Read and learn: town and cities

Towns are big places where a lot of people live.

Cities are bigger than towns.

Towns offer their inhabitants a lot of services: hospitals, schools, museums, commercial centres, different means of transport,…

Many of the buildings are tall. Some buildings have more than five floors. They have busy streets that are long and wide. The longest and widest streets are called avenues.

Many people live in cities. Most people work in industry or services, for example, in industrial estates, offices, shops, banks, hospitals or factories. 

People do many activities and travel a lot, so there is a lot of traffic.

Parts of a city.

•  The historic centre. This is usually the oldest part. The streets are narrow and the buildings are not very tall. Historic monuments, such as the cathedral and the main square, are usually in the historic centre. 
•  The modern district. This area often surrounds the historic centre. The streets are wider. There are often tall buildings here.  
• The suburbs. These are residential areas away from the centre. There are shopping centres, factories and industrial estates in many suburbs.