新托福口語(yǔ)練習(xí)材料—關(guān)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(gè)擁擠貧民窟地區(qū)。

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

　　3.Peopleholdingontothesidesofbuses:人們吊掛在公共汽車(chē)的兩側(cè)。

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

　　5.itisonlywhenpeople’slivingstandardsbegintorisethatbirthratesbegintofall:只有在人們生活水平提高時(shí)，出生率才會(huì)開(kāi)始下降。

　　6.people’sincomesaresolowtheyhavenothingtospareforsavings:人們的收如此之低以致于他們無(wú)錢(qián)存起來(lái)。

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

　　8.poorpeopleinadevelopingcountrywillneedtoseeclearsignsofmuchbetterconditionsaheadbeforetheywillthinkofhavingsmallerfamilies:發(fā)展中國(guó)家的窮人需要看到生活明顯改善的前景時(shí)才會(huì)考慮組建小型的家庭。

　　9.dependonaverymuchwideracceptanceoffamilyplanning:取決于（人們對(duì)計(jì)劃生育政策更為廣泛的接受。

　　10.basicchangesinattitudes:在觀(guān)念上的根本變化。