The persistent haze over many of our cities is a reminder of the polluted air that we breathe. Over 80% of the worlds urban population is breathing air that fails to meet World Health Organisation sidelines, and an estimated 4.5 million people died __26__ from outdoor air pollution in 2015.
Globally, urban populations are expected to double in the next 40 years, and an extra 2 billion people will need new places to live, as well as services and ways to move around their cities. What is more important, the decisions that we make now about the design of our cities will __27__ the everyday lives and health of the coming generations. So what would a smog-free, or at least low-pollution, city be like?
Traffic has become __28__ with air pollution, and many countries intend to ban the sale of petrol and diesel cars in the next two decades. But simply __29__ to electric cars will not mean pollution-free cities. The level of emissions they cause will depend on how the electricity to run them is __30__, while brakes, tyres and roads all create tiny airborne __31__ as they wear out.
Across the developed world, car use is in decline as more people move to city centres, while young people especially are __32__ for other means of travel. Researchers are already asking if motor vehicle use has reached its __33__ and will decline, but transport planners have yet to catch up with this __34__, instead of laying new roads to tackle traffic jams. As users of London's orbital M25 motorway will know, new roads rapidly fill with more traffic. In the US, studies have shown that doubling the size of a road can __35__ double the traffic, taking us back to the starting point.
A) alternate
B) crown
C) determine
D) generated
E) locating
F) merged
G) miniatures
H) opting
I) particles
J) peak
K) prematurely
L) simply
M) switching
N) synonymous
O) trend
答案解析：
根据 ...an estimated 4.5 million people died ____ from outdoor air pollution in 2015”，可知此处需要一个副词来修饰 died”。结合语境，空气污染导致人们“过早”死亡，prematurely”(过早地)符合句意。所以选 K。
根据 ...the decisions that we make now about the design of our cities will ____ the everyday lives and health of the coming generations”，可知此处需要一个动词，表示“决定”或“影响”。determine”(决定，确定)符合语境，指我们现在做的决定将“决定”子孙后代的生活和健康。所以选 C。
根据 Traffic has become ____ with air pollution”，可知此处需要一个形容词，与 with”搭配，表示“与...同义”。synonymous”(同义的)符合句意，即交通已经与空气污染“同义”了，两者紧密相连。所以选 N。
根据 But simply ____ to electric cars will not mean pollution-free cities”，可知此处需要一个动名词形式，与 to”搭配，表示“转向”。switching to”(转向，转换到)符合句意，指仅仅转向电动汽车并不能带来无污染的城市。所以选 M。
根据 ...how the electricity to run them is ____”，可知此处需要一个过去分词，表示被动语态。generated”(产生，发电)符合句意，指它们造成的排放水平取决于驱动它们的电力是“如何产生的”。所以选 D。
根据 ...brakes, tyres and roads all create tiny airborne ____ as they wear out”，可知此处需要一个名词，作 create”的宾语。particles”(微粒，颗粒)符合句意，指刹车、轮胎和道路在磨损时都会产生微小的空气“颗粒物”。所以选 I。
根据 ...young people especially are ____ for other means of travel”，可知此处需要一个现在分词，与 are”构成现在进行时。opting for”(选择)符合句意，指年轻人尤其正在“选择”其他的出行方式。所以选 H。
根据 …if motor vehicle use has reached its ___and will decline”，可知此处需要一个名词，作 reached”的宾语。peak”(顶点，峰值)符合句意，指研究人员在问，汽车使用是否已经达到了其峰值”并将会下降。所以选 J。
根据 ...transport planners have yet to catch up with this ____”，可知此处需要一个名词，指代前文提到的机动车使用达到顶峰并开始下降这一现象。trend”(趋势)符合句意，指交通规划者们还没有跟上这一“趋势”。所以选 O。
根据 ...doubling the size of a road can ____ double the traffic”，可知此处需要一个副词来修饰 double”。simply”(仅仅，简直)符合句意，指研究表明将道路规模扩大一倍会直接使车流量也增加一倍。所以选 L。
