你好呀，欢迎收听：英语考试Cat 🐱🐱🐱🐱

Is the city where you live crowded?

I’d say so. The city I reside in can be described as bustling with people. I currently live in Singapore, an island-nation that, despite its modest size of roughly 730 square kilometers, is densely populated with over 5.5 million residents. This high population density, coupled with the constant influx of tourists visiting the country's world-famous attractions, ensures that places of interest and public transport, particularly the MRT trains, are often teeming with people. That being said, however, the city also offers tranquility away from the usual hotspots in the way of nature walks, parks, and even some city paths, providing an escape from the hustle and bustle of urban life.

• reside 居住
• can be described as 可以描述为
• bustling with 熙熙攘攘
• modest size 面积适中
• densely populated 人口密集
• influx of 涌入
• ensure 确保
• places of interest 景点
• tranquility 宁静
• hotspots 热门景点
• providing an escape from 提供了逃脱……的机会
• hustle and bustle 喧嚣
• urban life 城市生活

Is there a crowded place near where you live?

Yes, the metro station is just a stone's throw from my apartment and is invariably swarming with people. With multiple transit lines intersecting, this station draws in a constant stream of commuters. Navigating the sea of bustling crowds across numerous escalators and moving walkways is an everyday adventure for me – the station's sheer scale and busyness make it seem akin to traversing a busy international airport!

• just a stone's throw from 一箭之遥
• swarming with 拥挤着
• multiple 多条
• transit lines 交通线路
• intersecting 相交
• draws in 吸引
• a constant stream of 持续的
• commuters 通勤者
• navigating 穿行
• numerous 众多的
• escalators 扶梯
• moving walkaways 自动人行道
• akin to 类似于
• traversing 穿越；穿过

Do you like crowded places?

I guess I’d have to say it depends as I have mixed feelings about crowded places. There are moments when I crave the energy of a bustling crowd, like a splash of color in my otherwise mundane routine. Yet, I’d have to say that, more often than not, I seek to find solace in less busy spaces and that sometimes, I even daydream about a tranquil life in a small coastal town, far from the city's roar, but as I said, now and then, being in the midst of throngs of people can be refreshing and enlivening.

• mixed feelings 矛盾的感受
• crave 渴望
• a splash of color 一抹色彩
• mundane 平凡的
• solace 安慰
• daydream 白日梦
• tranquil life 宁静的生活
• coastal town 海边小镇
• far from the city's roar 远离城市的喧嚣
• in the midst of 在...之中
• throngs of people 人群
• enlivening 使活跃

When was the last time you were in a crowded place?

The last time I found myself in a crowded place was just yesterday when I visited Gardens by the Bay here in Singapore. That's the spot with the iconic Supertree Grove—truly a spectacle to behold and a magnet for both tourists and locals alike. Despite having been multiple times, the allure doesn't fade. I always prepare for the crowds, so yesterday, I arrived early in the evening to secure a good spot for my picnic blanket. As I lay there enjoying the vibrant light and music show, I was surrounded by hundreds of others, all mesmerized by the performance. It's one of those places where the crowd actually enhances the experience, like a concert, making it feel even more thrilling and riveting.

• iconic 标志性的
• a spectacle to behold 值得观赏的景象
• a magnet for 吸引人的地方
• multiple times 多次
• allure 魅力
• secure a good spot for 为...找到好位置
• picnic blanket 野餐毯
• vibrant 生动的
• mesmerized 被迷住的
• enhance 增强
• thrilling 令人兴奋的
• riveting 吸引人的