The following article is part of a series called “German A-Levels/Abitur 2005 English”. In Germany you have your a-levels after the 13rd year in school. Pupils are usually between 17 and 18 years when they have their exams. In the compulsory schools you a broad variety of courses: From German, English, Spanish, French, Dutch, Greek to Science, Maths, Geographics, Physics, Literature, Arts and Sports etc. I prepared myself in 2005 for my a-levels by writing everything down. May these articles help anyone. Enjoy!
-City lights / Skyline book
Skyline book page 160
Words:
billboards, anonymity, neon signs, sky scarpers, high rise pollution, exhaust, fume, congested traffic, buildings, illuminated city, high crime rates, social differences
Skyline book page 162
Fact file London:
- London’s economic output is enormous
- Many minorities live in London (central London)
- prices for nearly everything are higher than elsewhere in the UK
- fast rising prices (housing)
- very good infrastructure hence the spending on public transportation are gigantic compared to the spending in the outer areas
- poverty in London is higher than elsewhere in the UK
- service sector is dominating in London
Problems:
high prices -> high wages / high cost of living / high crime rate
Skyline book page 162-164
It’s London vs. Britain:
The level of subsidy means the amount of money given to certain people to support them.
Fiscal transfers are just another expression for financial transfers.
Urban chic means a trendy live in a megalopolis such as London.
Working down the phone lines means someone working outside London with his phone or laptop and the internet by communicating with the people inside London “over the phone lines”.
When speaking of an Agatha Christie Britain one means the Britain as it is described in the author’s books. It is a generalized image of Britain and refers to a romantic vision.
The M25 is a motorway in England and often described as “the concrete border”. It divides the London area from the rest of Britain.
London is different from the rest of Britain, because of multiple things:
There is a greater diversity of cultures in London than elsewhere and the prices are also higher than in he outskirts or in the rest of Britain.
That means houses, accommodation, taxes and even parking fees are higher then in any other city.
London has an immense economic output.
It is Britain’s capital and therefore the centre of all political decisions.
London also has an administrative function for the rest of the country.
People living there are younger than people from outer regions and there is also a higher percentage of liberal people; that means they are more tolerant than others. Summed up you can say that the differences are the higher number of ethnic minorities, the higher costs for living, a higher living standard, a higher number of young and liberal people, as well as London’s economic, social, political and administrative importance.
It is not only because of those facts that many people work in the service sector, but also for the reason that London is a multinational gateway for services of all kind. Many companies have their headquarters in London.
Skyline book page 165-166
Can you hear me at the back?
The author criticizes multiple aspects of the town he lives in.
He is annoyed of the office blocks in the city centres, because of their location they are the reason for jammed roads.
The cars are the main cause for the increased noise level.
The leisure life is changed to a hectic one and it is no longer possible to sit down in a café in downtown hence there are none left.
Theatres and cafes cannot remain in the centre, because the estate prices are too high.
People can’t effort to live there either due to the high property prices.
As a result the city is merely used for working instead of living.
The author says that the high buildings look almost like identical boxes to him.
He uses the connotative image of Lego land to fortify the small, all alike looking image. Those boxes show how the architect’s restricted creativity.
The architects are not asking the people living there.
The buildings are planned for and not with the people.
The denotative meaning of Lego land is different from the connotative.
Lego land is a large amusement park in Denmark and Lego is also a box like plastic toy for children. One piece of Lego can be put on top of another piece.
Skyline book page 161
New York, Bono (U2)
The song “New York” by U2 deals with the megalopolis NY and how a single person living there sees the city with his eyes.
The song’s gist is that NY is offering a lot of freedom concerning choices. The city is a crowded and busy place where a different people from a diversity of countries live. The summer is hot there, almost depressing.
The singer says that everyone is happy but himself and his personificated friend “NY”. It seems like the person described there is in his/her midlife crisis.
His attitude towards NY is split into a positive and a negative one. On the one hand he likes NY and says he “found a friend to drown out the voices”, but on the other hand he says that the freedom offered by NY has the negative consequence of having too many choices.
Furthermore he says that NY has caused a midlife crisis for him, but he is also not leaving the city to ease the problems caused by that. That is a bit paradox.
Those lyrics feature several positive and negative aspects;
Some positive aspects are the many choices, freedom to choose, the hot summer, different cultures, a stimulating city.
Negative items include: too many choices, noise, voices, sounds, hot air which is uncomfortable, smog, cultural clashes, restlessness, hectic, anonymity.