Sixty million missing women- 231

Sixty million “missing" women

All things being equal, it is the female of the species who is the stronger of the two. She is more likely to survive birth and to live longer: this biological advantage is reflected in countries such as Britain and America in a population containing more females than males (the ratio is about 105 to 100).

But all things are not equal in parts of Asia, northern Africa and China. There the ratio is weighed toward the male. Statistics compiled by the United Nations know that in India there are 93 females per 100 males. In Bangladesh and Afghanistan the ratio is 94 to 100 and in Pakistan it is 92. Converting official Chinese figures show that the ratio there is about 88 females to 100 males.

Every increment on that ratio represents hundreds of thousands and in some cases millions of women and girls. In the case of Pakistan, for instance, there are 6.3 million more men than women. Overall it has been estimated that up to 60 million women are “missing" in the world. It is not known how many of those were due to infanticide or to abortion after ultrasound determined the sex of the female.” One of the reasons it is difficult to get information is that infanticide is illegal and so it's almost impossible to monitor”, said Tom Lawson of the UN' s children's agency (UNICEF).

“Having a son is like having two eyes; having a daughter is like having only one eye", goes the proverb. And so it seems in many of the countries where the preference among mothers is for sons. The places with such preference include Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. Somehow as the statistics here show their wishes do come true. (The  National Times, October 1996.)

Relacione as colunas:

1-      Sobreviver

2-      Acompanhar

3-      Não se sabe

4-      Número

5-      Por exemplo

6-      País

7-      Pesar a favor

8-      Ser provável

9-      Mais tempo

10-   Aborto (provocado)

11-   Centenas de minhares

12-   Ao todo

13-   Igual

14-   Tornar-se realidade

15-   Nascimento

16-   Indice, taxa

17-   Setentrional

18-   Até 60 milhões

19-   Tal como

20-   Quase

21-   Entre (vários)

22-   Mais forte

23-   De certo modo

24-   Como

25-   Devido a

26-   Diz o provérbio

(      ) to monitor

(      ) somehow

(      ) equal

(      ) to weigh toward

(      ) northern

(      ) it is not known

(      ) ratio

(      ) overall

(      ) to come true

(      ) among

(      ) birth

(      ) up to 60 million

(      ) to survive

(      ) figure

(      ) almost

(      ) country

(      ) to be likely to

(      ) hundreds of thousands

(      ) longer

(      ) goes to proverb

(      ) due to

(      ) abortion

(      ) stronger

(      ) like

(      ) such as

(      ) for instance

De acordo com o texto:

a-      As estatísticas demonstram que, em países como a China, há cerca de 93 homens para cada grupo de 100 mulheres.

b-      Mais de 60 milhões de mulheres em todo o mundo estão desaparecidas, e as autoridades se empenham em encontrá-las.

c-      Pesquisas diversas revelam que no mundo todo nascem mais meninas que meninos.

d-     Em países como os Estados Unidos e a Inglaterra, o número de mulheres é superior ao de homens.

e-      Uma pesquisa realizada pelas Nações Unidas revelou que, na maioria dos países africanos e asiáticos, o número de mulheres é maior que o de homens.

O texto diz que:

a-      Em países como o Paquistão e a Índia, as futuras mães preferem que nasçam filhos homens.

b-      No mundo todo, há mais de 60 milhões de mulheres que cometem o infanticídio ou praticam o aborto.

c-      No Paquistão, o número de mulheres supera o de homens em algo como 6 milhões.

d-     Em países onde as mulheres têm acesso ao ultrassom durante o período da gravidez, diminui o número de crianças assassinadas logo após o parto.

e-      De alguma forma, em países como a Índia, as autoridades conseguem ocultar o grande número de crianças mortas por mães que não as desejavam.

VOCABULÁRIO:

1-      I like her, I dislike her

2-      I am like her, I am unlike her

3-      It’s likely to rain

4-      John looks like his brother

5-      There’s a big likeness between the brothers

6-      Do as you like I

7-      Don’t talk like that!

8-      I feel like going out tonight

9-      Everybody has his own likes and dislikes

a-      Come what may

b-      What comes next?

c-      He came of age

d-     How comes she knows this?

e-      Please, come back!

f-       He comes for the money

g-      May I come in now?

h-      Where do you come from?

i-        He’ll come into a fortune

j-        Come on!

k-      Things will come to a bad end

l-        She hasn’t come to yet.

1-      Birthplace

2-      To give birth

3-      Birth control

4-      Birthday

5-      Birthmark

6-      Birth rate

a-      Mother country

b-      Country music

c-      Country-bumpkin

d-     Country-dance

e-      Countryman

f-       Countryside