In 1990, fewer than 40% of Americans lived in urban areas. Today, over 82% of Americans live in cities.

　　Only about 2% live on farms.

　　38

　　Large cities were impossible until agriculture became industrialized. Even in advanced agricultural societies, it took about ninety-five people on farms to feed five people in cities.

　　39 Until modern times, those living in cities were mainly the ruling elite(精英) and the servants, laborers and professionals who served them. Cities survived by taxing farmers and were limited in size by the amount of surplus food that the rural population produced and by the ability to move this surplus from farm to city.

　　Over the past two centuries, the Industrial Revolution has broken this balance between the city and the country.

　　40

　　Today, instead of needing ninety-five farmers to feed five city people, one American farmer is able to feed more than a hundred non-farmers.

　　A. That kept cities very small.

　　B. The rest live in small towns.

　　C. The effects of urban living on people should be considered.

　　D. Soon many other industrial nations become urban societies.

　　E. But even 200 years ago, only a few people could live in cities.

　　F. Modernization drew people to the cities and made farmers more productive.

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