Describe a very lively, noisy place you know and a very quiet one.

(Remember that you are describing the atmosphere and any people as well as the places.)

Being part of an extended family living under the same roof in an urban area, I cannot think of a place noisier and livelier than my own home, on a weekend. To escape from the cacophony of my home, I would go to the library in order to enjoy quiet and peace.

I wake up to the tantrums of my two boisterous little brothers. The two-year-old twins run around the house chanting, or rather shouting, whatever song children this age listen to. My elder sister starts playing records of her cherished hard rock songs, at full volume. It's only 8 a.m. The whole house vibrates with the beats of her deafening music. Nobody reprimands her simply because the whole family enjoys hard rock, except me. Furthermore, my elder brother contributes to the discord by playing the trumpet, he is part of the local choir. I actually enjoy my brother's tunes.


My parents are no better. My father enjoys practising woodwork in his free time. Unfortunately, his workshop is not soundproof. Now and then, I hear the sound of frantic hammering, the ear-splitting noise of his electric saw or an occasional swear when things do not go as he wanted. As for my mother, she often takes advantage of the weekend to make a phone call to her friends. I hear her incessant chattering for hours. Going into the garden is not a solution either. My ears would be hammered with the persistent blaring of the cars, the rowdy neighbours or the house construction noises next door.

This is why every Sunday, I go to the library, in order to enjoy the sweet taste of quiet and peace. I spend hours rummaging through the myriad of books, looking for the perfect read. I sink in one of the comfy sofas and read voraciously for some more hours. I appreciate the unique scent of books wafting in the air. Not a sound, but the buzzing of the fan

I like observing my surroundings. People from different classes and social statuses are reunited in the same place. An elderly lady, adjusting her glasses, is leafing through a magazine about gardening. A young man in a formal blue shirt is reading a hefty book about business. A 15-year-old is engrossed in a superhero graphic novel. A middle-aged woman is listening to an audiobook, her eyes closed.

I stay at the library until the very last moment. Everybody is almost gone by now. I feel a pinch in my chest when the lady inside the speaker announces that the library will close in 5 minutes. I gather my things and get ready to back to my noisy house.