Page 56 - In Focus (demo)

UNIT 2

3 Reading skills

A Pre-reading questions

have
s
1 Which parts of the world have growing populations? Which countries have
low birthrates?
2 What problems will countries with a low birthrate have?

B Reading

Read the text and check your answers to the pre-reading questions above. Then
highlight an interesting idea in each paragraph.

Fewer and Fewer Babies

A generation ago, scientists worried about There are two results of a birthrate that is
overpopulation. Today, in developed countries, too low to maintain a population. The fi rst is that
there is the opposite fear. Birthrate measures the ultimately, without the arrival of immigrants, the
number of children a woman has during her life. population will decline. In over 20 countries, the
5 The replacement birthrate is the rate required to population is already in decline, including Russia, 40
maintain the population. In developed countries, Ukraine, and Japan. In other countries, such as
this number is 2.1, but in most of these countries, South Korea, it soon will be. Given present trends,
birthrates are less than this. Spain and South Ethiopia will have a larger population than Russia
Korea, for example, share a birthrate of 1.1; Italy or Japan by 2050. The second and more troubling
10 and Japan are at 1.2. Internationally, more than result is population aging. Fewer and fewer young 45
40 percent of people live in countries where the taxpayers will be supporting more and more old
birthrate is lower than the replacement level. people. This will place even more pressure on
There are several reasons for couples having the young to limit family size. If there are too few
fewer children. Chief among these is the cost workers, this will cause economic decline.
15 of education. Jobs in developed countries Even in the United States, which is a rare 50
increasingly require highly educated workers, example of a developed country with a high
and the cost of this education is largely borne by birthrate, population changes can be seen.
parents. Another reason is the growth of cities. As The birthrate of non-Hispanic white Americans
people move from rural areas to the city, there is is 1.8, while that of Hispanics is 2.4. The US
20 pressure to limit family size. The high cost of real government forecasts that white Americans will 55
estate means that living space is limited, and be a minority by 2042, and Hispanics will make
there is no room for a large family. In previous up 30 percent of the population by 2050.
eras, a single wage earner was able to support a
household. Today, it is usually necessary for both
25 parents to work. Without child care that parents
can afford or the help of grandparents, couples
may not want to have many children. Another
reason for the low birthrate is the success of the
women’s movement. This has resulted in economic
30 independence for many women. As women gain
equality and independence, they choose to
follow careers and have children later. The wide
availability of the birth control pill and access to
abortion means they can more easily choose
35 when or if they want to become a parent.

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