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 July 2013
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Chinese Law Says People Must Visit Elderly Parents
Pre-Listening Vocabulary
- elderly: old
- shrink: to become smaller
- policy: rule
- legislation: law
- draft: to write
- raise awareness: to make people more aware of an issue or concern
- enforce: to force people to follow a rule
Comprehension Questions
- What does the new Chinese law require adults to do?
- Why is the working population shrinking in China?
- How often are adult children required to visit their aging parents?
Discussion Question:
Do you agree with China’s elderly protection law? Why or why not?
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Chinese Law Says People Must Visit Elderly Parents
China’s new elderly protection law states that adult children must visit their elderly parents. Aging parents can take their adult kids to court if they feel neglected. The law does not state how often a child must visit his or her parents. There is also nothing in the legislation that states how the law would be enforced and what the punishment is for neglecting one’s elderly relatives. The elderly population in China is growing quickly, and the working population is shrinking due to the one-child policy, which was introduced to control population growth. A professor who helped draft the elderly protection law said that the legislation is mainly there to raise awareness for elderly people who need emotional support. Caring for the elderly was once an important part of China’s traditional family-oriented society.
- The new Chinese law requires adults to visit their elderly parents.
- The working population is shrinking in China due to the one-child policy.
- The law does not state how often adult children are required to visit their aging 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.
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