PART 4 DEVELOPING READING SKILLS
TEXT 1 ‘ The Aging Boom ’
4.1 Study the glossary to the article. Find the words in the context and choose the proper translation.
corporate - корпоративний, загальний - corporate body - corporate responsibility - corporate town Syn: corporative corporate body корпоративна організація corporate responsibility відповідальність кожного члена корпорації
triggering пуск || пусковий, той, що запускає - data triggering - event triggering - fail triggering - pattern triggering - pulse triggering - state triggering - status triggering
unilateral однобічний, односторонній Syn: one-sidedly
4.2 Read the text ‘The Aging Boom by Robert N. Butler
America’s aging baby boom generation—the people who were born from 1946 to 1964—is nearing retirement. The following January 1999 article from the Encarta Yearbook, written by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Robert N. Butler, founding director of the National Institute on Aging, discusses the challenges an aging population poses for society, as well as the research scientists are conducting into the aging process itself.
The Aging Boom by Robert N. Butler
A Changing Society
According to the United Nations (UN), people over age 60 will outnumber those under 15 years of age by 2050. This is partially due to a decreased number of deaths combined with a drop in the number of births. The change is especially notable in developed countries such as Japan and many Western European nations. In the United States, the annual number of deaths per 100,000 people dropped from over 800 in the 1950s to about 490 in 1996. The birth rate, meanwhile, has dropped from about 24 per 1,000 women to about 15 per 1,000 women during the same period.
This unprecedented rise in the number of older people will have lasting effects on society. The growing number of older persons throughout the world is already affecting the global economy. In the same way that the 1960s had a “youth market” that targeted the baby boomer generation, today there is a growing “mature market”—called the “silver industries” in Japan—that focuses on serving the needs of the older population. The growth of the “mature market” has prompted an economic boom in many industries, including the health care, pharmaceutical, financial services, tourism, and recreational industries.
The United States health care industry accounts for one-seventh of its economy and provides more than 10 million jobs. Geriatrics is one of one of the industry's fastest growing segments. Physicians and nurses trained in geriatrics are in great demand. But trained professionals are in short supply. In 1998 the United States had fewer than 9,000 physicians certified in geriatric medicine, according to the American Geriatrics Society (AGS).
While many older people remain able to care for themselves, others require assistance to live comfortably. Many older Americans need help with activities such as eating, getting dressed, getting out of bed, preparing meals, and doing housework.
To answer these needs, the health care industry has developed several alternatives to the traditional institutional nursing home, including assisted-living facilities, continuing-care retirement communities, home care, and hospice…
Since people are living longer, they will probably also work longer. Some will continue to work because of financial need, while others will continue working because they enjoy what they do. The 1967 Age Discrimination in Employment Act prohibits employers in the United States from discriminating against employees because of their age.
Older workers are likely to prompt changes in the American workplace. For example, job sharing, when two part-time employees do the work of one full-time employee, would allow older workers to reduce their working hours while maintaining a portion of their income. More companies may offer on-the-job training and sabbaticals (leave of absence) for workers who wish to learn new skills. It is also likely that many older workers will want to work from home or become self-employed.
Blue collar workers pose a special challenge. As they age, these workers may no longer be up to the physical rigors of their jobs. In some cases, blue collar workers who want to remain on the job may be retrained, or their jobs may be modified to fit their changing abilities. Experienced blue collar workers may also be used to train younger workers.
Older women are another group that faces unique challenges. In the late 1990s American women could expect to live about six years longer than men, meaning that many women outlive their spouses. For some women this means a catastrophic loss of income as their husbands' pension and social security income disappears.
Employers have good reasons to adapt to the needs of older workers even though older workers are more expensive than younger workers because employer-paid health insurance and the wages and salaries of long-time employees are higher. But studies by ICF Kaiser International and the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) have shown that older workers are usually more reliable than younger employees and miss work less often. Older workers are also more experienced and have the maturity and judgment that come with age.
Employed older persons often have higher standards of living than unemployed retirees, and they contribute to the health of the economy by spending more money on goods and services. They also pay income and social security taxes.
Retirement may also change, with the introduction of phased and trial retirements. A phased retirement allows workers to gradually cut down their working hours as they move toward retirement. Trial retirements allow workers to return to their job if they change their minds and decide not to retire.
Some people fear that older Americans will use their growing numbers to dominate national politics, triggering a rift with younger generations. This is unlikely, however. While organizations representing older people, such as AARP and the National Council of Senior Citizens, have helped influence federal policy on social security and Medicare, they are far less influential than those organizations representing corporate America. Finally, because the majority of the voting population will always be under 65, it is unlikely that persons over age 65 will ever have enough power to unilaterally influence political affairs.
Surveys by major polling organizations suggest that fears of intergenerational conflicts are unfounded. For example, many young Americans favor expanding programs that support the aged, although many young people fear social security and other government-sponsored support systems will “not be there” for them when they retire.
4.3 Use the expressions below in the sentences of your own. Try to make a connected text on the problem of career prospects for the young and the older generations in Ukraine.
fears of intergenerational conflicts
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catastrophic loss of income
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introduction of phased and trial retirements
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job sharing
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mature market
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more reliable than younger employees and miss work less often
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older workers are more expensive than younger workers
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physicians certified in geriatric medicine
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pose a special challenge
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prompted an economic boom
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to affect the global economy
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to be in great demand.
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to be in short supply
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to be up to the physical rigors of their jobs
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to become self-employed.
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to face unique challenges
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to focus on serving the needs of the older population
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to have lasting effects on society
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to have the maturity and judgment that come with age
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to trigger a rift with younger generations
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to work because of financial need
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to work from home
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wish to learn new skills
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4.4 Discuss the following questions:
-Formulate the subject matter of Text A.
- What facts are presented in the text ? Find passages revealing the author’s respect and concern for elderly people, his belief in mutual understanding between the younger and the older generations?
-Why does Robert N. Butler consider there is a need in changing of the employment mode? How does he prove his ideas?
- Study the structure of the text. What parts does it fall into? Answer the question quoting the text.
-Comment on Butler’s words “… fears of intergenerational conflicts are unfounded”. What do they mean? Do they imply the author’s disapproval or hesitation? What is your opinion on the matter ?
-Characterize the language of the text. What can you say about the vocabulary? Is it typical of an article? Is it in line with the other devices employed by the author?
-Point out stylistic devices and comment on their function.
4.5 Evaluating a story. Study the piece of theory below and define what the theme of the texts 1, 2 , 3, (unit1) and 1 (unit 2) are. Give your reasons.
A novel’s theme is the main idea that the writer expresses. Theme can also be defined as the underlying meaning of the story.
The theme of a novel is more than its subject matter, because an author’s technique can play as strong a role in developing a theme as the actions of the characters do.
Rarely can a novel’s theme be interpreted in only one way. Because of the length of novels, and the various characters, conflicts, and scenes found within them, readers can look at different aspects of the work to uncover different interpretations of the meaning of the tale. A common theme in novels is the conflict between appearance and reality.
Another common theme is the search for personal identity. The Catcher in the Rye (1951) by American writer J. D. Salinger convincingly depicts Holden Caulfield, a teenager who realizes that he is no longer a child, but who is not quite ready for adulthood. Holden’s desperate search for identity has captured the imagination of generations of adolescent readers.
The theme of an individual who strikes out alone to face the world is used in many works. One of the most famous instances is in Huckleberry Finn (1884) by American novelist Mark Twain. The book, set before the American Civil War (1861-1865), is about a boy, Huck, who cannot endure the restrictions of his life in a town along the Mississippi River. He runs away and rafts down the river, along the way becoming friends with an escaped slave named Jim.
Some novels feature people who cannot break from their society’s conventions and instead become disillusioned with the conflict between their aspirations and the reality of their lives.
Throughout the history of the novel, a major theme has been whether people can change their situations in life or whether they are in the grips of forces beyond their control.
Other common themes in novels include how art and life are reflected in one another, the meaning of religion, and whether technology helps people or whether it is a harmful aspect of society.
4.6 Give a summary of your comments on the text.
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