新托福口語練習(xí)材料—關(guān)于是否控制人口的討論(1)
2014-12-25 16:16:27留學(xué)網(wǎng)整理
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的兩側(cè)。
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(shí)，出生率才會(huì)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(shí)他們的孩子給他們提供生活保障。
8.poorpeopleinadevelopingcountrywillneedtoseeclearsignsofmuchbetterconditionsaheadbeforetheywillthinkofhavingsmallerfamilies:發(fā)展中國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:在觀念上的根本變化。
