City 1

(1) This is a cosmopolitan mixture of the Third and First worlds, of chauffeurs and beggars, of the establishment, the avowedly working class and the 
avant-garde. (2) Unlike comparable European cities, much of it looks unplanned and grubby, but that is part of its appeal. (3) Visiting the city is like being let loose on a giant-sized Monopoly board clogged with traffic. (4) Even though you probably won't know where the hell you are, at least the names will look reassuringly familiar. (5) The city is so enormous, visitors will need to make maximum use of the underground train system: unfortunately this dislocates the city's geography and makes it hard to get your bearings.

Guessing words and phrases from context

Decide part of speech and relationship with other words
Guess meaning from context
Guess meaning from analysis of prefixes, stems, suffixes and similar-sounding words	

a cosmopolitan mixture of the Third and First worlds
comparable European cities
Much of it looks unplanned and grubby, but that is part of its appeal.

being let loose on a giant-sized Monopoly board clogged with traffic.

the names will look reassuringly familiar.

unfortunately [using the underground train system] dislocates the city's geography and makes it hard to get your bearings.

City 2

(1) The sheer level of energy is the most striking aspect of this capital city. 
(2) It's true the larger picture can be somewhat depressing – shoebox housing estates and office blocks traversed by overhead expressways crowded with traffic. (3) But this is the country's success story in action. (4) The average suburb hasn't fallen prey to supermarket culture though: streets are lined with tiny specialist shops and bustling restaurants, most of which stay open late into the night. (5) Close to the soaring office blocks exist pockets of another time – an old wooden house, a kimono shop, a small inn, an old lady in a traditional dress sweeping the pavement outside her home with a straw broom. (6) More than anything else, this is a place where the urgent rhythms of consumer culture collide with the quieter moments that linger from older traditions. (7) It's a living city and you'll never run out of things to explore.

Guessing words and phrases from context

Decide part of speech and relationship with other words
Guess meaning from context
Guess meaning from analysis of prefixes, stems, suffixes and similar-sounding words	

The sheer level of energy is the most striking aspect of this capital city. 
shoebox housing estates 
The average suburb hasn't fallen prey to supermarket culture though
tiny specialist shops and bustling restaurants
the soaring office blocks
pockets of another time
It's a living city
City 3

(1) They don't come any bigger than this – king of the hill, top of the heap. 
(2) No other city is arrogant enough to dub itself Capital of the World and no other city could carry it off. (3) It is a densely-packed mass of humanity – seven million people in 309sq miles (800 sq km) – and all this living on top of one another makes the inhabitants a special kind of person. (4) Although it's hard to put a finger on whatever makes it buzz, it's the city's hyperactive rush that really draws people here.
(5) In a city that is so much part of the global subconscious, it's pretty hard to pick a few highlights – wherever you go you feel like you've been there before. (6) Bookshops, food, theatre, shopping, people: it doesn't really matter what you do or where you go because the city itself is an in-your-face exhilarating experience.

Guessing words and phrases from context

Decide part of speech and relationship with other words
Guess meaning from context
Guess meaning from analysis of prefixes, stems, suffixes and similar-sounding words	

No other city is arrogant enough to dub itself Capital of the World
no other city could carry it off
a densely-packed mass of humanity
it's hard to put a finger on whatever makes it buzz
a city that is so much part of the global subconscious
the city itself is an in-your-face    exhilarating experience.

Getting an idea of the overall meaning from the parts you understand	

City 1
S1	mixture     First World      Third World	
S2	European     unplanned	
S3	Monopoly board       traffic	
S4	names      familiar	
S5	enormous       underground system	

City 2
S1	energy   capital	
S2	depressing  housing estates   office blocks   overhead expressway   crowded with traffic	
S3	country's success story	
S4	tiny specialist shops   restaurants open late	
S5	office blocks   old wooden houses  Kimono shop    old lady in traditional dress	
S6	consumer culture   quieter moments    older traditions	
S7	you'll never run out of things to explore	

City 3
S1	They don't come bigger than this	
S2	Capital of the World	
S3	7 million people   309sq miles (800 sq km) (Compare: whole of HK SAR 1,104 sq km)	
S4	hyperactive rush   draws people here	
S5	wherever you go you feel like you've been there before	
S6	Bookshops, food, theatre, shopping        	

Help	

I have provided simple 'translations' to the more difficult passages below. Please note, these are not word-for-word equivalents. They just give the general meaning of the sentences in simple English.	

City 1	

(1) This is a cosmopolitan mixture of the Third and First worlds, of chauffeurs and beggars, of the establishment, the avowedly working class and the 
avant-garde. 

The city is a mixture of many cultures – from both rich and poor countries. 
There are all kinds of people there.

(2) Unlike comparable European cities, much of it looks unplanned and grubby, but that is part of its appeal. 

The city is not like other the European cities which you can compare it with. 
Much of it looks unplanned and rather dirty, but that is part of the reason why people like it.

(3) Visiting the city is like being let loose on a giant-sized Monopoly board clogged with traffic. 

Visiting the city is like wandering around a giant-sized Monopoly board with lots of traffic jams.

(4) Even though you probably won't know where the hell you are, at least the names will look reassuringly familiar. 

You will recognize the names of the places even if you are lost.

(5) The city is so enormous, visitors will need to make maximum use of the underground train system: unfortunately this dislocates the city's geography and makes it hard to get your bearings.

It is so big you will need to use the underground train system a lot. 
Unfortunately when you use the underground you cannot see where you are and so it is difficult to know where you are.

City 1 is London
City 2	

(1) The sheer level of energy is the most striking aspect of this capital city. 

The high level of energy is the thing that will impress you most

(2) It's true the larger picture can be somewhat depressing – shoebox housing estates and office blocks traversed by overhead expressways crowded with traffic. 

Overall the city can be depressing – housing estates with small flats and office blocks crossed by overhead expressways crowded with traffic

(4) The average suburb hasn't fallen prey to supermarket culture though:

The city has not lost its identity and become just like every other modern city. 

(5) Close to the soaring office blocks exist pockets of another time –

Close to the tall office blocks are small areas  where things haven't changed 

(6) More than anything else, this is a place where the urgent rhythms of consumer culture collide with the quieter moments that linger from older traditions. 

In this city the modern consumer life is mixed with elements of a more traditional lifestyle that have survived from the past

(7) It's a living city and you'll never run out of things to explore.

There are many places to explore

City 2 is Tokyo

City 3	

(1) They don't come any bigger than this – king of the hill, top of the heap. 	
This is the biggest city there is.

(2) No other city is arrogant enough to dub itself Capital of the World and no other city could carry it off. 	
No other city is so overconfident and sure that it is the best, that it calls itself 'Capital of the World', and no one would believe it if any other city tried.

(4) Although it's hard to put a finger on whatever makes it buzz, it's the city's hyperactive rush that really draws people here.	
It's difficult to say exactly why this city has such an energetic feel but this is why people come here.
	
(5) In a city that is so much part of the global subconscious, it's pretty hard to pick a few highlights – wherever you go you feel like you've been there before. 	
Everyone in the world has some idea of this city (from TV, movies, songs, popular culture etc) so wherever you go, it will seem familiar.

(6) Bookshops, food, theatre, shopping, people: it doesn't really matter what you do or where you go because the city itself is an in-your-face exhilarating experience.	
There are many things to do, but it does not matter which because this city will have a very direct effect on you and is an exciting experience

City 3 is New York