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 had better results without really trying, says George Martine at Harvard.
Brazils population growth rate dropped from 2.99% a year between 1951 and 1960 to 1.93% a year between 198 land 1990, and Brazilian women now have only 2.7 children on average.Martine saysthis 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 (肥皂剧) and installment (分期付款) plansintroduced 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, women working, says Martine. They sent this image to all parts of Brazil and made people conscious (有意识的) of other patterns of behaviour and other values, which were put into a very attrac??tive package.
Meanwhile, the installment plans tried to encourage the poor to become consumers. This led to an enormous change in consumption (消费) patterns and consumption was incompatible (不相容的) with unlimited reproduction, says Martine.
29. According to the passage, Brazil has lowered its population growth ________.
A. by educating its citizens B. by careful family planning
C. by developing TV programmes D. by chance
30. According to the passage, many Third World countries
A. havent given much attention 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. havent realized the importance of TV plays in family planning
31. Soap operas have helped in lowering Brazils birth rate be??cause ________.
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
32. What is Martines conclusion about Brazils population growth?
A. The increase in birth rate will increase consumption.
B. The desire for consumption helps to reduce birth rate.
C. Consumption goes with reproduction.
D. A countrys production is limited by its population growth.
答案与详解：
29. D 细节题。由第一段第一句... more by accident than design可知。
30. C 细节题。由倒数第二段的最后一句我们可知。
31. B 细节题。由倒数第二段的they describe middle and upper class values：not many children，women working可知：这些肥皂剧使得人们改变了生活观念，也纷纷效仿上流社会的人们，少生孩子，妇女参加工作。
32. B 细节题。Marine给比利时的人口增长的缓慢总结了两条：肥皂剧与分期付款计划。分期付款计划就是指人们的消费欲望。
本文阐述了三种不同的人生态度。