When there is a large gap between the birth rate and the death rate, what can population growth be like?

Correct answer: It may be rapid

The direct answer is A: population growth may be rapid. Births add people and deaths remove people from a population. If the birth rate is much higher than the death rate, the natural increase—the difference between births and deaths—can be large and positive. The population may therefore grow quickly. Option A is correct, but the word “may” matters because migration and the actual size of the rates can also affect total population change. Option B is wrong because zero natural growth would occur when births and deaths are approximately equal, not when there is a large positive gap. Option C is wrong because population growth can be measured using demographic data and rates. Option D is wrong because the question concerns the number of people, not a direct change in land area. Memory cue: births add, deaths subtract; a large positive difference can mean rapid natural increase.