Q. 2. Read the passage given below and answer the questions
that follow The world's population was 1.6 billion in 1900 and the UN projects that it will reach 9.3 billion 2050. Achieving agreement on the 'right number of people' may be impossible, but it's hard to deny that most of the great challenges faced by the planet - global warming, high unemployment, environmental degradation, dwindling energy, food and water supplies, brain drain migration and commercial development encroaching on natural habitat - can be traced, to some degree, to the enormous growth in population over the past century. Even cross border skirmishes and wars can be tied, directly or indirectly to rampant population growth in a particular region or country. There was a time, such as in agrarian societies and the beginning of the industrial age, when large families made good economic sense, Today, research shows that large families are often a handican particularly when they inhibit children's educational opportunities. Additional siblings dilute parental resources and hamper their ability to attend to the emotional and character building needs of many children. In our ultra-competitive information age, increasing the intellectual capital of our children is usually what Separates the economically successful, well-adjusted offspring from those who are a financial or social strain on the society. Estimates show that more than two in five pregnancies worldwide are unintended and half or more of these pregnancies result in births that bolster faster population growth. It has been calculated that if all women had the capacity to decide for themselves when to become pregnant, average global child bearing would fall below the replacement rate of slightly more than two children per woman. Under these circumstances, population growth could peak and reverse before 2050. It is both proper and increasingly necessary that women make their own decisions about child bearing without coercion or pressure from partners, family or society.. FA Despite the above arguments for discouraging large families (or at least not encouraging them), many societies continue their long held policy of providing incentives to parents with large families. Rewards include tax credits for additional children, child care tax deductions and generous family leave policies. These are policies that no longer make any sense. It is time for an honest, open discussion where old beliefs and ineffective policies are relinquished and focus is put on the best way to achieve an equitable, sustainable prosperity. If that can be done, it seems reasonable to expect that quality rather than quantity will be seen as the superior choice and population policies and personal behaviour will align accordingly.
Answers
1. (a) Global Warming, unemployment, environmental degradation, food and water supplies are the great challenges faced by our planet these days.
(b) Large families, additional siblings are the reasons which don't let their parents provide education to their children.
(c) Then, average global child bearing would fall below the replacement rate of slightly more than two children per woman.
(d) Old beliefs and ineffective policies should be discarded; as quality is better than quantity, so we should control population growth.
2. (a) Enormous
(b) Skirmish
(c) Relinquished
(d) Coercion
1. (a) Global Warming, unemployment, environmental degradation, food and water supplies are the great challenges faced by our planet these days.
(b) Large families, additional siblings are the reasons which don't let their parents provide education to their children.
(c) Then, average global child bearing would fall below the replacement rate of slightly more than two children per woman.
(d) Old beliefs and ineffective policies should be discarded; as quality is better than quantity, so we should control population growth.
2. (a) Enormous
(b) Skirmish
(c) Relinquished
(d) Coercion