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Speaker A

I moved to Portland, Oregon, 15 years ago, but I still remember my first impression of this unique city. It's a city in a forest! I have never seen so many trees in any other city in my whole life. And what incredible trees they are! Most are firs and other conifers of all kinds, almost all of them perfectly triangular in shape, as if from a Christmas card. The city government makes a lot of effort to preserve the urban tree canopy and keep the city green.

Speaker B

Something I can never get used to in Rome, no matter how often I visit, is how, just by turning a corner on a perfectly modern street, you suddenly stumble upon ruins that are thousands of years old. Not in a museum, with guards making sure nobody touches them - just like that, with people hurrying by, busy with their modern lives, not even noticing them. Unbelievable!

Speaker C

I was born and raised in Philadelphia, and I've lived here all my life. I love my city and I'm very proud of it. It was the first large American city planned on a grid, with wide straight streets crossing at right angles. William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania, planned it with Thomas Holme in 1682. He wanted it to be clean and safe, unlike dirty London, with its narrow streets, where he'd originally come from. The design became a model for many later American cities.

Speaker D

As a kid, I was fascinated by the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, but I couldnever understand the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. How could gardens hang? I remembered this when I visited my daughter in Seattle last year. The city is hilly, and some buildings are built on several levels. The same floor can be first, third, or even fifth, depending on where you enter from the hill. The roofs are also stepped, with plants and trees growing on them. From the street, the greenery on different roof levels creates an effect very much like hanging gardens.

Speaker E

I love spending my vacations in the Mediterranean region, in countries like Italy, Spain or Greece. My favourite activity is simply walking around a town aimlessly, especially along those narrow streets that sometimes end in dead ends, but more often lead you to the very best - in my experience - local, authentic restaurants, cafés and absolutely magical antique shops. I can't get enough of that!

Speaker F

What I really hate in the United States is something we call stroads. A stroad is a portmanteau of the words street and road. In American suburbia, we often have streets with many public buildings, like shops, but no sidewalks for pedestrians. I understand that we all drive cars, but there are many people who cannot drive - elderly people, people in wheelchairs, blind people, and others. They completely lose their independence when there are no sidewalks.

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This is the end of the task. You now have 15 seconds to check your answers.

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