PASSAGE 4

Urban life has always involved a balancing of opportunities and rewards against dangers and stress; its motivating force is, in the broadest sense, money. Opportunities to make money mean competition and competition is stressful; it is often at its most intense in the largest cities, where opportunities are greatest. The presence of huge numbers of people inevitable involves more conflict, more traveling, the overloadingof public services and exposure to those deviants and criminals who are drawn to the rich pickings of great cities. Crime has always flourished in the relative anonymity of urban life, but today's ease of movement makes its control more difficult than ever; there is much evidence thatits extent has a direct relationship to the size of communities. City dwellers may become trapped in their homes by the fear of crime around them.

As a defense against these developments city dwellers tend to use various strategies to try and reduce the pressures upon themselves: contacts with other people are generally made brief and impersonal; doors are kept locked; telephone numbers may be ex-directory; journeys outside the home are usually hurried, rather than a source of pleasure. There are other strategies too, which are positively harmful to the individual; for example, reducing awareness through drugs or alcohol. Furthermore, all these defensive forms of behavior are harmful to society in general; they cause widespread loneliness and destroy the community's concern for its members. Lack of informal social contact and indifference to the misfortunes of others, if they are not personally known to oneself, are amongst the major causes of urban crime.

36. According to the author, living in a city causes stress because the_re are so many people who are _____.

A. anxious to succeed

B. in need of help

C. naturally aggressive

D. likely to commit crime

37. The author thinks that crime is increasing in cities because _____.

A. people do not communicate with their neighbors

B. Criminals are difficult to trace in large population

C. People feel anonymous there

D. The trappings of success are attractive to criminals

38. According to the article, what is the worst problem facing people living in cities?

A. crime

B. finding somewhere to live

C. loneliness

D. drugs and alcoholism

39. The biggest incentive to live in a city is_______

A. rewards

B. stress

C. competition

D. money

40. According to the author, crime is caused by several factors, one of which is _____

A. social isolation

B. defensive behavior

C. hurried journeys

D. personal misfortune