Non-fiction: China Today China s Population China Today China s Population Population of China Compared to the US 1,400,000,000 1,200,000,000 1,000,000,000 800,000,000 600,000,000 400,000,000 200,000,000 0 China United States People China has more people than any other country in the world. China is almost equivalent, 1 land-wise, to the United States. However, China has a much larger population. The bars on the graph above compare the populations of China and the United States. Over 1,300,000,000 people live in China. This is five times more than the number of people who live in the United States! Many Chinese live in cities. As people move to the cities, the cities grow. People build houses and businesses on land that was once used for farming. Then the land can no longer be used to grow crops. This makes it hard for China to grow enough food for its people. The government was not sure there was enough food to feed people in the growing cities. So lawmakers tried to keep the cities from growing. The government made a law to control population growth. 2 This law says that most families living in cities should only have one child. Parents who have more than one child often have to pay a fine. 3 1 Equivalent- alike in size 2 Population growth- the increase in the number of people in a place 3 Fine- a sum of money given when a rule or law is broken 1
Non-fiction: China Today China s Population Name: Date: 1. Look at the graph. Which of the following is NOT true? a. The bars show the number of people in each country b. The United States a larger population than China c. The United States has between 200,000,000 and 400,000,000 people d. China has about 1,300,000,000, or 1.3 billion people 2. This graph is a a. Table b. Pie Graph c. Bar Graph d. Line Graph 3. The government of China wanted to keep the number of people in cities from growing because a. it does not like children. b. cities were using up some of the best farmland. c. China has five times as many people as the United States. d. it was worried about food shortages. 4. Which of the following is an example of a crop? a. Rice b. Honey c. Eggs d. Jellybeans 5. The passage China s Population is mostly about a. the differences between China and the United States. b. the size of China s population and where people live. c. laws in China about the population. d. why it s harder to have children in cities. 2
Questions: China Today China s Population 6. Why would the total population decline if each family only had one child? (Hint: Think that every child has two parents.) 7. How could the population of Chinese cities increase even if the couples living in them only have one child? 8. The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the word or phrase that best completes the sentence. China has a lot of people, compared to the United States. a. but not b. after c. previously d. even 9. Answer the following questions based on the sentence below. Chinese families in Chinese cities are only allowed to have one child or they have to pay a fine. Who? Chinese families Where? (are) What? (or) What? 10. Vocabulary Word: equivalent: equal, the same. Use the vocabulary word in a sentence: 3
Answers: China Today China s Population Passage Reading Level: Lexile 670 Teacher Guide and Answers Featured Text Structure: Descriptive the writer explains, defines or illustrates a concept or topic Passage Summary: China has more people than any other country in the world. Most Chinese people live in cities, but lawmakers in China have a law limiting people in cities to have only one child or they have to pay a fine. 1. Look at the graph. Which of the following is NOT true? a. The bars show the number of people in each country b. The United States has a larger population than China c. The United States has between 200,000,000 and 400,000,000 people d. China has about 1,300,000,000, or 1.3 billion people 2. This graph is a a. Table b. Pie Graph c. Bar Graph d. Line Graph 3. The government of China wanted to keep the number of people in cities from growing because a. it does not like children. b. cities were using up some of the best farmland. c. China has five times as many people as the United States. d. it was worried about food shortages. 4. Which of the following is an example of a crop? a. Rice b. Honey c. Eggs d. Jellybeans 5. The passage China s Population is mostly about a. the differences between China and the United States. b. the size of China s population and where people live. c. laws in China about the population. d. why it s harder to have children in cities. 4
Answers: China Today China s Population 6. Why would the total population decline if each family only had one child? (Hint: Think that every child has two parents.) Suggested answer: To keep the population steady, two parents would have to have two children to replace themselves. If two parents have only one child, the population would decline. 7. How could the population of Chinese cities increase even if the couples living in them only have one child? Suggested answer: More people can move into Chinese cities from the countryside and suburbs (to find jobs or enjoy the city life). 8. The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the word or phrase that best completes the sentence. China has a lot of people, compared to the United States. a. but not b. after c. previously d. even 9. Answer the following questions based on the sentence below. Chinese families in Chinese cities are only allowed to have one child or they have to pay a fine. Who? Chinese families Where? in Chinese cities (are) What? only allowed to have one child (or) What? or they have to pay a fine 10. Vocabulary Word: equivalent: equal, the same. Use the vocabulary word in a sentence: answers may vary. 5