B1 – Intermediate
Because of globalization and the need to look for better jobs, it has become common for people to move to big cities. In Spain, villages are becoming abandoned because of this.
Read the article below and be ready to answer the questions that follow.
In many countries, young people have moved from the countryside to urban areas for jobs, financial success, and a more exciting life. As a result, the countryside has a lot of elderly, with a few youths who dream of escape. Of course, these communities are aware of the problem, and many solutions have been tried. For example, there might be tax breaks, fast and reliable Internet access for telecommuting, or appeals to a safe environment to raise children. There have been an equal number of successes and failures.
In Spain, though, the problem is extremely serious. There are hundreds of villages where no one lives. In recent years, schools closed as the population decreased in smaller villages. And as a result, even more residents moved to larger towns and cities with schools, hospitals, and public transportation.
For some people, the result is an opportunity. People with extra money can buy houses, farmland, or even whole villages. A village with good farmland might sell for only $230,000. In a poorer area, it might be only tens of thousands of dollars.
For others, though, there is only sadness. The older people in the area remember happier times. They hope that if people buy the various properties, then someone will look after part of the country’s heritage.
Source: headsupenglish.com
Discussion Questions:
1. Would you want to buy a second home? How about a whole village? Why / not?
2. Imagine you bought a village. What would you do with it?
3. Which is a better environment for children, the city or the countryside? Why?
4. What might be done to bring back people to the countryside? Please explain.