The world’s population continues to grow. There now are about 4 billion of us on earth. That could reach 6 billion by the end of the century and 11 billion in a further 75 years. Experts have long been concerned about such a growth. Where will we find the food, water, jobs, houses, school and health care for all these people?

A major new study shows that the situation may be changing. A large and rapid drop in the world’s birth rate has taken place during the past 10 years. Families generally are smaller now than they were a few years ago. It is happening in both developing and industrial nations.

Researchers said they found a number of reasons for this. More men and women are waiting longer to get married and are using birth control devices and methods to prevent or delay pregnancy. More women are going to school or working at jobs away from home instead of having children. And more governments, especially in developing nations, now support family planning programs to reduce population grow.

China is one of the nations that have made great progress in reducing its population growth. China has already cut its rate of population growth by about half since 1970.

Each Chinese family is now urged to have no more than one child. And the hope is to reach a zero population growth with the total number of births equaling the total number of deaths by the year 2000.

Several nations in Europe already have fewer births than deaths. Experts said that these nations could face a serious shortage of workers in the future. And the persons who are working could face much higher taxes to help support the growing number of retired people.

1. The world’s population could reach ____________.

A. 6 billion in 75 years

B. 11 billion in 2075

C. 11 billion by the end of this century

D. 600 million in 15 years

2. Which of the following is true?

A. The world’s birth rate is higher than ten years ago.

B. There has been a slower population growth in the past ten years.

C. Families are as large as before.

D. Birth control has been well practiced in all nations.

3. By the year 2000, the number of births and the number of deaths in China will _______.

A. be greatly different

B. drop a great deal

C. be equal

D. become much larger

4. According to the essay, China’s population control ________.

A. is not quite successful

B. should be considered a big success

C. is far from being successful

D. is a complete failure

5. It may happen in the future that the people who are working in Europe will have to pay much higher taxes because___________.

A. more and more children will be born

B. the number of retired people will become ever larger

C. fewer and fewer children will be born

D. they will be making a lot of money