Read the text carefully then answer the following questions.

Twenty years ago, people tried to leave the suburbs for cities but nowadays many people are reluctant to make such a move. They say that compared to suburban areas, city life has many drawbacks.

The high cost of living is the first disadvantage. The bigger the city is, the higher the living cost is. Accommodation and petrol are expensive. Food and drinks are also pricey. Apart from that, city people seem to suffer from more noise and air pollution. The densely populated neighbourhoods, busy traffic, and big construction sites make cities noisy and dusty. These are harmful to people’s health, such as increasing their stress levels, disturbing their sleep and making them suffer from breathing problems.

Lack of space is another drawback of city life. House prices are high in the city, so people tend to live in smaller houses or in apartment blocks. Many cities lack spaces for outdoor activities; therefore, teenagers often hang out at shopping malls or in entertainment complexes instead of doing sports outdoors.

The cities’ authorities are trying to overcome these problems. However, they still have a long way to go before they can reduce living costs and pollution, and increase green space to make all cities in the world more liveable places.

Why does the author mention “accommodation, petrol, food, and drinks” in paragraph 2?

15. Read the text carefully then answer the following questions.

Twenty years ago, people tried to leave the suburbs for cities but nowadays many people are reluctant to make such a move. They say that compared to suburban areas, city life has many drawbacks.

The high cost of living is the first disadvantage. The bigger the city is, the higher the living cost is. Accommodation and petrol are expensive. Food and drinks are also pricey. Apart from that, city people seem to suffer from more noise and air pollution. The densely populated neighbourhoods, busy traffic, and big construction sites make cities noisy and dusty. These are harmful to people’s health, such as increasing their stress levels, disturbing their sleep and making them suffer from breathing problems.

Lack of space is another drawback of city life. House prices are high in the city, so people tend to live in smaller houses or in apartment blocks. Many cities lack spaces for outdoor activities; therefore, teenagers often hang out at shopping malls or in entertainment complexes instead of doing sports outdoors.

The cities’ authorities are trying to overcome these problems. However, they still have a long way to go before they can reduce living costs and pollution, and increase green space to make all cities in the world more liveable places.

20. Read the passage and choose the correct answers.

In 2018, the United Nations announced that Singapore was completely (16) ______ as 100 per cent of its population is defined as urban. Urbanisation has brought both (17) ______ and disadvantages to the small city-state. On the one hand, Singapore has attracted a lot of skilled workers from many other countries to ensure the economy continues to grow. Migrants have also helped create a more culturally diverse society in Singapore. On the other hand, urbanisation has caused some serious problems such as deforestation, overpopulation, and waste management. Since it was first colonised by the British in 1819 and Singapore was formally founded, over 95 per cent of its vegetation has been (18) ______. In terms of (19) ______ density, in many parts of Singapore, there are over 20,000 people living per square kilometre. Waste treatment used to be another (20) ______ in Singapore. However, thanks to the development of technology, this problem has been solved. Singapore has even become a leader in urban waste management.

Planners want to make cities better by improving infrastructure and increasing green public spaces.

10. Read the passage and choose the correct answers.

Homelessness is a problem in many big cities in the world. It occurs when a part of the population does not have any (6)______place to call home. Hundreds of millions of people in the world spend at least some time of the year being homeless. This is an issue that the authorities are trying to (7)______. However, there are (8)______things that you can do to help the homeless is to volunteer your time. If you have a lot of free time, you might go on an extended trip to help (9)______homes or improve an impoverished person with just a few hours a week, it is possible to make an impact in your own city. You can also help at a (10)______soup kitchen. Most cities have a mission of some kind serving food to the homeless and offering temporary shelter.