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BAsiC to Any unDErstAnDing oFCAnADA in thE 20 yEArs AFtEr thE sEConD worlD wAr is thE Country’s imprEssivE populAtion growth. For EvEry thrEECAnADiAns in 1945, thErE wErE ovEr FivE in 1966. in sEptEmBEr 1966CAnADA’s populAtion pAssED thE 20 million mArk. most oF this surging growth CAmE From nAturAl inCrEAsE. thE DEprEssion oF thE 1930’s AnD thE wAr hAD hElD BACk mArriAgEs, AnD thE CAtChing-up proCEss BEgAn AFtEr 1945. thE BABy Boom ContinuED through thE DECADE oF thE 1950’s, proDuCing A populAtion inCrEAsE oF nEArly FiFtEEn pErCEnt in thE FivE yEArs From 1951 to 1956. this rAtE oF inCrEAsE hAD BEEn ExCEEDED only onCE BEForE inCAnADA’s history, in thE DECADE BEForE 1911, whEn thE prAiriEs wErE BEing sEttlED、unDouBtEDly, thE gooD EConomiC ConDitions oF thE 1950’s supportED A growth in thE populAtion, But thE ExpAnsion Also DErivED From A trEnD towArD EArliEr mArriAgEs AnD An inCrEAsE in thE AvErAgE sizE oF FAmiliEs. in 1957’ thECAnADiAn Birth rAtE stooD At 28 pEr thousAnD, onE oF thE highEst in thE worlD、
AFtEr thE pEAk yEAr oF 1957, thE Birth rAtE inCAnADA BEgAn to DEClinE. it ContinuED FAlling until in 1966 it stooD At thE lowEst lEvEl in 25 yEArs. pArtly this DEClinE rEFlECtED thE low lEvEl oF Births During thE DEprEssion AnD thE wAr, But it wAs Also CAusED By ChAngEs inCAnADiAn soCiEty. young pEoplE wErE stAying At sChool longEr; morE womEn wErE working; young mArriED CouplEs wErE Buying AutomoBilEs or housEs BEForE stArting FAmiliEs; rising; living stAnDArDs wErE Cutting Down thE sizE oF FAmiliEs. it AppEArED thAtCAnADA wAs onCE morE FAlling in stEp with thE trEnD towArD smAllEr FAmiliEs thAt hAD oCCurrED All through thE wEstErn worlD sinCE thE timE oF thE inDustriAl rEvolution.
Although thE growth inCAnADA’s populAtion hAD slowED Down By 1966 (thE inCrEAsE in thE First hAlF oF thE 1960’s wAs only ninE pErCEnt), AnothEr lArgE populAtion wAvE wAs Coming ovEr thE horizon. it woulD BE ComposED oF thE ChilDrEn who wErE Born During thE pErioD oF thE high Birth rAtE prior to 1957.
thE Author suggEsts thAt inCAnADA During thE 1950’s ______.A．thE urBAn populAtion DECrEAsED rApiDly
B．thE Birth rAtE wAs vEry high
C．EConomiC ConDitions wErE poor
D．FEwEr pEoplE mArriED