DEVELOPMENT REPORT - Report Examines Forces Changing the Wor

DEVELOPMENT REPORT - Report Examines Forces Changing the World
By Jill Moss¹

Broadcast: Monday, November 21, 2005

I'm Faith Lapidus with the VOA Special English Development Report.

The World Future Society has published a special report about forces changing the world. The report is by Marvin Cetron, president of Forecasting International in Virginia, and Owen Davies, a writer. It is called "Fifty-three Trends Now Shaping the Future."

 
world future society
One of them is population growth. The report says the world is expected to have more than nine thousand million people by the middle of this century. Areas likely to experience the largest increases include the Palestinian territories, Niger, Yemen and Angola.

Population growth in many industrial nations, however, is expected to drop. But medical progress helps their people to live longer lives.

International migration² is also shaping the future. The report says there is some resistance, but also growing acceptance of cultural differences. Migration is mixing different peoples and, in its words, "forcing them to find ways to co-exist peacefully and productively³." This is said to be true especially among younger people.

The world economy is also becoming more integrated⁴. The report notes, for example, that companies in high-wage nations are increasingly sending jobs and services to low-wage countries. At the same time, the Internet lets businesses search worldwide for materials at the lowest cost. In some cases, the Internet can even help small companies compete against big ones.

On another issue, the report warns that militant⁵ Islam will spread and gain more power. It notes that extremists are angered by the overthrow⁶ of the Taliban in Afghanistan and Saddam Hussein in Iraq. As a result, it says future revolutions may be more likely instead of less likely.

On the issue of energy, the use of oil is expected to reach one hundred ten million barrels a day by two thousand twenty. That is up from more than eighty million now. The report dismisses a popular belief that the world is about to run out of oil. It notes estimates by OPEC that the eleven member nations still have about eighty years of oil left. And it says production can still expand in other countries such as China, Russia and Kazakhstan.

The World Future Society describes itself as a scientific and educational organization with about twenty-five thousand members. It is based in the American state of Maryland.

This VOA Special English Development Report was written by Jill Moss.  I'm Faith Lapidus.

1 moss   

n.苔，藓，地衣

参考例句：

• Moss grows on a rock.苔藓生在石头上。
• He was found asleep on a pillow of leaves and moss.有人看见他枕着树叶和苔藓睡着了。

2 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。

3 productively   

ad.多产地

参考例句：

• Asia should use all saving more efficiently and more productively. 亚洲人在使用任何储蓄时应该更富有成效。
• HIV replication kills productively infected CD4+ T lymphocytes and innocent bystander cells. 复制的HIV病毒杀死了被感染的CD+T淋巴细胞及相应的组织。

4 integrated   

a.整合的，完整的

参考例句：

• A fully integrated low phase noise LC voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) is presented.介绍了一种全集成的LC压控振荡器(VCO)的设计。

5 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

6 overthrow   

v.推翻，打倒，颠覆；n.推翻，瓦解，颠覆

参考例句：

• After the overthrow of the government,the country was in chaos.政府被推翻后，这个国家处于混乱中。
• The overthrow of his plans left him much discouraged.他的计划的失败使得他很气馁。