SHANGHAI needs to improve its rental market to let its poorer citizens lead a better life in a city where house prices are high, United Nations officials said yesterday on World Habitat Day.

Daniel Biau, a UN-Habitat director, said it wasn't possible for everyone living in a city to be a home owner but "what is missing or underdeveloped here is the rental market."

The city had gone through decades-long home policyreform which is not complete yet, added Biau, who was in Shanghai yesterday for a ceremony to mark World Habitat Day.

This year's theme - "Better City, Better Life" - is one it shares with the Expo.

Inga Bjork-Klevby, deputyexecutivedirector of UN-Habitat, said the "ultimate goal" was for all city dwellers to have affordable houses. "We should bear in mind the poorest of the poor."

The organization has been working with local governments and some banks on affordable home projects in Shanghai, she said.

According to a report on China's cities released by a domesticresearchinstituteyesterday, the urban housing problem is of particular concern for some moderate or lower income families in a country where the urbanization rate will reach 65 percent by 2030.

For example, tens of thousands of young college graduates live in cramped conditions on the outskirts of cities, often in houses of low quality, the report said.

Shen Jun, vice mayor of Shanghai, said the city was aware of these problems and is gearing up to improve urban living conditions. More than 1.2 million households in the city last year saw improvements when their old residential communities were renovated or they were moved to new budget homes.

The Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination received a special recognition award from UN-Habitat yesterday for its achievements in promoting human habitat construction at the Expo.

"Countries around the world have brought their best responses to urban challenges to the Expo," Bjork-Klevby said.

UN-Habitat is the UN agency mandated to promotesocially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all.

• yesterday [´jestədi] n.&ad.昨天；前不久 (初中英语单词)
• director [di´rektə] n.指导者；....长；导演 (初中英语单词)
• everyone [´evriwʌn] pron.=everybody 每人 (初中英语单词)
• missing [´misiŋ] a.缺掉的；失踪的 (初中英语单词)
• reform [ri´fɔ:m] v.&n.改革；改良；革除 (初中英语单词)
• ceremony [´seriməni] n.典礼；礼仪；客气 (初中英语单词)
• executive [ig´zekjutiv] a.行政的 n.行政官 (初中英语单词)
• working [´wə:kiŋ] a.工人的；劳动的 (初中英语单词)
• domestic [də´mestik] a.家庭的；本国的 (初中英语单词)
• research [ri´sə:tʃ] n.&vi.调查；探究；研究 (初中英语单词)
• institute [´institju:t] n.学院 vt.建立；设置 (初中英语单词)
• moderate [´mɔdərit] a.适度的n.温和主义者 (初中英语单词)
• income [´inkʌm] n.收入，所得 (初中英语单词)
• bureau [´bjuərəu] n.局；编辑部；事务所 (初中英语单词)
• recognition [,rekəg´niʃən] n.认出；认识；承认 (初中英语单词)
• construction [kən´strʌkʃən] n.建设；修建；结构 (初中英语单词)
• agency [´eidʒənsi] n.代理商；机构；代理 (初中英语单词)
• promote [prə´məut] vt.促进；发扬；助长 (初中英语单词)
• adequate [´ædikwit] a.足够的；适当的 (初中英语单词)
• deputy [´depjuti] n.代理人；代表 (高中英语单词)
• budget [´bʌdʒit] n.&vi.(做)预算；安排 (高中英语单词)
• policy [´pɔlisi] n.政策；权谋；保险单 (英语四级单词)
• outskirts [´autskə:ts] n.外边；郊区 (英语六级单词)
• socially [´səuʃəli] ad.社交上；社会上 (英语六级单词)