1.Which part of America is more dangerous than the others? ...

　　2.What were the residents of St. Louis doing when the ranking was released? Celebrating Friday's ...

　　3.What was the reaction of Scott Morgan, president of Morgan Quiton Press, to St. Louis topping the list? He was ...

　　A surge in violence made St. Louis the most dangerous city in the country,leading a trend of violent crimes rising much faster in the Midwest than in the rest of nation,according to an annual list.The city has long fared poorly in the rankings of the safest and most dangerous American cities compiled by Morgan Quitno Press. Violent crime surged nearly 20 percent in St. Louis from 2004 to last year, when the rate of such crimes rose most dramatically in the Midwest, according to FBI figures released in June.

　　"It's just sad the way this city is," resident Sam Dawsonsaid."On the news you hear killings, someone's been shot." The ranking, being released Monday, came as the city was still celebrating Fridays World Series victory at the new Busch Stadium. St. Louis has been spending millions of dollars on urban renewal even as the crime rate climbs.Mayor Francis Slay did not return calls to his office seeking comment Sunday. Scott Morgan, president of Morgan Quitno Press, a private research and publishing company specializing in state and city reference books, said he was not surprised to see St. Louis top the list,since it has been among the 10 most dangerous cities for years.