A、652 billion yuan. B、65 billion yuan. C、587 billion yuan. D、9.5 billion yuan. A

(16)China’s implementation of a universal two-child policy will impose higher requirements on preschool education resources, resulting in a possible shortage of kindergarten spots, according to a survey by China Youth Daily. Compared with 209,900 kindergartens across China in 2014, it’s estimated that about 319,500 kindergartens will be needed by 2021, which means a shortage of nearly 110,000 spaces by 2021. In addition, nearly 1.99 million teachers and 1.37 million child-care workers need to be added to the preschool education sector in the same period. The first group of children born after the enactment of the policy will reach school age in 2019; it is anticipated that the policy will have its maximum impact from 2019 to 2021. Specifically, (17)school-age children will increase by almost 6 million in 2019, 11 million in 2020 and then reach the peak of 15 million in 2021. The number will begin to decrease year by year after 2021, with an estimated 42 million children eligible for preschool education by 2035. However, the requirement of expenditure on preschool education will keep increasing from 2016 to 2035. (18)Compared with about 65 billion yuan (around 9.5 billion US dollars) expenditure on preschool education in 2013, the requirement for 2035 will be about 652 billion yuan, with a shortfall of 587 billion yuan.  
Questions 16 to 18 are based on the passage you have just heard.
16.What is the passage mainly about?
17.How many school-age children will increase by 2021?
18.How much money will be required on preschool education in 2035?