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Wecanbeginourdiscussionof“populationasglobalissue”withwhatmostpersonsmeanwhentheydiscuss“thepopulationproblem”:toomanypeopleonearthandatoorapidincreaseinthenumberaddedeachyear.Thefactsarenotindispute,Itwasquiterighttoemploytheanalogythatlikeneddemographicgrowthto“along,thinpowderfusethatburnssteadilyandhaltinglyuntilitfinallyreachesthechargeandexplodes.”
Tounderstandthecurrentsituation,whichischaracterizedbyrapidincreasesinpopulation,itisnecessarytounderstandthehistoryofpopulationtrends.Rapidgrowthisacomparativelyrecentphenomenon.Lookingbackatthe8,000yearsofdemographichistory,wefindthatpopulationshavebeenvirtuallystableorgrowingveryslightlyformostofhumanhistory.Formostofourancestors,lifewashard,oftennasty,andveryshort.Therewashighfertilityinmostplaces,butthiswasusuallybalancedbyhighmortality.Formostofhumanhistory,itwasseldomthecasethatoneintenpersonswouldlivepastforty,whileinfancyandchildhoodwereespeciallyriskyperiods.Often,societieswereincleardangerofextinctionbecausedeathratescouldexceedtheirbirthrates.Thus,thepopulationproblemthroughoutmostofhistorywashowtopreventextinctionofthehumanrace.
Thispatternisimportanttonotice.Notonlydoesitputthecurrentproblemsofdemographicgrowthintoahistoricalperspective,butitsuggeststhatthecauseofrapidincreaseinpopulationinrecentyearsisnotasuddenenthusiasmformorechildren,butanimprovementintheconditionsthattraditionallyhavecausedhighmortality.
Demographichistorycanbedividedintotwomajorperiods:atimeoflong,slowgrowthwhichextendedfromabout8,000BC.tillapproximatelyAD.1650.Inthefirstperiodofsome9600years,thepopulationincreasedfromsome8millionto500millionin1650.Between1650andthepresent,thepopulationhasincreasedfrom500milliontomorethan4billion.Anditisestimatedthatbytheyear2000therewillbe6.2billionpeoplethroughouttheworld.Onewaytoappreciatethisdramaticdifferenceinsuchabstractnumbersistoreducethetimeframetosomethingthatismoremanageable.Between8000BCand1650,anaverageofonly50,000personswasbeingaddedannuallytotheworld’spopulationeachyear.Atpresent,thisnumberisaddedeverysixhours.Theincreaseisabout80,000,000personsannually.
1.Whichofthefollowingdemographicgrowthpatternismostsuitableforthelongthinpowderfuseanalogy?
A.Avirtuallystableorslightlydecreasingperiodandthenasuddenexplosionofpopulation.
B.Aslowgrowthforalongtimeandthenaperiodofrapid,dramaticincrease.
C.Toomanypeopleonearthandafewrapidincreaseinthenumberaddedeachyear.
D.Alongperiodwhendeathratesexceedsbirthratesandthenashortperiodwithhigherfertilityandlowermortality.
2.Duringthefirstperiodofdemographichistory,societieswereoftenindangerofextinctionbecause___.
A.onlyoneintenpersonscouldlivepast40.
B.therewashighermortalitythanfertilityinmostplaces.
C.itwastoodangeroustohavebabiesduetothepoorconditions.
D.ourancestorshadlittleenthusiasmformorechildren.
3.Whichstatementistrueaboutpopulationincrease?
A.Theremightbeanincreaseof2.2billionpersonsfromnowtotheyear2000.
B.About50,000babiesareborneverysixhoursatpresent.
C.Between8000BCandthepresent,thepopulationincreaseisabout80,000,000personseachyear.
D.Thepopulationincreasedfasterbetween8000BCand1650thanbetween1650andthepresent.
4.Theauthorofthepassageintendsto___.
A.warnpeopleagainstthepopulationexplosioninthenearfuture.
B.comparethedemographicgrowthpatterninthepastwiththatafter1650.
C.findoutthecauseforrapidincreaseinpopulationinrecentyears.
D.presentusaclearandcompletepictureofthedemographicgrowth.
5.Theword“demographic”inthefirstparagraphmeans___.
A.statisticsofhuman.
B.surroundingsstudy.
C.accumulationofhuman.
D.developmentofhuman.
Passage2
Questions6to10arebasedonthefollowingpassage:
Inordertolearntobeone’strueself,itisnecessarytoobtainawideandextensiveknowledgeofwhathasbeensaidanddoneintheworld;criticallytoinquireintoit;carefullytoconsiderit;clearlytoanalyzeit;andearnestlytocarryitout.
Itmattersnotwhatyoulearn,butwhenyouoncelearnathing,youmustnevergiveitupuntilyouhavemasteredit.Itmattersnotwhatyouinquireinto,butwhenyouonceinquireintoathing,youmustnevergiveitupuntilyouhavethoroughlyunderstoodit.Itmattersnotwhatyoutrytothinkout,butwhenyouoncetrytothinkoutathing,youmustnevergiveitupuntilyouhavegotwhatyouwant.Itmattersnotwhatyoutrytocarryout,butwhenyouoncecarryoutathing,youmustnevergiveitupuntilyouhavedon’titthoroughlyandwell.
Ifanothermansucceedsbyoneeffort,youwilluseahundredefforts.Ifanothermansucceedsbytenefforts,youwilluseathousand.
6.Accordingtotheauthor,firstofallonemust.
A.analyzeB.inquireC.obtainknowledgeD.act
7.Accordingtotheauthor,.
A.learningisnotimportantB.thinkingisnotnecessary
C.knowledgemeanslittleD.itisnotimportantwhatwelearn
8.Theendoflearningshouldbe.
A.thoughtB.masteryC.inquiryD.analysis
9.Accordingtotheauthor,anotherman’ssuccessshould.
A.makegreatereffortsB.makeusnervous
C.notbetakenintoconsiderationD.causeonetostoptrying
10.Theauthorimpliesbutdoesnotsaywhat.
A.thewaytoknowledgeisthroughspecialization
B.onehastoknoweverythingtobesuccessful
C.successdependsnotsomuchonnaturalabilityasitdoesoneffort
D.successinone’sprofessionislatestimportantinone’slife
