A Century of World Population Trends: 1950 to 2050
Welcome to the complete exercise guide for the Population & Migration chapter. This structured study material will help you master the demographic vocabulary, understand global population projections, and practice essential grammar and graph interpretation skills.
1. Glossary (Vocabulary)
| Word (Pronunciation) | Type | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Demographic /ˌdɛməˈɡræfɪk/ | Adjective | Relating to the characteristics of a population, such as size, growth, age distribution, and migration patterns. |
| Projection /prəˈdʒɛkʃən/ | Noun | An estimate or prediction based on current data or trends. |
| Inherently /ɪnˈhɪərəntli/ | Adverb | In a way that is a natural or essential part of something. |
| Trajectories /trəˈdʒɛktəriz/ | Noun | The path followed by an object or phenomenon. |
| Stabilization /ˌsteɪbɪlɪˈzeɪʃən/ | Noun | The act or process of making something stable or steady. |
| Comparable /kəmˈpærəbəl/ | Adjective | Able to be likened to or compared with something else. |
| Peaked /piːkt/ | Adjective | Reached the highest point or level; at its maximum. |
| Emigration /ˌɛmɪˈɡreɪʃən/ | Noun | The act of leaving one's own country to settle permanently in another. |
| Concentrated /ˈkɒnsəntreɪtɪd/ | Adjective | Gathered closely together in a particular area or group. |
| Disparate /ˈdɪspərət/ | Adjective | Essentially different; distinct or separate. |
| Fertility /fɜːrˈtɪlɪti/ | Noun | The ability to conceive and produce offspring. |
| Mortality /mɔːrˈtælɪti/ | Noun | The state or condition of being subject to death; death rate. |
| Intervals /ˈɪntərvəlz/ | Noun | Periods of time between events or occurrences. |
| Populous /ˈpɒpjʊləs/ | Adjective | Having a large population; densely populated. |
| Ranking /ˈræŋkɪŋ/ | Noun | The position or order in a ranking system based on a particular criterion. |
| Democratic Republic /ˌdɛməˈkrætɪk rɪˈpʌblɪk/ | Noun | A form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people. |
| Per cent /pər ˈsɛnt/ | Noun | A proportion or percentage. |
| Distribution /ˌdɪstrɪˈbjuːʃən/ | Noun | The act or process of being distributed or spread over an area or among a group. |
| Average /ˈævərɪdʒ/ | Adjective | Typical or ordinary; the result obtained by adding several quantities together and then dividing by the number of quantities. |
| Magnitude /ˈmæɡnɪtjuːd/ | Noun | The great size or extent of something. |
| Simulation /ˌsɪmjʊˈleɪʃən/ | Noun | The imitation or replication of a situation or process. |
| Growth /ɡroʊθ/ | Noun | The process of increasing in size, quantity, or degree. |
A. Match the words with their correct meanings.
| Word | Correct Meaning |
|---|---|
| a. populous | having a large population: densely populated |
| b. mortality | the number of deaths in a particular situation or period of time |
| c. projection | an estimation of what figures will be in the future |
| d. demographic | relating to the population and different groups within it |
| e. peak | to reach the highest point or value |
| f. stabilization | the process of making somebody/something unlikely to change |
| g. trajectory | a path followed by something |
| h. surpass | to be greater than something; exceed |
| i. disparate | completely dissimilar |
B. Complete the sentences with correct information from the text.
| a. The highest population growth rate in the past hundred years was 2.1 percent. |
| b. Population growth rate is likely to reach below 1 percent by mid-twenty-first century. |
| c. The factors that determine the growth rate of the world population are fertility and mortality. |
| d. In the early 2020s, Eastern and South-Eastern Asia had the largest population. |
| e. The population of the sub-Saharan region is likely to reach above 2 billion by the end of the 2040s. |
| f. The low level of fertility will cause a fall in population size of Europe and Northern America by the late 2030s. |
| g. India is likely to exceed the population of China by 2023. |
C. Answer these questions.
Interactive Practice: Try to recall the answers before clicking to reveal them!
a. What was the size of the world population in the mid-twentieth century?
b. What was the fastest population growth rate in the past century?
c. Why has the population growth rate declined in recent years?
d. What is the predicted world population size by 2050?
e. How do fertility and mortality contribute to the size of the population?
f. Which countries contribute to the largest population in Eastern and South-Eastern Asia?
g. Why will population regions have a different population variation in the next 30 years?
h. Which countries are most likely to contribute to the growth of world population by 2050?
D. Do you think the world population will increase as projected in the text? Discuss.
The world population projection is subject to uncertainty and can be influenced by various factors. While it is estimated to double by 2050, actual population growth may deviate from these projections due to changing conditions and factors such as fertility rates, healthcare advancements, and changing societal norms.
📐 Grammar – Connectives of Contradiction
A. Match the sentence halves and make meaningful sentences.
| First Half | Second Half |
|---|---|
| a. We continued the match | though it was raining heavily. |
| b. Dolma was selected for the post | even though she had no prior experience for the job. |
| c. Christina attended the class | despite the fact that she was not feeling well. |
| d. I often leave home quite early | however, I always reach my office on time. |
| e. Chintamani never participates in social functions | despite looking very sociable. |
| f. It was snowing heavily | yet it was not too cold. |
| g. He did not give up smoking | in spite of the warnings of the doctor. |
| h. I have never been to Bandipur | though it is not far from my home. |
| i. We were lost in the town | although we had the map of the town with us. |
B. Complete the sentences below in a suitable way.
| a. Although I had not seen him before, I recognized him immediately. |
| b. Even though it was snowing outside, I went for a walk. |
| c. In spite of his hard work, he failed to achieve his goal. |
| d. Although Sarmistha gave a good speech at the function, some audience members seemed uninterested. |
| e. Despite not having lived in France for very long, she spoke excellent French. |
| f. I had not eaten anything since last evening, although I wasn't very hungry. |
| g. In spite of our best efforts, we were not qualified for the final match. |
| h. The food was actually quite delicious even though the restaurant was not very popular. |
| i. Although I had studied for hours, I could only attempt half of the questions. |
| j. Despite our hard work, she was not pleased with us at all. |
✍️ Writing I – Graph Interpretations
Study the graph and chart below and write an interpretation of each of them.
a. Nepali Student Migration (Bar Graph Interpretation)
The given bar graph represents the migration of Nepali students over a ten-year period, from 2009/2010 to 2018/2019.
In the academic year 2009/2010, there were 26,948 Nepali students who migrated for educational purposes. The following year, in 2010/2011, the number dropped significantly to 11,912. However, the number of Nepali student migrants gradually increased in the subsequent years.
From 2011/2012 to 2012/2013, there was a slight decrease in migration, with 10,258 and 16,499 students respectively. However, in 2013/2014, there was a notable increase to 28,126 students. This upward trend continued in the next academic years, with 30,696 students in 2014/2015 and 37,037 students in 2015/2016.
The highest increase in student migration occurred from 2015/2016 to 2016/2017, where the number jumped to 50,659 students. This spike indicates a significant rise in the number of Nepali students seeking educational opportunities abroad. The trend continued to rise in the following years, reaching 58,758 students in 2017/2018 and 63,259 students in 2018/2019.
b. Distribution of Population of Kathmandu Metropolitan in Terms of Languages (Pie Chart)
The pie chart represents the distribution of the population of Kathmandu Metropolitan in terms of different languages, based on the population census of 2011. It provides valuable insights into the linguistic diversity of the region.
Nepali emerges as the most widely spoken language, with a significant population of 597,570 speakers. This indicates the dominant position of Nepali within Kathmandu Metropolitan. Newari follows as the second most commonly spoken language, with 185,330 speakers, showcasing its importance in the region.
Tamang and Maithili also have notable speaker populations, with 54,109 and 27,521 respectively, further highlighting the linguistic diversity. Additionally, Hindi and Bhojpuri have substantial populations of 17,608 and 15,621 speakers respectively, likely due to cultural and historical connections between Nepal and India. The data indicates that 44,239 people in Kathmandu Metropolitan speak languages categorized as "Others."