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Heidi
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Todd
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Population Problems
Heidi talks about the population situation in her country of Mongolia.
Todd: Now, Heidi, you are from Mongolia, correct?
Heidi: Yes, I am from Mongolia.
Todd: Now, your country is quite unique in that it's a big country, but you have a small population.
Heidi: That's right.
Todd: How many people live in Mongolia?
Heidi: It was actually two million before ten years, but now it's three million, so it's getting bigger and bigger.
Todd: Wow, so the population went from two million to three million in just ten years?
Heidi: Yeah, that's right.
Todd: Do you know by any chance of any projections about how big it will be in the future?
Heidi: Probably, it's gonna get bigger and bigger because actually our government is working for it, and there is a project they call "I feel like give a birth one child" which gets money and probably they're trying to have more and more child.
Todd: So, if young couples, if young women have children they get money from the government?
Heidi: Yes, that's right.
Todd: So, is it working? I mean, do women want to take advantage of it?
Heidi: Probably it's not like because of the money, but they kind of realize that Mongolia needs more population to make Mongolia a more developed country.
Todd: So, what is the main reason why fewer women want to have children? Or women are having less children?
Heidi: Cause, definitely it's gonna be so hard for them to take care of the child. It costs a lot and this time it's kind of hard to like pay for the tuition fees and other stuff so probably women are trying to have less child because of that, but if you think about the country's development it's better to have more child so yeah, probably everyone has a different opinion about it.
Todd: Right. Actually, what age do people usually get married in Mongolia?
Heidi: For the women, they get married around twenty-four till twenty-eight. For the men, they are quite late: twenty-six until twenty-two.
Todd: Has there been an increase in females or women going to college?
Heidi: Yeah, that's actually increasing because the family and parents are actually worried about their daughters so they help them to go to university, so in Mongolia, the number of universities is getting increased, so there are more chances to go to university
Todd: OK, well, that sounds quite dynamic how it's working.
Heidi: Yeah.
unique
Your country is quite unique.
When something is unique, it is very different, and there is nothing else that is similar. Notice the following examples:
- Your style of fashion is very unique. No one dresses like you.
- His house is unique because it is made of plastic.
by any chance
Do you know by any chance of any projections?
Speakers say 'by any chance' when asking a question, especially a request. Notice the following:
- By any chance, do you have a pen I can borrow?
- You don't have the schedule by any chance do you?
projections
Do you have any projections of how big it will be?
A projection uses data in the present to predict changes over time. Notice the following:
- I do not believe the latest sales projections. They are too low.
- Sometimes projections are right, but sometimes they are wrong.
take advantage of
Do women take advantage of it?
When you take advantage of something, you use it even though you do not have to. Notice the following:
- You should take advantage of the low airfares to Paris.
- I plan to take advantage of the free gym at work.
dynamic
That sounds quite dynamic?
When something is dynamic, it is always changing or moving. Notice the following:
- The growth of our company is very dynamic. We are growing fast.
- The computer industry is very dynamic. It is always changing.
population
It's a big country, but you have a small population.
The 'population' is the number of people who live in a country, city, or area. Notice the following:
- The population of the city is growing quickly.
- Japan has a very large population for a small country.
in just
The population went from two million to three million in just ten years.
We use 'in just' to show that something happened within a surprisingly short amount of time. Notice the following:
- She finished the work in just two hours.
- The town changed a lot in just five years.
young couples
If young couples have children, they get money from the government.
'Young couples' are two young people who are married or in a romantic relationship. Notice the following:
- Many young couples want to buy a house.
- The program gives support to young couples with children.
working
So, is it working?
Here, 'working' means producing a result that people want. Notice the following:
- The new plan is working well.
- This medicine does not seem to be working.
I mean
So, is it working? I mean, do women want to take advantage of it?
We use 'I mean' to explain an idea more clearly or to give more information about what we just said. Notice the following:
- It was difficult. I mean, it took me five hours.
- Do you like it? I mean, would you buy it?
tuition fees
It's kind of hard to, like, pay for the tuition fees.
'Tuition fees' are the money students pay to study at a school, college, or university. Notice the following:
- University tuition fees can be very expensive.
- She works part-time to help pay her tuition fees.
country's development
If you think about the country's development, it's better to have more than one child.
A 'country's development' is the way a country grows and improves over time. Notice the following:
- Education is important for a country's development.
- A young workforce can support the country's development.
Vocabulary Quiz
tuition fees • quite unique
take advantage of
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