The 5 Best Things About Living in London—Worksheet
Activity 1) Pre-reading activity
Match the following words to their meaning. These words will help you understand the text.
A. clihé (adj.)
B. not bat an eyelid (phrase)
C. stand out (PV)
D. not break the bank (idiom)
E. top-notch (adj.)
- excellent; of the highest quality
2. to be much better or more important than sb/sth
3. a phrase or an idea that has been used so often that it no longer has much meaning and is not interesting
4. not show surprise when something unusual happens
5. it won’t cost a lot of money or more than you can afford
Example sentences.
A. Love Actually is such a cliché film. Guys always use cliché chat-up line when talking to girls.
B. If a kid starts crying in class, most teachers don't bat an eyelid. She spends so much, she doesn't bat an eyelid when something costs more than £1000.
C. The defender stood out as one of the best players in the match. He is standing out as one of the worst students in the class.
D. Our range of shoes are affordable and won't break the bank. We are arranging a cheap holiday that doesn't break the bank.
E. Thanks for cooking! The food was top-notch. The film was top-notch, I'd love to watch it again.
Activity 2) Summarising
Read the text and summarise it into a few sentences.
Activity 3) Ordering events
a) Read the following extracts from the text and put them in the correct order.
- There are so many free museums, galleries and exhibitions you can visit, as well as gigs and markets—you're often spoilt for choice!
- This is something newcomers to London soon realise – you can look pretty much however you fancy and nobody really cares!
- So if you're a foodie, you'll feel like you've died and gone to heaven!
- Neighbourhoods all around the city are home to different ethnic groups, so living in London you'll meet people from every part of the globe!
Activity 4) Comprehension
b) Answer the following comprehension questions to check your understanding of the text.
- How long has the author lived in London? How does she feel about it?
2. How do some people dress in London? (there are 3 examples)
3. Which parks and green spaces are the author's favourites? (there are 3)
4. Which items does the author list as being expensive?
Activity 5) Post-reading activity
Use the text as an example to write your own list of 5 things you love about your city. Make sure you include:
- An explanation of each of your 5 points
- Sub-headings (to help organise your blog post)
- Positive adjectives (such as ‘delicious’, ‘amazing’, ‘unique’ etc.)
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London can be a pretty undesirable place in many people's eyes. Gloomy weather, the highest house prices in Europe - the list goes on! There is one group of people, whoever, who are die-hard London fans - Londoners!
Have you read our blog post The 5 best things about living in London by Britcent tutor Stephanie? A Londoner herself, she talks about 5 things that make London stand out. Complete the worksheet above to get the most out of this blog post!
In the 'Vocabulary' section you'll see 3 words/phrases used in the blog post. Want to practise using them out loud? Take a look at the 'Questions' section.
Want this worksheet in PDF form? Check out 'Bonus content'! Want to check your understanding? You'll find the worksheet answers in the bonus content section, too!
Take your learning to the next level with our video of Britcent tutor Emma visiting London cafes, with her dog Percy! VLOG: British Coffee Culture - London Outing in Hampstead ft. Percy
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fancy (adjective)
→ : (sometimes disapproving) expensive or connected with an expensive way of life
Don't come back with any fancy ideas.
We stayed at some fancy hotel in the centre of London.
Children who are sent to fancy private schools tend to be a little spoiled.
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chic (adjective)
→ : fashionable and attractive in style
Paris is full of pavement cafés and chic boutiques—I was in heaven!
She a perfectly dressed woman with an air of chic.
Her gown was very French and very chic.
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stand out (verb)
→ : much better or much more important than other things of the same kind
He played the violin, and he stood out from all the other musicians.
Many people were involved in this conspiracy, but three stand out.
Four points stand out as being more important than the rest.
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What have you heard about London—does it have a good or a bad reputation?
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How does London compare to other capitals? Does it stand out or is it run of the mill?
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Have you ever heard of any chic London restaurants, cafes, shops, areas, etc.?
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Are all parts of London as fancy as Buckingham Palace?