{"id":33011,"date":"2026-08-27T10:08:30","date_gmt":"2026-08-27T08:08:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/phoneenglish.es\/blog\/?p=33011"},"modified":"2026-08-27T10:08:30","modified_gmt":"2026-08-27T08:08:30","slug":"making-cities-feel-quieter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/phoneenglish.es\/blog\/2026\/08\/making-cities-feel-quieter\/","title":{"rendered":"Making Cities Feel Quieter"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

B2 \u2014 Upper Intermediate<\/em><\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some people enjoy the peace of the countryside, while others prefer the noise of city. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, studies show that too much noise can increase stress and anxiety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Listen to this audio and read the transcript about making the cities feel quieter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/learningenglish\/english\/features\/6-minute-english_2026\/ep-260521<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vocabulary Questions:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. What does “to dress loud<\/strong>“ <\/strong>mean? “Indians talk loud, celebrate loud and\u00a0<\/em>dress loud<\/em><\/strong>.<\/em>” Use the idiom in a sentence. Give a synonym.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. What does \u201csoundscape<\/strong>\u201d mean? \u201cSimilar <\/em>soundscapes<\/em><\/strong> are now helping city dwellers relax in other cities too, including Tokyo and Barcelona.\u201d<\/em> Use the term in a sentence. Give a synonym.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. What does \u201ccounterintuitive<\/strong>\u201d mean? \u201cSo, the\u00a0art installation\u00a0was really to make this park a little quieter by adding some quiet noises. So, it’s\u00a0<\/em>counterintuitive<\/em><\/strong>, but you can make a park less noisy by adding some calmer sounds.\u201d<\/em> Use the word in a sentence. Give a synonym.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Discussion Questions:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    1. What are your thoughts on this: \u201cToo much noise can increase stress and anxiety.<\/em>\u201d?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. Should the noise be limited in cities? Share your thoughts.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. What can be done to tackle the noise pollution problem in cities?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    4. How do sounds\/noises around you affect you?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    5. Do you prefer a quiet town or a busy city? Why?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      B2 \u2014 Upper Intermediate  Some people enjoy the peace of the countryside, while others prefer the noise of city.  However, studies show that too much noise can increase stress and anxiety. Listen to this audio and read the transcript about making the cities feel quieter. https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/learningenglish\/english\/features\/6-minute-english_2026\/ep-260521 Vocabulary Questions: Discussion Questions:<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[49,291,292,290,496],"class_list":["post-33011","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-homework","tag-audio","tag-b2-upper-intermediate","tag-first-certificate-fce","tag-listening","tag-people-and-human-interest"],"yoast_head":"\nMaking Cities Feel Quieter | phone english blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/phoneenglish.es\/blog\/2026\/08\/making-cities-feel-quieter\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Making Cities Feel Quieter | phone english blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"B2 \u2014 Upper Intermediate  Some people enjoy the peace of the countryside, while others prefer the noise of city.  However, studies show that too much noise can increase stress and anxiety. 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