Brazil has become one of the developing world's great successes in reducing population growth--but more by accident than design.
While countries such as India have made joint efforts to reduce birth rates, Brazil has had better result without really trying, says George Martine at Harvard.
Brazil's population growth rate has dropped from 2.99% a year between 1951 and 1960 to 1.93% a year between 1981 and 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 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 hight life in big cities.
“Although they have never really tried to work in a message towards the problems of reproduction(生育),they describe middle and upper class values--not many children, different attitudes towards sex, women working,” says Martine.“They sent this message to all parts of Brazil and made people realize other patterns of family life 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 change in consumption(消费)patterns and consumption did not get along well with unlimited reproduction,”says Martine.
(1) The phrase“puts it down to”(Line 1, Para. 3) is closest in meaning to ________.
[ ]
(2) 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 make birth control measures popular
(3) 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 patterns and reproduction patterns are contradictory(相矛盾).
D.A country's production is limited by its population growth.
(4) Which is the best title of this passage?
[ ]
A.Brazil: The Developing World's Success.
B.Soap Operas and Installment plans.
C.Brazil: Reducing Birth Rate by Accident.
D.Learn from Brazil, the Third World Country.
科目:高中英语 来源:设计必修三 英语 人教版 人教版 题型:051
话题链接:You will remember that the Bank of England once issued two notes of a million pounds each, to be used for a special purpose connected with some public transaction with a foreign country.For some reason or other only one of these had been used and canceled; The other still lay in the vaults of the Bank.Well, the brothers, chatting along, happened to get to wondering what might be the fate of a perfectly honest and intelligent stranger who should be turned adrift in London without a friend, and with no money but that million-pound bank-note, and no way to account for his being in possession of it.Brother A said he would starve to death; Brother B said he wouldn't.Brother A said he couldn't offer it at a bank or anywhere else, because he would be arrested on the spot.So they went on disputing till Brother B said he would bet twenty thousand pounds that the man would live thirty days, anyway, on that million, and keep out of jail, too.Brother A took him up.Brother B went down to the Bank and bought that note.Just like an Englishman, you see; pluck to the backbone.Then he dictated a letter, which one of his clerks wrote out in a beautiful round hand, and then the two brothers sat at the window a whole day watching for the right man to give it to….
他们物色了一个年轻人做试验。带着这张毫无使用价值的百万英镑钞票,年轻人经历如在梦中。年轻人得到了他想得到的,包括爱情和受人尊敬。他爱上的女孩正是兄弟B的女儿Portia,但是这个年轻人会过上幸福生活吗?
任务导入:Imagine what kind of life Henry will live with Portia and try to make up a short play between them.Then act it out before your classmates.
You can do it as the following steps:
1.Before write your play, read the novel of The Million Pound Bank-Note to get some background knowledge and refer to some play scripts to learn how to write a play; 2.Choose the right persons to be the roles of the play and learn some skills of performance from books or experts, etc.
3.Practice the play together and act it out before your classmates.
An example scene:
P=Portia H=Henry
P:Oh, Henry.It's nice to see you home so early!
H:Mm, ah.
P:(looking worried)What's happened?
H:I can't hide much from you, can I, dear?We have lost our money.The railway company in Brazil has collapsed and all our money has disappeared.But I have a plan to help us.We can go back to America and start again.I can become a gold miner and we can make our fortune that way.
P:Leave London?Leave my father?Oh no, Henry, please!
H:I think it might be better for us.We would stand on our own feet.
P:(crying)I shall have to go home.You can't love me if you want to do this dreadful thing.
H:(putting his arms round her)Of course I do.It is for our sake that I suggest this.It will be an adventure.We will be able to travel where we like and I will be able to show you so many lovely places.
P:As long as you love me I shall be happy.
H:And I shall always do that!
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科目:高中英语 来源:101网校同步练习 高三英语 外语教学与研究出版社 题型:050
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