_____time,he’llmakeafirst-classtennisplayer.

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.

Passage2

Questions6to10arebasedonthefollowingpassage:

Inordertolearntobeone’strueself,itisnecessarytoobtainawideandextensiveknowledgeofwhathasbeensaidanddoneintheworld;criticallytoinquireintoit;carefullytoconsiderit;clearlytoanalyzeit;andearnestlytocarryitout.

Itmattersnotwhatyoulearn,butwhenyouoncelearnathing,youmustnevergiveitupuntilyouhavemasteredit.Itmattersnotwhatyouinquireinto,butwhenyouonceinquireintoathing,youmustnevergiveitupuntilyouhavethoroughlyunderstoodit.Itmattersnotwhatyoutrytothinkout,butwhenyouoncetrytothinkoutathing,youmustnevergiveitupuntilyouhavegotwhatyouwant.Itmattersnotwhatyoutrytocarryout,butwhenyouoncecarryoutathing,youmustnevergiveitupuntilyouhavedon’titthoroughlyandwell.

Ifanothermansucceedsbyoneeffort,youwilluseahundredefforts.Ifanothermansucceedsbytenefforts,youwilluseathousand.

6.Accordingtotheauthor,firstofallonemust.

A.analyzeB.inquireC.obtainknowledgeD.act

7.Accordingtotheauthor,.

A.learningisnotimportantB.thinkingisnotnecessary

C.knowledgemeanslittleD.itisnotimportantwhatwelearn

8.Theendoflearningshouldbe.

A.thoughtB.masteryC.inquiryD.analysis

9.Accordingtotheauthor,anotherman’ssuccessshould.

A.makegreatereffortsB.makeusnervous

C.notbetakenintoconsiderationD.causeonetostoptrying

10.Theauthorimpliesbutdoesnotsaywhat.

A.thewaytoknowledgeisthroughspecialization

B.onehastoknoweverythingtobesuccessful

C.successdependsnotsomuchonnaturalabilityasitdoesoneffort

D.successinone’sprofessionislatestimportantinone’slife

Whataniceday!Howaboutthethreeofus_____awalkintheparknearby.

AccordingtoStevenYoung,ifscientistsgetthedatathat________,theywouldpetitionforfasttrackstatus.