Cultura General

URBAN GROWTH
Soon, more of us will be living in cities than in rural areas. Population experts at the United Nations had thought that would happen by this year.

Lately their estimate is that in 2012, for the first time in history, more than half of the world population will be in urban areas.
The United Nations Population Fund just released its yearly "State of World Population" report.Researchers say three-and-a-third billion people will be living in urban areas next year. By two thousand thirty, the estimate is almost five billion. The fastest growth will be in Asia and Africa
Poor people will make up most of the urban growth. And natural increase will be the main cause of that growth, not migration from rural areas. The report says mega-cities of more than ten million peoplehave not grown to the sizes once expected. Most growth is expected instead in smaller towns and cities.

The experts urge governments to improve social services and city planning policies. For example, the report calls for better land use so poor people do not have to live in slums.
Today, an estimated one billion live in these often polluted and dangerous environments. Ninety percent of thepeople are in developing countries.

The report says the possible good of urbanization far outweighs the bad. The task is to learn how to make the best use of the possibilities. For example, cities can have a lot of poverty, yet they also represent the best hope for poor people to escape poverty, it says. "Cities create environmental problems, but they can also create solutions."

Accidente delCosta Concordia
El accidente del crucero italiano Costa Concordia, que incluye el choque y el posterior encallamiento y hundimiento parcial, sucedió el 13 de enero de 2012, luego de chocar contra un arrecife de la costa italiana.
El barco encalló frente a la Isla de Giglio, en Toscana, lo que requirió la evacuación de las 4.211 personas a bordo.
Por lo menos 28 personas murieron, incluyendoseis pasajeros y un miembro de la tripulación, 64 personas resultaron heridas (tres de ellas de gravedad), dos pasajeros y un tripulante tuvieron que ser rescatados de debajo de la cubierta, y 4 personas más siguen desaparecidas.
El capitán, Francesco Schettino, y el primer oficial, Ciro Ambrosio, fueron arrestados bajo sospecha de homicidio involuntario después de navegar mucho más cerca de laorilla de lo permitido.
El Concordia entró al servicio de Costa Cruceros en julio de 2006, siendo el barco más grande construido en Italia hasta ese momento y costó 450 millones de euros. Con sus 114.500 toneladas, es el naufragio de barco de pasajeros de mayor tonelaje de la historia y los analistas del sector estiman que se trata de un siniestro total.

Lectura 2 Accident Costa Concordia
TheItalian cruise ship accident Costa Concordia, which includes the crash and the subsequent grounding and partial sinking, occurred on January 13, 2012, after hitting a reef off the coast of Italy.
The ship ran aground off the island of Giglio in Tuscany, which required the evacuation of 4,211 people on board.
At least 28 people died, including six passengers and a crew member, 64 people wereinjured (three of them seriously), two passengers and one crew had to be rescued from under the deck, and 4 more are still missing .

The captain, Francesco Schettino, and the first officer, Ciro Ambrosio, were arrested on suspicion of manslaughter after sailing much closer to shore than allowed.

The Concordia entered the service of Costa Cruises in July 2006, being the largest ship built inItaly to date and cost 450 million euros. With 114,500 tonnes, the sinking of passenger vessel of greater tonnage of history and industry analysts estimate that it is a total loss.

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