The author of the passage intends to...

The United Nations says the world’s population will increase by 34 percent by the year 2050. Scientists and others know it will be difficult to meet the food needs of so many people. A recent study shows that soybean crops and computers may help deal with the problem.
The U.N. predicts food production must increase by 70 percent to meet the needs of a richer population. The U.N. expects more people will live in cities than in rural areas. But today there is little too low increase in the productivity of major crops. Kenneth Quinn is the president of the World Food Prize Foundation. He says the need to increase food production is the greatest difficulty humanity has ever faced. "There’s going to be another 2 billion people on our planet between now and 2050 and how are we going to produce enough food for them to eat" asked Quinn.
Darren Drewry is a scientist at the American Space Agency, NASA. He led a study of soybeans which NASA calls the world’s most important protein crop. He says researchers using a computer were surprised to find that they were able to create a soybean plant that can be both more productive and use less water. "We find that there are changes to the architecture of modern soybean cultivars can be made to help us improve on many of these goals," said Drewry. Researchers were able to increase soybean productivity by 7 percent without using more water. The computer helped researchers do work that would have taken many years in the field. The next step is to test the computer’s design.
We spoke to Stephen Long about that. He is a professor at the University of Illinois, and one of the writers of the report on the soybean study. He told us by Skype that researchers used computer program to study what would happen if they changed the way the plant grows. "One of the things the modelling predicted is that there’s too much leaf area so we’re actually removing leaves as the plant’s growing to get a lower leaf area. We’re also artificially modifying the angle of the leaves as well to reflect what the model predicted," said Long. Professor Long says it is important to find solutions to the predicted global food shortage before it happens. He says it will be 20 years before farmers can begin growing a more productive soybean once they have developed it.
The study on soybeans was published in the journal Global Change Biology. The National Science Foundation, NASA and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation paid for the study. What’s the direct motivation that promoted the scientist to cultivate new soybeans ______

A.The curiosity for new things.
B.The large population on the earth.
C.Food shortages in third world countries.
D.The expected large population in the near future.

单项选择题

The United Nations says the world’s population will increase by 34 percent by the year 2050. Scientists and others know it will be difficult to meet the food needs of so many people. A recent study shows that soybean crops and computers may help deal with the problem.
The U.N. predicts food production must increase by 70 percent to meet the needs of a richer population. The U.N. expects more people will live in cities than in rural areas. But today there is little too low increase in the productivity of major crops. Kenneth Quinn is the president of the World Food Prize Foundation. He says the need to increase food production is the greatest difficulty humanity has ever faced. "There’s going to be another 2 billion people on our planet between now and 2050 and how are we going to produce enough food for them to eat" asked Quinn.
Darren Drewry is a scientist at the American Space Agency, NASA. He led a study of soybeans which NASA calls the world’s most important protein crop. He says researchers using a computer were surprised to find that they were able to create a soybean plant that can be both more productive and use less water. "We find that there are changes to the architecture of modern soybean cultivars can be made to help us improve on many of these goals," said Drewry. Researchers were able to increase soybean productivity by 7 percent without using more water. The computer helped researchers do work that would have taken many years in the field. The next step is to test the computer’s design.
We spoke to Stephen Long about that. He is a professor at the University of Illinois, and one of the writers of the report on the soybean study. He told us by Skype that researchers used computer program to study what would happen if they changed the way the plant grows. "One of the things the modelling predicted is that there’s too much leaf area so we’re actually removing leaves as the plant’s growing to get a lower leaf area. We’re also artificially modifying the angle of the leaves as well to reflect what the model predicted," said Long. Professor Long says it is important to find solutions to the predicted global food shortage before it happens. He says it will be 20 years before farmers can begin growing a more productive soybean once they have developed it.
The study on soybeans was published in the journal Global Change Biology. The National Science Foundation, NASA and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation paid for the study. According to Kenneth Quinn what’s the greatest difficulty humanity has ever faced ______

A.To control the large population.
B.To avoid natural disasters.
C.To make more food production.
D.To urge more people live in the rural areas.

单项选择题

South Africa has 11 official languages. If you want to say hello, it’s "sawubona" in Zulu, and "hallo" in Afrikaans. Now, South Africa’s school children may start using "ni hao" to say hello.
The country’s education minister says, the nation is adding the Mandarin language teaching in some schools. Mandarin is the official spoken language of China. That country is a major trading power for South Africa. A recent agreement between the two nations centres on five areas of cooperation. They include development in basic education, school books and lessons, mathematics and science, teacher training and career education and research.
South Africa officials have not said how much they teaching Mandarin will cost. Troy Martens is an official with South Africa’s Ministry of Basic Education. She says the new partnership is extremely valuable. "So it is very exciting and both countries have indicated that for them education is a high priority, and that is why education is high on the agenda of collaboration between the two countries," said Martens. The part of the plan that has garnered the most attention is the inclusion of the Mandarin language in schools.
A public opinion study last year found that South Africans have mixed feelings about China. The survey showed 46 percent of South Africans do not like the spread of Chinese ideas and customs in their country, the results also showed that 60 percent dislike Chinese music, movies and television. But Ms Martens said Chinese trade is more important than those feelings. She said it is extremely helpful to learners in South Africa to study Mandarin as well as Chinese culture. And she said not every school will offer Mandarin. "Now this will not be compulsory, it will not be for every school, and it will not be for every child. But for schools that feel they have the capacity to offer Mandarin as a subject, we think it is a great opportunity for South African learners to be exposed to this international type of language," said Martens.
South Africa’s population studies do not say how many native Chinese speakers are among its nearly 51 million people.
Lisette Noonan heads the 80-year-old Pretoria Chinese School in South Africa’s capital. The school serves about 500 students from kindergarten to grade 12. Every student studies Mandarin. Ms Noonan says the school welcomes the new cooperation between South Africa and China. She said it is in the best interests of children to study Mandarin. She said that especially true with China becoming what she called "a huge economic power in the world". What’s the root cause of South Africa’s teaching Mandarin in schools ______

A.Because there are many Chinese native speakers in that country.
B.Due to a recent agreement between the two nations.
C.Because Chinese is its major trading partner.
D.There are many Chinese merchants in South Africa.

单项选择题

The United Nations says the world’s population will increase by 34 percent by the year 2050. Scientists and others know it will be difficult to meet the food needs of so many people. A recent study shows that soybean crops and computers may help deal with the problem.
The U.N. predicts food production must increase by 70 percent to meet the needs of a richer population. The U.N. expects more people will live in cities than in rural areas. But today there is little too low increase in the productivity of major crops. Kenneth Quinn is the president of the World Food Prize Foundation. He says the need to increase food production is the greatest difficulty humanity has ever faced. "There’s going to be another 2 billion people on our planet between now and 2050 and how are we going to produce enough food for them to eat" asked Quinn.
Darren Drewry is a scientist at the American Space Agency, NASA. He led a study of soybeans which NASA calls the world’s most important protein crop. He says researchers using a computer were surprised to find that they were able to create a soybean plant that can be both more productive and use less water. "We find that there are changes to the architecture of modern soybean cultivars can be made to help us improve on many of these goals," said Drewry. Researchers were able to increase soybean productivity by 7 percent without using more water. The computer helped researchers do work that would have taken many years in the field. The next step is to test the computer’s design.
We spoke to Stephen Long about that. He is a professor at the University of Illinois, and one of the writers of the report on the soybean study. He told us by Skype that researchers used computer program to study what would happen if they changed the way the plant grows. "One of the things the modelling predicted is that there’s too much leaf area so we’re actually removing leaves as the plant’s growing to get a lower leaf area. We’re also artificially modifying the angle of the leaves as well to reflect what the model predicted," said Long. Professor Long says it is important to find solutions to the predicted global food shortage before it happens. He says it will be 20 years before farmers can begin growing a more productive soybean once they have developed it.
The study on soybeans was published in the journal Global Change Biology. The National Science Foundation, NASA and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation paid for the study. What special qualities will the new soybean plant have ______

A.It can be more productive yet require less water.
B.It will be taller and stronger.
C.It will have less leaves and more productivity.
D.It will require less water and fertilizer.

单项选择题

South Africa has 11 official languages. If you want to say hello, it’s "sawubona" in Zulu, and "hallo" in Afrikaans. Now, South Africa’s school children may start using "ni hao" to say hello.
The country’s education minister says, the nation is adding the Mandarin language teaching in some schools. Mandarin is the official spoken language of China. That country is a major trading power for South Africa. A recent agreement between the two nations centres on five areas of cooperation. They include development in basic education, school books and lessons, mathematics and science, teacher training and career education and research.
South Africa officials have not said how much they teaching Mandarin will cost. Troy Martens is an official with South Africa’s Ministry of Basic Education. She says the new partnership is extremely valuable. "So it is very exciting and both countries have indicated that for them education is a high priority, and that is why education is high on the agenda of collaboration between the two countries," said Martens. The part of the plan that has garnered the most attention is the inclusion of the Mandarin language in schools.
A public opinion study last year found that South Africans have mixed feelings about China. The survey showed 46 percent of South Africans do not like the spread of Chinese ideas and customs in their country, the results also showed that 60 percent dislike Chinese music, movies and television. But Ms Martens said Chinese trade is more important than those feelings. She said it is extremely helpful to learners in South Africa to study Mandarin as well as Chinese culture. And she said not every school will offer Mandarin. "Now this will not be compulsory, it will not be for every school, and it will not be for every child. But for schools that feel they have the capacity to offer Mandarin as a subject, we think it is a great opportunity for South African learners to be exposed to this international type of language," said Martens.
South Africa’s population studies do not say how many native Chinese speakers are among its nearly 51 million people.
Lisette Noonan heads the 80-year-old Pretoria Chinese School in South Africa’s capital. The school serves about 500 students from kindergarten to grade 12. Every student studies Mandarin. Ms Noonan says the school welcomes the new cooperation between South Africa and China. She said it is in the best interests of children to study Mandarin. She said that especially true with China becoming what she called "a huge economic power in the world". What can be inferred from Troy Martens’ words ______

A.For both countries education is a high priority.
B.It is a very exciting thing for both countries.
C.Education occupies similar status in two countries.
D.The education catches the most attention.

单项选择题

The United Nations says the world’s population will increase by 34 percent by the year 2050. Scientists and others know it will be difficult to meet the food needs of so many people. A recent study shows that soybean crops and computers may help deal with the problem.
The U.N. predicts food production must increase by 70 percent to meet the needs of a richer population. The U.N. expects more people will live in cities than in rural areas. But today there is little too low increase in the productivity of major crops. Kenneth Quinn is the president of the World Food Prize Foundation. He says the need to increase food production is the greatest difficulty humanity has ever faced. "There’s going to be another 2 billion people on our planet between now and 2050 and how are we going to produce enough food for them to eat" asked Quinn.
Darren Drewry is a scientist at the American Space Agency, NASA. He led a study of soybeans which NASA calls the world’s most important protein crop. He says researchers using a computer were surprised to find that they were able to create a soybean plant that can be both more productive and use less water. "We find that there are changes to the architecture of modern soybean cultivars can be made to help us improve on many of these goals," said Drewry. Researchers were able to increase soybean productivity by 7 percent without using more water. The computer helped researchers do work that would have taken many years in the field. The next step is to test the computer’s design.
We spoke to Stephen Long about that. He is a professor at the University of Illinois, and one of the writers of the report on the soybean study. He told us by Skype that researchers used computer program to study what would happen if they changed the way the plant grows. "One of the things the modelling predicted is that there’s too much leaf area so we’re actually removing leaves as the plant’s growing to get a lower leaf area. We’re also artificially modifying the angle of the leaves as well to reflect what the model predicted," said Long. Professor Long says it is important to find solutions to the predicted global food shortage before it happens. He says it will be 20 years before farmers can begin growing a more productive soybean once they have developed it.
The study on soybeans was published in the journal Global Change Biology. The National Science Foundation, NASA and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation paid for the study. What’s the benefit of using computers in the research ______

A.It is more accurate than traditional methods.
B.It saves time compared with researches conducted in the filed.
C.It can provide many data.
D.It needs less space compared with researches done in the field.

单项选择题

South Africa has 11 official languages. If you want to say hello, it’s "sawubona" in Zulu, and "hallo" in Afrikaans. Now, South Africa’s school children may start using "ni hao" to say hello.
The country’s education minister says, the nation is adding the Mandarin language teaching in some schools. Mandarin is the official spoken language of China. That country is a major trading power for South Africa. A recent agreement between the two nations centres on five areas of cooperation. They include development in basic education, school books and lessons, mathematics and science, teacher training and career education and research.
South Africa officials have not said how much they teaching Mandarin will cost. Troy Martens is an official with South Africa’s Ministry of Basic Education. She says the new partnership is extremely valuable. "So it is very exciting and both countries have indicated that for them education is a high priority, and that is why education is high on the agenda of collaboration between the two countries," said Martens. The part of the plan that has garnered the most attention is the inclusion of the Mandarin language in schools.
A public opinion study last year found that South Africans have mixed feelings about China. The survey showed 46 percent of South Africans do not like the spread of Chinese ideas and customs in their country, the results also showed that 60 percent dislike Chinese music, movies and television. But Ms Martens said Chinese trade is more important than those feelings. She said it is extremely helpful to learners in South Africa to study Mandarin as well as Chinese culture. And she said not every school will offer Mandarin. "Now this will not be compulsory, it will not be for every school, and it will not be for every child. But for schools that feel they have the capacity to offer Mandarin as a subject, we think it is a great opportunity for South African learners to be exposed to this international type of language," said Martens.
South Africa’s population studies do not say how many native Chinese speakers are among its nearly 51 million people.
Lisette Noonan heads the 80-year-old Pretoria Chinese School in South Africa’s capital. The school serves about 500 students from kindergarten to grade 12. Every student studies Mandarin. Ms Noonan says the school welcomes the new cooperation between South Africa and China. She said it is in the best interests of children to study Mandarin. She said that especially true with China becoming what she called "a huge economic power in the world". What’s the attitude of South Africans toward China ______

A.They don’t like China.
B.They all like Chinese culture very much.
C.Some people like China while others do not.
D.Some people favour Chinese ideas while others like its culture.

单项选择题

We can begin our discussion of "population as global issue" with what most persons mean when they discuss "the population problem": too many people on earth and a too rapid increase in the number added each year. The facts are not in dispute. It was quite right to employ the analogy that linked demographic growth to "a long, thin powder fuse that burns steadily and haltingly until it finally reaches the charge and explodes."
To understand the current situation, which is characterized by rapid increases in population, it is necessary to understand the history of population trends. Rapid growth is a comparatively recent phenomenon. Looking back at 8,000 years of demographic history, we find that populations have been virtually stable or growing very slightly for most of human history. For most of our ancestors, life was hard, often nasty, and very short. There was high fertility in most places, but this was usually balanced by high morality. For most of human history, it was seldom the case that one in ten persons would live past forty, while infancy and childhood were especially risky periods. Often, societies were in clear danger of extinction because death rates could extend their birth rates. Thus, the population problem throughout most of history was how to prevent extinction of the human race.
This pattern is important to notice. Not only does it put the current problem of demographic growth into a historical perspective, but it suggests that the cause of rapid increase in population in recent years is not a sudden enthusiasm for more children, but an improvement in the conditions that traditionally have caused high mortality.
Demographic history can be divided into two major periods: a time of long, slow growth which extended from about 8000 BC. till approximately AD. 1650. In the first period of some 9,600 years, the population increased from some 8 million to 500 million in 1650. Between 1650 and the present, the population has increased from 500 million to more than 4 billion. And it is estimated that by the year 2000 there will be 6.2 billion people throughout the world. One way to appreciate this dramatic difference in such abstract numbers is to reduce the time frame to something that is more manageable. Between 8000 BC. and 1650, an average of only 50,000 persons were being added annually to the world’s population each year. At present, this number is added every six hours. The increase is about 80,000,000 persons annually. Which of the following demographic growth pattern is suitable for the long thin powder fuse analogy ______

A.A virtually stable or slightly decreasing period and then a sudden explosion of population.
B.A slow growth for a long time and a period of dramatic increase.
C.Too many people on earth and a few rapid increase in the number added each year.
D.A long period when death rates exceed birth rates and then a short period with higher fertility and lower morality.

单项选择题

South Africa has 11 official languages. If you want to say hello, it’s "sawubona" in Zulu, and "hallo" in Afrikaans. Now, South Africa’s school children may start using "ni hao" to say hello.
The country’s education minister says, the nation is adding the Mandarin language teaching in some schools. Mandarin is the official spoken language of China. That country is a major trading power for South Africa. A recent agreement between the two nations centres on five areas of cooperation. They include development in basic education, school books and lessons, mathematics and science, teacher training and career education and research.
South Africa officials have not said how much they teaching Mandarin will cost. Troy Martens is an official with South Africa’s Ministry of Basic Education. She says the new partnership is extremely valuable. "So it is very exciting and both countries have indicated that for them education is a high priority, and that is why education is high on the agenda of collaboration between the two countries," said Martens. The part of the plan that has garnered the most attention is the inclusion of the Mandarin language in schools.
A public opinion study last year found that South Africans have mixed feelings about China. The survey showed 46 percent of South Africans do not like the spread of Chinese ideas and customs in their country, the results also showed that 60 percent dislike Chinese music, movies and television. But Ms Martens said Chinese trade is more important than those feelings. She said it is extremely helpful to learners in South Africa to study Mandarin as well as Chinese culture. And she said not every school will offer Mandarin. "Now this will not be compulsory, it will not be for every school, and it will not be for every child. But for schools that feel they have the capacity to offer Mandarin as a subject, we think it is a great opportunity for South African learners to be exposed to this international type of language," said Martens.
South Africa’s population studies do not say how many native Chinese speakers are among its nearly 51 million people.
Lisette Noonan heads the 80-year-old Pretoria Chinese School in South Africa’s capital. The school serves about 500 students from kindergarten to grade 12. Every student studies Mandarin. Ms Noonan says the school welcomes the new cooperation between South Africa and China. She said it is in the best interests of children to study Mandarin. She said that especially true with China becoming what she called "a huge economic power in the world". What do we know about Mandarin teaching in South Africa schools ______

A.It is taught in every school.
B.It is taught in most schools now.
C.Everyone has the chance to learn it.
D.It is an optional choice for schools.

单项选择题

We can begin our discussion of "population as global issue" with what most persons mean when they discuss "the population problem": too many people on earth and a too rapid increase in the number added each year. The facts are not in dispute. It was quite right to employ the analogy that linked demographic growth to "a long, thin powder fuse that burns steadily and haltingly until it finally reaches the charge and explodes."
To understand the current situation, which is characterized by rapid increases in population, it is necessary to understand the history of population trends. Rapid growth is a comparatively recent phenomenon. Looking back at 8,000 years of demographic history, we find that populations have been virtually stable or growing very slightly for most of human history. For most of our ancestors, life was hard, often nasty, and very short. There was high fertility in most places, but this was usually balanced by high morality. For most of human history, it was seldom the case that one in ten persons would live past forty, while infancy and childhood were especially risky periods. Often, societies were in clear danger of extinction because death rates could extend their birth rates. Thus, the population problem throughout most of history was how to prevent extinction of the human race.
This pattern is important to notice. Not only does it put the current problem of demographic growth into a historical perspective, but it suggests that the cause of rapid increase in population in recent years is not a sudden enthusiasm for more children, but an improvement in the conditions that traditionally have caused high mortality.
Demographic history can be divided into two major periods: a time of long, slow growth which extended from about 8000 BC. till approximately AD. 1650. In the first period of some 9,600 years, the population increased from some 8 million to 500 million in 1650. Between 1650 and the present, the population has increased from 500 million to more than 4 billion. And it is estimated that by the year 2000 there will be 6.2 billion people throughout the world. One way to appreciate this dramatic difference in such abstract numbers is to reduce the time frame to something that is more manageable. Between 8000 BC. and 1650, an average of only 50,000 persons were being added annually to the world’s population each year. At present, this number is added every six hours. The increase is about 80,000,000 persons annually. During the first period of demographic history, societies were often in danger of extinction because ______.

A.only one in ten persons could live past 40
B.there was higher morality than fertility in most places
C.it was too dangerous to have babies due to the poor conditions
D.our ancestors had little enthusiasm for more children

单项选择题

The United Nations says the world’s population will increase by 34 percent by the year 2050. Scientists and others know it will be difficult to meet the food needs of so many people. A recent study shows that soybean crops and computers may help deal with the problem.
The U.N. predicts food production must increase by 70 percent to meet the needs of a richer population. The U.N. expects more people will live in cities than in rural areas. But today there is little too low increase in the productivity of major crops. Kenneth Quinn is the president of the World Food Prize Foundation. He says the need to increase food production is the greatest difficulty humanity has ever faced. "There’s going to be another 2 billion people on our planet between now and 2050 and how are we going to produce enough food for them to eat" asked Quinn.
Darren Drewry is a scientist at the American Space Agency, NASA. He led a study of soybeans which NASA calls the world’s most important protein crop. He says researchers using a computer were surprised to find that they were able to create a soybean plant that can be both more productive and use less water. "We find that there are changes to the architecture of modern soybean cultivars can be made to help us improve on many of these goals," said Drewry. Researchers were able to increase soybean productivity by 7 percent without using more water. The computer helped researchers do work that would have taken many years in the field. The next step is to test the computer’s design.
We spoke to Stephen Long about that. He is a professor at the University of Illinois, and one of the writers of the report on the soybean study. He told us by Skype that researchers used computer program to study what would happen if they changed the way the plant grows. "One of the things the modelling predicted is that there’s too much leaf area so we’re actually removing leaves as the plant’s growing to get a lower leaf area. We’re also artificially modifying the angle of the leaves as well to reflect what the model predicted," said Long. Professor Long says it is important to find solutions to the predicted global food shortage before it happens. He says it will be 20 years before farmers can begin growing a more productive soybean once they have developed it.
The study on soybeans was published in the journal Global Change Biology. The National Science Foundation, NASA and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation paid for the study. What’s the main idea of the text ______

A.A more productive soybean is found to solve the future food shortages
B.Scientists have done many researches to deal with food shortages.
C.Soybeans are the only solution to solve the food shortages.
D.There will be a great food shortage in 2050.

单项选择题

South Africa has 11 official languages. If you want to say hello, it’s "sawubona" in Zulu, and "hallo" in Afrikaans. Now, South Africa’s school children may start using "ni hao" to say hello.
The country’s education minister says, the nation is adding the Mandarin language teaching in some schools. Mandarin is the official spoken language of China. That country is a major trading power for South Africa. A recent agreement between the two nations centres on five areas of cooperation. They include development in basic education, school books and lessons, mathematics and science, teacher training and career education and research.
South Africa officials have not said how much they teaching Mandarin will cost. Troy Martens is an official with South Africa’s Ministry of Basic Education. She says the new partnership is extremely valuable. "So it is very exciting and both countries have indicated that for them education is a high priority, and that is why education is high on the agenda of collaboration between the two countries," said Martens. The part of the plan that has garnered the most attention is the inclusion of the Mandarin language in schools.
A public opinion study last year found that South Africans have mixed feelings about China. The survey showed 46 percent of South Africans do not like the spread of Chinese ideas and customs in their country, the results also showed that 60 percent dislike Chinese music, movies and television. But Ms Martens said Chinese trade is more important than those feelings. She said it is extremely helpful to learners in South Africa to study Mandarin as well as Chinese culture. And she said not every school will offer Mandarin. "Now this will not be compulsory, it will not be for every school, and it will not be for every child. But for schools that feel they have the capacity to offer Mandarin as a subject, we think it is a great opportunity for South African learners to be exposed to this international type of language," said Martens.
South Africa’s population studies do not say how many native Chinese speakers are among its nearly 51 million people.
Lisette Noonan heads the 80-year-old Pretoria Chinese School in South Africa’s capital. The school serves about 500 students from kindergarten to grade 12. Every student studies Mandarin. Ms Noonan says the school welcomes the new cooperation between South Africa and China. She said it is in the best interests of children to study Mandarin. She said that especially true with China becoming what she called "a huge economic power in the world". What’s the main idea of this passage ______

A.South Africa and China reached a new agreement about education.
B.Chinese is going to be taught in some South African schools.
C.Most South African schools will teach Chinese.
D.Chinese will become South African’s official language.

单项选择题

We can begin our discussion of "population as global issue" with what most persons mean when they discuss "the population problem": too many people on earth and a too rapid increase in the number added each year. The facts are not in dispute. It was quite right to employ the analogy that linked demographic growth to "a long, thin powder fuse that burns steadily and haltingly until it finally reaches the charge and explodes."
To understand the current situation, which is characterized by rapid increases in population, it is necessary to understand the history of population trends. Rapid growth is a comparatively recent phenomenon. Looking back at 8,000 years of demographic history, we find that populations have been virtually stable or growing very slightly for most of human history. For most of our ancestors, life was hard, often nasty, and very short. There was high fertility in most places, but this was usually balanced by high morality. For most of human history, it was seldom the case that one in ten persons would live past forty, while infancy and childhood were especially risky periods. Often, societies were in clear danger of extinction because death rates could extend their birth rates. Thus, the population problem throughout most of history was how to prevent extinction of the human race.
This pattern is important to notice. Not only does it put the current problem of demographic growth into a historical perspective, but it suggests that the cause of rapid increase in population in recent years is not a sudden enthusiasm for more children, but an improvement in the conditions that traditionally have caused high mortality.
Demographic history can be divided into two major periods: a time of long, slow growth which extended from about 8000 BC. till approximately AD. 1650. In the first period of some 9,600 years, the population increased from some 8 million to 500 million in 1650. Between 1650 and the present, the population has increased from 500 million to more than 4 billion. And it is estimated that by the year 2000 there will be 6.2 billion people throughout the world. One way to appreciate this dramatic difference in such abstract numbers is to reduce the time frame to something that is more manageable. Between 8000 BC. and 1650, an average of only 50,000 persons were being added annually to the world’s population each year. At present, this number is added every six hours. The increase is about 80,000,000 persons annually. Which statement is true about population increase ______

A.There might be an increase of 2.2 billion persons from now to the year 2000.
B.About 50,000 babies are born every six hours at present.
C.Between 8000 BC. and the present, the population increase is about 80,000,000 persons every year.
D.The population increased faster between 8000 BC. and 1650 than between 1650 and the present.

单项选择题

We can begin our discussion of "population as global issue" with what most persons mean when they discuss "the population problem": too many people on earth and a too rapid increase in the number added each year. The facts are not in dispute. It was quite right to employ the analogy that linked demographic growth to "a long, thin powder fuse that burns steadily and haltingly until it finally reaches the charge and explodes."
To understand the current situation, which is characterized by rapid increases in population, it is necessary to understand the history of population trends. Rapid growth is a comparatively recent phenomenon. Looking back at 8,000 years of demographic history, we find that populations have been virtually stable or growing very slightly for most of human history. For most of our ancestors, life was hard, often nasty, and very short. There was high fertility in most places, but this was usually balanced by high morality. For most of human history, it was seldom the case that one in ten persons would live past forty, while infancy and childhood were especially risky periods. Often, societies were in clear danger of extinction because death rates could extend their birth rates. Thus, the population problem throughout most of history was how to prevent extinction of the human race.
This pattern is important to notice. Not only does it put the current problem of demographic growth into a historical perspective, but it suggests that the cause of rapid increase in population in recent years is not a sudden enthusiasm for more children, but an improvement in the conditions that traditionally have caused high mortality.
Demographic history can be divided into two major periods: a time of long, slow growth which extended from about 8000 BC. till approximately AD. 1650. In the first period of some 9,600 years, the population increased from some 8 million to 500 million in 1650. Between 1650 and the present, the population has increased from 500 million to more than 4 billion. And it is estimated that by the year 2000 there will be 6.2 billion people throughout the world. One way to appreciate this dramatic difference in such abstract numbers is to reduce the time frame to something that is more manageable. Between 8000 BC. and 1650, an average of only 50,000 persons were being added annually to the world’s population each year. At present, this number is added every six hours. The increase is about 80,000,000 persons annually. The author of the passage intends to ______.

A.warn people against the population explosion in the near future
B.compare the demographic growth pattern in the past with that after 1650
C.find out the cause for rapid increase in population in recent years
D.present us a clear and complete picture of the demographic growth

单项选择题

We can begin our discussion of "population as global issue" with what most persons mean when they discuss "the population problem": too many people on earth and a too rapid increase in the number added each year. The facts are not in dispute. It was quite right to employ the analogy that linked demographic growth to "a long, thin powder fuse that burns steadily and haltingly until it finally reaches the charge and explodes."
To understand the current situation, which is characterized by rapid increases in population, it is necessary to understand the history of population trends. Rapid growth is a comparatively recent phenomenon. Looking back at 8,000 years of demographic history, we find that populations have been virtually stable or growing very slightly for most of human history. For most of our ancestors, life was hard, often nasty, and very short. There was high fertility in most places, but this was usually balanced by high morality. For most of human history, it was seldom the case that one in ten persons would live past forty, while infancy and childhood were especially risky periods. Often, societies were in clear danger of extinction because death rates could extend their birth rates. Thus, the population problem throughout most of history was how to prevent extinction of the human race.
This pattern is important to notice. Not only does it put the current problem of demographic growth into a historical perspective, but it suggests that the cause of rapid increase in population in recent years is not a sudden enthusiasm for more children, but an improvement in the conditions that traditionally have caused high mortality.
Demographic history can be divided into two major periods: a time of long, slow growth which extended from about 8000 BC. till approximately AD. 1650. In the first period of some 9,600 years, the population increased from some 8 million to 500 million in 1650. Between 1650 and the present, the population has increased from 500 million to more than 4 billion. And it is estimated that by the year 2000 there will be 6.2 billion people throughout the world. One way to appreciate this dramatic difference in such abstract numbers is to reduce the time frame to something that is more manageable. Between 8000 BC. and 1650, an average of only 50,000 persons were being added annually to the world’s population each year. At present, this number is added every six hours. The increase is about 80,000,000 persons annually. The word "demographic" in the first paragraph means ______.

A.statistics of human
B.surroundings study
C.accumulation of human
D.development of human

单项选择题

Once it was possible to define male and female roles easily by the division of labour. Men worked outside the home and earned the income to support their families, while women cooked the meals and took care of the home and the children. These roles were firmly fixed for most people, and there was not much opportunity for women to exchange their roles. But by the middle of this century, men’s and women’s roles were becoming less firmly fixed.
In the 1950s, economic and social success was the goal of the typical American. But in the 1960s a new force developed called the counterculture. The people involved in this movement did not value the middle-class goals. The counterculture presented men and women with new role choices. Taking more interest in childcare, men began to share child-raising tasks with their wives. In fact, some young men and women moved to communal homes or farms where the economic and childcare responsibilities were shared equally by both sexes. In addition, many Americans did not value the traditional male role of soldier. Some young men refused to be drafted as soldiers to fight in the war in Vietnam.
In terms of numbers, the counterculture was not a very large group of people. But its influence spread to many parts of American society. Working men of all classes began to change their economic and social patterns. Industrial workers and business executives alike cut down on "overtime" work so that they could spend more leisure time with their families. Some doctors, lawyers, and teachers turned away from high paying situations to practice their professions in poorer neighbourhoods.
In the 1970s, the feminist movement, or women’s liberation, produced additional economic and social changes. Women of all ages and at all levels of society were entering the work force in greater numbers. Most of them still took traditional women’s jobs as public school teaching, nursing, and secretarial work. But some women began to enter traditionally male occupations: police work, banking, dentistry, and construction work. Women were asking for equal work, and equal opportunities for promotion.
Today the experts generally agree that important changes are taking place in the roles of men and women. Naturally, there are difficulties in adjusting to these transformations. Many people appeal for the equality between men and women with the hope of transforming the traditional roles of men and women. Actually, the gender role in many countries is much better than before. Which of the following best expresses the main idea of Paragraph 1 ______

A.Women usually worked outside the home for wages.
B.Men and women’s roles were easily exchanged in the past.
C.Men’s roles at home were more firmly fixed than women’s.
D.Men and women’s roles were usually separated in the past.

单项选择题

Once it was possible to define male and female roles easily by the division of labour. Men worked outside the home and earned the income to support their families, while women cooked the meals and took care of the home and the children. These roles were firmly fixed for most people, and there was not much opportunity for women to exchange their roles. But by the middle of this century, men’s and women’s roles were becoming less firmly fixed.
In the 1950s, economic and social success was the goal of the typical American. But in the 1960s a new force developed called the counterculture. The people involved in this movement did not value the middle-class goals. The counterculture presented men and women with new role choices. Taking more interest in childcare, men began to share child-raising tasks with their wives. In fact, some young men and women moved to communal homes or farms where the economic and childcare responsibilities were shared equally by both sexes. In addition, many Americans did not value the traditional male role of soldier. Some young men refused to be drafted as soldiers to fight in the war in Vietnam.
In terms of numbers, the counterculture was not a very large group of people. But its influence spread to many parts of American society. Working men of all classes began to change their economic and social patterns. Industrial workers and business executives alike cut down on "overtime" work so that they could spend more leisure time with their families. Some doctors, lawyers, and teachers turned away from high paying situations to practice their professions in poorer neighbourhoods.
In the 1970s, the feminist movement, or women’s liberation, produced additional economic and social changes. Women of all ages and at all levels of society were entering the work force in greater numbers. Most of them still took traditional women’s jobs as public school teaching, nursing, and secretarial work. But some women began to enter traditionally male occupations: police work, banking, dentistry, and construction work. Women were asking for equal work, and equal opportunities for promotion.
Today the experts generally agree that important changes are taking place in the roles of men and women. Naturally, there are difficulties in adjusting to these transformations. Many people appeal for the equality between men and women with the hope of transforming the traditional roles of men and women. Actually, the gender role in many countries is much better than before. Which sentence best expresses the main idea of Paragraph 2 ______

A.The first sentence.
B.The second and the third sentences.
C.The fourth sentence.
D.The last sentence.

单项选择题

Once it was possible to define male and female roles easily by the division of labour. Men worked outside the home and earned the income to support their families, while women cooked the meals and took care of the home and the children. These roles were firmly fixed for most people, and there was not much opportunity for women to exchange their roles. But by the middle of this century, men’s and women’s roles were becoming less firmly fixed.
In the 1950s, economic and social success was the goal of the typical American. But in the 1960s a new force developed called the counterculture. The people involved in this movement did not value the middle-class goals. The counterculture presented men and women with new role choices. Taking more interest in childcare, men began to share child-raising tasks with their wives. In fact, some young men and women moved to communal homes or farms where the economic and childcare responsibilities were shared equally by both sexes. In addition, many Americans did not value the traditional male role of soldier. Some young men refused to be drafted as soldiers to fight in the war in Vietnam.
In terms of numbers, the counterculture was not a very large group of people. But its influence spread to many parts of American society. Working men of all classes began to change their economic and social patterns. Industrial workers and business executives alike cut down on "overtime" work so that they could spend more leisure time with their families. Some doctors, lawyers, and teachers turned away from high paying situations to practice their professions in poorer neighbourhoods.
In the 1970s, the feminist movement, or women’s liberation, produced additional economic and social changes. Women of all ages and at all levels of society were entering the work force in greater numbers. Most of them still took traditional women’s jobs as public school teaching, nursing, and secretarial work. But some women began to enter traditionally male occupations: police work, banking, dentistry, and construction work. Women were asking for equal work, and equal opportunities for promotion.
Today the experts generally agree that important changes are taking place in the roles of men and women. Naturally, there are difficulties in adjusting to these transformations. Many people appeal for the equality between men and women with the hope of transforming the traditional roles of men and women. Actually, the gender role in many countries is much better than before. In the passage the author proposes that the counterculture ______.

A.destroyed the United States
B.transformed some American values
C.was not important in the United States
D.brought people more leisure time with their families

单项选择题

Once it was possible to define male and female roles easily by the division of labour. Men worked outside the home and earned the income to support their families, while women cooked the meals and took care of the home and the children. These roles were firmly fixed for most people, and there was not much opportunity for women to exchange their roles. But by the middle of this century, men’s and women’s roles were becoming less firmly fixed.
In the 1950s, economic and social success was the goal of the typical American. But in the 1960s a new force developed called the counterculture. The people involved in this movement did not value the middle-class goals. The counterculture presented men and women with new role choices. Taking more interest in childcare, men began to share child-raising tasks with their wives. In fact, some young men and women moved to communal homes or farms where the economic and childcare responsibilities were shared equally by both sexes. In addition, many Americans did not value the traditional male role of soldier. Some young men refused to be drafted as soldiers to fight in the war in Vietnam.
In terms of numbers, the counterculture was not a very large group of people. But its influence spread to many parts of American society. Working men of all classes began to change their economic and social patterns. Industrial workers and business executives alike cut down on "overtime" work so that they could spend more leisure time with their families. Some doctors, lawyers, and teachers turned away from high paying situations to practice their professions in poorer neighbourhoods.
In the 1970s, the feminist movement, or women’s liberation, produced additional economic and social changes. Women of all ages and at all levels of society were entering the work force in greater numbers. Most of them still took traditional women’s jobs as public school teaching, nursing, and secretarial work. But some women began to enter traditionally male occupations: police work, banking, dentistry, and construction work. Women were asking for equal work, and equal opportunities for promotion.
Today the experts generally agree that important changes are taking place in the roles of men and women. Naturally, there are difficulties in adjusting to these transformations. Many people appeal for the equality between men and women with the hope of transforming the traditional roles of men and women. Actually, the gender role in many countries is much better than before. It could be inferred from the passage that ______.

A.men and women will never share the same goals
B.some men will be willing to exchange their traditional male roles
C.most men will be happy to share some of the household responsibilities with their wives
D.more American households are headed by women than ever before

单项选择题

Once it was possible to define male and female roles easily by the division of labour. Men worked outside the home and earned the income to support their families, while women cooked the meals and took care of the home and the children. These roles were firmly fixed for most people, and there was not much opportunity for women to exchange their roles. But by the middle of this century, men’s and women’s roles were becoming less firmly fixed.
In the 1950s, economic and social success was the goal of the typical American. But in the 1960s a new force developed called the counterculture. The people involved in this movement did not value the middle-class goals. The counterculture presented men and women with new role choices. Taking more interest in childcare, men began to share child-raising tasks with their wives. In fact, some young men and women moved to communal homes or farms where the economic and childcare responsibilities were shared equally by both sexes. In addition, many Americans did not value the traditional male role of soldier. Some young men refused to be drafted as soldiers to fight in the war in Vietnam.
In terms of numbers, the counterculture was not a very large group of people. But its influence spread to many parts of American society. Working men of all classes began to change their economic and social patterns. Industrial workers and business executives alike cut down on "overtime" work so that they could spend more leisure time with their families. Some doctors, lawyers, and teachers turned away from high paying situations to practice their professions in poorer neighbourhoods.
In the 1970s, the feminist movement, or women’s liberation, produced additional economic and social changes. Women of all ages and at all levels of society were entering the work force in greater numbers. Most of them still took traditional women’s jobs as public school teaching, nursing, and secretarial work. But some women began to enter traditionally male occupations: police work, banking, dentistry, and construction work. Women were asking for equal work, and equal opportunities for promotion.
Today the experts generally agree that important changes are taking place in the roles of men and women. Naturally, there are difficulties in adjusting to these transformations. Many people appeal for the equality between men and women with the hope of transforming the traditional roles of men and women. Actually, the gender role in many countries is much better than before. The best title for the passage may be ______.

A.Results of Feminist Movements
B.New Influence in American life
C.Counterculture and Its Consequences
D.Traditional Division of Male and Female Roles

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