Brazil has become one. of the developing world’s great successes at reducing population growth but more by accident than design. While countries such as India have made joint ef­forts to reduce birth rates, Brazil had better results without re­ally trying, says George Martine at Harvard.
Brazil’s population growth rate dropped from 2. 99% a year between 1951 and 1960 to 1. 93% a year between 198 land 1990, and Brazilian women now have only 2. 7 chil­dren on average. Martine says this figure may have fallen still further since 1990, an achievement that makes it the envy of many other Third World countries.
Martine puts it down to, among other things, soap operas (肥皂劇) and installment (分期付款) plans introduced in the 1970s. Both played an important, although indirect, role in low­ering the birth rate. Brazil is one of the world’s biggest produc­ers of soap operas. Globo, Brazil’s most popular television net­work, shows three hours of soaps six nights a week, while three others show at least one hour a night. Most soaps are based on wealthy characters living the high life in big cities.
Although they have never really tried to work in a mes­sage towards the problems of reproduction, they describe mid­dle and upper class values: not many children, women work­ing, says Martine. They sent this image to all parts of Brazil and made people conscious (有意識的) of other patterns of behaviour and other values, which were put into a very attrac­tive package.
Meanwhile, the installment plans tried to encourage the poor to become consumers. " This led to an enormous change in consumption (消費) patterns and consumption was incom­patible (不相容的) with unlimited reproduction," says Mar­tine.
9. According to the passage, Brazil has lowered its population growth ________.
A. by educating its citizens               B. by careful family planning
C. by developing TV programmes                    D. by chance
10. According to the passage, many Third World countries
A. haven’t given much attention to birth control
B. would soon join Brazil in controlling their birth rate
C. haven’t yet found an effective measure to control their population
D. haven’t realized the importance of TV plays in family planning
11. Soap operas have helped in lowering Brazil’s birth rate be­cause ________.
A. they keep people sitting long hours watching TV
B. they have gradually changed people’s way of life
C. people are drawn to their attractive package
D. they popularize birth control measures
12. What is Martine’s conclusion about Brazil’s population growth?
A. The increase in birth rate will increase consumption.
B. The desire for consumption helps to reduce birth rate.
C. Consumption goes with reproduction.
D. A country ‘s production is limited by its population growth.
9-12  DCBB
9.   細節(jié)題。由第一段第一句... more by accident than design可知。
10.   細節(jié)題。由倒數(shù)第二段的最后一句我們可知。
11.   細節(jié)題。由倒數(shù)第二段的they describe middle and upper class values：not many children，women working可知：這些肥皂劇使得人們改變了生活觀念，也紛紛效仿上流社會的人們，少生孩子，婦女參加工作。
12.   細節(jié)題。Marine給比利時的人口增長的緩慢總結了兩條：肥皂劇與分期付款計劃。分期付款計劃就是指人們的消費欲望。
練習冊系列答案
相關習題

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Some kids start to drink alcohol (酒精) at a young age. They think it is part of becoming an adult. They also think drinking is not that bad because so many people do it. They feel it is not as bad as taking drugs (毒品). It is easy for kids to get liquor （酒精飲料）by using fake identification (偽造證件).
Parents may start to notice a change in their child’s behavior if the child starts drinking. Kids who drink sometimes stop doing things they normally liked to do. They may keep telephone calls and meetings a secret and not want anybody to touch their things. They act moody (喜怒無常) and do not have the same eating and sleeping habits.
Parents need to stay involved (牽涉) in their kids’ lives. They should talk to their children about their problems to be aware of any changes.
Parents can be the best protection. Children who get a lot of love can feel good about themselves. It helps them resist（抵抗） doing bad things even when other kids are doing them. Parents can also help set a good example by not drinking and driving. They can have firm rules in the home that everyone follows.
Give the children good ideas on how to say “no” to drinking, even when they are at a party. Try not to overreact or panic (驚慌) if the child tries alcohol. How you handle it can affect their attitude. It may be helpful to talk to other parents about setting up curfews (宵禁令) and rules about parties or other events.
小題1:Which of the following is NOT the reason why some kids have an early start of drinking?
A．They want to show their maturity (成熟) by drinking alcohol.
B．Drinking alcohol is much cooler than taking drugs.
C．They are affected by many other people around them.
D．They can get liquor easily.
小題2:According to the passage, what changes may happen to the kids who start drinking?
A．Nothing serious will happen to them.
B．They keep the same eating and sleeping habits.
C．They can control their moods quite well.
D．Sometimes they act secretly.
小題3:According to the writer, if parents find their children try alcohol, they had better ________.
A．punish them at once
B．a(chǎn)sk the police for help
C．a(chǎn)sk their children’s friends for help
D．set up curfews and rules about parties or other events with other parents
小題4:Which is the main subject discussed in the passage?
Teen health.                         B. Teen education.
Teen drinking                       D. Parents’ worries.

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

閱讀理解: 閱讀下列短文，從每題所給的四個選項（A、B、C和D）中，選出最佳選項。
Young adult filmmakers all hope to show their works in international festivals like Sundance and Toronto. But what about really young filmmakers who aren’t in film school yet and aren’t, strictly speaking, even adults?
They are at the heart of Wingspan Arts Kids Films Festival, tomorrow, in a setting any director might envy: Lincoln Center. Complete with “red carpet” interviews and various awards, the festival has much in common with events for more experienced moviemakers, except for the age of the participants: about 8 to 18.
“What’s really exciting is that it’s film for kids by kids,” said Cori Gardner, managing director of Wingspan Arts, a nonprofit organization offering youth arts programs in the New York area. This year the festival will include films not only from Wingspan but also from other city organizations and one from a middle school in Arlington, Virginia. “We want to make this a national event,” Ms. Gardner added.
The nine shorts to be shown range from a Claymation biography of B.B. King to a science fiction adventure set in the year 3005. “A lot of the material is really mature,” Ms. Gardner said, talking about films by the New York City branch of Global Action Project, a media arts and leadership-training group. “The Choice is about the history of a family and Master Anti-Smoker is about the dangers of secondhand smoke.” Dream of the Invisibles describes young immigrants’ feelings of both belonging and not belonging in their adopted country.
The festival will end with an open reception at which other films will be shown. These include a music video and full-length film whose title is Pressures.
1. Wingspan Arts Kids Film Festival ____.
A. is organized by a middle school
B. is as famous as the Toronto Festival
C. shows films made by children
D. offers awards to film school students
2. Which of the following is true of Wingspan Arts?
A. It helps young filmmakers to make money.
B. It provides arts projects for young people.
C. It’s a media arts and leadership-training group.
D. It’s a national organization for young people.
3. The underlined word “shorts” in Paragraph 4 refers to _____.
A. short trousers  B. short kids   C. short films   D. short stories
4. Movies to shown in the festival ____.
A. cover different subjects.
B. focus on kids’ life
C. are produced by Global Action Project
D. are directed by Ms. Gardner
5. At the end of this film festival, there will be ____.
A. various awards    B. “red carpet” interviews
C. an open reception  D. a concert at Lincoln Center

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Very old people do raise moral problems for almost everyone who comes in contact with them. Their values—this can’t be repeated too often—are not necessarily our values. Physical comfort, cleanness and order are not necessarily the most important things. The social services from time to time find themselves faced with a flat with decaying food covered by small worms, and an old person lying alone in bed, taking no notice of the worms. But is it interfering(干涉) with personal freedom to insist that they go to live with some of their relatives so that they might be taken better care of? Some social workers, the ones who clear up the worms, think we are in danger of carrying this concept of personal freedom to the point where serious risks are being taken with the health and safety of the old.
Indeed, the old can be easily hurt or harmed. The body is like a car, it needs more mechanical maintenance(機械維修，保養(yǎng)) as it gets older. You can carry this comparison right through to the provision of spare parts. But never forget that such operations are painful experiences, however good the results will be. And at what point should you stop to treat the old body? Is it morally right to try to push off death by seeking the development of drugs to excite the forgetful old mind and to activate the old body, knowing that it is designed to die? You can’t ask doctors or scientists to decide, because so long as they can see the technical opportunities, they will feel bound to give them a try, on the principle that while there’s life, there’s hope.
When you talk to the old people, however, you are forced to the conclusion that whether age is happy or unpleasant depends less on money or on health than it does on your ability to have fun.
1. What does the passage mainly tell us?
A. The values are different between the old and the young.  B. The moral problems raised by old people.
C. The personal freedom for the old.                    D. Old people’s viewpoint on life.
2. We can know from the first paragraph that________.
A. Very old people would like to live alone to have more personal freedom.
B. Very old people are able to keep their room clean.
C. Very old people like to live with their children.
D. Social services have nothing to do with very old people.
3. According to the author, which of the following is right?
A. The older a person, the more care he needs.  B. Too much emphasis has been put on old people’s values.
C. The human body can’t be compared to a car.  D. It is easy to provide spare parts for old people.
4.The underlined word “it” in the last paragraph refers to “________”.
A. their money or their health          B. the conclusion you come to
C. your talk to the old people         D. whether age is happy or unpleasant

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Never in the history of Sierra Leone’s elections have women so actively engaged in politics or competed for parliamentary seats. In the past, women did the dancing and cooking for elections campaigning. In the May 14th elections, we saw over 168 women candidates competitive for President, Vice President and Parliamentary seats.
One would think that about 5% of these women would have emerged as winners. But it was not so, because of our cultural perception of women. We need to change our culture. Women could be active politicians. The Christians in their own way encouraged women to be preachers(傳教士) but the Muslim leaders say women should not head for officiating(主持) prayers.
The same happens in certain parts of the country where women are not part of decision taken in male secret societies. This prevents them from achieving some of their goals. A senior head in one of the ministries told me that she was getting problems with some of her staff members especially the male staff. Most women that come from the Northern part of country experience such problems. Some men are saying that a woman cannot be their leader.
Some women are also prejudiced against their women folks. In the last elections, most woman did not support their colleagues. In some parts of the country, because they are not members of secret societies they were not allowed to contest for chieftaincies (酋長或首領的位置). However, Sierra Leones not withstanding the cultural prejudice against women has witnessed women occupying high public offices. They have been appointed to head certain areas.
Sierra Leone is moving from its past culture. We need a change in our culture. Women all over the world are recognized one way or the other as they are now involved in the use of technology. We now see women as air pilots, and they even attempt to go to travel in space.
9.In the past, women in Sierra Leone .       .
A.took active part in politics                     B.contested for parliamentary seats
C.danced and cooked for the election campaigning  D.shared the equal rights with men
10.About 5% of the women engaged in election would have succeeded if .       .
A.there were less prejudice against women          B.less Muslim leaders had objected
C.more women had been engaged in the election     D.more preachers had supported them
11.The author concludes that the women candidates can’t win the competitive vote because .      
A.women is more suitable for the dancing and cooking job
B.women candidates can’t get the support of their folks
C.women prejudice still exists in today’s society
D.women are not capable enough to be a chieftain
12.The main idea of the passage is .
A.the prejudice against women in various fields
B.women in Sierra Leone, striving for their political rights
C.women in Sierra Leone, challenge for men’s status
D.women in Sierra Leone, being involved in politics

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

In parts of Africa, the sky is filled with a dark cloud. But this is no rain cloud. It is a living cloud made of billions of locusts that are traveling across the continent eating everything in their path.
And in the battle to stop this disaster, a radio station in Senegal, West Africa, is offering listeners 50 kilograms of rice if they can catch and kill 50 kilograms of locusts. The radio station is in one of Senegal’s worst affected regions.
This is West Africa’s biggest locust disaster in 15 years, and it is moving east, causing huge damage to crops. As they move, they breed, and increase their number and will soon threaten Sudan in the northeast of Africa. Some say it could reach Asia.
Experts say the great damage to crops in areas already suffering from food shortages and war could cause many people to go hungry. Governments in the region are not well equipped to fight the pest.
Although leaders of 12 countries have agreed on a plan, it is not expected to be enough. “We are now treating 6,000 hectares per day with pesticide, but we need to treat 20,000 hectares per day in order to have any hope of controlling this disaster,” said Mohamed Abdallahi Ould Babah, director of locust control in Mauritania.
Requests are being made for international aid, which is the only way to limit the crisis, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization warned.
1. The purpose of offering people rice for catching locusts in Senegal is ________.
A. to get more people to eat rice so as to leave less for locusts
B. to get more people involved in the war on the locusts
C. to prevent more people from starvation
D. to get more people to listen to the radio report on locusts
2. Which of the following is not the reason for West Africans going hungry?
A. Locust disaster causes the great damage to crops.
B. Food supply is far from the need of the people.
C. These regions are affected by the war.
D. Governments are unwilling to fight the pest.
3. It can be concluded that, in order to end the locust disaster, ________.
A. leaders of 12 countries in West Africa should call on their people to take action
B. insects experts should be sent to these regions
C. other countries outside Africa should keep close watch on their own lands
D. Help from all over the world is in urgent demand
4. What does the passage mainly talk about?
A. Food shortage in Africa.              B. International aid to Africa.
C. The insects attack on Africa.          D. Terrible storm in Africa.

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

The meaning of the word “volunteer” may be a little different in different countries, but it usually means “one who offers his or her services．” There are many different ways in which people can volunteer, such as taking care of sick people, working in homes for homeless children, and picking up garbage from beaches and parks．Volunteers may work within their own countries or in other countries．They are often people with a strong wish to help those who are less fortunate than themselves．Volunteers don’t expect any kind of pay．
At the root of volunteering is the idea that one person may have the ability to offer services that can help other people．Tracy, a good friend of mine, however, recently came back from India with a new idea of what being a volunteer means．She worked for two and a half weeks in one of Mother Teresa’s homes in Calcutta．The following is her story．
“I first heard about Mother Teresa in my high school．We watched a video about her work in India and all over the world．I was so moved by her spirit to help others and her endless love for every human being that after I graduated from high school, I too wanted to try her kind of work．So with two friends I flew to Calcutta for a few weeks．”
“I was asked to work in a home for sick people．I helped wash clothes and sheets, and pass out lunch．I also fed the people who were too weak to feed themselves and tried to cheer them up．I felt it was better to share with them than to think that I have helped them．To be honest, I don’t think I was helping very much．It was then that I realized that I had not really come to help, but to learn about and experience another culture that helped improve my own understanding of life and the world．”
66．According to the text, a volunteer refers to a person who ______．
A．is willing to help those in need without pay  
B．can afford to travel to different places
C．has a strong wish to be successful          
D．has made a big fortune in life
67．Tracy started her work as a volunteer _______．
A．a(chǎn)fter she met Mother Teresa              
B．a(chǎn)fter she finished high school
C．when she was touring Calcutta            
D．when she was working in a hospital
68．Why did Tracy choose to be a volunteer?
A．She liked to work with Mother Teresa．     
B．She had already had some experience．
C．She was asked by Mother Teresa’s example．
D．She wanted to follow Mother Teresa’s example．
69．What is Tracy’s “new idea”（Paragraph 2） of being a volunteer?
A．Going abroad to help the sick．           
B．Working in Mother Teresa’s home．
C．Doing simple things to help the poor．      
D．Improving oneself through helping others．
70．What is the best title for the passage?
A．How To Be A Volunteer．             B．Voluntary Life In India．
C．A Different Meaning Of Volunteer．   D．Inspiration From Mother Teresa．

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Organic food, once considered something that only health fanatics desired, is now a regular feature at most supermarkets. And that has created a bit of a dilemma. On the one hand, you have a conventionally grown apple. On the other, you have one that’s organic. Both apples are firm, shiny and red. Both provide vitamins and fiber, and both are free of fat, sodium and cholesterol.
Conventionally grown food generally costs less, but is organic food a better choice? The advantages claimed for such foods over conventionally grown and sold food products are now being debated on a large scale. Supporters of organic foods ― a term whose meaning varies greatly ―are frequently telling the world that such products are safer and more nutritious than others.
The growing interest of consumers in the safety and nutritional quality of daily foods is a welcome development. However, much of this interest has been aroused by sweeping claims that the conventional food supply is unsafe or inadequate in meeting nutritional needs.
Almost daily, the public is surrounded by claims for “no-aging” diets, new vitamins and other wonder foods. There are numerous unsubstantiated(沒證實的) reports that natural vitamins are superior to man-made ones, that fertilized eggs are nutritionally superior to unfertilized eggs, that untreated grains are better than those treated with insect spray and the like.
Although most of these claims are not supported by scientific evidence, large amounts of written material about the benefits of organic foods makes it difficult for people to separate fact from fiction. As a result, claims that eating a diet consisting of organically grown foods prevents or cures disease or provides other benefits to health have become widely advertised and form the basis for people’s opinion.
One thing that most organically grown food products seem to have in common is that they cost more than conventionally grown foods. But in many cases consumers are misled if they believe organic foods can maintain health and provide better nutritional quality than conventionally grown foods. So there is real cause for concern if consumers, particularly those with limited incomes, distrust the conventional food supply and buy only expensive organic foods instead.
小題1:According to Paragraph 2, which of the following statements about organic food is true?
A．It hasn’t been used until recent years.
B．It has no agreed definition.
C．It is popular among producers.
D．It is accepted by most nutritionists.
小題2:In Paragraph 4, treated grains are examples of ________.
A．healthier foodB．organic food
C．conventionally grown foodD．expensive food
小題3:It can be inferred from the passage that ________.
A．most doctors believe organic foods prevent disease or provide other benefits to health
B．organic foods are actually less nutritious than conventionally grown foods
C．people cannot separate fact from fiction because of the TV advertisements
D．organic foods cost more but are not necessarily better than conventionally grown foods
小題4:According to the passage, many consumers are attracted by organic foods because they _____.
A．want to try something new
B．have carefully researched the products
C．value food safety and nutrition
D．expect to save some money
小題5:What is the author’s attitude towards the claims of organic foods?
A．Doubtful.B．Enthusiastic.
C．Supportive.D．Uninterested.

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

February has long been a month of romance（浪漫）. With the sweet smell of roses in the air, romantic films hit cinemas and love stories fill newspapers and magazines.
On the 14th day, it is a custom for a boy to take his girlfriend out to dinner, buy her flowers and chocolates, write poems, sing to her or even spell out her name with rose petals! This is what you see on Valentine’s Day, a day named after Valentine who was a priest（牧師） in the third century Rome. When the emperor (皇帝) decided that single men could become better soldiers than those with wives, he didn’t allow marriage. But Valentine continued to perform（主持） marriage ceremonies（典禮） for young lovers in secret. When his actions were discovered, the emperor sentenced him to death. While in prison（監(jiān)獄）, it is said that Valentine fell in love with the daughter of his prison guard. Before his death, he wrote her a letter, which he signed （簽名）“From your Valentine”, an expression that is still  in use today. Valentine died for what he believed in and so he was made a Saint (圣徒), as well as becoming one of history’s most romantic characters.
Nowadays, Valentine’s Day is also popular among Chinese young people. Some students are planning to make Valentine’s cards for parents, teachers and friends. Others want to hold parties at which they will exchange small gifts and eat heart-shaped（心形的） cakes. The idea is to have fun and encourage people to share in the spirit of St. Valentine.
小題1:Why did the emperor in Rome not allow marriage in his country?
A．Because there were few women in his country at that time.
B．Because he wanted to control the birth rate.
C．Because there wasn’t enough food for so many people.
D．Because he thought men without wives could be better soldiers.
小題2:Valentine was put into prison because ______.
A．he killed one of the soldiers
B．he didn’t obey the emperor’s order
C．he stole a lot of food
D．he didn’t want to be a soldier
小題3:The last paragraph mainly tells us ______.
A．students in China send cards to their teachers
B．Valentine’s Day is also popular in China now
C．it is interesting to celebrate Valentine’s Day in China
D．it is a good idea to celebrate Valentine’s Day in China
小題4:The best title for this passage should be ______.
A．Valentine’s Day in ChinaB．A Brave Priest
C．Valentine’s DayD．A Romantic Man

查看答案和解析>>

同步練習冊答案