Reading: Sentence Completion: Question 10

Over the past several years, a growing number of small rural towns in scenic but economically peripheral regions have experienced a sudden reversal of a decades-long trend: rather than losing young residents to nearby cities, several have begun gaining population, driven largely by newcomers whose jobs no longer require them to be physically present in an urban office. Local commentators in some of these communities have adopted the informal term "zoom towns" to describe the phenomenon, a reference to the videoconferencing software many of these remote employees rely on to stay connected to employers based hundreds of kilometres away.

The appeal of such towns to remote workers is fairly straightforward: housing costs are typically far lower than in the metropolitan areas these newcomers previously lived in, commuting time is eliminated almost entirely, and many of the towns offer easy access to outdoor recreation such as hiking, skiing or lake activities that would have required a lengthy weekend drive from a city apartment. For the towns themselves, the arrival of relatively affluent remote workers can bring a welcome injection of spending into struggling local economies, supporting cafes, shops and services that might otherwise have closed as younger residents left for opportunities elsewhere.

The trend has not been universally welcomed, however. Long-time residents in several affected towns report that average house prices have risen sharply as newcomers, often earning salaries set for a far more expensive city, compete for a limited local housing stock, pricing out younger residents born in the area who work in lower-paying local jobs. Some towns have also struggled to expand infrastructure such as broadband capacity, water supply and schooling quickly enough to keep pace with a rapidly growing population, leading to strained local services in the short term.

Whether zoom towns represent a lasting demographic shift or a temporary phenomenon tied to a particular period of expanded remote-work flexibility remains uncertain. Some economists argue that as more employers begin requiring at least partial office attendance, the flow of newcomers into these towns may slow considerably, while others contend that the underlying appeal of lower housing costs and improved quality of life will continue to draw remote workers regardless of exactly how many days a week their employer expects them in a physical office.

Complete the sentences below. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.

1. Some rural towns have begun gaining population instead of losing young residents to nearby ______.
2. Local commentators use the informal term ______ to describe this phenomenon.
3. Housing costs in these towns are typically far lower than in the ______ areas newcomers previously lived in.
4. The arrival of remote workers can bring a welcome injection of ______ into struggling local economies.
5. Long-time residents report that average ______ have risen sharply as newcomers compete for limited housing.
6. Some towns have struggled to expand infrastructure such as broadband capacity, water supply and ______ quickly enough.
7. Some economists believe the flow of newcomers may slow as more employers require at least partial ______ attendance.