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 : 一个拥挤贫民窟地区。
2. The temperature was well over 100: 气温高100度（华氏）以上。
3. People holding on to the sides of buses: 人们吊挂在公共汽车的两侧。
4. Since that night, I’ve known what overpopulation feels like: 从那天晚上起，我便知道人口过剩是什么滋味了。
5. it is only when people’s living standards begin to rise that birth rates begin to fall: 只有在人们生活水平提高时，出生率才会开始下降。
6. people’s incomes are so low they have nothing to spare for savings: 人们的收如此之低以致于他们无钱存起来。
7. people look to their children to provide them with security in their old age: 人们指望在年老时他们的孩子给他们提供生活保障。
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:发展中国家的穷人需要看到生活明显改善的前景时才会考虑组建小型的家庭。
9. depend on a very much wider acceptance of family planning: 取决于（人们对计划生育政策更为广泛的接受。
10. basic changes in attitudes: 在观念上的根本变化。
