought many advantages. They make it possible to access huge amounts of information very quickly and do complicated tasks in a short time. Instead of waiting inside a bank to get money from our bank accounts, we can use machines in the streets 24 hours a day. People can communicate with each other instantly by email, and you can buy almost anything on the Internet without having to leave your home. Many people now work from home using a computer, and use the computer in their leisure time for playing computer games or just surfing the net. Children growing up today can`t imagine what life was like before computers. They think it must have been very dull.
Whether we like it or not, computers have profoundly changed our lives.

Why eat organic food?

            It is easy to criticise organic food. It is more expensive, it often does not taste very different from ordinary food, and it does not keep well, beause it has fewer preservatives in it. Some people like to buy it because it is the fashionable thing to do. So why should we choose to buy organic food?
Organic food is free from harmful chemicals, for example chemicals used to control weeds and insects. Although ordinary food costs less to buy in the shops than organic food, there is another hidden cost. The cost is the damage that is caused to the environment and to people`s health.
Some people say that we need to continue to produce food in large quantities using non-organic methods, in order to feed people in the developing world. In fact, the controlled use of chemicals and factory farming methods in developing countries can cause the land to become useless for cultivation in only a few years.
For all these reasons, it seems better to choose organic food, so that we can protect our environment for future generations.

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