Step by Step 3000 第2册 Unit12:Dictation Item(10)

 　　Item Ten.

　　A new report says the number of boys born in the United States and Japan has decreased every year since 1970.

　　The report says the reason for the decrease is unclear.

　　But it says environmental and other influences might be involved.

　　American and Japanese researchers studied 30 years of birth records from the two nations.

　　The researchers say they found fewer boys were born in comparison¹ to girls.

　　They say the decrease is births was equal to 135,000 white males in the United States.

　　In Japan, the decrease was equal to 127,000 fewer males.

1 comparison   

n.比较，对照；比拟，比喻

参考例句：

• They make a comparison of New York to a beehive.他们把纽约比作一个蜂巢。
• This dress is really cheaper by comparison.比较起来，这件衣服确实便宜。