Living in a Global City
Explore how languages, transportation, and urban challenges shape everyday life in a global city.
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Questions with solutions-
1. יש לבחור את התשובה הנכונה
Which service can avoid delays caused by street traffic?
During rush hour, a traveler can reach the city center by bus, taxi, or a subway that runs entirely underground. The roads are crowded with cars.
- The bus
- The subway
- The taxi
Think about where each service travels.
Show solution
- The subway
Subways run separately from street traffic. They can still experience delays, but a traffic jam above ground does not block their tracks.
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2. יש לבחור את התשובה הנכונה
Why are familiar symbols useful here?
At an international airport, signs use a suitcase symbol for baggage claim and an airplane symbol for departures.
- They explain each airline's exact baggage rules.
- They automatically announce changes to flight times.
- They help travelers who cannot read the local language.
Think about what a picture can communicate without words.
Show solution
- They help travelers who cannot read the local language.
Familiar symbols can reduce language barriers. Combining symbols with clear written information makes signs useful to more travelers.
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3. יש להשלים את החסר
A city's new ticket includes a bus ride and a subway transfer within the allowed time. Passengers therefore pay ___ for the whole trip.
- one fare
- a separate fare for each service
- no fare
Both parts of the trip are included in the same ticket.
Show solution
A city's new ticket includes a bus ride and a subway transfer within the allowed time. Passengers therefore pay one fare for the whole trip.
Because the ticket covers both the bus ride and the subway transfer, passengers pay one fare instead of paying separately for each service. Integrated tickets can especially help residents whose neighborhoods have no direct connection to their destination.
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4. יש לבחור את התשובה הנכונה
What does official status tell us about these languages?
Singapore, a city-state in Southeast Asia, has four official languages: English, Malay, Mandarin, and Tamil.
- Every resident speaks all four fluently.
- They have formal recognition in the country's public life.
- They are the only languages spoken in people's homes.
Official status concerns institutions, not each person's abilities.
Show solution
- They have formal recognition in the country's public life.
An official language is not necessarily everyone's first language. Public recognition and individual language skills are different things.
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5. יש להשלים את החסר
Cooling city streets
On hot days, trees provide shade and release water vapor. These processes help reduce urban ___.
- flooding
- air pollution
- heat
Focus on the effect of shade and water evaporation on temperature.
Show solution
On hot days, trees provide shade and release water vapor. These processes help reduce urban heat.
Buildings and paved surfaces store heat. Trees can help cool the places where people walk, wait, and gather.
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6. יש לבחור את התשובה הנכונה
What role does Arabic play in this family?
Leila uses English at work but speaks Arabic with her children so they can talk with their grandparents, who speak only Arabic.
- It supports communication across generations.
- It replaces English in Leila's workplace.
- It is mainly used for conversations with coworkers.
Consider who the children will be able to speak with.
Show solution
- It supports communication across generations.
Children can develop a family language alongside the language they use at school. Multilingualism can support both family connections and wider participation.
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7. יש לבחור את התשובה הנכונה
What is missing for passengers who cannot use stairs?
A subway station has an elevator from the street to the concourse. However, every route from the concourse to the platforms includes stairs.
- More signs showing where the existing stairs are
- A complete route to the platforms without stairs
- Another elevator that ends at the concourse
Consider the whole trip, not just entry into the building.
Show solution
- A complete route to the platforms without stairs
Accessibility depends on a continuous route. One inaccessible section can prevent someone from completing an otherwise accessible trip.
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8. יש לבחור את התשובה הנכונה
What would help more drivers switch to another form of transportation?
A city charges drivers to enter its busiest district to reduce car traffic. However, few reliable bus or train services connect surrounding neighborhoods to the district.
- More parking spaces inside the district
- Lower parking prices inside the district
- Better public transportation to the district
People need a practical alternative to the trip they currently make.
Show solution
- Better public transportation to the district
Congestion fees work better when people have realistic alternatives to driving. Cost alone does not create a usable bus or train connection.
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9. יש לבחור את התשובה הנכונה
How can the city express the same warning more clearly?
A city plans to translate this emergency notice into several languages: “Residents should refrain from entering areas affected by flooding.”
- Stay away from flooded areas.
- Leave the city until the rain stops.
- Avoid all outdoor travel this week.
Keep the same action and the same area, without adding new restrictions.
Show solution
- Stay away from flooded areas.
Plain language matters as well as translation. Clear, direct wording helps people understand what action to take in an emergency.
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10. יש לבחור את התשובה הנכונה
What urban challenge does this situation highlight?
A new rail station makes a neighborhood easier to reach. More people want to live there, rents rise, and some longtime tenants can no longer afford to stay.
- Better transportation reduces demand for nearby housing.
- Better transportation can make a neighborhood less affordable.
- Better transportation necessarily makes every household wealthier.
Consider how increased demand affects residents who rent their homes.
Show solution
- Better transportation can make a neighborhood less affordable.
Affordable housing policies can help existing residents benefit from public investment without being forced to move away.
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11. יש לבחור את התשובה הנכונה
Which change addresses both cycling safety and delivery access?
A city removes parking spaces to create a protected bike lane. Cyclists gain a safer route, but nearby shop owners worry that delivery vehicles will have nowhere to stop.
- Restore all the parking spaces and remove the protected bike lane.
- Keep the bike lane and prohibit deliveries to the shops.
- Keep the bike lane and provide designated loading zones nearby.
Look for a solution that preserves both activities.
Show solution
- Keep the bike lane and provide designated loading zones nearby.
Loading zones can operate during set delivery hours. Careful street design can balance different needs rather than treating them as an either-or choice.
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12. יש לבחור את התשובה הנכונה
Which response would reduce the waste problem rather than move it elsewhere?
A city reports cleaner streets after sending more waste to a landfill outside its boundaries. The total amount of waste it produces has not fallen.
- Prevent unnecessary waste and recover materials for reuse.
- Send the same amount of waste to a more distant landfill.
- Count only the waste that remains inside the city.
Consider what happens to the waste after it leaves the city.
Show solution
- Prevent unnecessary waste and recover materials for reuse.
A city's environmental impact extends beyond its borders. Waste prevention addresses the source of the problem instead of shifting the burden to another place.