Blocks of "high-rise" flats have been built in large numbers in London and in many other b

ig cities. Just after the Second World War these big, twenty-to-thirty storey buildings, hundreds of feet in height, were thought to be the ideal solution to the housing problem. For on the one hand, there was severe housing shortage, but on the other hand, there was lack of space to build houses in urban areas. Blocks of "high-rise" flats seemed at first to be able to solve the problem, since they can offer more families to live in on less land. The beautiful, modem apartments in the high-rises were much sought after by people who lived downtown.

Hundreds of the vast blocks had been built before anyone began to doubt about whether they were good solutions or not. Are they suitable places for people, children especially, to live in？ A well-known British architect, who personally designed many of these buildings, now believes that the high-rises may well make those people who have been housed in them suffer a great deal.

Evidence has been collected by social workers, which suggests that people do suffer. They complain about severe loneliness and deep depression living within these great towers. People also talk about lack of communication with others, no easy access to a playground for children, no chances for adults to get familiarized with each other. Many people say that they have lived next door to each other for years in the same building, but they never know who their neighbors are. Some experts say that a large number of people living in the high-rises suffer from mental disorder and even developed criminal tendencies. As a result of these new discoveries, plans for new high-rise blocks are being reconsidered. We Chinese are now building up many high-rises in big cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Perhaps we should also reconsider the idea too.

There was a big housing problem after the Second World War ______.

A．in London

B．in the rural areas

C．in many big cities

D．in many countries