Brazil has become one of the developing worlds great successes at reducing population growth-but more by accident than design. While countries such as India have made joint efforts to reduce birth rates, Brazil has had better result without really trying, says George Martine at Harvard. Brazils population growth rate has dropped from 2. 99%a year between 1951 and 1960 to 1. 93%a year between 1981 and 1990, and Brazilian women now have only 2. 7 children on average. Martine says this figure may have fallen still further since 1990, an achievement that makes it the envy of many other Third World countries. Martine puts it down to, among other things, soap operas and installment plans introduced in the 1970s. Both played an important, although indirect, role in lowering the birth rate. Brazil is one of the worlds biggest producers of soap operas. Globo, Brazils most popular television network, shows three hours of soaps six nights a week, while three others show at least one hour a night. Most soaps are based on wealthy characters living the high life in big cities. Although they have never really tried to work in a message towards the problems of reproduction, they describe middle and upper class values-not many children, different attitudes towards sex, women working, says Martine. They sent this image to all parts of Brazil and made people conscious of other patterns of behavior and other values, which were put into a very attractive package. Meanwhile, the installment plans tried to encourage the poor to become consumers. This led to an enormous change in consumption patterns and consumption was incompatible with unlimited reproduction, says Martine.
31.According to the passage, Brazil has cut back its population growth ________.
A) by educating its citizens
B) by careful family planning
C) by developing TV programmes
D) by chance
32.According to the passage, many Third World countries ________.
A) havent attached much importance to birth control
B) would soon join Brazil in controlling their birth rate
C) havent yet found an effective measure to control their population
D) neglected the role of TV plays in family planning
33.The phrase puts it down tois closest in meaning to ________.
A) attributes it to
B) finds it a reason for
C) sums it up as
D) compares it to
34.Soap operas have helped in lowering Brazils birth rate because ________.
A) they keep people sitting long hours watching TV
B) they have gradually changed peoples way of life
C) people are drawn to their attractive package
D) they popularize birth control measures
35.What is Martines conclusion about Brazils population growth?
A) The increase in birth rate will promote consumption.
B) The desire for consumption helps to reduce birth rate.
C) Consumption patterns and reproduction patterns are contradictory.
D) A countrys production is limited by its population growth.
答案：31.D 32.C 33.A 34.B 35.B