Use of English - Multiple Choice

City Lights

Artificial lighting has long been regarded as one of the defining features of urban life. It extends commercial activity, improves perceived safety and lends cities the sense that they never truly sleep. Yet the spread of illumination has not come about without cost. In many places, excessive lighting has (0) BECOME so commonplace that residents scarcely notice it, even when it spills into bedrooms, washes out the night sky and alters the character of entire neighbourhoods. Urban planners and environmentalists have increasingly drawn attention to the ways in which badly designed lighting can (1) .......... with human sleep patterns and wildlife behaviour alike. Migratory birds, for instance, may become disorientated by brightly lit skylines, while people exposed to constant illumination often struggle to (2) .......... off properly at night. The issue is not simply one of brightness, but of placement, intensity and duration. Lights that are installed with little thought frequently (3) .......... more harm than good. For this reason, many cities are beginning to rethink old practices. Rather than flooding public spaces with light, they are turning to systems that are carefully directed and used only where (4) .......... needed. Advocates argue that such measures do not compromise safety; on the contrary, they can enhance visibility while reducing waste. In the long (5) .........., smarter lighting may also cut energy bills and lower emissions. What is more, it can help restore a sense of rhythm to urban life, (6) .......... a clearer distinction between day and night. The challenge lies not in rejecting artificial light altogether, but in using it with greater (7) .......... and restraint, so that cities remain vibrant without becoming permanently (8) .......... .