Aug 2nd, 2016 Tuesday

You're not ready to live until you're ready to die
In China, I heard the same sentence. That mean that you life is not very long like you thinking about. How long are you alive? You can be alive until you are died.

There wasn't much of a collection I'm afraid. Most of people who really liked you are dead.


Tasks:

1. Listening & Vocab: Our Aging Society

1. Pre-Listening Exercises [Top]

What are the greatest issues facing senior citizens in the future in your country? 

Saving money for retirement called one's "nest egg," can be a critical concern. Although all problems can't be avoided, starting to save early can ease the burden later on.

2. Listening Exercises [Top]

1. What is the main topic of this address? C
A. the growing crisis of inadequate retirement pensions for the future
B. the problem of providing adequate medical care for the elderly
C. the need to reevaluate our attitudes towards senior citizens

2. What was the speaker's purpose in sharing the story about his grandfather? B
A. to highlight the difficulties of finding affordable housing in the future
B. to illustrate the preoccupations of older citizens with growing older
C. to describe the lack of public facilities designed for the elderly

3. Which of the following statements did Dr. Miller NOT mention when speaking of senior citizens' "golden years"?A
A. The loss of a person's self-identity is most prevalent in one's advancing years.
B. A person's declining health contributes to a feeling of inadequacy.
C. Self-worth is often tied to one's profession and social standing.

4. What do you think the speaker will talk about in the next part of his address?A
A. the contributions the elderly can make in our societies
B. the swelling burden of supporting welfare programs in the future
C. our responsibility of building retirement homes for our graying society

5. Where does this plenary address most likely take place?B
A. at a retirement home
B. at a conference center
C. at a hospital

3. Post-Listening Exercises [Top]

                                 Our Aging Society

One of the growing concerns around the world is the aging population of seniors and how to care for them in the future. At the same time, many seniors want control over their own futures and want to life comfortably during their golden years. Now, there are a growing number of assisted living centers for seniors in some areas of the world. However, do most people rather live with family in their latter years or take care of themselves in a senior citizen center? How does your culture view the care of the elderly?

Moderator: 
Hello Ladies and Gentleman. It gives me great pleasure to introduce our keynote speaker for today's plenary address, Dr. Howard Miller. Dr. Miller, Professor of Sociology at Washington University, has written numerousarticles and books on the issues facing older Americans in our graying society for the past 15 years. Dr. Miller:

Dr. Miller:
Thank you for that introduction. Today, I'd like to preface my remarks from a story from my own life which I feel highlights our common concerns that bring us here together. Several years ago when my grandparents were well into their eighties, they were faced with the reality of no longer being able to adequately care for themselves. My grandfather spoke of his greatest fear, that of leaving the only home they had known for the past 60 years. Fighting back the tears, he spoke proudly of the fact that he had built their home from the ground up, and that he had pounded every nail and laid every brick in the process. The prospect of having to sell their home and give up their independence, and move into a retirement home was an extremely traumatic experience for them. It was, in my grandfather's own words, like having a limb severed off. He was quite emphatic exclaiming that he felt he wasn't important anymore.

For them and some older Americans, their so-called "golden years" are at times not so pleasant, for this period can mean the decline of not only one's health but the loss of identity and self-worth. In many societies, this self-identity is closely related with our social status, occupation, material possessions, or independence. Furthermore, we often live in societies that value that which is "new" or in vogue, and our own usage of lexicon in the English language often does not bode well older for Americans. I mean how would your family react if you came home tonight elated exclaiming, "Hey, come to the living room and see the OLD black and white TV I brought!" Unfortunately, the word "old"conjures up images of the need to replace or discard.

Now, many of the lectures given at this conference have focused on the issues of pension reform, medical care, and the development of public facilities for senior citizens. And while these are vital issues that must be addressed, I'd like to focus my comments on an underlying issue that will affect the overall success of the other programs mentioned. This has to do with realigning our perspectives on what it means to be a part of this group, and finding meaningful roles the elderly can play and should play in our societies.

First of all , I'd like to talk about . . .

1. Role play: Planning for Retirement
1. How would you Canadianize the article?
2. Compare the article's retirement benefits with these.
2. Try this Canadian Retirement Income Calculator: Post your results and comment on others'.