India will soon have more people than China, according to the United Nations. This means that India will become the most crowded country in the world. China’s birth rate has gone down, so fewer babies are being born. This means that their population is shrinking. India’s population, on the other hand, is still growing. The United Nations thinks that India’s population will be 1.4286 billion people by the middle of this year. This is more than China’s population, which is expected to be 1.4257 billion people.
Experts say that the rate of growth in the world’s population is getting slower. This is because people are having fewer babies. Both China and India have seen a decline in the number of babies being born. But experts think that India becoming more crowded than China is not a problem. They say that it shows that India is developing and making progress.
Original news source: India to have more people than China by mid-2023, UN says (BBC)
Listen
Slow
Normal
Fast
Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– Crowded Places
Instructions: Ask your students to brainstorm a list of crowded places they know (e.g., cities, beaches, malls). Then, ask them to discuss in pairs or small groups what problems overcrowding can cause. Finally, ask some groups to share their ideas with the class. This activity will help your students practice vocabulary and critical thinking.
– Country Comparison
Instructions: Divide your students into pairs or small groups and give each group a different country (e.g., Brazil, Japan, Russia, Nigeria, Mexico). Ask them to research basic information about the country (e.g., population, language, capital, currency) and then present it to the class using simple sentences. This activity will help your students practice reading, writing, and speaking skills.
– Progress Report
Instructions: Ask your students to imagine they are reporters who need to write a short article about India becoming the most crowded country in the world. Give them some prompts to help them (e.g., Why is India’s population growing? What are some challenges and opportunities of having a large population? What can other countries learn from India’s experience?). Finally, ask some students to read their articles aloud and give feedback. This activity will help your students practice writing, reading, and critical thinking skills.
Comprehension Questions:
1. What did the United Nations say about India?
2. Will India be the most crowded country in the world soon?
3. Why is China’s population shrinking?
4. Is India’s population still growing?
5. What will be India’s population by the middle of this year?
6. Are people having more or fewer babies now?
7. Have both China and India seen a decline in the number of babies being born?
8. What do experts think about India becoming more crowded than China?
Go to answers ⇩
Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
India will soon have more people than (1)______, according to the United Nations. This means that India will become the most (2)______ country in the world. China’s birth rate has gone down, so fewer babies are being born. This means that their population is (3)______. India’s population, on the other hand, is still growing. The United Nations thinks that India’s population will be 1.4286 billion people by the middle of this year. This is more than China’s population, which is expected to be 1.4257 billion people.
Experts say that the rate of (4)______ in the world’s population is getting slower. This is because people are having fewer babies. Both China and India have seen a decline in the number of babies being born. But experts think that India becoming more (5)______ than China is not a problem. They say that it shows that India is developing and making progress.
Go to answers ⇩
Discussion Questions:
Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.
1. Do you know which country will have more people than China soon?
2. What does it mean if a country is crowded?
3. Why is China’s population shrinking?
4. Is India’s population growing or shrinking?
5. How many people will be living in India by the middle of this year?
6. Is the world’s population growing faster or slower now?
7. Why are people having fewer babies?
8. Is the number of babies being born going up or down in China and India?
9. Is it bad that India will become more crowded than China?
10. What do experts think about India becoming more crowded than China?
11. What does it show if a country is developing and making progress?
12. Do you think it’s important for countries to have a lot of people?
13. Do you prefer living in a crowded or a less crowded place?
14. Have you ever visited a crowded city or country?
15. What was your experience like?
Individual Activities
Vocabulary Meanings:
Match each word to its meaning.
Words:
1. population
2. growth
3. babies
4. India
5. China
6. crowded
7. decline
8. experts
Meanings:
A) A country in Asia with a lot of people
B) People who know a lot about a particular subject
C) A decrease in the number of something
D) All the people who live in a particular place
E) A country with the most people in the world
F) When there are too many people in one place
G) When things get bigger and there are more of them
H) Very young children who are not yet adults
Go to answers ⇩
Multiple Choice Questions:
1. Which country will soon have more people than China?
(a) India
(b) Japan
(c) United States
(d) Russia
2. Which country will become the most crowded country in the world?
(a) Nigeria
(b) India
(c) United States
(d) Russia
3. Why is China’s population shrinking?
(a) Fewer babies are being born
(b) More babies are being born
(c) The government is reducing the population
(d) People are moving out of China
4. Why is India’s population still growing?
(a) More people are moving to India
(b) The death rate is decreasing
(c) The government is increasing the population
(d) People are having more babies
5. What is the expected population of India by the middle of this year?
(a) 1.4126 billion people
(b) 1.4257 billion people
(c) 1.4378 billion people
(d) 1.4512 billion people
6. Why is the world’s population growth rate getting slower?
(a) The government is reducing the population
(b) People are moving to other countries
(c) People are having fewer babies
(d) The death rate is increasing
7. What has caused a decline in the number of babies being born in China and India?
(a) Government policies
(b) A decrease in fertility rates
(c) Environmental factors
(d) Lack of access to healthcare
8. According to experts, why is India becoming more crowded than China not a problem?
(a) It shows that India is making progress
(b) It will lead to more environmental concerns
(c) It will lead to more social problems
(d) It shows that China is declining
Go to answers ⇩
True or False Questions:
1. India will soon have more people than China.
2. India will be the least crowded country in the world.
3. China’s population is shrinking because of fewer babies.
4. India’s population is still growing.
5. China’s population is expected to be bigger than India’s this year.
6. The world’s population is growing faster than ever.
7. Experts think India becoming more crowded than China is a problem.
8. India becoming more crowded than China shows that India is developing and making progress.
Go to answers ⇩
Write a Summary:
Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.
Writing Questions:
Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.
1. What country will soon have more people than China?
2. Why is China’s population shrinking?
3. Is India’s population getting bigger or smaller?
4. What do experts say about the rate of growth in the world’s population?
5. Do experts think it’s a problem that India will become the most crowded country in the world?
Answers
Comprehension Question Answers:
1. What did the United Nations say about India?
– The United Nations said that India will soon have more people than China.
2. Will India be the most crowded country in the world soon?
– Yes, India will be the most crowded country in the world soon.
3. Why is China’s population shrinking?
– China’s population is shrinking because fewer babies are being born.
4. Is India’s population still growing?
– Yes, India’s population is still growing.
5. What will be India’s population by the middle of this year?
– India’s population will be 1.4286 billion people by the middle of this year.
6. Are people having more or fewer babies now?
– People are having fewer babies now.
7. Have both China and India seen a decline in the number of babies being born?
– Yes, both China and India have seen a decline in the number of babies being born.
8. What do experts think about India becoming more crowded than China?
– Experts think that India becoming more crowded than China is not a problem. They say that it shows that India is developing and making progress.
Go back to questions ⇧
Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:
1. China
2. crowded
3. shrinking
4. growth
5. crowded
Go back to questions ⇧
Vocabulary Meanings Answers:
1. population
Answer: D) All the people who live in a particular place
2. growth
Answer: G) When things get bigger and there are more of them
3. babies
Answer: H) Very young children who are not yet adults
4. India
Answer: A) A country in Asia with a lot of people
5. China
Answer: E) A country with the most people in the world
6. crowded
Answer: F) When there are too many people in one place
7. decline
Answer: C) A decrease in the number of something
8. experts
Answer: B) People who know a lot about a particular subject
Go back to questions ⇧
Multiple Choice Answers:
1. Which country will soon have more people than China?
Answer: (a) India
2. Which country will become the most crowded country in the world?
Answer: (b) India
3. Why is China’s population shrinking?
Answer: (a) Fewer babies are being born
4. Why is India’s population still growing?
Answer: (d) People are having more babies
5. What is the expected population of India by the middle of this year?
Answer: (b) 1.4257 billion people
6. Why is the world’s population growth rate getting slower?
Answer: (c) People are having fewer babies
7. What has caused a decline in the number of babies being born in China and India?
Answer: (b) A decrease in fertility rates
8. According to experts, why is India becoming more crowded than China not a problem?
Answer: (a) It shows that India is making progress
Go back to questions ⇧
True or False Answers:
1. India will soon have more people than China.
Answer: True
2. India will be the least crowded country in the world.
Answer: False
3. China’s population is shrinking because of fewer babies.
Answer: True
4. India’s population is still growing.
Answer: True
5. China’s population is expected to be bigger than India’s this year.
Answer: False
6. The world’s population is growing faster than ever.
Answer: False
7. Experts think India becoming more crowded than China is a problem.
Answer: False
8. India becoming more crowded than China shows that India is developing and making progress.
Answer: True
Go back to questions ⇧
