How many historic churches, pubs or buildings are there in your city? Are there worth preserving? Or are they just a waste of space? There are arguments for and against spending money on historic buildings. Dangerous staircases. Uneven floors. A lack of IT infrastructure. The problem with many old buildings is that they're... old - and extremely expensive to modernize. Take the case of the Combination Room in Cambridge University. It was built in 1347 and was initially used for lectures. Later, it became the Regent House - the university's parliament. It's of enormous historical value and cultural interest. However, it doesn't meet accessibility standards for disabled people. As a result, a lift needs to be installed, but not everyone is happy about this. "Noting will persuade me that this lift would not in its effect, be a substantial alteration to the most precious room in the university. It would destroy the symmetry of that beautiful room," said one user. In general, modern buildings don't have this type of problem. They can be built according to the latest environment standards, with draught proofing and insulation to help reduce carbon emission and save energy. They can also be made wheelchair accessible, and they can be designed to ensure maximum comfort and space. Anyone who's been to a modern cinema, theatre or concert hall recently may understand the difference between the new buildings and older ones, which tend to have smaller seats, less space and poorer acoustics. Very often, there's money to be made by knocking down old building... especially if they're in city centers. So, the biggest threat to many historic buildings comes from developers. One of Croydon's oldest pubs, The Rose and Crown, is a perfect example of this. A property development company has recently been granted permission to convert the 18th century building into flats, much to the disappointment of many local residents. "The bar is full of unique features and perfect examples of a traditional London pub. It really would be truly tragic for this Grade II listed building to be turned into soulless flats," said a spokesperson for English heritage. So, are these buildings really worth preserving? "Traditional buildings such as churches, town halls, schools and hospitals give England its character," the spokesman added. " _ "[(<<>> 20116 "Building Bash")] Which of the following advantages of the modern buildings is not mentioned in the passage?    [ ]
reduction of carbon emission and energy saving installation of IT infrastructure wheelchair accessibility maximum comfort and space