Current trends show the size of families is changing, impacting societies worldwide. Women are marrying later, and couples are waiting longer to have children. And ​ (a)   couples wait to have children, ​ (b)   children they have. Two key factors that impact family size are the education and the employment of women. Studies show that ​ (c)   education women get,​ (d)   families they have.

• the longer
• the fewer
• the more
• the smaller
• the shorter, the more, the less, the larger
• the earlier, the more, the fewer, the bigger
• the quicker, the fewer, the more, the larger
• the later, the fewer, the more, the smaller
• the faster, the more, the fewer, the larger

Moreover, ​ (a)   women stay in school,​ (b)   their opportunities for employment. Working women are less likely to marry young and have large families. In addition to the falling birthrate, there is a rising life expectancy. With people living ​ (c)   , families are going to have to face the challenges posed by an aging population. ​ (d)   people live, ​ (e)   care they require.

• the longer
• the better
• longer and longer
• The longer
• the more
• the shorter, the better
• the shorter, the more
• the longer, the worse
• the longer, the less
• the longer, the best

Traditionally, children have cared for their elderly parents at home. However, ​ (a)   the birthrate falls,​ (b)   the future may be for the elderly. With fewer children, families may find it ​ (c)   difficult to care for their older members.

• the more
• the harder
• more and more
• the less, the easier, less and less
• the same, the same, the same
• the higher, the better, higher and higher
• the faster, the slower, faster and faster
• the older, the younger, older and older

The birthrate is getting ​ (a)   .

By the end of the twentieth century, couples were waiting ​ (b)   to marry.

Changes are occurring​ (c)  

• lower and lower
• longer and longer
• faster and faster

It’s becoming ​ (a)   to predict life expectancy.

It’s ​ (b)   to raise birthrates in modern societies.

That’s happening ​ (c)   (often) these days.

• more and more difficult
• less and less possible
• more and more

​ (a)   people are marrying later.

​ (b)   (people)are having children before they are thirty.

• More and more
• Fewer and fewer

​ (a)   education women get,​ (b)   they marry. [Women are getting more education, so they’re marrying later.]

​ (c)   children studied, ​ (d)   slowly they learned. [Children studied less, so they learned more slowly.]

• The more
• the later
• The less
• the more

​ (a)   one gets,​ (b)   it can be to find a husband or wife.

​ (c)   the quality of health care (is), ​ (d)   the life expectancy (is).

• The older
• the harder
• The better
• the higher

​ (a)   education mothers get, ​ (b)   medical care they receive.

• The more
• the better
• The less, the better
• The same, the worse
• The more, the worse
• The less, the worse

​ (a)   couples date, ​ (b)   they marry.

• The longer
• the later
• The shorter, the earlier
• The faster, the sooner
• The bigger, the quicker
• The older, the slower