Despite progress over the last two (1) ................, still more than 35 per cent of the urban population of the less developed regions was living in slums (2) ……………. 2005-2007. In the least developed countries 71 per cent of the urban dwellers lived in slums. This proportion is very high in sub-Saharan Africa, (3) ……………. from 61 per cent in Western Africa to 71 per cent in Middle Africa. It is also very high in Sudan, where 94 per cent of the urban dwellers live in slums. In Asia this proportion is 33 per cent, close to the average of the less developed (4) ……………., and 22 percentage points lower than in Africa. Twenty five per cent of the urban population of Western Asia lives in slums, a percentage significantly lower than the world average. Lack of access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation are typical characteristics of urban slums. Access to safe water and (5) ……………. sanitation are among the indicators used to monitor progress toward (6) …………….sustainability. Globally, 134 million urban dwellers (4 per cent) lacked (7) ……………. to an improved water supply in 2008 and 806 million (24 per cent) lacked adequate sanitation services. Most of these people lived in informal, overcrowded urban settlements in developing countries, particularly in Africa and Asia.
#rwfib_3

1. A) time B) visit C) equity D) decades
2. A) on B) at C) in D) from
3. A) infrastructure B) ranging C) hover D) knowledge
4. A) regions B) luxury C) prevalent D) courtesy
5. A) outburst B) erupted C) seizure D) adequate
6. A) collude B) environmental C) magnificent D) enormously
7. A) negotiations B) housing C) relent D) access
#rwfib_3