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  3. The rate of population growth is fastest in underdeveloped countries. In these countries a high birth rate is accompanied by a l

The rate of population growth is fastest in underdeveloped countries. In these countries a high birth rate is accompanied by a l

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问题     The rate of population growth is fastest in underdeveloped countries. In these countries a high birth rate is accompanied by a lowered death rate thanks to improved standards of public health. Ideally it should be possible to counter balance the effect of a reduced death rate by an increased use of family planning.  In practice, however, population control is a complex matter. Throughout history people have determined the size of their families ac-cording to the cultural values of their societies.
    Population control has long been a subject of discussion among researchers. Some have argued that the supply of good land is limited. In order to feed a large population, bad land must be cultivated and the good land overworked. As a result, each person produces less in a given amount of time and this means a lower average income than could be obtained with a smaller population. Other researchers have argued that a large population gives more scope for the development of facilities such as sports, roads and railways, which are not likely to be built unless there is a big demand to justify them. Similarly, it can be argued that the public costs of society will not be so heavy to each individual if they are shared among the members of a large population.
    One of the difficulties in implementing birth control lies in the fact that the official attitudes to population growth vary from country to country.  In underdeveloped countries where a large population is pressing hard upon the limits of food, space and natural re-sources, it will be the first concern of government to place a limit on the birth rate. In a well-developed society the problem may be more complex. A declining birth rate may lead to unemployment because it results in a shrinking market. Cities with a declining population may have to face the prospect of a shrinking tax base and a fall in land values. If there are fewer children going to school, teachers may be thrown out of work. When the pressure of population on housing declines, prices also decline and the building industry is weakened. Faced with considerations such as these, the government of a developed country may well prefer to see a slowly increasing population, rather than one which is stable or in decline.  
According to the writer, developed countries prefer______.
选项 A、a standstill population
B、a fast increasing population
C、a slowly growing population
D、a steadily decreasing population
答案C
解析 答案在文章最后一句“the government of a developed country may well prefer to see a slowly increasing population，rather than one which is stable or in decline”中，对照四个选项，显然选C。
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