According to the United Nations, the total fertility rate - the number

Question

According to the United Nations, the total fertility rate - the number of children a woman may be expected to bear during her lifetime - has fallen in every region of the world since 1950. From an average of nearly six children per woman in the 1950s, total fertility rate fell to three children in Latin America, 3.4 in India, and 3.5 in other parts of Asia by the early to mid-1990s. The only major exception to this sustained downtrend is in North America, where the recent increase in total fertility rate appears to be a transitory phenomenon associated with immigration and a large number of baby-boom women deciding to have children relatively late in their lives.

As significant as declining total fertility rates worldwide is the fact that, from 1990 to 1995, the rates in Europe, China, and North America were below the 2.1 average children per woman needed to sustain population worldwide over the long run. The United Nations' medium population projection of 2.1 children after 2040 is widely used as a demographic forecast, but it unrealistically assumes that this rate will be the same in both developed and developing countries. Many researchers, such as Wolfgang Lutz of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, do not support the UN assertion that fertility would increase to replacement level in developed countries. Lutz and others cite evidence pointing toward low fertility, noting contraception, declining marriage rates, high divorce rates, increasing independence and career orientation of women, materialism, and consumerism.

These factors, together with increasing demands and personal expectations for attention, time, and also money to be given to children, are likely to result in fewer couples having more than one or two children and an increasing number of childless women, "Lutz and his colleagues write in The Future Population of the World. The United Nations has a second scenario - the low/medium scenario - that presumes fertility averaging 1.9 children per woman for all regions by 2025. This scenario may be as unrealistic as the medium population scenario. The low/medium scenario may underestimate future total fertility rates in developing countries, just as the UN medium scenario may overestimate future total fertility rate in developed countries.

The low/medium scenario projects a peak world population of 7.9 billion people in 2050, declining to 6.4 billion by 2150. The medium scenario projects a peak world population of just less than 11 billion by approximately 2200. Most other projections, however, predict peak global population in less than a century, followed by negative population growth.

These 1998 UN population figures were revised in 2000, and the new estimates, though tentative, indicate population trends even lower than the 1998 predictions. The low/medium scenario is comparable to what the United Nations now calls the low variant for worldwide populations. Given the low variant, the United Nations predicts that world population in 2050 will be 7.8 billion--slightly less than the 7.9 billion projected under the low/medium scenario. It is predicted that the United Nations will continue to revise population trends downward and that negative population growth will occur even sooner than 2150. However, because the 2000 population data remain tentative and do not extend to 2150, it is preferable to continue to rely on the 1998 data.    1 
 1. Which of the following statements can be inferred from the passage?

(A) immigrates to the United States give birth to fewer children than they would have, had they remained in their native countries
(B) immigrates to the United States give birth to more children than natives.
(C) more immigrates to the United States give birth to fewer children than they would have, had they remained in their native countries
(D) less immigrates to the United States give birth to more children than they would have, had they remained in their native countries
(E) immigrates to the United States give birth to fewer children, on average, than native born American woman

2 
 2. It can be inferred from the passage that

(A) the birth rate in South-East Asia has risen since the 1950s
(B) the birth rate in Africa has declined since the 1950s
(C) the birth rate in North America has declined since the 1950s
(D) the birth rate in North America is higher than the death rate
(E) the birth rate in North America is lower than the death rate

3 
 3. According to predictions made by Wolfgang Lutz, which of the following is likely to occur?

(A) More women in future will remain childless than do so today.
(B) More woman will put off having children until their thirties than do so today
(C) More woman will give birth one or two babies than do today.
(D) Less women will choose not to have children.
(E) The number of children a couple has will be determined more and more often by the female partner.

4 
 4. According to the United Nation’s projected demographics, the low/medium forecast predicts

(A) a peak in approximately 2050 while the medium forecast predicts a peak in approximately 2200
(B) a peak in approximately 2050 while the medium forecast predicts a peak in approximately 2150
(C) a peak in approximately 2150 while the medium forecast predicts a peak in approximately 2050
(D) a peak in approximately 2150 while the medium forecast predicts a peak in approximately 2200
(E) a peak in approximately 2200 while the medium forecast predicts a peak in approximately 2150

RC Butler 2022  -  Practice Two RC Passages Everyday.   
Passage # 21 Date: 13-Jan-2022
 This question is a part of RC Butler 2022 .  Click here for Details

Source: Reading Comprehension Practice (Docs)

AhmadAli250 · Answer

1- E. In the passage, the number of births in the US by immigrants is not compared with those in their native country. So, eliminate A, B, C, D, leaving E
2- B. Consult para # 1 and use POE
3- A. These lines from para # 3
 The word "increasing" in the second result shows a contrast between present and future number of childless women, not the first result.
4- A. See para # 4

Nishuchoudhary12 · Answer

Explain please i didn't get one ans even right 🙁😔

Posted from my mobile device

100mitra · Answer

Paraphrasing:   
  Para 1:   North America has increase-in fertility transitory phenomenon associated with immigration and a large number of baby-boom women deciding to have children relatively late in their lives.
  Para 2:   UN assertion that fertility rate will be the same in both developed and developing countries, 
but researches claim fertility rate will decline by various factors
  Para 3:   The low/medium scenario may underestimate future total fertility rates in developing countries, 
just as the UN medium scenario may overestimate future total fertility rate in developed countries.
  Para 4:   Statistics by the low/medium scenario projects vs other projections
  Para 5:   The low/medium prediction based on 2000 fig, the UN will be a low variant for world population, predicting that The UN will continue to revise population trends downward and that negative population growth will occur even sooner than 2150. However, because the 2000 population data remain tentative and do not extend to 2150, it is preferable to continue to rely on the 1998 data.

1. Which of the following statements can be inferred from the passage?  
  Explanation:   as mentioned in the passage, 
“he only majors’ exception to this sustained downtrend is in North America, 
where the recent increase in total fertility rate appears to be 
a transitory phenomenon associated with immigration and 
a large number of baby-boom women deciding to have children relatively late in their lives.”

(A) immigrates to the United States give birth to fewer children than they would have, 
had they remained in their native countries
  Wrong:   Comparison between UN and Native countries 
(B) immigrates to the United States give birth to more children than they would have, 
had they remained in their native countries
  Wrong:   Comparison between UN and Native countries
(C) more immigrates to the United States give birth to fewer children than they would have, 
had they remained in their native countries
  Wrong:   Comparison between UN and Native countries
(D) less immigrates to the United States give birth to more children than they would have, 
had they remained in their native countries
  Wrong:   Comparison between UN and Native countries
  (E)  immigrates  to the United States give birth to fewer children, on average, 
than  native born American woman 
Correct: as per explanation, sentence from passage, indicates about birth by immigrates in US compared with US born American women  .

2. It can be inferred from the passage that  
  Explanation:   as mentioned in passage, 
“The only major exception to this sustained downtrend is in North America, 
where the recent increase in total fertility rate”

Eliminate A, and C  , as they highlight contrast view than, what is mentioned in the passage
  Eliminate, D, and E  , wrong birth rate comparison with death rate 
  Left with option B, agrees with the sentence mentioned in the passage

(A) the birth rate in South-East Asia has risen since the 1950s  
  (B) the birth rate in Africa has declined since the 1950s  
  (C) the birth rate in North America has declined since the 1950s
(D) the birth rate in North America is higher than the death rate
(E) the birth rate in North America is lower than the death rate

3. According to predictions made by  Wolfgang Lutz , which of the following is likely to occur?  
  Explanation  : as mentioned in passage,
”These factors, together with increasing demands and personal expectations for attention, time, and 
also money to be given to children, are likely to result in 
  fewer couples   having more than one or two children and 
  an increasing number of childless women  , 
"Lutz and his colleagues write in The Future Population of the World”
 - based on above, easy elimination to B, D, and E 
 - Remaining A, and C

(B) More woman will put off having children until their thirties than do so today
(D) Less women will choose not to have children
(E) The number of children a couple has will be determined more and more often by the female partner

(C) More woman will give birth one or two babies than do today.
  Wrong:   Option C, is a trap! as some details may pull your attention, 
such as “give birth one or two babies than do today” 
but its clear mentioned in passage,
”fewer couples having more than one or two children” 
 not more women, few couples

(A) More women in future will remain childless than do so today – Left us with Correct option – Correct

4. According to the United Nation’s projected demographics, the low/medium forecast predicts  
  Explanation:   as mentioned in the passage, 
“ The low/medium  scenario projects 
 a peak  world population of 7.9 billion people in   2050  , 
declining to 6.4 billion by 2150. 
 The medium  scenario projects 
 a peak  world population of just less than 11 billion by   approximately 2200  . 
Most other projections, however, predict peak global population in less than a century, 
followed by negative population growth.”

Intended meaning low peak in 2050 and medium peak in 2200
Eliminate B, C, D, and E based on the above-mentioned sentence from the passage, left us with A

(A) a peak in approximately 2050 while the medium forecast predicts a peak in approximately 2200

(B) a peak in approximately 2050 while the medium forecast predicts a peak in approximately 2150
(C) a peak in approximately 2150 while the medium forecast predicts a peak in approximately 2050
(D) a peak in approximately 2150 while the medium forecast predicts a peak in approximately 2200
(E) a peak in approximately 2200 while the medium forecast predicts a peak in approximately 2150

carlton17 · Answer

100  mitra :

Please explain-

(E) immigrates to the United States give birth to fewer children, on average,
than native born American woman
Correct: as per explanation, sentence from passage, indicates about birth by immigrates in US compared with US born American women.

Quoting the last line of the first paragraph, "The only major exception to this sustained downtrend is in North America, where the recent increase in total fertility rate appears to be a transitory phenomenon associated with immigration and a large number of baby-boom women deciding to have children relatively late in their lives."

Here, North America (NA) is said to be an exception to the general downtrend. So, NA either has an increasing or constant fertility rate. Further, the author sites "immigration" as one of the reasons to the increase in total fertility rate. Therefore, it may be inferred that the immigrants are responsible in part for the increase of the total fertility rate.

Request explain..

Venkat999 · Answer

Baby boomers are the women who delays the babies and gives birth late. It can be understood that during the mentioned period American baby boomer women gave birth. 
In the passage birth rate in immigrant woman was not compared with the birth rate they would have when they are in their own countries. So option D is eliminated.

Even I marked this answer wrong, but this is the reasoning that I understood after some analysis.

abhishektyga · Answer

Can someone provide an explanation for why option E) is correct for Q1?

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

1. Which of the following statements can be inferred from the passage?

Difficulty Level:   600

Explanation

Since elevated fertility rate can be partly accounted for by immigration, it can be inferred that the immigrants give birth to more children than do native Americans, on average.

The best answer is B.

abhishektyga · Answer

(E) immigrates to the United States give birth to  fewer children , on average, than native born American woman.

But the question states differently. You are saying the increase rate is due immigrant women giving birth but the above statement says the gave birth to bfewer children.

jigar16496 · Answer

(E) immigrates to the United States give birth to fewer children, on average, than native born American woman.

Sajjad1994  sir, you said immigrates give birth more child than native Americans 
explain please

According to the United Nations, the total fertility rate - the number

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GMAT Reading Comprehension (RC) Questions

According to the United Nations, the total fertility rate - the number

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