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Passage I

Read the passage and answer the following questions.

A There’s good news and bad news about life in modern cities—first, the bad. People who study population growth predict a nightmare by the year 2005; the global population will be more than eight billion, and almost four billion of these people will be living in cities in developing countries such as India and Nigeria. Population growth is already causing unbelievable overcrowding. Due to this overcrowding, many cities have problems with air pollution, disease, and crime. People spend hours in gridlock—that is, traffic so horrible that it simply doesn’t move—when they commute daily from their homes to their work and back. There isn’t enough water, transportation, or housing. Many people don’t have access to health services or jobs. Now the good news: in some cities, instead of worsening, urban life is actually getting much better.

B It might not be a surprise to find that life in affluent cities is improving. But what about cities that aren’t rich? The city of Curitiba, Brazil, proves that it’s possible for even a city in a developing country to offer a good life to its residents. The former mayor of Curitiba for 25 years, Jaime Lerner is an architect and a very practical person. Under his leadership, the city planners established a list of priorities—in other words, a list of what was important to work on. They decided to focus on the environment and on the quality of life. With an average income of only about $2,000 per person per year, Curitiba has the same problems as many cities. However, it also has some creative solutions.

C One creative solution is the method of garbage collection—cambio verde, or Green Exchange. This does far more than clean the streets of trash. In neighborhoods that garbage trucks can’t reach, poor people bring bags of trash to special centers. At these centers, they exchange the trash for fresh produce such as potatoes and oranges. They receive one kilo of produce for every four kilos of trash they bring in. At a recycling plant, workers separate glass bottles, plastic, and cans from other trash. Two-thirds of Curitiba’s garbage is recycled, which is good for the environment. And the plant gives jobs to the poorest people, which improves their lives.

21. What is the main idea in paragraph A?
a. How life will be much better in some big cities.
b. Overcrowding in developing countries.
c. There is good news and bad news about life in modern cities.
d. The bad effects of population growth.

22. According to the passage, India and Nigeria are considered to be among _________
countries.
a. western
b. industrialized
c. developing
d. rich

23. What does population growth cause?
a. Employment.
b. Prosperity.
c. Overcrowding.
d. Better life in big cities.

24. The underlined pronoun “his” in paragraph B refers to ________.
a. Jaime Lerner
b. planner
c. person
d. architect

25. According to the passage, the underlined noun “priorities” in paragraph B means
a. a list of events that will occur.
b. a list of household chores to be done.
c. a list of tasks to be accomplished.
d. a list of what is most important to work on.

26. What are poor people in Curitiba, Brazil supposed to do since garbage trucks cannot
reach their neighborhoods?
a. To keep the garbage on the streets.
b. To recycle the trash.
c. To bring bags of trash to special centers.
d. To rent smaller trucks so that they can reach the districts where they live.

27. What did Jaime Lerner, the former mayor of Curitiba, Brazil, do?
a. An architect.
b. A university professor.
c. An engineer.
d. A doctor.

28. In Curitiba, where are such things as glass bottles, plastic, and cans separated
from other trash?
At a __________________.
a. big farmland
b. recycling plant
c. huge factory
d. special center


29. In what way has creating a “Green Exchange” in Curitiba helped the city?
a. It has helped both humans and the environment.
b. It has solved the problem of air pollution.
c. Traffic has got to be heavier.
d. People have become poorer.



30. The noun “garbage” in paragraph C is closest in meaning to ________.
a. produce
b. rubbish
c. leftovers
d. food