If one is rich enough in Britain or America, he may own his or her own house.

　　In Britain, about every two out of three own the house they live in. But what about the remaining one third? They have to rent houses from public authorities(权利机构)or landlords. In Britain, over 80% of people live in suburbs(郊区)in semi-detached(半独立式的) or detached two-story houses, most often with gardens! Most of the houses are equipped with full bathrooms and central heating. This kind of living offers a golden chance for DIY—“Do It Yourself”, interior decoration(室内装修)and making the garden beautiful. It is both creative and comfortable, isn’t it? Very often low-income workers live in the inner cities.

　　Things are a little different in America.

　　The so-called millionaires or multi-millionaires(大富豪)are entitled(有资格的)to comfortable villas(别墅), with private swimming pools! Meanwhile, the middle-class people, who make up about 40% of the total American population, live in detached houses or villas in the suburbs. How about the people who are left? They are of the lower class, making up 15% or so of Americans, all of them live below the official “poverty line”. Do you know where they live?

　　In China, rich people usually live in the inner areas of the cities, contrary to the practice in America, where those “less advantaged” people have nowhere to go but the central cities. Poor blacks usually live together in all-black areas, like South Bronx of New York, Watts of Los Angeles and the South Side of Chicago. So in America, the more money one has, the farther one lives away from the city center. Most of the Chinese-Americans live in cities on the Pacific and Atlantic coasts, such as New York, Miami, San Francisco, Seattle(西雅图) and Los Angeles. Many of them, rich or poor, prefer to live together in a place known as Chinatown.

　　(文/刘国超；英语辅导报高三版2003-2004学年第8期；版权归英语辅导报社所有，独家网络合作伙伴新浪教育，未经许可，不得以任何形式进行转载。)