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PARTVREADINGCOMPREHENSION[25MIN]Inthissectiontherearefourpassagesfollowedbyquestionsorunfinishedstatements,eachwithfoursuggestedanswersmarkedA,B,CandD.Choosetheonethatyouthinkisthebestanswer.TEXTAWecanbeginourdiscussionofpopulationasglobalissuewithwhatmostpersonsmeanwhentheydiscussthepopulationproblem:toomanypeopleonearthandatoorapidincreaseinthenumberaddedeachyear.Thefactsarenotindispute,Itwasquiterighttoemploytheanalogythatlikeneddemographicgrowthtoalong,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.Theworddemographicinthefirstparagraphmeans___.A.statisticsofhuman.B.surroundingsstudy.C.accumulationofhuman.D.developmentofhuman.TEXTBChineseAmericanstodayhavehigherincomesthanAmericansingeneralandhigheroccupationalstatus.TheChinesehaverisentothispositiondespitesomeoftheharshestdiscriminationandviolencefacedbyanyimmigrantstotheUnitedStatesinthehistoryofthiscountry.Longconfinedtoanarrowrangeofoccupationstheysucceededinthoseoccupationsandthenspreadoutintootherareasinlateryears,whenopportunitiesfinallyopenedupforthem.TodaymuchoftheChineseprosperityisduetothesimplefactthattheyworkmoreandhavemore(usuallybetter)educationthanothers.AlmostoneoutoffiveChinesefamilieshasthreeormoreincomeearnerscomparedtooneoutofthirteenforPuertoRicans,oneoutoftenamongAmericanIndians,andoneoutofeightamongWhites.WhentheChineseadvantagesinworkingandeducationalareheldconstant,theyhavenoadvantageoverotherAmericans.ThatisinaChineseFamilywithagivennumberofpeopleworkingandwithagivenamountofeducationbytheheadofthefamily,theincomeisnotonlyaboutaverageforsuchfamilies,andofferalittlelessthanaverage.WhileChineseAmericansasagroupareprosperousandwell-educatedChinatownsarepocketsofpoverty,andilliteracyismuchhigheramongtheChinesethanamongAmericansingeneral.Thoseparadoxesareduetosharpinternaldifferences.DescendantsoftheChineseAmericanswhoemigratedlongagofromToishanProvincehavemaintainedChinesevaluesandhaveaddedacculturationtoAmericansocietywithremarkablesuccess.MorerecentHongKo