Reading Text
Commuting — that is to (9) .......... , the regular practice of travelling from one area to a place of work and returning home each day — has been a feature of modern life since the advent of the railways. In recent decades, however, it has become the (10) .......... rather than the exception, as increasing numbers of people relocate from city centres to more suburban or rural settings.
Consider (11) .......... London as a case in point. The majority of those employed in the central districts are compelled to commute, given the prohibitive cost of residing in (12) .......... a location. A daily journey of at least an hour on public transport is by no (13) .......... unusual, since private car use has been substantially curtailed by anti-pollution and congestion-charging legislation.
At the more extreme end of the spectrum, there are accounts of professionals enduring commutes of up to three hours (14) .......... way every single day rather than relocating to the capital. One might expect such journeys to be made exclusively by rail, but the reduced cost of air travel has increasingly made it feasible for people on ordinary incomes to commute from the (15) .......... of Barcelona or Lisbon to London or Zurich — thus (16) .......... advantage of the superior quality of life and more favourable climate of their home city, whilst drawing a salary that only a major financial centre can offer.