Our planet is home to about seven billion people.Since the 1990s,population experts have predicted the number would grow to nine billion before it begins to slow down and possibly decrease.
But a new report predicts the world’s population is likely to increase to almost 11 billion by 2100.Based on the most modern statistical tools,the new report makes use of government records and considers expert predictions,including death rates,birth rates and international migration,or people moving across borders.The report says during the rest of this century,Africa’s population will grow from about 3.5 billion to 5.1 billion over the next 85 years.
John is director of the United Nations Population Division.He says that in the past,researchers thought population growth in Africa would be similar to that of other areas.They expected slower growth rates as birth control use became more widespread.But he says those ideas were wrong.
“The level of contraception use has continued to increase but slowly—more slowly than expected,and birth rate therefore has been falling less rapidly than expected,and the population therefore continues to grow somewhat more rapidly than we expected.”The new findings are based on a joint research project of the United Nations and the University of Washington.
The researchers believe the population of Asia will reach five billion by 2050.That is up from the current 4.4 billion.And then it begins to decline.The researchers also believe that North America,Europe,Latin America and the Caribbean area will have a total population of below one billion.
John says the pressure of feeding the rising population is likely to be less than that might be expected.
“The relatively good news is that the world has been winning the race between population growth and food production.If you look back historically over the last 50 years,certainly for the world as a whole and for many most individual countries and regions,the increase in food production has outpaced the increase of population.”
1.Which area will experience the largest increase in population at the end of the century?
A.Asia. B.Africa.
C.Europe. D.North America.
2.“Contraception use” in the fourth paragraph refers to .
A.a method of expert predictions
B.a way of avoiding growth in population
C.a joint research into the rising population
D.a potential technology for food production
3.Why is the pressure of feeding the rising population less than expected according to John?
A.Expert predictions are not exactly like what the facts happen.
B.Birth rates have always been falling less rapidly than we expected.
C.The population grows less rapidly than population experts expected.
D.The increase in food production has outpaced the increase of population.
4.What can be inferred from the passage?
A.The world’s population will increase constantly.
B.The population of Asia will rise by 5 billion by 2050.
C.John is optimistic about feeding the rising population.
D.Population growth in Africa was much slower than expected.
语篇解读:本文是一篇说明文,介绍了一份预测未来世界人口增长趋势的报告。
答案及剖析:
1.B 细节理解题。根据第二段的最后一句可知,非洲人口会增长1.6 billion;根据第五段可知,亚洲人口到2050年会增长0.6 billion,接着会下降;根据第五段的最后一句可知,欧洲、北美、拉丁美洲和加勒比海地区总人口将不到1 billion。故选B。
2.B 词义猜测题。根据第三段的第三句可知,他们预计避孕措施的普及会使人口出生率的速度减慢,故文中画线短语的意思与B项“避免人口增长的方法”相近,故选B。
3.D 细节理解题。根据最后一段的“ the increase in food production has outpaced the increase of population”可知,食物产量的增长超过了人口的增长,故选D。
4.C 推理判断题。根据最后一段的内容可知,John认为好消息在于人口增长与食物产量增长这场比赛中世界各国一直在取得胜利,并且食物产量的增长超过了人口的增长,故可推知选C。
