06-11-2015 15:00

In the 1950s, China’s population grew by around 1.9% each year. The government wanted to change this and started the one-child policy.

The policy began in 1979 and it prevented about 400 million births. People who had more than one child could lose their jobs or worse. Doctors even sterilized some people.

Traditionally, Chinese families prefer boys. If a girl was born to some Chinese families, they left her and tried again for a boy.

All this, however, may soon change. The Chinese government is planning to let people there have two children.

Difficult words: government (a group of people who are “bosses” of a country), policy (a rule – what you can or cannot do), prevent (to stop), sterilise (to block or to remove the sex organs so you cannot have children).

You can read the original story and watch the video in the Level 3 section.