We Need Green Space

Decades ago,any openfield,any vacant lot,any group of trees were the places where childrenplayed.As families left family farms,small towns,and the countryside,and moved

into cities,theplaces for their children to play in became rarer.(46)_________

In fact,all people'slives change a lot when they move to the city. In cities,homes are built on topof one another in enormous apartment buildings.The feeling of private space

and ownership nolonger exists in houses literally piled one on the other.

Psychologists havebeen studying the changes people experience when they leave rural areas andmove into urban environments.(47)________Children can play on paved

playgrounds.That's true.(48)_________Withoutgrass and trees and bushes and,yes,dirt and mud to get dirty in, children missan important part of childhood.The human

soul,it seems,needsto stay close to its roots.

Adults can plantlots of things like bulbs in window boxes and large containers.(49)_________The lack of green space is now recognized and understood as a problem.

City planners一the people who design neighborhoods一have begun to work on a solution.They want to build more parks,butland in cities is quite costly.So they look for land

that no one elsewants.Along rivers,under power lines,near ditches and highways—(50)________Whynot use these unused spaces for green areas?Neighborhood groups have

coordinated theirefforts to clean up the trash or garbage.Soil from new building projects in thecity has been trucked by lorries into these areas.This soil has been dumped

along the sides ofrivers,and strong walls have been erected to hold it there.Trees and busheshave been planted;the roots of these plants will hold the soil, too,and thegreen

leaves make the areabeautiful.________（47）

A.However,they justdon't have as much fun as children in small towns.

B.Children in thecities had few options,fewer choices of places to play.

C.Why is there noplace children in cities to play?

D.One clear findingfrom their studies is that people need green spaces for better mental health.

E.However,tendingwindow boxes isn't the same as being an amateur gardener and growingpeas,tomatoes and salad greens in a backyard garden.