It's my first morning at a new job, and I'm in the kitchen with a colleague. His first question is about my city, not my work. I'm from Bristol. At first, my description is short: “It's a city in the west of England.” Then he asks, “What's your favourite thing about it?” Now there's more to say. My neighbourhood is friendly, and most places I need are close to home. There's a small café on my street. Its windows are huge, and it's a comfortable place to sit on a rainy afternoon. The river is nearby, too. That's my favourite part of the city, especially in the evening. Bristol isn't perfect. Some streets are noisy, and buses are sometimes late. But it's home. My colleague smiles. “My neighbourhood is quite similar,” he says. Suddenly, we're two people sharing something familiar, not just two strangers at work.

On your first morning at a new job, a colleague asks about your city instead of your work. Your first answer is short — “It's a city in the west” — and he asks, “What's your favourite thing about it?” Descreve o teu bairro e um lugar concreto que faz parte do teu dia, com detalhes que se vejam. Ele diz que está a pensar mudar-se para lá. Diz-lhe também o que não é perfeito e dá-lhe um conselho prático sobre onde viver.

A colleague is moving to your city next month and has asked you, by email, which neighbourhood to choose. She works in the centre, has no car and wants somewhere calm. Escreve 3 a 6 frases em inglês. Descreve dois bairros diferentes e recomenda um, explicando porquê. Diz também o que é menos bom nessa escolha e termina com uma pergunta útil.