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Social Science L4 P1: Questions 1-11 Are Based On The Following Passage
Social Science L4 P1: Questions 1-11 Are Based On The Following Passage
Questions 1-11 are based on the following passage. of energy in the global diet. Among the development
community, despair turned into cautious optimism. By the
Adapted from Colin Butler, "Human Carrying Capacity and Human end of the decade, the public health community felt
Health." © 2004 by Colin Butler. The passage refers to carrying 40 suiciently empowered to proclaim “Health for All by the
capacity, or the maximum population size of a species that an Year 2000”. Average life expectancy continued to zoom
environment can support. upwards almost everywhere.
he introduction of safe contraception contributed to a
he question of human overpopulation and its relationship rapid fertility decline in many countries. But while the rate of
to human carrying capacity has been controversial for over 45 global population growth declined from its peak in the late
two centuries. In 1798 the Reverend homas Malthus put 1960s, the absolute increment of increase in annual global
Line forward the hypothesis that population growth would exceed population continued to grow. Most population-related
5 the growth of resources, leading to the periodic reduction of scientists, including food scientists and demographers, as
human numbers by either “positive checks”, such as disease, well as US President Jimmy Carter, continued to be very
famine, and war, or “preventive checks”, by which (in the 50 concerned about global overpopulation. In 1970, the father of
absence of contraception) Malthus meant restrictions on the Green Revolution, the agricultural scientist Norman
marriage. his “Malthusian view” was rapidly accepted by Borlaug, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. In his Nobel
10 most politicians, demographers, and the general public, and lecture, Borlaug warned that the success of the Green
remained popular until fairly recently. Revolution would buy a breathing space for humankind of
Malthus's worst fears were not borne out through the 55 three decades, unless equivalent action was taken to reduce
century following his death in 1834—food production largely fertility rates.
kept pace with the slowly growing global population.
15 However, soon ater 1934, the global population began to Historical and Projected World Population Growth, 1950-2100;
rise steeply as antibiotics, vaccines, and technology increased UN Estimates Based on Rates of Fertility.
life expectancy. By the 1960s, concerns of a mismatch
between global population and global food supply
peaked—expressed in books such as Paul Ehrlich's 1968 he
20 Population Bomb. his book predicted a future scarred by
increasing famine, epidemic, and war—the three main
Malthusian positive checks.
In 1966, United States President Lyndon Johnson shipped
wheat to India to avert a famine on the condition that the
25 country accelerate its already vigorous family planning
campaign. Johnson was part of an unbroken series of US
presidents concerned with the harmful efects of rapid
population growth in developing countries. his line
extended (at least) from John F. Kennedy to Jimmy Carter.
30 George H. W. Bush was also sympathetic to this view, prior
to becoming vice president in 1981. Adapted from Elizabeth Leahy Madsen, "How Did We Arrive at Seven Billion
But the 1970s surprised population watchers. Instead of - and Where Do We Go From Here?" ©2011 by Environmental Change and
being a period shadowed by calamitous famine, the new crop Security Program, Woodrow Wilson Informational Center for Scholars.
9
How does the graph relate to the passage?
A) It demonstrates the truth of the assertion
that fertility rates will match increasing food
production over the next century.
B) It illustrates the point that the rate of global
population growth has declined since the 1960s
due to contraception.
C) It provides support for the idea that there will be
a drastic increase in global population if fertility
rates remain constant.
D) It reinforces the claim that the Green Revolution
will be able to meet the needs of a rising
population.