Question

【题目】

根据短文内容，从短文后的七个选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。

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 (乡村的) 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 (迁移) 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 1990, 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 ninety-five 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 ninety-five farmers to feed five city people, one American farmer is able to feed more than a hundred non-farmers.

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 become 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】【1】 结合上一句以及下一句的内容可知，此处是按时间顺序叙述城市化的进程的，且E项中的“only a few people could live in cities”与下一句中的“nearly everyone lived on farms”相呼应。

【2】 上一段的后半部分提到英国在20世纪成为第一个城市化社会，本段第一句提到英国仅仅是开端，由此可知不久以后许多其他工业国家也成为了城市化社会。

【3】结合前两句中提到的82%和2%可知，此处应叙述其余的人居隹在何处。

【4】 根据前两句的内容，尤其是“Large cities were impossible”可知，受农业社会的限制，当时的城市规模很小。本段后半句提提到的当时的城市规模受限于剩余食物的数量也是线索提示。

【5】 上一句中提到工业革命打破了城市和农村的平衡，再结合下一句中的“one American farmer is able to feed more than a hundred non-farmers”可判断此项正确。