Europe’s biggest countries were once among the biggest anywhere. In 1950, four of the world’s ten most 【C1】______ states were in

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问题     Europe’s biggest countries were once among the biggest anywhere. In 1950, four of the world’s ten most 【C1】______ states were in western Europe. But decades of falling birth rates have 【C2】______ slow population growth in Europe. By 2017, Europe’s most populous country【C3】______ just 16th globally. The continent’s birth rate is now so low that the total population in many European countries has begun to 【C4】______.
    One solution is to attract foreigners. Eurostat said that the region’s population rose in 2016【C5】______ immigration. The number of births and deaths were equal at 5.1m, while net migration 【C6】______ the population to 511.8m. In 13 【C7】______ its 28 member countries, more people died than were born last year. 【C8】______ not all saw their populations fall. A large intake of migrants to Germany meant that populations there still 【C9】______ grow.
    By 2050, Eurostat estimates that only Ireland, France, Norway and Britain would see their populations rise 【C10】______ migration. 【C11】______ , Germany and Italy need migrants badly. 【C12】______migration does continue, Eurostat’s central forecast 【C13】______ that Germany will still only maintain its current population.
    Even 【C14】______ migration at current levels is unlikely to prevent most eastern and Mediterranean countries 【C15】______ shrinking. The former group has been losing people 【C16】______ the break-up of the Soviet Union. 【C17】______ those countries joined the EU, large shares of their populations emigrated to richer EU member countries to work. For those who leave, the freedom to live and work is an immense boon. But the countries 【C18】______ they were raised face a hard task. They must attract and 【C19】______ new workers, increase their birth rates, or learn to 【C20】______ a declining population.
【C4】

选项 A、diminish
B、decline
C、dwindle
D、drop

答案B

解析 同义词辨析题。根据上文以及low这一词可知,许多欧洲国家的人口总数已开始下降,四个选项均有“减少、降低”之意,但是用法不同,A项diminish强调“由于某种原因而减少”,这种减少会造成让人察觉到的后果或者损失,有不幸的意思,B项decline强调“权利、健康、体力等衰退、降低”,C项dwindle指的是“数量减少”,并且强调“逐渐减少直到剩余很少的量”,D项drop指的是“急剧地降低,幅度很大”,因此根据语境可知B项decline为正确选项。
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