如今，世界各地的大城市数不胜数。这个繁忙而密集的人口中心象征人类几千年来的文明。其实，城市的数量不仅仅与日俱增，人口数量也不断增加，“巨型城市” 不断涌现。在这一背景下，伦敦市内的总人口每年呈递减的趋势。这是为什么？哪些人正在离开城市，而哪些人仍然被它的机会和活力所吸引？本集Take Away English讨论英国人离开大城市背后的原因。
article
We owe a lot to cities. These densely populated hubs of transit, industry and commerce brought together great swathes of the population. More than just living together for safety, cities allowed people to cooperate more easily and, as a result, develop more complex societies, science, and culture – things we continue to benefit from today. In 2016 the UN revealed that over 50% of the world's population live in urban settlements. Of these cities, 31 are classified as megacities. A megacity is one where its inhabitants number more than 10 million. And globally this trend is expected to increase.
London is no exception. Unsurprisingly, as England's capital city, London has a population of over 10 million – up by 1.1 million since 2008, according to one BBC article. This is a result of a higher birth rate than mortality rate, and an increase in international immigration. However, despite these rises, half a million more people have migrated away from this metropolis than have flocked to it. Why might this be?
It's the result of age. Where members of all other age groups tend to depart more than they arrive, young people between the ages of 20 and 30 are drawn to the range and number of jobs that the city offers and the education opportunities that can be found there. This explains why London has one of the youngest average populations in the UK, just 37, according to the BBC.
And the rest of the country? From 2002 to 2015 municipalities such as Liverpool, Birmingham and Manchester saw a population growth of 181%, 163% and 149% respectively, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics. Young professionals looking for high-paying jobs are attracted to the opportunities provided by growth in sectors such as finance and law. This in turn causes the development of city amenities such as gyms, restaurants and bars, making it an even more attractive place to live.
So are people in the UK leaving cities? It depends on where you look. What does seem clear is that people's views on the advantages of urban living may change as they get older. Where once was opportunity, now there may be hassle. Has your relationship with a city changed over time?
vocabulary
densely populated 人口密集的
hub 中心
transit 运输
commerce 商务、商业
swathe 大片、大量的
society 社会
culture 文化
urban settlement 城市定居点
megacity （人口超过一千万的）巨型城市
inhabitant 居民
capital 首都
population 人口
birth rate 出生率
mortality rate 死亡率
immigration 移民
migrate （大批）移居，迁移
metropolis 大都市
flock 蜂拥而至
municipality 市政当局
make sentences
As the situation stands, a great swathe of the population has been caught in the epidemic.
Modern medicine has helped to lower the mortality rate to never before seen levels.
The low cost sale saw people flock to the designer outlet store.
The eastern district of the city is a hub for culture, art and music.
As resources became scarce, people and animals would migrate to other areas.
question
- Why have cities been useful to human development?
answer
Cities have allowed people to cooperate more easily and, as a result, develop more complex societies, science, and culture.
@BBC Learning English
