Wecanbeginourdiscussionof“populationasglobalissue”withwhatmostpersonsmeanwhentheydiscuss“thepopulationproblem”:toomanypeopleonearthandatoorapidincreaseinthenumberaddedeachyear.Thefactsarenotindispute,Itwasquiterighttoemploytheanalogythatlikeneddemographicgrowthto“along,thinpowderfusethatburnssteadilyandhaltinglyuntilitfinallyreachesthechargeandexplodes.”

Tounderstandthecurrentsituation,whichischaracterizedbyrapidincreasesinpopulation,itisnecessarytounderstandthehistoryofpopulationtrends.Rapidgrowthisacomparativelyrecentphenomenon.Lookingbackatthe8,000yearsofdemographichistory,wefindthatpopulationshavebeenvirtuallystableorgrowingveryslightlyformostofhumanhistory.Formostofourancestors,lifewashard,oftennasty,andveryshort.Therewashighfertilityinmostplaces,butthiswasusuallybalancedbyhighmortality.Formostofhumanhistory,itwasseldomthecasethatoneintenpersonswouldlivepastforty,whileinfancyandchildhoodwereespeciallyriskyperiods.Often,societieswereincleardangerofextinctionbecausedeathratescouldexceedtheirbirthrates.Thus,thepopulationproblemthroughoutmostofhistorywashowtopreventextinctionofthehumanrace.

Thispatternisimportanttonotice.Notonlydoesitputthecurrentproblemsofdemographicgrowthintoahistoricalperspective,butitsuggeststhatthecauseofrapidincreaseinpopulationinrecentyearsisnotasuddenenthusiasmformorechildren,butanimprovementintheconditionsthattraditionallyhavecausedhighmortality.

Demographichistorycanbedividedintotwomajorperiods:atimeoflong,slowgrowthwhichextendedfromabout8,000BC.tillapproximatelyAD.1650.Inthefirstperiodofsome9600years,thepopulationincreasedfromsome8millionto500millionin1650.Between1650andthepresent,thepopulationhasincreasedfrom500milliontomorethan4billion.Anditisestimatedthatbytheyear2000therewillbe6.2billionpeoplethroughouttheworld.Onewaytoappreciatethisdramaticdifferenceinsuchabstractnumbersistoreducethetimeframetosomethingthatismoremanageable.Between8000BCand1650,anaverageofonly50,000personswasbeingaddedannuallytotheworld’spopulationeachyear.Atpresent,thisnumberisaddedeverysixhours.Theincreaseisabout80,000,000personsannually.

1.Whichofthefollowingdemographicgrowthpatternismostsuitableforthelongthinpowderfuseanalogy?

A.Avirtuallystableorslightlydecreasingperiodandthenasuddenexplosionofpopulation.

B.Aslowgrowthforalongtimeandthenaperiodofrapid,dramaticincrease.

C.Toomanypeopleonearthandafewrapidincreaseinthenumberaddedeachyear.

D.Alongperiodwhendeathratesexceedsbirthratesandthenashortperiodwithhigherfertilityandlowermortality.

2.Duringthefirstperiodofdemographichistory,societieswereoftenindangerofextinctionbecause___.

A.onlyoneintenpersonscouldlivepast40.

B.therewashighermortalitythanfertilityinmostplaces.

C.itwastoodangeroustohavebabiesduetothepoorconditions.

D.ourancestorshadlittleenthusiasmformorechildren.

3.Whichstatementistrueaboutpopulationincrease?

A.Theremightbeanincreaseof2.2billionpersonsfromnowtotheyear2000.

B.About50,000babiesareborneverysixhoursatpresent.

C.Between8000BCandthepresent,thepopulationincreaseisabout80,000,000personseachyear.

D.Thepopulationincreasedfasterbetween8000BCand1650thanbetween1650andthepresent.

4.Theauthorofthepassageintendsto___.

A.warnpeopleagainstthepopulationexplosioninthenearfuture.

B.comparethedemographicgrowthpatterninthepastwiththatafter1650.

C.findoutthecauseforrapidincreaseinpopulationinrecentyears.

D.presentusaclearandcompletepictureofthedemographicgrowth.

5.Theword“demographic”inthefirstparagraphmeans___.

A.statisticsofhuman.

B.surroundingsstudy.

C.accumulationofhuman.

D.developmentofhuman.

WhichofthefollowingitalicizedwordsDOESNOTcarrythemetaphoricalmeaning?

There_____nothingmorefordiscussion,themeetingcametoanendhalfanearlier.

PartIVTranslation

Satellitemassagershavethesameglobalcoverageassatellitetelephones,butcarrytextalone,whichcouldbeusefulforthosewithlaptopcomputers.(PassageFour)

Passage3

Questions11to15arebasedonthefollowingpassage:

TheideaofaspecialdaytohonormotherswasfirstputforwardinAmericain1907.twoyearslaterawoman,Mrs.JohnBruceDodd,inthestateofWashingtonproposedasimilardaytohonortheheadofthefamily—thefather.Hermotherdiedwhenshewasveryyoung,andherfatherbroughtherup.Shelovedherfatherverymuch.

InresponsetoMrs.Dodd’sideathatsameyear—1909,thestategovernorofWashingtonproclaimed(宣布)thethirdSundayinJuneFather’sDay.TheideawasofficiallyapprovedbyPresidentWoodrowWilsonin1916.in1924,PresidentCalvinCoolidgerecommendednationalobservanceoftheoccasion“toestablishmoreintimate(亲密)relationsbetweenfathersandtheirchildren,andtoimpressuponfathersthefullmeasureoftheirobligations.”TheredorwhiteroseisrecognizedastheofficialFather’sDayflower.

Father’sDaytooklongertoestablishonanationalscalethanMother’sDay,butastheideagrainedpopularity,tradesmenandmanufacturersbegantoseethecommercialpossibilities.Theyencouragedsonsanddaughterstohonortheirfatherswithsmallthank-youpresents,suchasatieorpairofsocks,aswellasbysendinggreetingcards.

DuringtheSecondWorldWar,AmericanservicemenstationedinBritainbegantorequestFather’sDaygreetingcardstosendhome.ThisgeneratedaresponsewithBritishcardpublishers.ThoughatfirsttheBritishpublicwasslowtoacceptthisratherartificialday,it’snowwellcelebratedinBritainonthethirdSundayinJuneinmuchthesamewayasinAmerica.

Father’sDayseemstobemuchlessimportantasoccasionthantheMother’sDay.Notmanyofthechildrenoffertheirfatherssomepresents.ButtheAmericanfathersstillthinktheyaremuchbetterfatedthanthefathersofmanyothercountries,whohavenotevenadayfortheirsakeinnameonly.

11.WhendidFather’sDayofficiallybegintohavenationalpopularity?

A.1907B.1909C.1916D.1924

12.WhofirststartedtheideaofholdingtheFather’sDay?

A.Mrs.JohnBruceDoddB.Mrs.JohnBruce’sMother

C.ThegovernmentofWashington.D.Somebusinessmen.

13.WhatflowerwillbepopularonFather’sDay?

A.LilyB.WaterLilyC.RedroseorwhiteroseD.Sunflower.

14.Whichstatementistrue,aaccordingtothispassage?

A.IttookevenlongerforMother’sDaytogainnationalpopularity.

B.ThebusinessmenhelpedtomakeFather’sDaypopular.

C.Father’sDayisonlycelebratedinAmerica.

D.Father’sDayisonlyatrickofthebusinessmentomakemoney.

15.WhatwasthefirstreactionoftheBritishpublishingtowardsFather’sDay?

A.Theythoughthighlyofitandaccepteditatonce.

B.Theyjustaccepteditatoncewithoutanyhesitation.

C.Theyjustthoughtitajoke.

D.Theythoughtitwastooartificialandtookalongtimetoaccept.