🔥Book Review: Cities Are Good for You by Leo Hollis Answers with location - Đề luyện tập IELTS READING- Làm bài online format computer-based, kèm đáp án, dịch & giải thích từ vựng - cấu trúc ngữ pháp khó

February 28, 2026

IELTS TUTOR cung cấp Book Review: Cities Are Good for You by Leo Hollis Đề luyện tập IELTS READING (IELTS Reading Practice Test) - Làm bài online format computer-based, kèm đáp án, dịch & giải thích từ vựng - cấu trúc ngữ pháp khó & GIẢI ĐÁP ÁN VỚI LOCATION

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III. Book Review: Cities Are Good for You by Leo Hollis: Đề luyện tập IELTS READING (IELTS Reading Practice Test)

READING PASSAGE 3

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 27-40, which are based on Reading Passage 3 below.

Book Review: Cities Are Good for You by Leo Hollis

Don’t let that seductive 99p deceive you – with Leo Hollis’s Cities Are Good for You you’re definitely getting seventeen pounds’ worth of book; £17, and possibly somewhere approaching 17lbs as well, because this is a hefty tome, not quite lavishly tooled enough for the coffee table, but not entirely a comfortable proposition when lying abed. Which rather raises the question, who exactly is it aimed at? People who see the city as a backdrop of fashion plates against which they can strike physical and intellectual attitudes, or those for whom urbanism is just another wanky trend? Several years ago the world reached a tipping point, and for the first time in history more people were urban than rural inhabitants, and this demographic shift is increasingly reflected in the cultural superstructure: there are increasing numbers of books, films and TV and radio programmes about the city.

Hollis’s is a reasonably efficient solution to the genre – a comprehensive overview of the state of the city and contemporary thinking in urbanism. He begins and ends his tale – which takes the form of an extended multi-city-break – with musings occasioned by Manhattan’s High Line park, the curiously liminal green space established on the derelict elevated railway line that runs down the Lower West Side. In between, Hollis travels through time, giving a highly partisan and select history of urban theory and town planning; and through space, hopping from the US to Bangalore and Mumbai, to Shanghai, to Songdo in South Korea, Santiago in Chile and Bogotá in Colombia, then back home to his own Meridian on the outskirts of London for a little rest and reflection. >> 🔥 Form đăng kí giải đề thi thật IELTS 4 kĩ năng kèm bài giải bộ đề 100 đề PART 2 IELTS SPEAKING quý đang thi (update hàng tuần) từ IELTS TUTOR

Hollis argues passionately for the city as an engine of human creativity, innovation, and social progress. He contends that, despite problems of inequality, pollution, and congestion, cities are fundamentally beneficial because they concentrate talent, foster collaboration, and accelerate the exchange of ideas. He examines case studies like the transformation of Bogotá under Mayor Enrique Peñalosa, who prioritized public transport and public space over cars, and the planned “smart city” of Songdo, built from scratch with ubiquitous digital technology. These examples serve to illustrate his thesis that cities can be designed or retrofitted to improve quality of life.

However, the reviewer notes that Hollis’s optimism, while engaging, sometimes glosses over the deep-seated challenges of urban living. The book celebrates successful interventions but may underplay the difficulties of scaling such solutions or addressing systemic issues like housing affordability and social segregation. Its global tour, while informative, can feel somewhat superficial, skimming the surface of complex local contexts. Ultimately, Cities Are Good for You is a spirited and accessible introduction to urban optimism. It is likely to appeal to the general reader with an interest in cities and planning, offering a hopeful, if occasionally simplistic, vision of the urban future. It may frustrate academic specialists seeking deeper analysis, but succeeds in making a compelling case for why cities matter. >> 🔥 Nhắn zalo 0905834420 join group zalo Hóng đề thi máy 4 skills để cập nhật đề thi thật 4 kĩ năng hằng ngày [Kèm giải & đề làm online

Questions 27-31

Complete the summary below. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.

Book Review: Cities Are Good for You
The reviewer first notes the book's physical 27 ________ and questions its target audience. The book's relevance is linked to the global 28 ________ where more people now live in cities than in the countryside. Hollis structures the book like an extended trip, starting and ending with New York's 29 ________ park. He travels through both time and space, visiting cities worldwide to support his argument that cities promote 30 ________ and social progress. The reviewer concludes the book is a 31 ________ introduction to urban optimism for general readers.

Questions 32-35

Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in the review? Write:
YES if the statement agrees with the claims of the writer
NO if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

The reviewer believes the book is poor value for money.
Hollis provides a completely neutral and objective history of urban planning.
The book discusses the city of Songdo as an example of a "smart city".
The reviewer feels the book offers a deeply detailed analysis of every city it mentions.
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Questions 36-40

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C, or D. What does the reviewer suggest about the book's physical qualities?

A. It is small and lightweight.
B. It is large and somewhat awkward to handle.
C. It is designed as a luxurious coffee-table book.
D. It is only available as an e-book.
The High Line park in Manhattan is used by Hollis to:
A. Criticize wasteful spending on parks.
B. Frame the beginning and end of his narrative.
C. Argue that all railways should be dismantled.
D. Demonstrate the failure of urban green spaces.
According to the review, what is Hollis's central argument about cities?
A. They are doomed to fail due to overcrowding.
B. They are fundamentally beneficial for human progress.
C. They should be abandoned in favor of rural living.
D. Their problems outweigh their advantages.
What criticism does the reviewer make of Hollis's approach?
A. He is too pessimistic about urban futures.
B. He sometimes overlooks serious urban challenges.
C. He refuses to use any case studies.
D. He only focuses on European cities.
Who is the most likely audience for this book, according to the reviewer?
A. Specialized academics in urban studies.
B. People with no interest in cities.
C. General readers interested in cities and planning.
D. Only professional city planners.