Question

【題目】Urbanization

Until relatively recently, the vast majority of human beings lived and died without ever seeing a city. The first city was probably founded no more than 5,500 years ago. 【1】 In fact, nearly everyone lived on farms or in tiny rural (鄉(xiāng)村的) villages. It was not until the 20th century that Great Britain became the first urban society in history — a society in which the majority of people live in cities and do not farm for a living.

Britain was only the beginning. 【2】 The process of urbanization — the migration (遷徙) of people from the countryside to the city — was the result of modernization, which has rapidly transformed how people live and where they live.

In 1900, fewer than 40% of Americans lived in urban areas. Today, over 82% of Americans live in cities. Only about 2% live on farms. 【3】

Large cities were impossible until agriculture became industrialized. Even in advanced agricultural societies, it took about ninetyfive people on farms to feed five people in cities. 【4】 Until modern times, those living in cities were mainly the ruling elite (精英) and the servants, laborers and professionals who served them. Cities survived by taxing farmers and were limited in size by the amount of surplus food that the rural population produced and by the ability to move this surplus from farm to city.

Over the past two centuries, the Industrial Revolution has broken this balance between the city and the country. 【5】 Today, instead of needing ninetyfive farmers to feed five city people, one American farmer is able to feed more than a hundred nonfarmers.

A．That kept cities very small.

B．The rest live in small towns.

C. The effects of urban living on people should be considered.

D. Soon many other industrial nations became urban societies.

E．But even 200 years ago, only a few people could live in cities.

F．Modernization drew people to the cities and made farmers more productive.

G．Modern cities have destroyed social relations and the health of human beings.

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】E

【2】D

【3】B

【4】A

【5】F

【解析】

本文是一篇說明文，主要介紹了城市化的進程以及早期制約城市化進程的主要原因。

【1】根據(jù)橫線后一句“In fact, nearly everyone lived on farms or in tiny rural (鄉(xiāng)村的) villages.”可知幾乎所有人都生活在農場或小鄉(xiāng)村里，很少有人生活在城市里。E項“But even 200 years ago, only a few people could live in cities.”與上下文一致，故選E項。

【2】橫線前一句“Britain was only the beginning.”告訴我們英國只是城市化的開始，英國以后有更多的國家進入了城市化的進程。D項“Soon many other industrial nations became urban societies”與之一致。故選D項。

【3】橫線前兩句Today, over 82% of Americans live in cities. Only about 2% live on farms.可知現(xiàn)在大部分的美國人都生活在城市里，只有百分之二的人生活在農村里。其余人生活在小鎮(zhèn)里。B項“The rest live in small towns.”與上下文語境一致，故選B項正確。

【4】橫線前句“Even in advanced agricultural societies, it took about ninetyfive people on farms to feed five people in cities.”告訴我們95個農民才可以養(yǎng)活5個城里人。生產效率的低下制約了城市規(guī)模，導致以前的城市規(guī)模較小。故A項符合上下文語境。

【5】橫線前一句“Over the past two centuries, the Industrial Revolution has broken this balance between the city and the country.”告訴我們工業(yè)化打破了城市和鄉(xiāng)村的界限，提高了農業(yè)的生產效率，也讓更多的人進入城市。故F項符合上下文語境。