In this lesson, we are focusing on vocabulary used to describe cities, particularly the city environment  – the places, buildings and locations that you can refer to when talking or writing about cities.

Take a look at the list below. How many words do you know? If there are any words you are not familiar with, we strongly recommend that you look them up in a dictionary. Once you have looked through the list, try the vocabulary exercise that follows.

Public transportation:

• subway/underground/train/metro/light rail/ferry/Tube (UK English)
• mass transit/queue

Sanitation:

• landfill
• waste disposal

infrastructure:

• electricity
• sewage
• water
• power
• telecommunications

Amenities:

• parks/libraries/clubs/zoos
• megacentres/malls/boutiques
• theatres/cinema complex/galleries/botanical gardens

Roads and traffic

• traffic jam(s)
• (heavy) traffic congestion
• motorway  (UK English)
• freeway (US English)
• highway
• lane/road/street/boulevard/avenue

Pollution

• noise pollution
• light pollution
• Smog

1)   The basic, and essential, facilities and services of a city such as bridges, roads and power supplies 
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2)   Slow-moving traffic, because of too many vehicles
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3)   Waste water that needs to be safely removed from housing areas and cleaned
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4) Where rubbish is buried in a hole and then eventually covered with earth
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5) In many cities, the residents cannot see the night sky clearly because streets lamps and other factors cause too much
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6) The British English word for a train service, often underground, that helps commute get around a city  (most commonly in London)
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7) A thick layer of pollution that hangs over a city, often looking like bad weather / grey sky
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