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  3. Population Growth in Different Nations More than 6,500 million people are living in the world today. By the year 2050, that

Population Growth in Different Nations More than 6,500 million people are living in the world today. By the year 2050, that

admin2010-10-14  40
问题                   Population Growth in Different Nations
    More than 6,500 million people are living in the world today. By the year 2050, that number is expected to reach 9,000 million. Population experts say most of this growth will be in developing nations in Latin America, South Asia and Africa. Africa’s population, for example, is expected to double to almost 2,000 million. And South Asia will have an additional 1,000 million people within the next 50 years.
    While population growth is increasing in some developing countries, it is falling in many industrialized nations. The United States is unusual because its population is increasing about I percent a year. This makes the United States the world’s fastest growing industrialized nation.
    These changes in population growth have raised questions among experts. For example, how will industrialized countries provide for their aging populations, especially-with fewer workers? How can poor countries provide for their growing populations while poverty, hunger and health care remain problems? And how does immigration influence both situations?
Population Decrease in Russia
    Population experts say Russia faces the most severe population decrease of any country, The population of Russia is now 143 million. It is expected to drop 22 percent over the next 45 years. If this happens, Russia could lose more than 40 percent of its active workforce and have economic problems. The government of President Vladimir Putin is looking for ways to prevent an economic slowdown.
    Part of the problem is the short length of time that Russian men generally live. The average life expectancy for Russian men is just 58 years. Russian women live 14 years longer. And men in Western Europe live 16 years longer. Drugs, tobacco smoking and alcohol are some of the main causes of death among Russian men. There are also high numbers of accidents and men killing themselves.
    Russia also has low birth rates. A record number of Russians reportedly married last year. But many do not seem ready to have children, those who do take risks. Research shows that 7 out of every 10 Russian babies suffer from health disorders. Every twelfth baby is born weighing too little. All of these changes in Russian society are affecting the country’s economy.
More Mega-cities
    Almost all of the world’s population growth is expected to take place in cities in developing countries. By the year 2030, more than 60 percent of the world’s population will be living in cities. Within the next 10 years, experts say there will be 25 "mega-cities"(大城市)of more than 10 million people each.
    In India, concerns are increasing about the movement of people from farming areas to these mega- cities. The Indian capital, New De]hi, and Bombay will be among the largest cities in the world.
    Environmental experts worry about social pressures and poor living conditions in mega-cities. These huge cities generally lack effective education, health care and transportation systems. In addition, as megacities spread, they take over surrounding agricultural land.
    Experts say these problems are intense in Bombay. About half of the city’s population of 15 million people live in so-called "slums"(贫民窟). Houses are close together and not well built. They lack clean water and waste removal systems. Diseases spread quickly when people live too close together. Indian officials are trying to deal with the problem. Yet, they admit it will be difficult when an estimated 200 families move to cities like Bombay each day.
Population Growth in America
    The United States is the only industrial country to experience population growth. In the past 10 years, the population increased from 263 million to an expected 300 million later this year. The American population is increasing at almost 1 percent a year. 40 percent of this growth comes from immigration. Population experts say most immigrants are settling in cities like New York; Miami, Florida; Houston and Dallas, Texas; and Los Angeles, California.
    Some officials are concerned about the increase of immigrants in major American cities. They worry about how schools and health care systems will deal with this population growth. Children of recent immigrants often have problems in public schools where classes are taught in English.
Problems in Europe
    European governments are dealing with a different issue linked to immigration and population growth. Racial and ethnic tensions are increasing in some European countries. This issue intensified last year in France when hundreds of young Arab and African men rioted. They were protesting against economic inequality and the failure of French society to accept them.
    Many rioters were the children of immigrants who had moved from countries like Algeria and Tunisia in the 1950s and 1960s.
    The population of Europe is also aging faster than any other part of the world, except Japan. Birth rates are also down in many European countries. Experts say the number of people depending on workers will rise as the number of workers falls. They say spending in European countries will have to increase for retirement, health care and long-term care for old people in the future.
Population Growth in Africa
    While population growth has dropped in most industrialized nations, birth rates in Africa are the highest in the world. By the year 2050, 20 percent of the world’s population will live on the African continent. That will be almost 2,000 million people, up from 855 million people today.
    Especially large population growth is expected in Nigeria, Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Other countries likely to have major growth include Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Somalia and Uganda.
    Experts are warning that overpopulation will put more pressure on already poor African nations to provide public services.  World Bank population expert John May says family planning programs are the answer. Mister May works in Niger where the average woman has 8 children. He says the government is going to start offering free birth control services to the public. It has also taken steps to raise the legal age of marriage, which is now 14 years old for girls.
    Experts admit that population estimates for the future may prove to be incorrect. However, officials believe that poor nations will face strong pressure from future population growth. Such countries are already struggling to provide for their current populations.
More mega-cities will bring more problems, such as agricultural land reduction, lack of effective education, health care and transportation systems.
选项 A、Y
B、N
C、NG
答案A
解析
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