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	Our person in ...

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This page has the online practice materials for:
LearnEnglish Elementary Podcast Magazine No. 01
Section 4 -Our Person in...

You can listen online or download the podcast at Podcast 01 Home
You can also get print versions of the practice materials below in our Podcast 01 - Support Pack (pdf-350k).
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Section 4 - Our Person in...
This section begins when the counter on your audio player is on (approximately) 06.35

Section 4 is based on 'Our Person in...'. It helps you to listen to other people speaking for a little longer than they speak in a conversation, like a radio or television news report. When people prepare written reports, they are often a little more formal, and use more complex words and structures.

Suggestion: The notes here are to help you to think of things to say, and the best order to say them. Make notes and then join these together to make a paragraph. Why not send it to us?*

You listened to Mike talking about Central Park in New York.

Think about a place in your city that you want to tell people about. It might be a park or a famous square –somewhere you like or somewhere people go to relax.

Think about:

Who goes there?
Why do people go there?
What is the history of the place – how old is it?
Why do you like it?

Now put your ideas together to write a paragraph about the place. Go to the bottom of the page to do this.

Transcript

Ravi: The next part of the show is called ‘Our person in’. We’ll listen to people in interesting places all over the world telling us something about life in the country they’re in. Today, we’ll hear from Mike Southern. Mike is … Our man in New York.
Mike: New York. What do you think of? Skyscrapers. Taxis. Noise. People. John Lennon said that New York is the capital city of the world – and it certainly feels that way.
But in the centre of this exciting, noisy, polluted city there is a place to find peace and quiet. A short walk from busy Fifth Avenue in Manhattan you’ll find Central Park. Central Park is the green heart of New York City and over 25 million people come here each year to escape the city. People run, swim, climb or simply sit and read a book in the huge park’s different scenery. And it’s not just for people. Lots of rare birds have made their home in the park and there are legends of big cats hiding in the dark trees.
Although it looks completely natural, the park is man made, created over 150 years ago. Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux designed the park at a time when the city was a very crowded, dirty and unhealthy place to live. They wanted to make a place where rich and poor people could find fresh air in the dirty city.
It does the same job today. As a friend of mine always tells me, “Life in New York would be impossible without Central Park”

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Continue to: Practice materials: Section 5: Your turn
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	A place

At 17 Nov 2009 10:25 Hany, from cairo wrote:

Cairo is the capital of Egypt, It is old & big histroical city, i think it is now 1000 years ago. Also it is so huge & very crowded, with high pollution percent. That was happened from many reasons & bad government planning many many years ago. Now, they are expanding horizontal, to go out from cairo, and make many small cities for people. For example, 6th October , El Rehab cities. For my self, i wish to move out from cairo and live in 6th October.

At 19 Aug 2009 13:39 TomÃ¡s wrote:

In Almeria we can to find the Alcazaba. The alcazaba is a big castle, it was built by the moroocos when Almeria was of the Africa. Alcazaba is a big castle of Stone wher lived 10.000 people many years ago. Now a day we can to fin million of guns, paints, skeleetoes. Many people of spain and the around world visit dayly the castile. I am very happy of La Alcazaba is in Almeria because is one of the best castle in the europe.

At 14 Jul 2009 23:35 Patricia wrote:

I'm Colombian and the great thing with the city I'm living now(Cali) is the weather, it's very stable or regular so you can do any sort of activities, people here enjoy to go swimming there are swimming pool(one for adults and other one for children) in each group of houses or apartements I don't know how it's known there or in another countries: a group of houses or apartements with a porter or watchman(woman) or guard. People likes dance specially "salsa".It's basically a very tropical and cheerful city.

At 19 Jun 2009 20:51 martina.vagner wrote:

I really like some special place near to the town where I was born. My name is Martina and I was born i Tabor in Czech Republic. The place I can talk about is in south part of Czech Republic and it is known in my country as something like Lake District but the lakes are not really lakes but ponds. Even if some of them are so great like lakes. Which is really special is that the ponds are built by peoples to drain other land and to make it suitable for agriculture and at once to get this ponds for fishing. This operation begun during the 15. century and in the course of time here has arisen beautiful resort where you can ride your bicycle or go for short or long or very long walk with your family or friends. Some people go there fishing or swimmig and sunbathing during the summer. Many people have there their summer flats or cottages, what is a next special habit in my country. These cottages are not house but smaller buildings with only one floor often and really small garden around, so neighbours are very near to each other. These cottage âvilliagesâ lines some parts of the ponds banks, which give this place a special colouring. Some parts of this resor are also unique nature places where are rare animals or plants. There are deep and quiet forests between some ponds areas where you can or just simply walk and hear the songs of the wild birds or pick up berries in the summer or just do what you want. But you cannot make a mess, or make a noise, or make fire. You cannot ,of course, fish without a permit or jeopardize protected species. We go to pick up very delicious funghi also there. I think it is one of the most beautiful parts of my country.

At 11 Jun 2009 21:04 ouseem wrote:

I'm from Egypt and I live in Cairo,The Capital of Egypt.It's very crowded, noisy, polluted and busy streets. But there are many beautiful and ancient places we can visit. "The Pyramids" is one of the oldest places in the world. When you see them, you feel something strange you never feel like that before. Tousists come from all over the world to see themselves how the Egyptian in ancient time"The Pharoahs" could build these buildings. Oubama the president of USA visited them in his last visit to Egypt. Near the pyramids, there is a huge statue called"The Sphinx". Its head is like a lion and its body is like a man. It's wonderful.Everyone should visit Egypt to enjoy watching many ancient places.

At 31 Mar 2009 10:42 Elena wrote:

Eventhough I come from a capital city, there is one of the quietest spots in the world... "El templo de Devot" or DevotÂ´s temple. It was given by the egiptians to the spaniards as we help them out with the reconstruction of Abu SimbleÂ´s Temple. It is sort of right in the middle of the city, but located near a hill that goes on to a bigger park, and for that reason you donÂ´t get the noises of the city. It is Egypt in Madrid, so I fully recomend you to got there

At 16 Mar 2009 14:06 Svetlana, Russia wrote:

There are many beautiful and interesting places in our city. But the Volga is the best place. The Volga is the river in our town. Many people come to the bank of the river. In any season. Summer is the most popular and favorite season. Family come to this place. Children swim, play, sunshine. In the evening young people find funny disco there. The romantic couples sit in the park near the Volga. The sportman run from one side to other side every morning. The length of the bank is 17 km. Builger started to build this place in 1964 year.

At 6 Jan 2009 12:13 magic rainbow wrote:

Well, this is not exactly a park, but itÂ´s a small,quite and nice place outdoors from the city I live.ItÂ´s name is Mirador de Carmen Alto from where you have a very amazing view of the volcano of the city, the river next to it, and of course the nature. May tourist visitors come to this place everyday to appreciate this privilegious view, you can also get a refreshing papaya or tumbo juice, while you sit i the grass and taking pictures.

At 24 Nov 2008 11:40 A correspondent wrote:

I live in Irun, a small city near de Cantabrian sea. There is an ecological park which calls Playaundi. People go there to relax, to take a walk, tu run, to read, and so on. Playaundi is a natural park where lots of migratory birds come, stay and, finally, go in each season. It is too interenting to take a spyglass to look what the birds do anytime and anywhere. We can learn much about birds into its habitat. Some days groups of children with them teachers go through the park to see what the birds do.

At 15 Jul 2008 15:37 Daniela wrote:

Rome is a big and an ancient city, but there are many places where people can go to escape traffic, noise and stress ... In fact in the south-west of Rome there's Villa Doria Pamphilj: the biggest park of Rome! People like going there running, cycling, walking, meeting friends, or simply going there to read a book or a newspaper. The park is one of the most important place for bird watching; there's the House of theatre too inside Villino Corsini and in the summer there are many concerts. In the past V.D.P. was a villa of a rich and noble Roman family. It's made in 1630 and it's became a park open to a public in 1972. I enjoy going there ... I can do what I want especially whe I feel unhappy I can simply admire a fantastic panorama or run for half an hour and the stress go on ...