Choose the best answers to complete the following sentences.
Circle A, B, C or D to indicate the correct response to each of the following exchanges.
Read the following passage and circle A, B, C or D to indicate the correct answer.
CITIES GOING GREEN
As more and more people concentrate in cities, planners are looking for ways to transform cities into better living spaces, ___(31)___ can be done by improving existing infrastructure while also creating more public ___(32)___ that are both beautiful and green. This can be hard to accomplish, especially in cities with a haphazard fashion. Some cities have been created with the idea of a green city as the goal. One such city, Masdar City in the United Arab Emirates, aims to become a model for ___(33)___ cities to follow. It is being known as a truly green city that relies strictly on renewable sources such as solar energy to provide all of its energy needs. ___(34)___, it will be a zero waste city in which everything that is used can be recycled. Whether it will truly accomplish its goal remains to be seen, but it will also act as an ___(35)___ for environmentally friendly areas to be tested.
Read the following passage and circle A, B, C or D to indicate the correct answer.
In the year 1900, the world was in the midst of a machine revolution. ___(36)___ electrical power became more ubiquitous, tasks once done by hand were now completed quickly and efficiently by machines. Sewing machines replaced needle and thread. Tractors replaced hoes. Typewriters replaced pens. Automobiles replaced horse-drawn carriages.
A hundred years later, in the year 2000, machines were again pushing the boundaries of ___(37)___ was possible. Humans could now work in space, thanks to the International Space Station. We were finding out the composition of life thanks to the DNA sequencer. Computers and the world wide web changed the way we learn, read, communicate, or start political revolutions.
So what will be the game-changing machines in the year 2100? How will they ___(38)___ our lives better, cleaner, safer, more efficient, and more exciting?
We asked over three dozen experts, scientists, engineers, futurists, and organizations in five different disciplines, including climate change, military, ___(39)___, transportation, and space exploration, about how the machines of 2100 will change humanity. The ___(40)___ we got back were thought-provoking, hopeful and at times, apocalyptic.
(Adapted from https://www.popularmechanics.com/)
Read the following passage and circle A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.
A NEW CAPITAL
When the new state of Pakistan was founded in 1947, Karachi acted as the capital city. However, it was difficult for Karachi to remain in this role due to a number of drawbacks such as the climate and the state of the existing buildings. Rather than try to overcome these drawbacks, the government decided to create a new capital city. In 1959, a commission was established to investigate the possible locations of this new city. The advisor appointed to the commission was Dr Doxiadis, a famous architect and city planner.
Dr. Doxiadis and his colleagues looked at the various locations. They then produced a report suggesting two possible areas: one just outside Karachi and the other to the north of Rawalpindi. Both locations had advantages as well as disadvantages. Which site was it to be?
The choice between these two options was made after consideration of many factors, such as transportation, the availabilities of water, economic factors, and factors of national interest. Finally, the site north of Rawalpindi was chosen and on the 24th February 1960, the new capital was given the name of ‘Islamabad’ and a master plan was drawn up. This master plan divided the area into three different sections: Islamabad itself, neighbouring Rawalpindi, and the national park.
Each of these three sections had a different role. Islamabad would act as the nation's capital and would serve its administrative and cultural needs, whereas Rawalpindi would remain the regional centre with industry and commerce. The third piece of the plan, the national park, was planned to provide space for education, recreation, and agriculture.
Today Islamabad is a thriving city of about 1 million people. It offers a healthy a pollution-free atmosphere, plenty of water, and many green spaces. Guide tree-lined streets, elegant public buildings, and well-organised bazaars and shopping centres. The new capital is a superb example of good urban planning.
Read the following passage and circle A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.
Where smart cities were once regarded purely as a vision of the future, they are now becoming a reality in numerous urban centres across the globe. From Dubai, Singapore, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, and Madrid to Southampton in the UK, we’re already beginning to see smart cities provide inhabitants with improved living conditions, easier mobility and cleaner, safer environments, by using cloud computing to power services. But as with all public sector initiatives, smart city services need to be delivered as cost effectively as possible to minimise the taxpayer burden. Often, key decision makers are met with obstacles when it comes to deploying smart services, preventing smart cities initiatives from reaching their full potential – or worse, blocking them altogether.
Central to the functioning of most ‘normal’ city ecosystems is the underlying data they run on. Regardless as to whether that data is stored on local servers or using cloud storage, when that data is fragmented or incomplete, identifying emerging trends for strategic planning and cost reduction becomes extremely difficult – and because of this, authorities have to adopt an entirely reactive approach. Conversely, in a smart city environment, connected sensors forming an Internet of Things (IoT) provide valuable data for analysis and, in turn, insight into the specific city’s behavioural trends. With this level of information, services can be optimised to reduce costs and risk, increase urban flows and manage assets. Importantly, they can also provide real-time connections and interactions between the city’s businesses, local governments, service providers and citizens.
In this way, operations and services are elevated through the integration and connection of physical devices via IoT networks, ultimately transforming how a city runs. (Source: https://www.techradar.com/)