(Mackenzie - 2000)CHINAS CENTURY BABIESThe rumor s

(Mackenzie - 2000)

CHINA'S CENTURY BABIES

The rumor started circulating last December: babies born just past the stroke of midnight on Jan. 1, 2000, would win prizes, 1perks, even a "passport" from the World Health Organization. Soon the notion of having ___(I)___ the media 2dubbed a Century Baby took off.
But officials of the WHO do not issue passports and were not terribly amused. The prospect of a sudden baby boom would hardly advance their efforts to control the global population. Even as they denied the rumors, promoters around the world came forward with real offers. Millennium babies will win a car from a newspaper in Russia, and 100 francs from local authorities in France. Couples from Beijing to Paris are already aware that the best time to conceive a Y2K kid is on or about April 9 - an evening the British press ___(II)___ "bonk night". Only in China, ___(III)___ started as a silly rumor ___(IV)___ superstitious parents on a collision course with officials, ___(V)___ fear that even one hyperfertile night could end up overwhelming delivery rooms, crowding schools and generally aggravating the burdens of the world's largest population.
Chinese fertility experts ___(VI)___ that, worldwide, only 13 true Century Babies will be born right after midnight on the millennium. "So the chance of success is tiny. My patients are realistic; only a very small number are hoping for a Century Baby", said Dr. Huang. "Besides, with so many time zones and hospitals involved worldwide, ___(VII)___ can verify whether you've had a true Century Baby or not?"

(Adapted from Newsweek. March,1,1999.)

As lacunas II, IV e VI devem ser preenchidas, respectivamente, por: