A person you know is planning to move to your town or city. What do you think this person would like and dislike about living in your town or city? Why? Use specific reasons and details to develop your essay.
My home city is Hanoi- the capital of Vietnam.It is really famous for its rich culture, delicious foods and extremely friendly people. A friend of mine is about to come and live there. I am sure he will definitely be fascinated by this wonderful city. But the only thing that might discourage him is the traffic here.
The streets and sidewalks of Hanoi are places of constant activities and endless fascination. It is said that if you really want to get to know the city, all you have to do is walking down the street. Hanoi’s Old Quarter is a set of 36 streets which is known to represent the eternal soul of the city. Hang Gai Street offers silk clothing, Hang Ma glimmers with shiny paper products or Lan Ong Street with smells emanating from herbal medicinal products. By visiting these places, my friend will be able to improve his knowledge of Vietnamese great culture and learn more about our ancestors’ lifestyle. The next thing that might attract him is the people here. Hanoi people are very friendly, hospitable and helpful. If he loses his way or needs some help, the people here will always be willing to give him a hand. Therefore, his strangeness and loneliness will be dispelled easily. What is more, Hanoi’s foods are among the best foods in the world. They are very tasteful and special. If my friend tries “Bun Cha” or “Pho Bo” for the first time, I am sure he will never be able to forget those amazing gifts from Vietnamese people.
Besides many advantages, the only drawback of Hanoi is its serious traffic problem. Everyday, especially during rush hours, there are long sluggish lines of vehicles standing still on the streets for hours. It is really inconvenient as it wastes a lot of time and make people can’t go to work or their important appointments on time. Despite a large number of motorcycles, bicycles, cars, buses, and taxis, there are still too few traffic lights, which foreigners claim to be very unsafe. Moreover, my friend may find the traffic noise here somehow uncomfortable. Everyone just blasts their horns when they want to pass, causing annoying and tiring noise. Vietnam has been putting a lot of effort on this traffic problem and it is in some way getting better. Although traffic jams are among the things that many people find bothersome, many foreigners still say that it is an interesting and unique thing about Hanoi.
In conclusion, Hanoi is a city that has both pros and cons. The usual traffic jams might dissuade my friend from coming to Hanoi. However, its fascinating tradition, great people and delicious foods are things that make Hanoi stand out from other Asian cities. If my friend moves here, he will have a great opportunity to learn more about this great culture and live in the heart of a beautiful country. I think that Hanoi’s advantages outweigh its disadvantages and my friend will still develope a liking to settling here.
TOEFL listening discussions: An assistant lecturer talking to a new student