News English Lessons
FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on Tokyo
(11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)

Home
Donate

COPYRIGHT:
Please write to
me for permission.

Tokyo The Costliest City In The World

If you want to move to Tokyo, be warned. A new survey says the Japanese capital is the most expensive city in the world. Last year it was Moscow, in Russia, but this year it is Tokyo. Japan’s second largest city, Osaka, is number two on the list of priciest cities. Japan is especially expensive for foreigners. Rent and food prices are very high. A single mango can cost up to $25. Other places you need to be rich to live in are Moscow, Geneva and Hong Kong. One of the most affordable cities in the world is Johannesburg in South Africa.

Advertisements

I wonder who goes to Tokyo to live. I guess it’s OK if you are born there and your family has a house. It must cost so much money to move to Japan and set up home. You need to have a good job. I imagine all of the non-Japanese who live in Tokyo are lawyers and doctors. They probably all drive luxury Japanese cars. I also wonder how much it is to eat in Tokyo. I bet the sushi is lovely, but I would be afraid to look at the price on the menu. I think house prices might also be scary. Maybe you need to be a millionaire.

Advertisements

PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article.

Paragraph 1

1.	move	a.	be rich
2	the Japanese	b.	affordable cities
3.	number two	c.	very high
4.	prices are	d.	to Tokyo
5.	you need to	e.	on the list
6.	One of the most	f.	capital

Paragraph 2

1.	I guess	a.	Japanese
2	set	b.	it’s OK
3.	It must cost	c.	Japanese cars
4.	non-	d.	up home
5.	luxury	e.	on the menu
6.	afraid to look at the price	f.	so much money

LISTENING GAP FILL

If you want to move to Tokyo, ____________. A new survey says the Japanese capital is the most expensive city in the world. Last ____________ Moscow, in Russia, but this year it is Tokyo. Japan’s second largest city, Osaka, is number ______________ of priciest cities. Japan is especially expensive for foreigners. Rent and food prices ____________. A single mango can cost up to $25. Other places you need ____________ live in are Moscow, Geneva and Hong Kong. One of the __________________ cities in the world is Johannesburg in South Africa.

I _________________ to Tokyo to live. I guess it’s OK if you are born there and your family has a house. It ____________ much money to move to Japan and ______________. You need to have a good job. I imagine all of the _______________ live in Tokyo are lawyers and doctors. They probably all drive luxury Japanese cars. I also wonder how ______________ eat in Tokyo. _______________ is lovely, but I would be afraid to look at the price on the menu. I think house prices might ____________. Maybe you need to be a millionaire.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

If you want to (1) ____ to Tokyo, be warned. A new survey says the Japanese capital is the most expensive city in the world. Last year it was Moscow, in Russia, but this year it is Tokyo. Japan’s (2) ____ largest city, Osaka, is number two on the list of (3) ____ cities. Japan is especially expensive for foreigners. Rent and food prices are very high. A single mango (4) ____ cost up to $25. Other places you need to be rich to live in are Moscow, Geneva and Hong Kong. One of the most (5) ____ cities in the world is Johannesburg in South Africa.

I wonder who goes to Tokyo to live. I (6) ____ it’s OK if you are born there and your family has a house. It must cost so much money to move to Japan and set (7) ____ home. You need to have a good job. I imagine all of the (8) ____ -Japanese who live in Tokyo are lawyers and doctors. They probably all drive luxury Japanese cars. I also wonder how much it is to eat in Tokyo. I (9) ____ the sushi is lovely, but I would be afraid to look at the price on the menu. I think house prices might also be (10) ____. Maybe you need to be a millionaire.

Put the correct words from this table into the article.

1.	(a)	move	(b)	movement	(c)	moving
2.	(a)	two	(b)	second	(c)	secondly
3.	(a)	pricy	(b)	priciest	(c)	prices
4.	(a)	can	(b)	tin	(c)	box
5.	(a)	afford	(b)	affords	(c)	affordable
6.	(a)	guesses	(b)	guess	(c)	guessing
7.	(a)	up	(b)	down	(c)	on
8.	(a)	none	(b)	known	(c)	non
9.	(a)	beat	(b)	bets	(c)	bet
10.	(a)	scary	(b)	scarred	(c)	scared

SPELLING

Spell the jumbled words (from the text) correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	A new ysruve
2.	the Japanese iapalct
3.	the list of eiitrscp cities
4.	evpesixen for foreigners
5.	cserip are very high
6.	the most efdloabfra cities
Paragraph 2
7.	I oernwd who goes to Tokyo
8.	move to Japan and eut sp home
9.	lsarwye and doctors
10.	rluyux Japanese cars
11.	I would be iaadfr to look
12.	house prices might also be csyra

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( )	Japanese who live in Tokyo are lawyers and doctors. They probably all drive luxury
( )	world. Last year it was Moscow, in Russia, but this year it is Tokyo. Japan’s second largest city, Osaka, is number
( )	high. A single mango can cost up to $25. Other places you need to be rich to live in are Moscow, Geneva
( 1 )	If you want to move to Tokyo, be warned. A new survey says the Japanese capital is the most expensive city in the
( )	has a house. It must cost so much money to move to Japan and set up home. You need to have a good job. I imagine all of the non-
( )	and Hong Kong. One of the most affordable cities in the world is Johannesburg in South Africa.
( )	on the menu. I think house prices might also be scary. Maybe you need to be a millionaire.
( )	Japanese cars. I also wonder how much it is to eat in Tokyo. I bet the sushi is lovely, but I would be afraid to look at the price
( )	two on the list of priciest cities. Japan is especially expensive for foreigners. Rent and food prices are very
( )	I wonder who goes to Tokyo to live. I guess it’s OK if you are born there and your family

SCRAMBLED SENTENCES

With a partner, put the words back into the correct order.

1.	be warned If you want to move to Tokyo ,.
2.	Japanese expensive capital city is the The most.
3.	cities the list Number of two priciest on.
4.	cost $ A can to mango up 25 single.
5.	most in the cities world of affordable the One.
6.	it’s you there guess if born I OK are.
7.	the Tokyo who non-Japanese All are live of lawyers in.
8.	Japanese luxury drive all probably They cars.
9.	to I look would at be the afraid price
10.	Maybe millionaire a be to need you.

DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
1.	________________________________________________________
2.	________________________________________________________
3.	________________________________________________________
4.	________________________________________________________
5.	________________________________________________________
6.	________________________________________________________

WRITING

Write about expensive cities for 10 minutes. Show your partner your paper. Correct each other’s work.

______________________________________________________________________________

HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find more information about the world’s expensive cities. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about an expensive city. Include imaginary interviews with two people who live in it – one very rich and one very poor. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

4. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? Write a newspaper article about the next stage in this news story. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

5. LETTER: Write a letter to a Tokyoite. Ask him/her three questions about Tokyo. Give him/her three of your opinions on his/her city. Compare Tokyo with your own town/city. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Your partner will answer the questions you asked.

Back to the top

News English Lessons FREE Handout, Listening & Quizzes on Tokyo (11 Pages of Materials & 8 Online Activities)