With 950 million people, India ranks
second to China among the most populous countries. But since China {{U}}
{{U}} 1 {{/U}} {{/U}}a family planning program in 1971, India has
been closing the gap. Indians have reduced their birth rate but not nearly
{{U}} {{U}} 2 {{/U}} {{/U}}the Chinese have. If current growth
rates continue, India's population will {{U}} {{U}} 3 {{/U}}
{{/U}}China's around the year 2028 at about 1.7 billion. Should
that happen, it won't be the {{U}} {{U}} 4 {{/U}} {{/U}}of the
enlightened women of Kerala, a state in southern India. While India as a whole
adds almost 20 million people a year, Kerala's population is virtually {{U}}
{{U}} 5 {{/U}} {{/U}}. The reason is no mystery: nearly two-thirds
of Kerala women practice birth control, {{U}} {{U}} 6 {{/U}}
{{/U}}about 40% in the entire nation. The difference {{U}}
{{U}} 7 {{/U}} {{/U}}the emphasis put on health programs, including
birth control, by the state authorities, {{U}} {{U}} 8 {{/U}}
{{/U}}in 1957 became India's first elected Communist government. And an
educational tradition and matrilineal (母系的) customs in parts of Kerala help
girls and boys get {{U}} {{U}} 9 {{/U}} {{/U}}good
schooling. While one in three Indian women is {{U}}
{{U}} 10 {{/U}} {{/U}}, 90% of those in Kerala can read and
write. Higher literacy rates {{U}} {{U}} 11
{{/U}} {{/U}}family planning. "Unlike our parents, we know that we can do more
for our children if we have {{U}} {{U}} 12 {{/U}} {{/U}}of
them," says Laial Cherian, 33, who lives in the village of Kudamaloor. She has
limited herself {{U}} {{U}} 13 {{/U}} {{/U}}three children-one
below the national {{U}} {{U}} 14 {{/U}} {{/U}}of four. That
kind of restraint (抑制,克制) will keep Kerala from putting added {{U}}
{{U}} 15 {{/U}} {{/U}}on world food supplies.
【答案解析】[解析] 本题考查词组的理解和运用。as many as“和……一样多”,修饰可数名词;as well as“和……一样好”,修饰动词;as soon as“一……就……”,引导时间状语从句;as much as“与……差不多”,修饰不可数名词。本题中所填的词组修饰的是不可数名词rate“比率”,四个选项中D项可用来修饰不可数名字,且D项也符合句意。
【答案解析】[解析] increase“增大,增长”,常用“on the increase”,表示“在增加中”;challenge“挑战”,常与“to”连用;pressure“压力,压迫感”,常与“on”连用;complaint“抱怨,牢骚”,常与“against”连用。本题主要考查的是词语的搭配,在本题中所填的词要与“on”搭配,只有C项常与之连用。