Reading Comprehension

Read the text about changes in cities. Parts of the text have been removed. Choose the correct part for each gap.There are two extra parts that you do not need. The DEATH of diversityBig cities change dramatically over the years with new developments, transport and skyscrapers to make the most of space. Are things better or worse, what happens on a social level, how are the lives of the people affected by changes? Many sociologists have studied these changes and written books and papers about it.When Jane Jacobs published her classic book The Death and Life of Great American Cities, in the early 1960s, her argument was that the town planners were destroying the soul of cities in the name of progress, by replacing mixed and vibrant neighbourhoods with high-rise housing. She claimed that the people already living in these decaying areas would renovate their homes as their economic circumstances improved and that, attracted by the diversity and livability of these well-established neighbourhoods, new people would come and add to the vibrant mix. In just a few years Jacobs' theory that blighted areas of cities would revive organically if left to themselves was accepted as gospel. But it hasn't turned out to be quite as she imagined it to be. The part of her argument that has turned out to be completely wrong is the idea that the poor, struggling residents of decaying neighbourhoods would manage to move up into the middle class, following what at that time seemed to be the inevitable path of the American Dream. The premise behind Jacobs' ideal of a reviving urban area depends on keeping a substantial proportion of the original population in place while allowing an influx of outsiders who will mingle with the original inhabitants, a process she called 'unslumming'. She thought that the new people would simply improve the area. In fact what has happened in most cities is something else entirely, and it's called gentrification. What actually happens is a new middle class has moved into the poor neighbourhoods, driving out the poorer indigenous residents. The houses and buildings may have had their diversity preserved by careful renovators and homebuyers who love the local ambience, but social diversity has been thrown out with the faulty windows and unreliable plumbing.Portland, Oregon is a good example of this wave of gentrification. To give a personal example here, in my childhood the city was growing rapidly. The lower north-east part of the city was a racially mixed, working-class area that, while not exactly thriving, supported a large population of families, had fairly decent schools and parks, and was nothing if not organic. But over the years several economic downturns slowly brought an increase in crime and decay, and those who could afford to do so moved out, leaving house prices at rock bottom.Later, sometime in the 1980s, subsistence-level artist types - who in their turn had been driven out of the centre of the city by gentrification - realized that this was a place they could afford to live in which offered quaintness and diversity. The cutting-edge restaurants, chic galleries and organic food stores followed - and the consequent skyrocketing housing prices. Now it's a homogenous area of revamped houses and urban cool.And the original inhabitants? They have been forced out into the older suburbs, where gentrification has yet to take hold - though you can practically see the tide creeping ever outward, drowning diversity in its wake. Celebrity through the agesWhat does it mean to be famous? Would you like to be famous? Do you have a favourite actor or actress? What do you know about him or her? Where did you find out about them? In this article we look at how the concept of celebrity has changed over the years. You might be surprised to discover that actors were not always considered to be important. In ancient times, fame was reserved for the strong and powerful: monarchs or great warriors, whose actions had a direct influence on their country. One exception was a Roman slave, Quintus Roscius Gallus (126-62 BC), who was famous for his comic imitations of the members of the Forum. Roscius succeeded in making sufficient money from his acting to buy his own freedom and was even given a gold ring by the Emperor, a great honour for an actor in Ancient Rome, where the profession was looked down on. The contempt for acting continued into more recent times. In 16th-century London, the authorities often tried to stop performances from taking place. In 1590, however, when William Shakespeare started writing, many people went to see his plays. Popular theatre became a major form of entertainment for people, who would go to the theatre to see a work by a famous playwright. The actors, in contrast, were often unknown. Things really began to change approximately one hundred years ago with the invention of motion pictures in the 1890s. From this point on, attention started to shift to the performers. An increase in the number of popular tabloid newspapers meant that more and more people could read stories about movie stars. Hollywood studios made money from this growing fascination with stardom by using famous actors to market their films. The publicity this caused led to an ever-greater interest in the actors' personal lives, something that has become a common feature of modern celebrity today. Has celebrity become too important? Match the correct answers to questions 1-9 Who were the famous people in ancient times? monarchs warriors What did Roscius do near the Forum in Rome? comic imitations of the members of the Forum How was Roscius honoured With a gold ring by the Emperor When di William Shakespeare become famous? in the 16th century In Shakespeare's time, who was famous? the playwright What first became popular in the 1890s? motion pictures Where could people read about the stars? tabloid newspapers Who or what made money from marketing? Hollywood studios What was interesting about the stars? their personal lives