World News for Students of English

18-11-2022 15:00

This week, the world’s population reached 8 billion. The two most populous countries are China and India, and more than 1.4 billion people live in each of them.

Experts say that India will become the most populous country next year. A huge population brings many problems, especially for big cities. Every year, millions of people come to live in cities like Delhi or Mumbai, and public places and transport become too crowded or dangerous. More than 20% of people are without a job, and they live in slums, often without water or electricity.

According to the UN, China’s population will start to fall next year. In 1980, the country started its one-child policy, when a couple could have only one child. Then China’s people started to get old, and few young people live there to help them. Currently, married couples can have three children, but many have only one child because more children are too expensive.

Difficult words: populous (a country or area where many people live), slum (a very poor and crowded area of a city), policy (a plan, law, or rule of actions).

You can watch the original video in the Level 3 section.