Why read this: This short reader gives students a clear, simple way to think about why some big cities work better than others. It uses Jakarta as one example and Tokyo as a better example. Students learn that the size of a city is not the only thing that matters. The way a city is run is also very important. The text uses simple words and short sentences, so A2 readers can follow the main idea without help.
What to notice: Notice that the article only uses one bad example (Jakarta) and one good example (Tokyo). This makes the comparison easy to follow at A2. Notice the simple cause-and-effect chain in paragraph 3: workers live far away, so they drive cars and motorbikes, so the roads fill up, so the air gets dirty. Each step is one short sentence. The article uses only three glossed terms: satellite cities, metro rail, and metropolitan area. These three terms are kept because the topic cannot be explained without them.
Skills practised: Reading for the main idea in a short text. Following a simple cause-and-effect chain in everyday language. Comparing two examples (Jakarta and Tokyo) on a small set of points. Reading numbers in context (42 million people, 2019). Using glossed terms (satellite cities, metro rail, metropolitan area) to understand a real-world topic about cities.
Why Big Asian Cities Are Hard Places to Live
Jakarta has too many leaders, and no one runs the whole city. Tokyo shows a better way.
Tap any green word in the article to see its meaning.
Many big cities in Asia are hard places to live, and Jakarta is one of them. Today, more than 42 million people live in the wider Jakarta area. That is more people than the whole country of Canada. People come to Jakarta to find work and a better life. But every day they face dirty air and very bad traffic.
Why is daily life so hard for people here? The main reason is the way the city is run. Jakarta is not just one city by itself. Over time it has grown to include many next to it. Each of these smaller cities has its own leaders. They do not talk or work together very well. So no one person is in charge of the whole big area.
You can see this problem clearly in the traffic. Jakarta has some of the worst traffic jams in the world. Many workers cannot pay for a home near their job. So they must live far from the city centre. There are not enough buses and trains for them. People drive cars or ride motorbikes instead. The roads fill up, and the air gets dirty. The city loses billions of dollars every year from this.
In 2019, Jakarta opened its first line. But the line stops at the edge of the old city. It does not reach the new areas where most workers live. So many people still cannot use the metro to get to work. The leaders of the different cities almost never talk to each other.
Tokyo, the capital of Japan, shows a much better way. The Tokyo also has many small towns and city parts. Each small part has its own mayor and its own local office. But one big city office helps all of them work as a team. The big office takes care of water, hospitals, and the main trains. The smaller offices take care of schools and rubbish collection. Everyone knows their own job. So Tokyo works well, and Jakarta does not.
Many big cities in Asia are hard places to live, and Jakarta is one of them. Today, more than 42 million people live in the wider Jakarta area. That is more people than the whole country of Canada. People come to Jakarta to find work and a better life. But every day they face dirty air and very bad traffic.
Why is daily life so hard for people here? The main reason is the way the city is run. Jakarta is not just one city by itself. Over time it has grown to include many next to it. Each of these smaller cities has its own leaders. They do not talk or work together very well. So no one person is in charge of the whole big area.
You can see this problem clearly in the traffic. Jakarta has some of the worst traffic jams in the world. Many workers cannot pay for a home near their job. So they must live far from the city centre. There are not enough buses and trains for them. People drive cars or ride motorbikes instead. The roads fill up, and the air gets dirty. The city loses billions of dollars every year from this.
In 2019, Jakarta opened its first line. But the line stops at the edge of the old city. It does not reach the new areas where most workers live. So many people still cannot use the metro to get to work. The leaders of the different cities almost never talk to each other.
Tokyo, the capital of Japan, shows a much better way. The Tokyo also has many small towns and city parts. Each small part has its own mayor and its own local office. But one big city office helps all of them work as a team. The big office takes care of water, hospitals, and the main trains. The smaller offices take care of schools and rubbish collection. Everyone knows their own job. So Tokyo works well, and Jakarta does not.
Questions
Check your understanding
- 01
How many people live in the wider Jakarta area today?
- 02
What is the main reason daily life in Jakarta is hard?
- 03
Why is Tokyo a better example than Jakarta?
- 04
Describe two problems that people in Jakarta face every day.
Suggested length: ~50 words
- 05
List three things the big city office in Tokyo takes care of, and three things the smaller offices take care of.
Suggested length: ~50 words
Questions
Check your understanding
- 01
How many people live in the wider Jakarta area today?
- 02
What is the main reason daily life in Jakarta is hard?
- 03
Why is Tokyo a better example than Jakarta?
- 04
Describe two problems that people in Jakarta face every day.
Suggested length: ~50 words
- 05
List three things the big city office in Tokyo takes care of, and three things the smaller offices take care of.
Suggested length: ~50 words