S2/ Reading EX 8- Passage 2: Demographic Change

1  A visitor transported from the early twentieth century to modern times would most likely be amazed by the vast changes in the demographics of the United States over the course of 100 years. 2 The shifts include not only the size of the population and primary residential areas for most Americans, but also notable changes in the age of the population, and even the ratio of men to women. 3 All of these shifts have led to the composition of the United States being startlingly different from what it was just a short century ago.

Find the thesis statement -

•   Sentence 1

• Sentence 2

• Sentence 3

1  A visitor transported from the early twentieth century to modern times would most likely be amazed by the vast changes in the demographics of the United States over the course of 100 years. 2 The shifts include not only the size of the population and primary residential areas for most Americans, but also notable changes in the age of the population, and even the ratio of men to women. 3 All of these shifts have led to the composition of the United States being startlingly different from what it was just a short century ago.

What does the word "vast" mean in the context of the passage?

• Limited

• Expansive

• Stable

• Unchanging

1  A visitor transported from the early twentieth century to modern times would most likely be amazed by the vast changes in the demographics of the United States over the course of 100 years. The shifts include not only the size of the population and primary residential areas for most Americans, but also notable changes in the age of the population, and even the ratio of men to women. All of these shifts have led to the composition of the United States being startlingly different from what it was just a short century ago.

In the given passage, what is the meaning of the word "course"?

• Educational program

• Direction or route

• Set of instructions

• Period of time

1  A visitor transported from the early twentieth century to modern times would most likely be amazed by the vast changes in the demographics of the United States over the course of 100 years. The shifts include not only the size of the population and primary residential areas for most Americans, but also notable changes in the age of the population, and even the ratio of men to women. All of these shifts have led to the composition of the United States being startlingly different from what it was just a short century ago.

9. The author mentions “A visitor transported from the early twentieth century to modern times” in order to emphasize

• how travel has changed over the past century

•   the popularity of the United States for tourists

•   that life has not changed much in the United States since the early twentieth century

•   the enormous changes in demographics over the past century

2  The United States had already been gradually moving away from being a country of mainly rural communities to one of more metropolitan centers by the latter part of the 1800s. Nonetheless, in the early part of the twentieth century, over 70 percent of the population still lived in farm communities. The census of 1910 documented approximately 28 percent of U.S. citizens living in urban areas while the rest were dwelling in rural ones. However, by the beginning of the current century, according to the census of 2000, this proportion had reversed itself: 80 percent of the population reported living in urban or suburban areas, leaving only 20 percent residing in rural locales.

10. The author uses the word “Nonetheless” in paragraph 2 in order to

• indicate that many people still lived in rural areas despite a growing shift to city living

•   emphasize how tremendously the rural population was increasing

• point out that there had been a 70 percent rise in rural communities since the late 1800s

•   argue that no real change had taken place in rural and urban communities, despite census numbers

2  The United States had already been gradually moving away from being a country of mainly rural communities to one of more metropolitan centers by the latter part of the 1800s. Nonetheless, in the early part of the twentieth century, over 70 percent of the population still lived in farm communities. The census of 1910 documented approximately 28 percent of U.S. citizens living in urban areas while the rest were dwelling in rural ones. However, by the beginning of the current century, according to the census of 2000, this proportion had reversed itself: 80 percent of the population reported living in urban or suburban areas, leaving only 20 percent residing in rural locales.

11. The author includes the phrase “this proportion had reversed itself” in paragraph 2 in order to

• explain how the population of cities had decreased by the end of the 1900s

•   highlight the continually changing residences of Americans

•   reinforce the fact that a majority of the population had moved out of rural areas by the late twentieth century

• to emphasize that demographic changes were common in 2000

3  Another significant change is the overall increase in population. According to U.S. census statistics, the population of the United States grew to three times its size over the course of 100 years. In 1900, the official count was 76 million people, while the 2000 census showed a population record of 281 million people, which some people estimate to be much higher since illegal immigrants tend to avoid being counted in the official census. Additionally, based on census statistics, the decade of the 1990s saw the biggest population explosion—32.7 million people—in any 10-year span of the last century.

12. “Illegal immigrants” are mentioned in paragraph 3 as an example of

•   a population that is unlikely to grow

•   a population that is not always counted on the U.S. census

•   a population that accounts for the largest increase of people according to the U.S. census

• a population that usually has no influence on the demographics of the United States

4  An additional factor that may come as a shock to some is how the United States has aged from 1900 to today. In the beginning of the twentieth century, half of the population was under the age of 23. When compared to data from the 2000 census which shows that half of the population in modern times is over the age of 35, a difference of 12 years, a substantial shift in ages can be seen. Some of this change has been influenced by improvements in health care, and some has been the result of fluctuations in the birthrate over the course of the century. Birthrates were initially lower at the beginning of the century, “booming” immediately after World War II, and tapering off again in the last half of the century. In fact, the “baby boom” generation not only impacted birthrates from the 1940s to the 1960s, it also affected age when measured in five-year increments. In both the beginning and middle of the century, the largest age group of U.S. citizens was under the age of five. In contrast, due to the impact of the baby boom generation, the 2000 census documented that the two largest, five-year age groups were over the age of 30: from 35-39 years of age and 40-44 years of age.

13. Why does the author mention “improvements in health care” in paragraph 4?

•   It helps to explain why the birth rate is continuing to increase.

•   It is an example of a factor that contributed to variations in the birthrate.

•   It helps to explain why the population is younger today.

•   It is an example of a factor that contributed to a rise in the age of the majority population.

4  An additional factor that may come as a shock to some is how the United States has aged from 1900 to today. In the beginning of the twentieth century, half of the population was under the age of 23. When compared to data from the 2000 census which shows that half of the population in modern times is over the age of 35, a difference of 12 years, a substantial shift in ages can be seen. Some of this change has been influenced by improvements in health care, and some has been the result of fluctuations in the birthrate over the course of the century. Birthrates were initially lower at the beginning of the century, “booming” immediately after World War II, and tapering off again in the last half of the century. In fact, the “baby boom” generation not only impacted birthrates from the 1940s to the 1960s, it also affected age when measured in five-year increments. In both the beginning and middle of the century, the largest age group of U.S. citizens was under the age of five. In contrast, due to the impact of the baby boom generation, the 2000 census documented that the two largest, five-year age groups were over the age of 30: from 35-39 years of age and 40-44 years of age.

14. The author mentions the “‘baby boom’ generation” in paragraph 4 because they

• A.   changed the way the census was conducted in the 1940s

• B.   were responsible for a higher percentage of children younger than five years old

• C.   influenced how the total population of the United States aged in the last half of the twentieth century

• D.   had an impact on how the total population aged in the first half of the twentieth century

5  Another shift that a North American from a century ago would not likely have predicted is the change in the ratio of men to women in the United States. At the beginning of the twentieth century, males outnumbered females in virtually every part of the United States. However, as the proportion of males to females (measured per 100 births) steadily declined in every decade from 1910 until 1980, the predominance of men to women reversed itself; by the turn of the new century, women outnumbered men in all regions of the United States, except the West. Only seven states out of the 50 recorded a higher ratio of men to women, with all of those states being located in the western United States.

15. The word “However” is used in paragraph 5 to introduce the concept that

•   more women than men currently live in the United States

•   more men than women currently live in the United States

•   women outnumber men in the western part of the United States

•   women outnumber men in all 50 states