Multiple-choice cloze
For questions 1-8, read the text below and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap.
When the city council announced it would “future-proof” the waterfront, the press release read like a triumphal march; yet anyone who has watched policy being knows . The plan promises to tidy up derelict lots, lure in start-ups and, with a flourish, restore “community spirit” as if it could be switched back on. But behind the glossy renderings lie awkward trade-offs: rent caps that look robust on paper can be quietly , while flood barriers, though as a silver bullet, risk pushing water elsewhere. Residents are being asked to a vision that hinges on private money showing up on cue, even as inflation budgets and contractors prices. To its credit, the council has at least past missteps and invited sceptics to the table. Still, unless the scheme is insulated from short-term politics and backed by hard data rather than wishful thinking, it may end up as another well-meaning initiative that runs out of steam the moment headlines move on.
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