托福阅读材料：Suburban housing
托福阅读材料：Suburban housingThe growth of the suburbs was a direct result of the rise of the automobile. Suburban housing developments allow car owners to live farther away from their workplace than ever before. Before the automobile, commuters relied on trains and buses, whose service was generally restricted to urban areas. The convenience of the private automobile and an extensive system ofhighways have virtually eliminated the restrictions on travel that characterize public transportation. Because every suburban household owns at least one car, public transit has become unnecessary. 中华考试网(www．Examw。com) Crowding in the central city and a consequent deterioration ofliving conditions there have provided an incentive for people to move to suburbia. Many suburban developments are primarily residential districts close to the city. The suburban lifestyle is very appealing because it evokes an ideal of an "urban" society living graciously in a "country" setting of single-family houses on large, private lots. Suburban neighborhoods are built for the automobile. They are separated from the city's problems yet are within driving distance of the city's employment opportunities and cultural attractions.
The shift ofpopulation out of the central city has had the effect of attracting industry and commerce to the suburbs. Many suburbs are built around a single purpose of economic activity and are particularly successful in attracting shopping centers or high-technology industries. Large areas of suburban land have been zoned primarily for office space, leading to the rise ofthe suburban business park. Much commercial activity has moved to large suburban centers that rival the central city's downtown, providing further incentive for people to migrate to the suburbs.
页:
[1]