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.
TEXTB
Whatweknowofprenataldevelopmentmakesallthisattemptmadebyamothertomoldthecharacterofherunbornchildbystudyingpoetry,art,ormathematicsduringpregnancyseemutterlyimpossible.Howcould
suchextremelycomplexinfluencespassfromthemothertothechild?Thereisnoconnectionbetweentheirnervoussystems.Eventhebloodvesselsofmotherandchilddonotjoindirectly.Anemotionalshocktothemotherwillaffectherchild,becauseitchangestheactivityofherglandsandsothechemistryherblood.Anychemicalchangeinthemother'sbloodwillaffectthechildforbetterorworse.Butwecannotseehowalooking
formathematicsorpoeticgeniuscanbedissolvedinbloodandproduceasimilarlikingorgeniusinthechild.
Inourdiscussionofinstinctswesawthattherewasreasontobelievethatwhateverweinheritmustbeof
someverysimplesortratherthananycomplicatedorverydefinitekindofbehavior.Itiscertainthatnoone
inheritsaknowledgeofmathematics.Itmaybe,however,thatchildreninheritmoreorlessofarathergeneral
abilitythatwemaycallintelligence.Ifveryintelligentchildrenbecomedeeplyinterestedinmathematics,they
willprobablymakeasuccessofthatstudy.
Asformusicalability,itmaybethatwhatisinheritedisanespeciallysensitiveear,apeculiarstructureofthe
handsorthevocalorgansconnectionsbetweennervesandmusclesthatmakeitcomparativelyeasytolearnthe
movementsamusicianmustexecute,andparticularlyvigorousemotions.Ifthesefactorsareallorganized
aroundmusic,thechildmaybecomeamusician.Thesamefactors,inothercircumstancemightbeorganized
aboutsomeothercenterofinterest.Therichemotionalequipmentmightfindexpressioninpoetry.Thecapable
fingersmightdevelopskillinsurgery.Itisnottheknowledgeofmusicthatisinherited,thennoreventheloveof
it,butacertainbodilystructurethatmakesitcomparativelyeasytoacquiremusicalknowledgeandskill.
Whetherthatabilityshallbedirectedtowardmusicorsomeotherundertakingmaybedecidedentirelybyforces
intheenvironmentinwhichachildgrowsup.
6.Whichofthefollowingstatementsisnottrue?
A.Somemotherstrytoinfluencetheirunbornchildrenbystudyingartandothersubjectsduringtheir
pregnancy.
B.Itisutterlyimpossibleforustolearnanythingaboutprenataldevelopment.
C.Thebloodvesselsofmotherandchilddonotjoindirectly.
D.Therearenoconnectionbetweenmother'snervoussystemsandherunbornchild's.
7.Amotherwillaffectherunbornbabyontheconditionthat____.
A.sheisemotionallyshocked
B.shehasagoodknowledgeofinheritance
C.shetakespartinallkindofactivities
D.shestickstostudying
8.Accordingtothepassage,achildmayinherit____.
A.everythingfromhismotherB.aknowledgeofmathematics
C.arathergeneralabilitythatwecallintelligence
D.hermother'smusicalability
9.Ifachildinheritssomethingfromhismother,suchasanespeciallysensitiveear,apeculiarstructureofthe
handsorofthevocalorgans,hewill____.
A.surelybecomemusician
B.mostlybecomeapoet
C.possiblybecomeateacher
D.becomeamusicianontheconditionthatallthesefactorsareorganizedaroundmusic
10.Whichofthefollowingisthebesttitleforthepassage?
A.RoleofInheritance.
B.AnUnbornChild.
C.Functionofinstincts.
D.InheritedTalents.
翻译训练：地域特色文明
文明是多彩的，人类文明因多样才有交流互鉴的价值。文明是平等的，人类文明因平等才有交流互鉴的前提。文明是包容的，人类文明因包容才有交流互鉴的动力。
当今世界，人类生活在不同文化、种族、肤色、宗教和不同社会制度所组成的世界里，各国人民形成了你中有我、我中有你的命运共同体。应该推动不同文明相互尊重、和谐共处，让文明交流互鉴成为增进各国人民友谊的桥梁、推动人类社会进步的动力、维护世界和平的纽带。应该从不同文明中寻求智慧、汲取营养，为人们提供精神支撑和心灵慰藉，携手解决人类共同面临的各种挑战。
YouthatlettertoJames.However，yodidn't（）.