Mathusian Limits (Listening)

1) What is the main topic of the lecture?

A) Optimism about the future expressed a thinker in the 18th centuries.
B) Predictions about population growth by authors in the 17th century.
C) A comparison of Thomas Malthus's population growth theories and those of other thinkers at the time.
D) One man's dire predictions for the future of mankind.


2) Which of the following statements would Malthus most likely agree with?

A) Humanity will continue in uncontrolled growth until it is stopped by environmental factors.
B) Human population growth cannot be stopped by the limitations of the Earth.
C) Mankind is destined to exist in a utopian state in the distant future.
D) Humanity will likely destroy the Earth and be forced to relocate or perish.


3) According to Malthus, which of the following is NOT a limit to population growth?

A) Food production capability
B) Violence for control of limited resources
C) Water scarcity
D) Disease


4) Why does the lecturer show a graph of the population growth of modern developed nations?

A) To provide support for Malthus's theory.
B) To show that most countries with limited resources are now seeing declines in population.
C) To present an argument that undermines the idea of a Malthusian limit.
D) To explain why the Earth's population growth rate will decrease indefinitely.


5) At 6:39 in the lecture, the speaker says, "So, I just wanted to expose you to this idea. Time will tell if Thomas Malthus. . . if we can always keep this line, if we can always keep this line of food productivity growing faster than the population."

Why does he say, "Time will tell"?

A) He is getting ready to end the lecture because he doesn't have much time left.
B) He is making a statement about the future.
C) He is reexamining the population-time graph.
D) He is explaining that history repeats itself.


6) Why does the speaker mention Bangladesh at the end of the lecture?

A) He thinks it is a good example of a country that has escaped from the Malthusian limit.
B) He wants the audience to understand some important differences between Bangladesh and the United States.
C) He is illustrating the concept of population density.
D) He wants to show that Malthus was not completely wrong and some countries are near their support limits.