新托福口語練習材料—關于是否控制人口的討論(1)

　　IsItaGoodIdeatoControlPopulationGrowthintheWorld?

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　　WhatOverpopulationFeelsLike

　　Wemovedslowlythroughthecityinataxiandenteredacrowdedslumdistrict(1).Thetemperaturewaswellover100(2)andtheairwasthickwithdustandsmoke.Thestreetspeoplesleeping.Peoplevisitingeachother,arguingandscreaming.Peoplepushingtheirhandsthroughthetaxiwindows,begging.Peoplerelievingthemselves.Peopleholdingontothesidesofbuses.(3)peopleleadinganimalspeople,people,people,people.Aswedroveslowlythroughthecrowd,soundingthetaxi’shorn,thedust,heat,noiseandgettoourhotel?Allthreeofuswere,Iadmit,frightenedSincethatnight,I’veknownwhatoverpopulationfeelslike(4).

　　Statisticsshowthatrapidpopulationgrowthcreatesproblemsfordevelopingcountries.Sowhydon’tpeoplehavefewerchildren?Statisticsfromthedevelopedcountriessuggestthatitisonlywhenpeople’slivingstandardsbegintorisethatbirthratesbegintofall(5).Therearegoodreasonsfrothis.Poorcountriescannotaffordsocialservicesandoldagepensions,andpeople’sincomesaresolowtheyhavenothingtospareforsavings(6).Asaresult,peoplelooktotheirchildrentoprovidethemwithsecurityintheiroldage(7).Havingalargefamilycanbeaformofinsurance.Andevenwhiletheyarestillquiteyoung,childrencandoalotofusefuljobsonasmallfarm.Sopoorpeopleinadevelopingcountrywillneedtoseeclearsignsofmuchbetterconditionsaheadbeforetheywillthinkofhavingsmallerfamilies(8).Buttheirconditionscannotbeimprovedunlessthereisareductionintherateatwhichpopulationisincreasing.Thiswilldependonaverymuchwideracceptanceoffamilyplanning(9)andthis,nturn,willmeanbasicchangesinattitudes.(10)

　　I.Listen

　　Listentothetextwiththehelpofthefollowingnotes.

　　1.Acrowdedslumdistrict:一個擁擠貧民窟地區。

　　2.Thetemperaturewaswellover100:氣溫高100度（華氏）以上。

　　3.Peopleholdingontothesidesofbuses:人們吊掛在公共汽車的兩側。

　　4.Sincethatnight,I’veknownwhatoverpopulationfeelslike:從那天晚上起，我便知道人口過剩是什么滋味了。

　　5.itisonlywhenpeople’slivingstandardsbegintorisethatbirthratesbegintofall:只有在人們生活水平提高時，出生率才會開始下降。

　　6.people’sincomesaresolowtheyhavenothingtospareforsavings:人們的收如此之低以致于他們無錢存起來。

　　7.peoplelooktotheirchildrentoprovidethemwithsecurityintheiroldage:人們指望在年老時他們的孩子給他們提供生活保障。

　　8.poorpeopleinadevelopingcountrywillneedtoseeclearsignsofmuchbetterconditionsaheadbeforetheywillthinkofhavingsmallerfamilies: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.dependonaverymuchwideracceptanceoffamilyplanning:取決于（人們對計劃生育政策更為廣泛的接受。

　　10.basicchangesinattitudes:在觀念上的根本變化。