What will city life be like in the future? Some people think that life in the cities is going to be 1 . They 2
that cities will become more and more crowded. 3 the number of people increases, there will be less space for
each person. This 4 will cause other problems-more crimes, dirtier streets, and worse problems with traffic
50 we have now. How will people find enough drinking water, energy (such as gas and electricity), and
housing? 6 life will be hard, people who live in cities will worry more, and they may become sick. 7 these
reasons, some say that nobody will want to live in urban areas.
How can we 8 such problems as overcrowding, crime, and traffic? In some cities, thousands of people
are already 9 in the streets because there is so little suitable housing-and because 10 are so high. The crime
rate isn't going down. 11 , it is, 12 so fast that many people are afraid to go out at night. Traffic jams are so
bad that cars don't move at all for several blocks. These 13 problems have been getting worse, not better, so
many people see no 14 for the future of the city.
However, not all people believe in the horrible 15 for cities of the future. Instead, they feel that they can
solve present urban problems and 16 future ones.
The disadvantages of any modem city are not unique (独特的) to that city. 17 , all the cities in the world
have to solve the problems of traffic jams, crime, housing, energy, drinking water and overcrowding. Yet many
cities have found answers to one or more of these difficulties. Some European cities, such as Stockholm,
Sweden, or London, England, have planned communities that 18 people with apartments, jobs, shopping centers,
green space, entertainment and transportation. Many U.S. cities are building their downtown areas. Urban 19
can learn from one another. They can 20 solutions that have been successful in other parts of the world. |