Is It a Good Idea to Control Population Growth in the World?
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What Overpopulation Feels Like
We moved slowly through the city in a taxi and entered a crowded slum district(1). The temperature was well over 100(2) and the air was thick with dust and smoke. The streets people sleeping. People visiting each other, arguing and screaming. People pushing their hands through the taxi windows, begging. People relieving themselves. People holding on to the sides of buses. (3) people leading animals people, people , people, people. As we drove slowly through the crowd, sounding the taxi’s horn, the dust, heat, noise and get to our hotel? All three of us were, I admit, frightened Since that night, I’ve known what overpopulation feels like (4).
Statistics show that rapid population growth creates problems for developing countries. So why don’t people have fewer children? Statistics from the developed countries suggest that it is only when people’s living standards begin to rise that birth rates begin to fall(5). There are good reasons fro this. Poor countries cannot afford social services and old age pensions, and people’s incomes are so low they have nothing to spare for savings(6). As a result, people look to their children to provide them with security in their old age(7). Having a large family can be a form of insurance. And even while they are still quite young, children can do a lot of useful jobs on a small farm. So poor people in a developing country will need to see clear signs of much better conditions ahead before they will think of having smaller families (8). But their conditions cannot be improved unless there is a reduction in the rate at which population is increasing. This will depend on a very much wider acceptance of family planning(9) and this, n turn, will mean basic changes in attitudes.(10) I. Listen
Listen to the text with the help of the following notes.
1. A crowded slum district : 一個擁擠貧民窟地區。
2. The temperature was well over 100: 氣溫高100度（華氏）以上。
3. People holding on to the sides of buses: 人們吊掛在公共汽車的兩側。
4. Since that night, I’ve known what overpopulation feels like: 從那天晚上起，我便知道人口過剩是什么滋味了。
5. it is only when people’s living standards begin to rise that birth rates begin to fall: 只有在人們生活水平提高時，出生率才會開始下降。
6. people’s incomes are so low they have nothing to spare for savings: 人們的收如此之低以致于他們無錢存起來。
7. people look to their children to provide them with security in their old age: 人們指望在年老時他們的孩子給他們提供生活保障。
8. poor people in a developing country will need to see clear signs of much better conditions ahead before they will think of having smaller families:發展中國家的窮人需要看到生活明顯改善的前景時才會考慮組建小型的家庭。
9. depend on a very much wider acceptance of family planning: 取決于（人們對計劃生育政策更為廣泛的接受。
10. basic changes in attitudes: 在觀念上的根本變化。 |
