新视野大学英语视听说教程 3 Unit 6-11

 

V. Let’s Talk
Script
Today I’ll be presenting a report on our findings on the condition of the world’s population. It may be a surprise to you that half the people in the world live on less than two dollars a day, and one billion people live on less than one dollar a day.
I’m going to look at poverty and its relationship to population issues. We must work fast if we hope to reduce poverty by half, by the year 2015.
Our survey shows that the first step should be to improve health-care systems. In the world’ poorest countries, people are expected to live just 49 years. One in ten children doesn’t reach his or her first birthday. According to our study, poor health and poverty are linked. Women are affected¹ most by poor-care systems, especially pregnant women.
The second job we have to do, as many of you can guess, is to reduce birth rates. We have found that when given a choice, poor people in developing countries have fewer children than their parents dis. A possible reason for this is probably that smaller families have fewer expenses and more chances of increasing their earnings² and savings³.
Since the 1970s, developing countries with lower birth rates have had faster economic growth. They have had higher productivity, more savings and more investment. Obviously we must encourage family planning and lower birth rates.
Now, here is the third measure we must take: promote education in developing countries. Investing in education, especially for women, can reduce poverty. Educated women have more opportunities to work and a chance to live better. Moreover, they tend to send their children to food schools so that they can climb the social ladder.
Well, any questions? None? OK. Now I’ll talk about the fourth step we need to take…

Measures to Take in Developing Countries	Problems and Reasons for Taking the Measures
1.To improve health care systems	In the poorest countries: 1.      People are expected to live just 49  years. 2.      One in ten children doesn’t reach his or her first birthday. 3.      Women are affected most by poor health-care systems, especially pregnant women.
2.To reduce birth rates	1. Smaller families have fewer expenses and more chance of increasing their earnings and savings. 2. Countries with lower birth rates have had faster economics growth.
3. To popularize education	Investing in education, especially foe4 women, can reduce poverty: 1.           Educated women have more opportunities to work and can live better 2.           They are more likely to send their children to good schools so that the children will climb the social ladder.

1 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

2 earnings   

n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得

参考例句：

• That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
• Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。

3 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

4 foe   

n.敌人，仇敌

参考例句：

• He knew that Karl could be an implacable foe.他明白卡尔可能会成为他的死敌。
• A friend is a friend;a foe is a foe;one must be clearly distinguished from the other.敌是敌，友是友，必须分清界限。