DEVELOPMENT REPORT - International Women's Day

DEVELOPMENT REPORT - U.N. World Population Report
By Nancy Steinbach

Broadcast: Monday, March 07, 2005

I'm Gwen Outen with the VOA Special English Development Report.

A United Nations report says the number of people in the world is expected to reach six thousand five hundred million this July. By the middle of the century, the population could reach more than nine thousand million. That would be an increase of forty percent.

These numbers are fresh estimates¹ for a report on world population change from nineteen fifty to two thousand fifty. Hania Zlotnik is director of the U.N. Population Division². She says the world has added nearly five hundred million people in the last six years.

But, in her words, "the good news is that new estimates show that it will take a little longer" to add the next five hundred million. Mizz Zlotnik says this will probably happen by two thousand thirteen.

The U.N. report says most population growth by two thousand fifty will take place in less developed countries. Their population is expected to increase from five thousand million today to almost eight thousand million. The population of more developed nations is expected to stay about the same, at just over one thousand million.

The report says nine countries will be responsible for about half the world population increase by twenty fifty. These include Bangladesh, China, the Democratic³ Republic of Congo, Ethiopia and India. The others are Nigeria, Pakistan, Uganda and the United States.

Twelve countries are expected to have populations at least three times the size now. These include Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Chad, Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and East Timor. The others are Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger and Uganda.

The report says birth rates remain low in forty-four developed countries.

Today, worldwide, there is an average of two-point-six children per woman. This number is expected to fall to just over two children per woman in two thousand fifty. But U.N. population experts note that they cannot be sure which way birth rates will go in the future.

The U.N. report also notes that AIDS has increased death rates and slowed population growth in sixty countries. The area most affected⁴ by the disease⁵ is Southern Africa.

There, how long people live has fallen from an average of sixty-two years in nineteen ninety-five to forty-eight now. Researchers believe life expectancy⁶ will fall to forty-three years by two thousand fifteen, then begin a slow recovery⁷.

This VOA Special English Development Report was written by Nancy Steinbach. I'm Gwen Outen.

1 estimates   

估计

参考例句：

• Unofficial estimates put the figure at over two million. 非官方的估计数字为200万以上。
• We got estimates from three different contractors before accepting the lowest. 我们得到3个承包商的报价后，接受了最低的报价。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 division   

n.区分，分开，除法，公司，部门，师(军队里)

参考例句：

• Have you learnt division?你学会除法了吗？
• The division commander ordered that we start the attack before dawn.师长令我们在拂晓前发起攻击。

3 democratic   

adj.民主的；民主主义的，有民主精神的

参考例句：

• Their country has democratic government.他们国家实行民主政体。
• He has a democratic work-style.他作风民主。

4 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。

5 disease   

n.疾病，弊端

参考例句：

• The doctors are trying to stamp out the disease.医生正在尽力消灭这种疾病。
• He fought against the disease for a long time.他同疾病做了长时间的斗争。

6 expectancy   

n.期望，预期，（根据概率统计求得）预期数额

参考例句：

• Japanese people have a very high life expectancy.日本人的平均寿命非常长。
• The atomosphere of tense expectancy sobered everyone.这种期望的紧张气氛使每个人变得严肃起来。

7 recovery   

n.恢复，痊愈；追回，寻回，收复

参考例句：

• The doctors said that his recovery was a miracle. 医生们说他的复原是件奇事。
• The quick recovery was truly in response to medication.这次迅速康复确实是对药物治疗的反应。