Should a city try to preserve its old, historic buildings or destroy them

[Alina_T]

Should a city try to preserve its old, historic buildings or destroy them and replace them with modern buildings? Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.

Dear Kitos,
Hope you will find time for editing this essay on a Christmas night:)
Thank you
In the era of globalization the number of new housing, office and recreational facilities is rapidly increasing. Though some people might state that old buildings have to be destroyed to leave space for the construction of the new ones, others might be more inclined to think that old buildings have to be conserved and protected. As far as I am concerned, the old monuments should be preserved and protected, though the renovation of buildings might take place if necessary.
First and foremost, every old building has its historical and informational value. The old buildings can be the former residences of historically famous people: politicians, writers, musicians. For instance, there is an old dacha in my town, in which one of the greatest Russian writers,Anton Chekhov spent a significant part of his life, creating his stories. People learn a lot more about his life, when they come to see the place where he lived. Most of them say that they feel as if they plunged into the time when he was actually there. Thus, through visiting famous residences people get to know the biography of famous people better. Though the building is old enough, the local laws are trying to preserve it, improving it but not destroying.
Moreover, old buildings are important to preserve because of their unique architecture. While most of the new buildings seem alike, older constructions differ in the styles they were built. In this way, people can learn not only about the history of one or another building, but also about the various styles the latter were constructed in. The old buildings decorate a city and link the modern times to the past. Even though some old buildings might obviously be damaged within the time, there should be ways to improve and complete them, using current materials and techniques.
To conclude, the construction of new buildings should take place as it is a natural process. Considering the growing pace of urbanization, development of small businesses and recreational facilities, construction of new buildings is one of the necessary conditions of socio-economic progress and improvement of every-day life. However, old buildings should be given adequate protection and improvement, because of their informational and architectural values.

Best regards,
Alina

TOEFL listening lectures: A lecture from a social sciences class (2)

[Kitosdad]