Listen to News with Tara Benwell - Instructions:
1. Preview the vocabulary and read the gapfill text.
2. Play the news report and try to fill in the blanks.
3. Answer the comprehension questions by writing full sentences.
4. Use the discussion question to write an essay or discuss the story with other students.
5. Click "show Answers" to see the full text.
6. Pretend to be a news anchor by reading each story out loud.
dateline: 02 October 2012
NB! For WEEKLY audio stories check out LISTEN & LEARN π
UN Warns About Demographic Shift
Pre-Listening Vocabulary
- demographic: related to populations
- estimate: to make an educated guess
- sanitation: public health conditions, eg. proper sewage and clean water
- nutrition: food required for good health
- poverty: the state of being poor
Comprehension Questions
- What does the UN celebrate on October 1st?
- According to the UN, how many people over age 60 will be living by 2050?
- What is changing in countries like Japan, China, and India?
Discussion Question: Should children be required to look after their aging parents, or is this the government’s responsibility?
show Answershide Answers
UN Warns About Demographic Shift
A report released by the UN on International Day of Older Persons (October 1st) estimates that there will be more than one billion people over the age of 60 by 2022. The UN Population Fund has warned that this number will likely double by 2050, presenting major economic challenges for governments. Increased life expectancy of the world’s population is due to improved healthcare, sanitation, and nutrition. The UN warns that one of the greatest challenges governments will face in the upcoming years will be preventing poverty in the elderly population. In countries like Japan, China, and India, the practice of young people taking in their aging parents is in decline.
- On October 1st the UN celebrates International Day of Older Persons.
- According to the UN, there will be about 2 billion people over age 60 by 2050.
- In these countries it is not as common as it used to be for children to take in their elderly parents.
Written and recorded by Tara Benwell for EnglishClub
Tara Benwell is a Canadian freelance writer and editor who specializes in materials and articles for the ELT industry.
© EnglishClub.com
