翻译：

如今，中国正步入老龄化社会，因此独生子女一代面临着巨大的工作和生活压力。中国政府开始适当调整计划生育政策，允许一些家庭在特殊情况下生育二胎。但调查显示，很多夫妻迫于不断加重的经济压力，放弃生育二胎。因此，要从根本上解决老龄化的问题不能依靠出生率的上升，最有效的办法是建立有效的社会保障制度。

Thematterisnottobe____.

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.

Thefirstparagraphisintendedto________.

PartIIVocabularyandStructure

Directions:Inthisparttherearefortyincompletesentences.Eachsentenceisfollowedbyfourchoices.ChoosetheonethatbestcompletesthesentenceandthenmarkyouranswerontheAnswerSheet.

21.Theteacherthestudentsonatourthroughtheartmuseum.

A.madeB.indicatedC.forcedD.took

22.Tom’sparentsdiedwhenhewasachild,sohewasbyhisrelatives.

A.grownupB.broughtupC.raisedD.fedup

23.Hereismycard.Let’skeepin.

A.touchB.relationC.connectionD.friendship

24.Sofarthereisnoproofpeoplefromotherplanetsdoexist.

A.whichB.howC.whatD.that

25.Thenewspapersreportedyesterdayseveralontheboundariesofthesetwocountries.

A.incidentsB.happeningsC.eventsD.accidents

26.We’veworkedouttheplanandnowwemustputitinto.

A.factB.realityC.practiceD.deed

27.Hedidn’tandsohefailedtheexamination.

A.workenoughhardB.hardworkenoughC.hardenoughworkD.workhardenough

28.NotuntilMr.SmithcametoChinawhatkindofcountrysheis.

A.heknewB.hedidn’tknowC.didheknowD.hecouldn’tknow

29.Scientistssayitmaybetenyearsthismedicinewasputtouse.

A.sinceB.beforeC.afterD.when

30.Insomecountries,iscalled“equality”doesnotreallymeanequalrightsforallpeople.

A.thatB.whatC.whichD.how

31.Wedidn’tknowhistelephonenumber,otherwisewehim.

A.wouldtelephoneB.wouldhavetelephone

C.hadtelephonedD.musthavetelephoned

32.We’vemissedthelastbus,I’mafraidwehavenobuttotakeataxi.

A.wayB.possibilityC.choiceD.selection

33.Luckily,mostsheepthefloodlastmonth.

A.enduredB.survivedC.livedD.passed

34.Myparentsalwaysletmehavemyownofliving.

A.wayB.methodC.mannerD.fashion

35.Likeotherlanguageskills,readingrequirespractice.

A.themostofB.muchoftheC.mostoftheD.moreofthe

36.Itisonlythroughpracticeonewillbeabletoswimskillfully.

A.whatB.whoC.thatD.which

37.Thebrainiscapableofignoringpainmessageoftoconcentrateonotheractivities.

A.itallowedB.isitallowedC.allowedD.allowedit

38.Don’tworry,Ihavealreadythemthedecision.

A.informed;withB.informed;ofC.informed;forD.informed;that

39.Thechildwassorryhismotherwhenhearrivedatthestation.

A.tomissB.havingmissedC.missingD.tohavemissed

40.Iwonderwhyhetodiscusstheproblematthemeeting.

A.declinedB.rejectedC.refusedD.delayed

41.Youcanhangupwhatyoulikeonthesewalls.

A.bareB.emptyC.blankD.vacant

42.Accordingtoa,themajoritywouldratherhavenewspaperswithoutagovernmentthanagovernmentwithoutnewspapers.

A.electionB.campaignC.pollD.vote

43.Thepopulationofthevillagehasdecreased150to500.

A.inB.atC.byD.with

44.ItseemsthatthereisthatIcan’tdo.

A.nothingB.anythingC.everythingD.none

45.Theyareoftencaringmoreaboutanimalsthanhumanbeings.

A.accusedifB.accusedwithC.chargedofD.chargedfor

46.agoodbeginningismade,thewordishalfdone.

A.AssoonasB.WhileC.AsD.Once

47.Georgecouldnothisfoolishmistake.

A.accountinB.countonC.countforD.accountfor

48.Wecameintothisfieldlate,sowemustworkhardtothelosttime.

A.makeupforB.makeoutC.keepupwithD.putupwith

49.Thenewlawwillcameintoonthedayitispassed.

A.effectB.useC.serviceD.existence

50.Wecanseparatethemixtureintothepurechemicalcompoundsitiscomposed.

A.inwhichB.ofwhatC.ofwhichD.fromwhich

51.Mrs.Lincolnhasthatsheisunabletogetajob.

A.suchsmalleducationB.solittleeducation

C.asuchlittleeducationD.asosmalleducation

52.Shecan’tpreventherlittleboyshootingbirds.

A.from;toB.on;atC.with;upD.from;at

53.Manycountriesareincreasingtheiruseofnaturalgas,windandotherformsof.

A.energyB.sourceC.powerD.material

54.Adarkenedskyinthedaytimeisusuallyandindicationthatastormis.

A.possiblecomingB.abouttotakeplace

C.closebyD.expectedtobesevere

55.Weallknowthatspeaklouderthanwords.

A.movementsB.performanceC.operationsD.actions

56.,hecouldnotcoverthewholedistanceinfifteenminutes.

A.FastashecanB.Ashecanranfast

C.IfhecanranfastD.Sinceheranfast

57.Agriculturalproductioninthatcountryhasincreasedinrecentyears.

A.vastlyB.strikinglyC.considerablyD.extremely

58.Peterhasplannedtosomemoneyeverymonthsothathecanbuyausedcarnextyear.

A.setasideB.setupC.setinD.setalong

59.AlthoughIspoketohimmanytimes,henevertookanyofwhatIsaid.

A.attentionB.noticeC.warningD.observation

60.Theyovercameallthedifficultiesandfulfilledtheplanthreemonthsaheadoftime,issomethingwehadnotexpected.

A.thatB.whatC.itD.which