Today, people all over the world are moving out of small villages in the country to go and live in big, noisy cities. They are moving from the peaceful hills, mountains, fields, rivers and streams of the countryside to the busy world of streets, buildings, traffic and crowds. This movement from rural (乡下的) areas to urban areas has been going on for over two hundred years.
In many countries, the main reason people come to live in towns and cities is work. After one or two large factories have been built in or near a town, people come to find work, and soon an industrial area begins to grow. There is usually a residential area nearby, too. The families of these workers need schools, hospitals and shops, so many people come to live in the area to provide these services and a city grows.
In every major city in the world, there is a business district where the big companies have their main offices. In the United States, this area is usually in the city center downtown. It is here that you can see many huge skyscrapers (摩天大楼) and office blocks. The people who work here often travel a long way to work each day. Many of them live in the suburbs of the city, far away from the industrial area and the city center. Some suburbs are very pleasant, with nice houses and big gardens. There are usually parks for children to play in and large department stores where you can buy all you need.
But what is the future of the big cities? Will they continue to get bigger and bigger? Perhaps not. Some major cities have actually become smaller in the last ten years, and it is quite possible that one day we will see people moving out of the major cities and back into smaller towns and villages.
小题1:The underlined phrase “a residential area” means an area ________.
A．where people can buy things
B．which is near a city center
C．where people can do business
D．which is suitable for living in小题2:Why do people move to live in cities or towns?
A．Because they can live more comfortably there.
B．Because they mainly want to find work there.
C．Because they are sure of having a better life there.
D．Because they like noisy life better than peaceful life.小题3:What can we know about the business district?
A．Big companies usually have their main offices in the business district.
B．People usually work and live in the skyscrapers in the cities.
C．A business district usually lies not far away from the city center downtown.
D．It’s reasonable for a business district without a park for children to play in.小题4:We can infer that this movement from rural to urban areas ________.
A．has been going on for more than 2,000 years
B．will surely continue in the future
C．may not continue in the future
D．has now stopped already
