C
A very important world problem is the growth of population on the earth. The population of the world today is more than 6,500,000,000. That is a great number and we know it quite well. ①The important thing is not how large the population of the world is now, but is the rate(速度) of the growth. It is about 1.63% every year after the number of dead people has been taken away.
To give you some ideas of the birth rate, look at the ②second hand of your watch. Every second, four babies are born in the world. Another baby! Another baby! Another baby! Another baby! ③You can not speak quickly enough to keep up with the rate of the growth of the population. It is growing faster and faster. So it goes on, hour after hour. In one day, people have to find food for about 350,000 mouths more.
This great growth of population will make a big problem by the year 2050 — there will be as many as 7,500,000,000 people on the earth! So this is one of the biggest problems that you are going to meet in your life.
Your speaking rate can not be quick the rate of the growth of the population.
刘姥姥三进荣国府
只见平儿同刘姥姥带了一个小女孩儿进来,说:“我们姑奶奶在那里?”平儿引到炕边,刘姥姥便说:“请姑奶奶安。”凤姐睁眼一看,不觉一阵伤心,说:“姥姥你好?怎么这时候才来?你瞧你外孙女儿也长的这么大了。”刘姥姥看着凤姐骨瘦如柴,神情恍惚,心里也就悲惨起来,说:“我的奶奶,怎么这几个月不见,就病到这个分儿。我糊涂的要死,怎么不早来请姑奶奶的安!”便叫青儿给姑奶奶请安。青儿只是笑,凤姐看了倒也十分喜欢,便叫小红招呼着。刘姥姥道:“我们屯乡里的人不会病的,若一病了就要求神许愿,从不知道吃药的。我想姑奶奶的病不要撞着什么了罢?”平儿听着那话不在理,便在背地里扯他。刘姥姥会意,便不言语。那里知道这句话倒合了凤姐的意,扎挣着说:“姥姥你是有年纪的人,说的不错。你见过的赵姨娘也死了,你知道么?”刘姥姥诧异道:“阿弥陀佛!好端端一个人怎么就死了?我记得他也有一个小哥儿,这便怎么样呢?”平儿道:“这怕什么,他还有老爷太太呢。”刘姥姥道:“姑娘,你那里知道,不好死了是亲生的,隔了肚皮子是不中用的。”这句话又招起凤姐的愁肠,呜呜咽咽的哭起来了。众人都来劝解。
巧姐儿听见他母亲悲哭,便走到炕前用手拉着凤姐的手,也哭起来。凤姐一面哭着道:“你见过了姥姥了没有?”巧姐儿道:“没有。”凤姐道:“你的名字还是他起的呢,就和干娘一样,你给他请个安。”巧姐儿便走到跟前,刘姥姥忙着拉着道:“阿弥陀佛,不要折杀我了!巧姑娘,我一年多不来,你还认得我么?”巧姐儿道:“怎么不认得。那年在园里见的时候我还小,前年你来,我还合你要隔年的蝈蝈儿,你也没有给我,必是忘了。”刘姥姥道:“好姑娘,我是老糊涂了。若说蝈蝈儿,我们屯里多得很,只是不到我们那里去,若去了,要一车也容易。”凤姐道:“不然你带了他去罢。”刘姥姥笑道:“姑娘这样千金贵体,绫罗裹大了的,吃的是好东西,到了我们那里,我拿什么哄他顽,拿什么给他吃呢?这倒不是坑杀我了么。”说着,自己还笑,他说:“那么着,我给姑娘做个媒罢。我们那里虽说是屯乡里,也有大财主人家,几千顷地,几百牲口,银子钱亦不少,只是不像这里有金的,有玉的。姑奶奶是瞧不起这种人家,我们庄家人瞧着这样大财主,也算是天上的人了。”凤姐道:“你说去,我愿意就给。”刘姥姥道:“这是顽话儿罢咧。放着姑奶奶这样,大官大府的人家只怕还不肯给,那里肯给庄家人。就是姑奶奶肯了,上头太太们也不给。”巧姐因他这话不好听,便走了去和青儿说话。两个女孩儿倒说得上,渐渐的就熟起来了。
(出自《红楼梦》第113回,题目为编者所加)
【注释】选文中的情节发生在贾府败落之后,贾老太太已过世,凤姐也不久于人世。