New York City
Vocabulary
| region | midtown | concourse |
| up to | colonist | Big Apple |
| hope | wave (3) | display (2) |
| liberty | proudly | metropolitan |
| mythic | visionary | contribute |
| grid | chill out | documentary |
| explore | subway | straight forward (2) |
| attract | situated | terminal (2) |
| empire | generous | skyscraper |
| skyline | dizzying | breathtaking |
| iconic | art deco | depression (2) |
| spree | farewell | high temple |
| retail | shape (2) | eye-popping |
| snap | fabulous | crossroads |
| civic | snap up | attraction |
| radiate | meadow | endearing |
| blessed | draw (2) | humankind |
| dizzy | appetite | inspiration |
| chance | absence | masterpiece |
| honor | resonate | bohemian |
| texture | diversity | well-heeled |
| retain | epitomize | distinctive |
| melt | borough | melting pot |
| spiral | taste (2) | bite-sized |
| feast | lifetime |
Video
Transcript
New York is situated in the northeast region of the United States of America.
Over eight million people call the Big Apple home. And the city attracts up to 50 million visitors a year.
Ever since the colonists arrived in 1624, New York has been continuously shaped by the waves of immigrants drawn here by the promise of hope and liberty.
Every newcomer arrived with a cultural suitcase that contributed to the sounds, tastes and textures of New York.
But it’s their dreams which built the city — a city like no other.
New York not only touches the heavens with its mythic skyline, its influence radiates to every corner of the globe.
Every street corner it seems familiar through documentaries, movies and songs.
New York’s straightforward grid system makes it an easy city to explore by foot, taxi or by its subway, which just like its city, never sleeps.
In Manhattan’s midtown, you’ll find many of the Big Apple’s iconic symbols. The art deco designed Empire State Building is one of the most impressive and endearing skyscrapers ever created.
The skyline may have grown up around it, but the view from the 102nd floor is as breathtaking today as it was when it first opened in 1931.
New York has always been a place where when the going got tough, the tough got going: the Rockefeller Center, a visionary city within a city, rose during the darkest days of the Great Depression.
Today, it’s still a place of creativity, inspiration, and even more incredible views of the city.
Closer to Earth is Grand Central Terminal. Step into the main concourse and feel the echo of every tearful farewell and joyous greeting throughout the station’s history.
New York has always been the gateway to the Land of the Free. But it is also the city of the spree — the shopping spree.
The city is shopaholic heaven. And Fifth Avenue with its eye-popping window displays, is the high temple of the retail world.
Time Square: one of the most visited tourist attractions on the planet.
Stand here on the corner of Broadway and Seventh Avenue, and you stand in the crossroads of the world.
It’s also the place to snap up a half-price ticket to a Broadway show.
New York has been blessed with generous civic spaces. But there is no greater chill-out space in the Big Apple than Central Park, a beautiful 850-acre network meadows and lakes.
This is the place for New Yorkers to come and rest, romance and express themselves.
Over the decades, many New Yorkers made it big. And much of that fabulous wealth was reinvested in collecting some of the greatest artworks on the planet.
Nowadays, much of this art is available for everyone to enjoy. A walk through the Metropolitan Museum of Art is a walk through 5,000 years of humankind’s greatest creative moments.
The Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Guggenheim is a different kind of walk, one which spirals ever upward, through a dizzying collection of twentieth and twenty-first century masterpieces.
Newcomers to New York spend much of their time looking skyward. But since the 2001 Attack on the World Trade Center, a new attraction gives locals and visitors a chance to pause and bow their heads.
The Reflecting Absence Memorial and museum honors the three-thousand people who lost their lives on that darkest of September days.
New York resonates with the sounds of over 800 language groups. And nothing epitomizes this diversity like the city’s neighborhoods.
Little Italy packs all the tastes and flavors of Italy into just a couple of streets, while Soho attracts cool cats and well-heeled bohemians from all over the world.
A few streets away, Greenwich Village proudly retains the cafes and bars for creative residents like Bob Dylan, who first performed before becoming American icons.
And then, there are the boroughs. Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge to the melting pot of Brooklyn, with its own distinctive neighborhoods, museums, open spaces . . .
And who can forget Coney Island.
So welcome to New York City — the Big Apple.
We’ve only just given you a bite-sized taste of what this incredible city has to offer.
But if you’ve got an appetite for the very best things that live has to offer, this is the destination for you. There’s enough to feast on here for a lifetime.
Questions
New York City. New York City is in the middle of the United States. True or false? Does the economy of New York depend entirely on banking, finance, shipping and transportation?
Boston. Is New York City a completely “American” city? Is the culture of New York 100% American? Is New York City an average city in the US? Are only Americans familiar with New York?
Philadelphia. People need a private car to get around the city of New York. Is this right or wrong?
Washington, D.C. What are some famous buildings in New York City?
Miami. The most famous place in New York City is Wall Street. Is this correct or incorrect? What are some places culture that visitors can experience in New York?
San Francisco. Is all of New York City happy and festive?
Las Vegas. Does everyone in New York speak English?
London. Are you from New York? Do you live in New York? Have you ever been to New York? What impressed you most? How would you describe the city? Do you know anyone who lives there?
Paris. I would like to live in New York. Yes or no? Why would you like to live there? Why wouldn’t you like to live there? Would you like to visit New York?
Beijing. Are there any negative aspects of New York?
Istanbul. Is your city similar to New York? Does your city have things in common with New York? What are some similarities?
Delhi. Have you visited other great cities?
Bangkok. Should other cities try to copy or emulate New York City?
Rio de Janeiro. What will happen to New York (and other metropolises) in the future?
