Buổi 67: Reading – Sentence completion + matching information (thành phố & vận động)

Designing cities for movement

(Bài đọc tự viết; thành phố, nhân vật và số liệu là giả định.)

A For much of the twentieth century, many cities were designed around the car. Wide roads, large car parks and housing estates far from shops and offices made driving the easiest – and often the only – way to get around. One consequence, according to many public health experts, has been an increasingly sedentary way of life, in which people spend most of the day sitting in cars, at desks or in front of screens.

B In recent years, however, urban planners have begun to ask how cities might encourage people to move more as part of their daily routine. The idea is not to persuade everyone to join a gym but to make walking and cycling the natural choice for short journeys. Planners describe neighbourhoods where shops, schools and parks can be reached on foot as “walkable”, and walkability is now a central goal in many city plans.

C Infrastructure plays a major role. In the hypothetical city of Larsby, the number of people cycling to work rose sharply after the council built a network of protected cycle lanes, physically separated from traffic. Before the lanes were built, surveys suggested that many residents wanted to cycle but felt it was too dangerous. Safety, rather than distance, appeared to be the main barrier.

D Density also matters. When homes, offices and services are close together, journeys are shorter and walking becomes practical. Low-density suburbs, by contrast, tend to result in long distances between destinations, which makes car use almost unavoidable. Urban planner Rosa Lindgren argues that “you cannot expect people to walk if there is nowhere to walk to.”

E Not everyone welcomes these changes. Some shop owners fear that removing parking spaces to create cycle lanes will reduce the number of customers. In Larsby, a group of traders initially campaigned against the scheme. Two years later, however, several of them reported that their sales had remained stable or even increased, possibly because pedestrians and cyclists tend to visit local shops more frequently, even if they spend less on each visit.

F Experts caution that design alone cannot solve the problem. Good public transport is needed for longer journeys, and incentives – such as employers providing showers and secure bicycle storage – can make a significant difference. Nonetheless, there is growing agreement that the shape of a city has a lasting effect on the health of the people who live in it.

Staff health benefits – summary 2027 (văn bản giả định)

• Cycle-to-work scheme: the company pays 50% of the cost of a new bicycle, up to a maximum of $300. Apply through HR before 31 January.
• Gym discount: 20% off membership at partner gyms. Show your staff card.
• Annual health check: free for staff with at least 12 months’ service. Book via the HR portal.