二、完形填空 Urbanization and Its Influence
Over half the world's people now live in cities. The latest "Global Report on Human Settlements" says a significant change took place last year. The report 1 this week from U.N. Habitat, a United Nations agency.
A century ago, 2 than five percent of all people lived in cities. 3 the middle of this century it could be seventy percent, or 4 six and a half billion people.
Already three-fourths of people in 5 countries live in cities. Now most urban population 6 is in the developing world.
Urbanization can lead to social and economic progress, but also put 7 on cities to provide housing and 8 . The new report says almost two hundred thousand people move 9 cities and towns each day. It says worsening inequalities, 10 by social divisions and differences in 11 , could result in violence and crime unless cities plan better.
Another issue is urban sprawl (无序扩展的城区). This is where cities 12 quickly into rural areas, sometimes 13 a much faster rate than urban population growth.
Sprawl is common in the United States. Americans move a lot. In a recent study, Art Hall at the University of Kansas found that people are moving away from the 14 cities to smaller ones. He sees a 15 toward "de-urbanization" across the nation. Inflation
Business and government leaders also consider the inflation rate to be an important general indicator. Inflation is a period of increased spending that causes rapid rises in prices. 16 your money buys fewer goods so that you get 17 for the same amount of money as before, inflation is the problem. There is a general rise 18 the price of goods and services. Your money buys less. Sometimes people describe inflation as a time when "a dollar is not worth a dollar anymore".
Inflation is a problem for all consumers. People who live on a fixed income are hurt the 19 . Retired people, for instance, cannot count on an increase in income as prices rise. Elderly people who do not work face serious problems in stretching their incomes to 20 their needs in time of inflation. Retirement income 21 any fixed income usually does not rise as fast as prices. Many retired people must cut their spending to 22 rising prices. In many cases they must stop 23 some necessary items, such as food and clothing. Even 24 working people whose incomes are going up, inflation can be a problem. The 25 of living goes up, too. People who work must have even more money to keep up their standard of living. Just buying the things they need costs more. When incomes do not keep 26 with rising prices, the standard of living goes down. People may be earning the same amount of money, but they are not living as well because they are not able to buy as many goods and services.
Government units gather information about prices in our economy and publish it as price indexes 27 the rate of change can be determined. A price index measures changes in prices using the price for a 28 year as the base. The base price is set at 100, and the other prices are reported as a 29 of the base price. A price index makes 30 possible to compare current prices of typical consumer goods, for example, with prices of the same goods in previous years. 
深色：已答题 浅色：未答题