Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 34 to 38.

Financial independence is one of the many markers used to designate the crossover from childhood into young adulthood, and it’s a (34)_________ most Americans (64%) think young adults should reach by the time they are 22 years old, according to a new Pew Research Center study. But that’s not the reality for most young adults who’ve achieved this age.

The share of young adults who could be considered “financially independent” from their parents by their early 20s – an assessment based on their annual income – has gone down somewhat in recent decades. Looking more broadly at young adults aged 18 to 29, the share who are financially independent has been (35)__________stable in recent decades. Overall, young men are more likely than young women to be financially independent, but this gender gap has diminished significantly.

The new survey findings underscore the extent to which many young adults are financially reliant on their parents. (36) ________ young adults who have received financial help from their parents say at least some of it was for recurring expenses. Six-in-ten say the money went toward household expenses such as groceries or bills, and significant shares used it to pay their tuition, rent, or mortgage. Beyond financial independence, the pace with (37)_________ young adults are reaching other markers of adulthood has slowed significantly over the past several decades. Today’s young adults are staying in school longer and are marrying and establishing their own households later than previous generations. (38)_________, a growing share is living in their parents’ homes well into their 20s and even early 30s. Some of these changes are linked to economic challenges, while others may represent a realignment of goals and priorities.

(Source: https://www.pewsocialtrends.org)

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 39 to 43.

Two-thirds of people in the world will be living in cities by 2050 and the boom will be concentrated in India, China and Nigeria, according to United Nations estimates released on Wednesday. The world’s rural population will peak in a few years then decline by 2050, according to the report by the UN’s population division.

Tokyo is currently the world’s largest city with 37 million people, followed by Delhi with 29 million, Shanghai with 26 million, and Mexico City and São Paulo, each with around 22 million inhabitants. Cairo, Mumbai, Beijing and Dhaka all have close to 20 million inhabitants. However, Delhi will overtake Tokyo in top spot by around 2028, the report said. At about the same time, India is expected to surpass China as the country with the world’s largest total population.

Around 55% of the world population lives in urban areas today, increasing to 68% by 2050. India, China and Nigeria will account for more than a third of that expansion. There will also be more megacities. In 1990, there were just 10 megacities, classed as places with populations of 10 million or more. There are now 33 megacities and by 2030, 43 megacities are projected, mostly in developing countries.

However, a few cities in Japan and South Korea – for example, Nagasaki and Busan – have experienced population decline since 2000. Several cities in Eastern Europe, such as in Poland, Romania, Russia and Ukraine, have lost population since the turn of the century. However, urbanization could be seen as positive, said John Wilmoth, director of the population division. “The increasing concentration of people in cities provides a way of more economically providing services,” he said. “We find that urban populations have better access to health care and education.” The concentration of population may also help to minimize our environmental impact on the planet, he said, and help cities design policies and practices to prepare for the influx.