IELTS Vocabs - Town and City

Town and City
Part 1-style questions
Examiner: What is it like where you live?
Christiane: I live in a residential area of a busy town in the south of Spain  we have all the facilities you need  good public transport  a good shopping centre  it’s nice 
shopping centre: an area consisting of multiple shops
residential area: an area where people live
Examiner: Do you like living in the city?
Andrea: Yes I do  I like going out with my friends and there are lots of lively bars and restaurants within walking distance of my apartment  I’m a bit of a culture vulture as well so it’s great to have access to art exhibitions and that kind of thing 
lively bars/restaurants: bars or restaurants with a good atmosphere
Examiner: Do you get many tourists visiting your area?
Mandy: Not really no  I live in the inner-city and the area is a little run down  it’s basically a lot of high-rise flats and many of the shops are boarded up  so nothing to interest tourists really 
high-rise flats: multi-story apartments
inner-city: the central part of a city where people live and where condidions are often poor
boarded up shops: shops that are no longer doing business
run down: old and of a poor standard
Part 2-style task
Describe an interesting town or city in your country that visitors might enjoy. You should say
what the place is called
where the place is
what the facilities are like
and say why visitors might enjoy going there.
Monique:  Anyone who comes to my country really should spend some time in Barcelona  it’s a beautiful place  it’s not what you would call a sprawling city  it’s quite compact really and you could walk across the city in a couple of hours  but there’s no need to do that as we have a fantastic public transport system so it’s easy to get around  there are various districts all with their own character  you have the upmarket shops in the centre  you’ll find lots of chain stores you’ll recognise from your own country but also local brands as well  we have the narrow streets in the Gothic district with lots of fashionable boutiques and tourist attractions  there’s the Olympic area and the beaches along the coast  and dotted around the city are some lovely public spaces  parks and squares in the city centre and on the outskirts of Barcelona where people relax with their friends and family  and of course pavement cafes everywhere  all that and some great historical places of interest  so a great destination for tourists 
public transport system:  public vehicles such as buses and trains that operate at regular times on fixed routes
upmarket shops: expensive fashionable shops
to get around: to travel around
sprawling city: a city that has grown over time and which covers a wide area
chain stores: well-known brands with shops in multiple cities
fashionable boutiques: fashionable clothes shops
tourist attraction: a place of interest to tourists
public spaces: areas in a town or city that are open to the public
on the outskirts: on the parts of town or city that are furthest from the centre 
pavement cafe: cafes with tables outside on the pavement
places of interest: buildings that have a particular interest for visitors
Part 3-style questions
Examiner:  What are the advantages of living in a city or big town?
Carrie: I think it’s having access to local facilities really  local shops as well as access to larger shopping malls in the city centre  and if you’re well-off you can afford to live in the suburbs away from the busy traffic 
shopping malls: large indoor shopping centres
local facilities: local buildings or services serving the public
in the suburbs: the outer area of large towns and cities where people live
Examiner: In your experience are city centres usually attractive places?
Mary: Some can be yes  especially those with a historical interest  but sometimes they’re full of ugly office blocks  multi-story car parks  and residents living in poor housing it depends on the city doesn’t it?
multi-story car parks: car parks on several floors
office block: a large building that contains offices
poor housing: housing that is not in good condition
Examiner: What are some of the challenges facing towns and cities?
Penny: I suppose traffic congestion is a major problem  and the growth in out-of-town supermarkets and retail parks mean lots of town centre shops are closing down  plus a shortage of good quality housing  I think these are the major challenges 
Definitions
to close down: to stop doing business
out of town shopping centre/retail park: large shopping centres outside of the town or city
traffic congestion: heavy traffic making it difficult to move around a town or city