Europe's biggest countries were once among the biggest anywhere. In 1950, four of the world's ten most 【C1】______ states were in western Europe. But decades of falling birth rates have 【C2】______ slow population growth in Europe. By 2017, Europe's most populous country【C3】______ just 16th globally. The continent's birth rate is now so low that the total population in many European countries has begun to 【C4】______. One solution is to attract foreigners. Eurostat said that the region's population rose in 2016【C5】______ immigration. The number of births and deaths were equal at 5.1m, while net migration 【C6】______ the population to 511.8m. In 13 【C7】______ its 28 member countries, more people died than were born last year. 【C8】______ not all saw their populations fall. A large intake of migrants to Germany meant that populations there still 【C9】______ grow. By 2050, Eurostat estimates that only Ireland, France, Norway and Britain would see their populations rise 【C10】______ migration. 【C11】______ , Germany and Italy need migrants badly. 【C12】______migration does continue, Eurostat's central forecast 【C13】______ that Germany will still only maintain its current population. Even 【C14】______ migration at current levels is unlikely to prevent most eastern and Mediterranean countries 【C15】______ shrinking. The former group has been losing people 【C16】______ the break-up of the Soviet Union. 【C17】______ those countries joined the EU, large shares of their populations emigrated to richer EU member countries to work. For those who leave, the freedom to live and work is an immense boon. But the countries 【C18】______ they were raised face a hard task. They must attract and 【C19】______ new workers, increase their birth rates, or learn to 【C20】______ a declining population.

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】解析：词组辨析题。根据But一词可知此句为转折关系，再根据decades of falling birth rates可推测出生率的下降导致了人口增长缓慢，因此本题应选A项resulted in，强调结果。其他选项B项stemmed from“起源于”，C项contributed to"有助于、促成”，D项influenced by“被……影响"均不合题意。

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】解析：同义词辨析题。根据上文以及low这一词可知，许多欧洲国家的人口总数已开始下降，四个选项均有“减少、降低”之意，但是用法不同，A项diminish强调“由于某种原因而减少”，这种减少会造成让人察觉到的后果或者损失，有不幸的意思，B项decline强调“权利、健康、体力等衰退、降低”，C项dwindle指的是“数量减少”，并且强调“逐渐减少直到剩余很少的量”，D项drop指的是“急剧地降低，幅度很大”，因此根据语境可知B项decline为正确选项。

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】解析：同义词辨析题。根据前后两个数据可知，移民使人口数量大幅度提高，A项accelerated指“加速、促进”，常用于机器加速、进程加速或者增长加速，B项promoted“促进，提升”，例如：promote peace，cooperation，development等，D项raised“提高”，较正式用词，常可与lift换用，但强调“把某物举起或抬起到应有的高度”常用于比喻。C项boosted“提高”，原义指“从后面或下面推起或升高”，现常用于“提高价格、振作精神”等抽象概念。

【正确答案】 D

【答案解析】解析：语义辨析题。由上文可知，大部分国家人口下降，但是德国由于受到移民的影响，人口呈上升趋势。四个选项中A项remained to“依然……”，B项longed to“渴望”，C项intended to“打算做……”，D项managed to“设法、努力”暗含经过努力达到目标之意，因此本题应选择D项managed to。

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】解析：逻辑关系题。前句提到四个国家没有移民但是人口数量依然增长，而这句中提到了Germany and Italy need migrants badly，可以看出这两句为对比关系，因此本题应选择C项In contrast。A项On the other hand为易混淆选项，on the other hand一般指“对同一事物提供不同的切入点”，而在原文中前后两句话主语不同，并且强调两者的对比，因此C项更合适。

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】解析：逻辑关系题。由上文可知德国由于移民而保持人口数量增长，通过此句中migration does continue，Germany will still only maintain its current population可以分析此句为让步状语从句，意为“即使外来移民真的不断地增加，欧盟统计局的中央预测人员预测，德国人口仅仍将保持在目前人口数量。”因此本题应选择C项Even if。

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】解析：词语辨析题。根据语境可知此句为让步状语从句，为欧盟统计局的中央人员的预测,因此本题应选C项reckons"估计、认为”。其他选项A项asserts指“主观自信地宣称"，B项claims指的是“说话者反对或者不同意某一观点”，或者“提出要求或主张”，D项declares意为“宣布、声明”，更正式。

【正确答案】 D

【答案解析】解析：词语辨析题。四个选项均有-tain这个词根，其中A项attaining"获得、得到”，B项detaining“阻止、留住”，C项retaining“保留”，D项sustaining"保持、维持”，根据上文可知，此处意为“然而，即便是保持现有的移民水平，大多数东欧和地中海国家的人口还将继续萎缩。”因此D项sustaining符合题意，为正确选项。

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】解析：逻辑关系题。根据上文并分析本句的句子结构 The former group has been losing people为现在完成进行时，意为“东欧各国人口一直在外流。”因此本题应选B项ever since “自从……”，其他选项A项now that“既然”，C项even though“虽然、即使”，D项as if“好像”均不符合语境。

【正确答案】 D

【答案解析】解析：词组辨析题。根据上文可知他们要么吸引外来人口，要么提高出生率，如果不这样的话，只能是在人口持续下降中生活了。因此本题应选择[Dl live with。其他选项A项rely on“依赖、依靠”，B项fight against“与……斗争”，C项deal with“处理”均不合文意。