Practica online para alumnos que rinden el final como regulares (Prof. Candela Perez Albizu)

En los siguientes sitios encontraran textos con ejercicios de multiple choice.

http://www.english-online.org.uk/fcefolder/fceread2.php?name=FCE%20Reading%20part%202%20test%201
http://www.english-online.org.uk/toeflfolder/toeflread1.php?name=TOEFL%20Reading%20test%201
http://www.flo-joe.co.uk/fce/students/tests/3part2.htm

Práctica de multiple choice para examen final para alumnos regulares

Trabajo Práctico 1 Why men don´t iron

1. According to the text people think that...

a. boys are taught to be less agressive.
b. boys and girls are similar.
c. the new man should be different.

2. When young, ...

a. boys like sports.
b. girls talk less than boys.
c. girls study more than boys.

3. Anne and Bill Moir...

a. explain these differences start when men and women are born.
b. think society may change the essence of men.
c. focus on men, not on women in their book.

Trabajo Práctico 2 We are living faster, but are we living better?

1. Nowadays...

a. we work less than before.
b. our parents have machines.
c. we do everything faster.

2. James Gleick thinks that...

a. people are affected by stress.
b. people enjoy doing more things.
c. life is shorter.

3. Today people...

a. read less than before.
b. can´t listen to answerphones.
c. do not relax.

4. In the U.S.A....

a. baseball is faster than before.
b. basketball is more popular than baseball.
c. people prefer slow games.

Trabajo Práctico 3 Addiction to Internet...

1. Internet addiction...

a. is sometimes caused by pornography.
b. is not considered a clinical disorder yet.
c. is not so common.

2. Block says that this addiction brings about...

a. negative feelings.
b. a sense of time.
c. some social awareness.

3. In South Korea Internet addiction has produced...

a. babies diseases.
b. fatal situations.
c. an increase of school attendance.

4. Block says...

a. in America people like surfing.
b. this addiction is not a difficult disease to treat.
c. that people consider computers their best friends.

5. Internet addiction...

a. is demanding a legal approach.
b. is worse in Korea than in America.
c. does not require psychological help to be left behind.

Trabajo Práctico 4 Obama inauguration...

1. Obama became 44th president of U.S.A....

a. in front of more than two million people.
b. and spoke for less than 30 minutes to the crowd.
c. accompanied by the largest political movement ever gathered.

2. He spoke about...

a. the educational crisis.
b. the economical crisis.
c. the moral crisis.

3. Obama warned the people that the goals would demand...

a. effort.
b. power.
c. challenges.

4. People were celebrating because...

a. Obama was African-American.
b. the new president was speaking to the crowd.
c. the Republican rule came to an end.

5. Obama promised...

a. not to forget Guantánamo.
b. not to leave aside the human rights.
c. false choices.

6. Obama criticized...

a. science.
b. the climate change.
c. previous presidents´policies.

7. He spoke about foreign affairs...

a. He hoped for other countries independence.
b. America would live in Iraq.
c. He had hard words for Afghanistan.

8. Obama´s speech...

a. was what people had expected.
b. revealed his honest and bold determinations.
c. frightened the crowd.

Respuestas TP No 6 (Prof Candela Perez Albizu)

A.
1. one
2. 30
3. Lahore
4. in the 1990s
5. Islamabad
6. 600

B.
1.d
2.f
3.a
4.e
5.c
6.b

C. La juventud de Paquistán puso su fe en el rock'n roll
Declan Walsh 1 de septiembre de 2009.
A la gente joven que quiere ser estrella de rock no le resulta fácil hacerlo en Paquistán. El mes pasado una nueva banda, Muchacho Rico Pobre, apareció en el escenario de una pequeña cafetería en Islamabad para su primer presentación. Durante la primera noche, sólo una persona vino a escuchar. “Era la noche de las finales mundiales de cricket. Mal timing” dijo el guitarrista del grupo, Zain Ahsan. La segunda presentación fue mejor – asistieron 30 personas – pero los músicos todavía estaban preocupados.“Pregunté a la dueña de la cafetería, ‘Y si explota una bomba?’” dijo Ahsan. “Ella dijo, ‘no se preocupen, estaré con ustedes.’” Hubo mucha violencia de Talibán este verano pero los paquistaníes jóvenes siguen disfrutando de la música de rock. Una escena de música under crece silenciosamente en las ciudades principales del país, ayudadas por Internet y por la pasión de varias bandas no profesionales. En Lahore un par de rockeros desempleados han usado aquel entusiasmo para encontrar una nueva escuela para el rock'n roll. “ No conseguíamos muchas presentaciones, y teníamos que sobrevivir,” dijo el co-fundador Hamza Jafri.
“Entonces pensamos que intentaríamos esto.” La Escuela de Guitarra, como es conocida, ha sido sorprendentemente exitosa. Alrededor de 40 estudiantes se han inscripto, desde adolescentes hoscos en jeans hasta músicos más expertos como Ahsan que quieren mejorar sus habilidades. Las clases se dan en un pequeño cuarto alineado con boxes; el estilo de enseñanza de la escuela puede ser vista en su lema: “toque como usted lo siente.” Muchos vienen de familias ricas que podrían haber desechado alguna vez la música, Jafri dijo. “La gente lo asociaba con entretenimiento sexual.” Pero un nuevo programa de televisión popular llamado Estudio Coke, que muestra interpretaciones en vivo, ha ayudado a que más personas acepten la música rock.
Una tarde reciente una mujer trajo a sus dos hijas adolescentes para lecciones. “Esto les vendrá bien para aprender,” dijo ella. Pero hacerse músico profesional es difícil y a veces peligroso. Durante los seis meses pasados casi todas las interpretaciones públicas en Lahore se han parado por los ataques extremistas contra un festival de artes y el equipo de cricket de Sri Lanka. La industria de música paquistaní en sí misma es desorganizada y hay mucha piratería musical en Paquistán.
Pero el caos interno del país también hace a la gente creativa.
Los paquistaníes tienen una tradición musical rica pero los músicos modernos evitaban generalmente las cuestiones políticas. Pero el nuevo simple de la banda de Jafri, co-VEN, es una parodia de la alianza polémica de Paquistán con los EE.UU “hay mucha presión extranjera en nuestro gobierno para atacar a la gente en las áreas tribales,” dijo.
Los otros hacen del caos una diversión. La banda de Islamabad Salsa de Bambú recientemente sacó Jiggernaut, un simple que hace referencias a kung-fu, perros habladores y el Talibán. El guitarrista Shehryar Mufti no está preocupado porque a los insurrectos pueda no gustarles la broma. “Su argumento es con el gobierno, no con la gente,” dijo él. “No pienso que la música de rock es algo importante para ellos.” El rock paquistaní se benefició con la llegada de la televisión por satélite en los años 1990. Hoy los músicos, muchos autodidactas, se publicitan a través de sitios Web como Facebook y MySpace, y el número creciente en Paquistán de emisoras de radio FM. Y a pesar de la situación de seguridad, está apareciendo una nueva escena de concierto.
Un sábado caliente por la noche cientos de gente joven, la mayoría vestida en jeans y remeras, se apiñaron en un nuevo teatro al aire libre en el límite de Islamabad llamado Rock Musicarium.
“La gente tiene hambre de música; quieren salir,” dijo el fundador, Zeejah Fazli. Cuando abra oficialmente en noviembre de 2009, Rock Musicarium tendrá un estudio de grabación y capacidad para 600 personas, dijo Fazli, que cree hay 20 bandas de rock en Islamabad solamente. Pero, él dijo, el proyecto depende de que el cese de seis meses de ataques terroristas sobre la capital continúen.
Para algunos paquistaníes ricos, la música rock es un ejemplo de las tensiones culturales de su vida, que se divide entre influencias occidentales y la dirección conservadora que su sociedad está tomando. “Por un lado los niños están en Inglaterra; por otro, esta cosa Islámica estricta ocurre. No es bueno para la salud mental de la gente,” dijo Jafri.
Hace aproximadamente cinco años Junaid el Jamshed, la estrella de música pop más famosa del país, dejó la música y retornó a la religión. Ahora él aparece en programas religiosos con una barba larga, rizada. Pero la gente más joven que quiere ser estrella de rock dice que ellos pueden vivir con la diferencia. En la escuela de guitarra Lahore, Khwaja, el danés de 17 años rasgueó su guitarra. “Es bueno hacer lo que amas,” dijo.

Trabajo Práctico 3 (Comisiones Prof Heras)

Trabajo Práctico Nº 3

Addiction to Internet ‘is an illness’

New evidence shows that excessive use of the Internet causes people to suffer from isolation, tiredness and withdrawal symptoms

David Smith, technology correspondent

March 23, 2008

1. Tense? Angry? Can’t get online? Internet addiction is now a serious health problem that should be officially recognized as a clinical disorder, says a leading psychiatrist.

2. In the respected American Journal of Psychiatry, Dr Jerald Block writes that the disorder is caused by excessive gaming, viewing online pornography, emailing and text messaging. He says that the disorder is now so common that it should be included in medical text books. According to Block, Internet addiction has four main components:

• Excessive use, often associated with a loss of sense of time;
• Withdrawal symptoms, including feelings of anger, tension and/or depression when the computer is inaccessible;
• The need for better computers, more software, or more hours of use;
• Negative repercussions, including arguments, lying, poor achievement, social isolation and tiredness.

3. Block says that in South Korea 10 people died from blood clots because they stayed seated for long periods in Internet cafes and another was murdered because of an online game. South Korea now considers Internet addiction one of its most serious public health issues. The government estimates that around 210,000 South Korean children need treatment. 80 per cent of them might need drugs that target the brain and nearly a quarter could need to go to hospital. Since the average high school pupil there spends about 23 hours per week gaming, another 1.2 million are at risk of addiction and require basic counselling. Many people are also worried about the number of addicts who stop going to school or leave their jobs to spend more time on computers. In China it has been reported that about 10 million adolescent Internet users could be considered addicts.

4. Dr Block, a psychiatrist at the Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, writes that it is more difficult to estimate how bad the problem is in America because people surf at home instead of in Internet cafes. But he believes there are similar cases, and says: “Unfortunately it is not easy to treat Internet addiction.” He told The Observer that he did not believe specific websites were responsible. “The relationship is with the computer,” he said. “First, it becomes a “significant other” to them. Second, they use up emotions that they could experience in the real world on the computer, through any number of mechanisms: emailing, gaming, porn. Third, computer use takes up a huge amount of time in their life. Then if you simply try to remove the computer, they feel they’ve lost their best friend. That can take the form of depression or rage.”

5. Harry Husted, a single 51-year-old from New York, spends 16 hours a day on the Internet. He insists that he is not addicted, but admits that he used to be. “I used to work with computers for eight hours, then get home and go online for another seven hours. I stayed up until two or three in the morning, or until I got so sleepy I had to go to bed. I didn’t care about friends, TV, or anything. After a while I realized what was happening and did something about it. Now if I use MySpace it’s only to advertise my business.”

6. Internet addiction clinics are opening all around the world, and many people are attending, apparently without irony, web discussion boards with names such as Internet Addicts Anonymous. The Centre for Internet Addiction Recovery in Bradford, Pennsylvania, says Internet addiction has become a growing legal issue in criminal, divorce and employment cases.

7. Robert Freedman, editor of the American Journal of Psychiatry, said Internet addiction can be diverse. “In Korea, it seems to be mostly gaming sites. In America, it is Facebook. Additionally, it’s porn, it’s games, it’s gambling, it’s chatting with friends. All these things existed before, but now they’re a lot easier.”

8. To beat the addiction, he advised: “A self-help group might be a good place to start, but maybe a real group is better than an online one.”

© Guardian News & Media 2008

First published in The Observer, 23/03/08

4

A: According to the article, are these sentences True (T) or False (F)?

1. The four basic components of Internet addiction are excessive use, withdrawal symptoms when the computer is not accessible, the constant need for better computers and software and negative repercussions on the user’s social life.

2. In South Korea, the main cause of Internet addiction is spending time on social networking websites such as Facebook and MySpace.

3. The average South Korean high school student spends 16 hours a day playing online games.

4. People have died as a consequence of their Internet addiction.

5. South Koreans go online at Internet cafes more often than Americans.

6. Internet addiction is easy to treat.

7. Online self-help groups are better than real ones to beat addiction.

B: Contextual reference: What do the underlined words in the text refer to?

3

TP No 6 (Prof. Candela Perez Albizu)

Pakistan’s youth put their faith in rock’n’roll
Country’s internal turmoil is feeding underground music scene and popular guitar school

Declan Walsh
1 September, 2009

Young people who want to be rock stars don’t have an easy time in Pakistan. Last month a new band, Poor Rich Boy, appeared on the stage of a small café in Islamabad for their first gig. On the first night, only one person came to listen. “It was the night of the world cricket finals. Bad timing,” said the group’s guitarist, Zain Ahsan. The second gig was better – 30 people came – but the musicians were still worried. “I asked the café owner, ‘What if a bomb goes off?’” said Ahsan. “She said, ‘Don’t worry, I’ll be with you.’”
There has been a lot of Taliban violence this summer but young Pakistanis are continuing to enjoy rock music. An underground music scene is quietly growing in the country’s major cities, helped by the Internet and by the passion of a number of non-professional bands. In Lahore a pair of unemployed rockers have used that enthusiasm to found a new school for rock’n’roll. “We weren’t getting a lot of gigs, and we needed to survive,” said co-founder Hamza Jafri. “So we thought we’d try this.”
The Guitar School, as it is known, has been surprisingly successful. Around 40 students have signed up, from surly teenagers in jeans to more practised musicians such as Ahsan who want to improve their skills. Classes take place in a small room lined with egg boxes; the school’s teaching style can be seen in its motto: “Play it like you feel it.” Many come from rich families that might once have disapproved of music, Jafri said. “People associated it with sexual entertainment.” But a popular new television show called Coke Studio, which shows live performances, has helped to make more people accept rock music.
On a recent afternoon a woman brought in her two teenage daughters for lessons. “It will do them good to learn,” she said. But becoming a professional musician is difficult and sometimes dangerous. For the past six months almost all public performances in Lahore have stopped since extremist attacks on a performing arts festival and the Sri Lankan cricket team. The Pakistani music industry itself is disorganized and there is a lot of music piracy in Pakistan.
But the country’s internal chaos is also making people creative. Pakistanis have a rich musical tradition but modern musicians have generally avoided political issues. But the new single from Jafri’s band, co-VEN, is a parody of Pakistan’s controversial alliance with the US. “There’s a lot of foreign pressure on our government to attack people in the tribal areas,” he said.
Others make fun of the chaos. The Islamabad band Bumbu Sauce recently brought out Jiggernaut, a single that has references to kung fu, talking dogs and the Taliban. Guitarist Shehryar Mufti is not worried the insurgents might not like the joke. “Their argument is with the government, not the people,” he said. “I don’t think rock music is something important to them.”
Pakistani rock was helped by the arrival of satellite television in the 1990s. Today the musicians, many self-taught, publicize themselves through networking websites such as Facebook and MySpace, and Pakistan’s growing number of FM radio stations. And despite the security situation, a new concert scene is appearing.
On a hot Saturday night hundreds of young people, mostly dressed in jeans and T-shirts, crowded into a new outdoor theatre on the edge of Islamabad called the Rock Musicarium. “People are hungry for music; they want to get out,” said the founder, Zeejah Fazli. When it opens officially in November 2009, the Rock Musicarium will have a recording studio and capacity for 600 people, said Fazli, who believes there are 20 rock bands in Islamabad alone. But, he said, the project depends on the six-month break in terrorist attacks on the capital continuing.
For some rich Pakistanis, rock music is an example of the cultural tensions of their life, which is divided between western influences andthe conservative direction their society is taking. “On one side kids feel like they are in England; on the other this strict Islamic thing is going on. It’s not good for people’s mental health,” said Jafri.
About five years ago Junaid Jamshed, the country’s most famous pop star, gave up musicand returned to religion. Now he appears on religious programmes with a long, curly beard. But most young people who want to become rock stars say they can live with the difference. At the Lahore guitar school, 17-year-old Danish Khwaja strummed his guitar. “It’s kind of cool doing stuff you love,” he said.

© Guardian News & Media 2009
First published in The Guardian, 01/09/09

A- Read the text quickly and find the answers to these questions.

1. How many people came to the new band’s first gig?
2. How many came to their second gig?
3. Where is the Guitar School?
4. When did satellite television arrive in Pakistan?
5. Where is the Rock Musicarium?5
6. What will the capacity of the Rock Musicarium be?

B- Read the text again and match the beginnings and endings to make sentences about the text.

1. A popular new television show …
2. Becoming a professional musician in Pakistan …
3. Extremist attacks …
4. Pakistani musicians use …
5. A new music scene is appearing …
6. For rich Pakistanis, there is a big difference ...

a. … have stopped almost all public performances in Lahore for the past six months.
b. … between western influences and the conservative nature of Pakistani society.
c. … in spite of the security situation.
d. ... has helped to make more people accept rock music.
e. … networking sites like MySpace and Facebook to publicize themselves.
f. … is difficult and sometimes dangerous.

C- Translate the text.

TP No 5 (Prof. Candela Perez Albizu)

Televisión de la realidad


La televisión 'real es un género de programación televisiva que, según se afirma, presenta situaciones dramáticas o humorísticas sin guión, documenta eventos reales, y presenta la gente común en vez de actores profesionales. Se podría describir como una forma de documental artificial o "elevado". Aunque el género ha existido en alguna forma u otra desde los primeros años de la televisión, la actual explosión de popularidad data de alrededor de 2000.
La televisión de realidad cubre una amplia gama de formatos de programación de televisión, desde programas o concurso que se asemejan , a los frenéticos, a menudo, degradantes programas producidos en Japón en los años 1980 y 1990 (un ejemplo moderno es Gaki no tsukai), a los centrados en la vigilancia – o voyeurismo- , como Gran Hermano. Los críticos dicen que el término "televisión real" es algo de un nombre poco apropiado y que estos programas con frecuencia presentan una forma de realidad modificada y altamente influenciada, con los participantes ubicados lugares exóticos o situaciones anormales, a veces entrenados para actuar de cierta manera por los agentes de fuera de la pantalla, y con eventos en la pantalla manipulados a través de la edición y otros técnicas de post-producción.
Parte del atractivo de la televisión de realidad se debe a su capacidad para ubicar a las personas normales en situaciones extraordinarias. Por ejemplo, en el programa de ABC, The Bachelor, un hombre elegible tiene citas con una docena de mujeres al mismo tiempo, viaja en citas extraordinarias a lugares pintorescos. La televisión 'real también tiene el potencial de convertir a sus participantes en celebridades nacionales, hacia el exterior en programas de talento y rendimiento, como Pop Idol, aunque con frecuencia los participantes de Survivor y Big Brother lleguen también a un cierto grado de celebridad.
Algunos comentaristas han dicho que el nombre de "reality show" es una descripción inexacta de varios estilos de los programas incluidos en el género. En los programas basados en competencia, tales como Gran Hermano y Survivor, y otros espectáculos con un medio ambiente de vida especial como El Mundo Real, los productores diseñan el formato del programa y controlan las actividades del día a día y el medio ambiente, creando un mundo completamente fabricado en el que la competencia tiene lugar. Los productores específicamente seleccionan a los participantes, y utilizan escenarios diseñados cuidadosamente, desafíos, eventos y la configuración para fomentar comportamientos particulares y los conflictos. Mark Burnett, creador de Survivor y otros espectáculos realidad, está de acuerdo con esta evaluación, y evita la palabra "realidad" para describir sus espectáculos, el ha dicho, "Cuento buenas historias. Realmente no es la TV realidad. Realmente es drama sin guión. "

TP Nº 5 (Prof. Candela Perez Albizu)

(Si no pueden imprimirlo hay una copia en la carpeta Nº 33 en la fotocopiadora del Centro de estudiantes de Humanidades y otra la llevará mañana un compañero a la fotocopiadora del sotano)

A. Read through the text and blacken in the correct option.

Reality Television

Reality television is a genre of television programming which, it is claimed, presents unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and features ordinary people rather than professional actors. It could be described as a form of artificial or "heightened" documentary. Although the genre has existed in some form or another since the early years of television, the current explosion of popularity dates from around 2000.Reality television covers a wide range of television programming formats, from game or quiz shows which resemble the frantic, often demeaning programmes produced in Japan in the 1980s and 1990s (a modern example is Gaki no tsukai), to surveillance- or voyeurism- focused productions such as Big Brother.Critics say that the term "reality television" is somewhat of a misnomer and that such shows frequently portray a modified and highly influenced form of reality, with participants put in exotic locations or abnormal situations, sometimes coached to act in certain ways by off-screen handlers, and with events on screen manipulated through editing and other post-production techniques.Part of reality television's appeal is due to its ability to place ordinary people in extraordinary situations. For example, on the ABC show, The Bachelor, an eligible male dates a dozen women simultaneously, travelling on extraordinary dates to scenic locales. Reality television also has the potential to turn its participants into national celebrities, outwardly in talent and performance programs such as Pop Idol, though frequently Survivor and Big Brother participants also reach some degree of celebrity.Some commentators have said that the name "reality television" is an inaccurate description for several styles of program included in the genre. In competition-based programs such as Big Brother and Survivor, and other special-living-environment shows like The Real World, the producers design the format of the show and control the day-to-day activities and the environment, creating a completely fabricated world in which the competition plays out. Producers specifically select the participants, and they use carefully designed scenarios, challenges, events, and settings to encourage particular behaviours and conflicts. Mark Burnett, creator of Survivor and other reality shows, has agreed with this assessment, and avoids the word "reality" to describe his shows; he has said, "I tell good stories. It really is not reality TV. It really is unscripted drama."

1 - In the first line, the writer says 'it is claimed' because…
O they agree with the statement.
O everyone agrees with the statement.
O no one agrees with the statement.
O they want to distance themselves from the statement.

2 - Reality television has…
O always been this popular.
O has been popular since well before 2000.
O has only been popular since 2000.
O has been popular since approximately 2000.

3 – Japan…
O is the only place to produce demeaning TV shows.
O has produced demeaning TV shows copied elsewhere.
O produced Big Brother.
O invented surveillance focused productions.

4 - People have criticised reality television because…
O it is demeaning.
O it uses exotic locations.
O the name is inaccurate.
O it shows reality.

5 - Reality TV appeals to some because…
O it shows eligible males dating women.
O it uses exotic locations.
O it shows average people in exceptional circumstances.
O it can turn ordinary people into celebrities.

6 - Pop Idol…
O turns all its participants into celebrities.
O is more likely to turn its participants into celebrities than Big Brother.
O is less likely to turn its participants into celebrities than Big Brother.
O is a dating show.

7 - The term 'reality television' is inaccurate…
O for all programs.
O just for Big Brother and Survivor.
O for talent and performance programs.
O for special-living-environment programs.

8 - Producers choose the participants...
O on the ground of talent.
O only for special-living-environment shows.
O to create conflict among other things.
O to make a fabricated world.

9 - Paul Burnett…
O was a participant on Survivor.
O is a critic of reality TV.
O thinks the term 'reality television' is inaccurate.
O writes the script for Survivor.

10 - Shows like Survivor…
O are definitely reality TV.
O are scripted.
O have good narratives.
O are theatre.

B- Find the corresponding contextual references for the words written in bold and italics. (In English)

C- Translate the text.

Resolucion TP Nº4 (Prof. CandelaPerez Albizu)

La población de personas de edad avanzada superará el número de niños

Ed Pilkington,
20 de Julio, 2009

A. 1- Mas de 9 billones
2- 23
3- Mas de uno en cuatro
4- Japon
5- Zinmabwe
6- 7 años

B. 1.e 2.d 3.b 4.f 5.a 6.c

C. La población del mundo pronto sufrirá un momento de importancia social y económica enorme.
Por primera vez el número de personas de 65 años de edad o más será mayor que el número de niños de menos de cinco años. Un nuevo informe realizado por la oficina de censos estadounidense muestra que la población del mundo esta 1envejeciendo rápidamente, con consecuencias enormes tanto para naciones ricas como para pobres. Esta situación traerá desafíos tanto para las familias como para los políticos, incluyendo desde el cuidado la gente más vieja que vive sola hasta como mantener los números enormes de jubilados – más de un billón de ellos para el 2040.
El informe, Un mundo que envejece: 2008, muestra que dentro de diez años las personas más viejas superarán en número a los niños por primera vez. Pronostica que durante los próximos 30 años el número de personas de mas de 65 años se duplicará, de 506 millones en 2008 a 1.3 billones – un aumento de la población del mundo del 7 % al 14 %. Ya, el número de personas de 65 y más años mundial esta aumentando en un promedio de 870,000 cada mes.
El número de personas de más de 65 aumentará rápidamente en los próximos dos años. El cambio es el resultado de una combinación de los índices de natalidad altos después de la Segunda Guerra Mundial y las mejoras recientes en la salud que está bajando los índices de mortalidad hacia edades mayores. Los pronósticos de Naciones Unidas predicen que la población global será mayor a nueve billones para el 2050.
La oficina de censos estadounidense fue la primera en llamar la atención hacia estos cambios. Este es su noveno informe en el cual utiliza datos de alrededor del mundo desde su primer informe en 1987. Sus últimos pronósticos advierten a los gobiernos y cuerpos internacionales que este cambio de la estructura demográfica traerá problemas significativos en cada nivel de la organización humana, comenzando con la estructura de la familia, que será transformada ya que la gente vive más tiempo. Este también traerá nuevos problemas para los proveedores de carreras y de asistencia social, mientras que los cambios en el trabajo y jubilación tendrán un impacto en los sistemas de salud y jubilación.
“La gente vive más tiempo y, en algunas partes del mundo, vidas más sanas,” dicen los autores. “Esto representa uno de los mayores logros del ultimo siglo pero también un desafío significativo ya que la cantidad de personas mas viejas aumenta en la mayoría de los países.” Europa es el continente más viejo, con 23 de los 25 países del mundo más viejos. Para el 2040, se espera que más de uno en cuatro europeos sea al menos de 65 años, y uno en siete al menos de 75.
El Reino Unido es el número 19 en la lista de los países más viejos del mundo. Número uno es Japón, que recientemente sustituyó a Italia como el país principal más viejo del mundo. Su expectativa de vida al nacer es de 82 años. En Europa occidental, Francia, Suecia e Italia todos tienen expectativas de vida de más de 80 años. En el Reino Unido es de 78.8 años.
La diferencia en la expectativa de vida entre naciones ricas y pobres es enorme. El informe muestra que una persona nacida en un país desarrollado puede esperar vivir 14 años más que alguien en un país en vías de desarrollo. Zimbabwe tiene la expectativa de vida más baja. Ésta es de sólo 40 años – el resultado de una combinación de SIDA, hambruna y dictadura.
Pero un hallazgo importante del informe consiste en que los países más pobres también estan experimentando el fenómeno de una población que envejece. Más del 80 % del aumento de la gente más vieja en el año hasta julio de 2008 fue visto en países en vías de desarrollo. Para el año 2040, se espera que el mundo pobre alberge a más de 1 billón de personas de 65 y más año – tanto como el 76 % del total mundial.
Muchos países con cantidades grandes de personas viejas ya estan teniendo problemas para pagar por una jubilación más larga para su población más vieja. La expectativa de vida después de la jubilación ya ha alcanzado los 21 años para los hombres franceses y 26 años para las mujeres francesas. Las edades de jubilación han comenzado a elevarse en países desarrollados, ya que los gobiernos animan a las personas a continuar trabajando, pero los fondos de jubilaciones públicos pueden ser incapaces de proporcionar el dinero suficiente para pagar las pensiones por vejez.
Socialmente, también, hay presiones tanto para los individuos como para las familias. Las mujeres viven en promedio siete años más que los hombres, por lo tanto más y más mujeres de edad avanzada estan viviendo solas. Alrededor de la mitad de todas las mujeres 65 y más años en Alemania, Dinamarca y Eslovaquia están solas y la soledad es un problema de gran importancia.

© Guardian News & Media 2009
Publicado primero en The Guardian, 20/07/09

TP Nº4 (Prof. Candela Pérez Albizú)

Population of older people to surpass number of children
Ed Pilkington, 20 July, 2009

The world’s population will soon experience a moment of huge social and economic importance. For the first time the number of people aged 65 or more will be greater than the number of children under five years old. A new report by the US census bureau shows the world’s population is ageing rapidly, with enormous consequences for both rich and poor nations. This situation will bring challenges for both families and politicians, including how to care for older people living alone to how to pay for enormous numbers of pensioners – more than one billion of them by 2040.

The report, An Ageing World: 2008, shows that within ten years older people will outnumber children for the first time. It forecasts that over the next 30 years the number of over-65s will double, from 506 million in 2008 to 1.3 billion – an increase from 7% of the world’s population to 14%. Already, the number of people in the world 65 and over is increasing at an average of 870,000 each month.

The number of people over 65 will increase rapidly in the next couple of years. The change is the result of a combination of the high birth rates after the Second World War and recent improvements in health that are bringing down death rates at older ages. United Nations forecasts predict that the global population will be more than nine billion by 2050.

The US census bureau was the first to draw attention to these changes. This is its ninth report using data from around the world since it first reported in 1987. Its latest forecasts warn governments and international bodies that this change in population structure will bring significant problems at every level of human organization, starting with the structure of the family, which will be transformed as people live longer. This will also bring new problems for careers and social services providers, while changes in work and retirement will have an impact on health services and pensions systems. “People are living longer and, in some parts of the world, healthier lives,” the authors say. “This represents one of the greatest achievements of the last century but also a significant challenge as numbers of older people increase in most countries.” Europe is the oldest continent, with 23 of the world’s 25 oldest countries. By 2040, more than one in four Europeans are expected to be at least 65, and one in seven at least 75.

The UK is number 19 in the list of the world’s oldest countries. Number one is Japan, which recently replaced Italy as the world’s oldest major country. Its life expectancy at birth is 82 years. In western Europe, France, Sweden and Italy all have life expectancies of more than 80 years. In the UK it is 78.8.

The difference in life expectancy between rich and poor nations is huge. The report shows that a person born in a developed country can expect to live 14 years longer than someone in a developing country. Zimbabwe has the lowest life expectancy. It is just 40 years – the result of a combination of Aids, famine and dictatorship.

But an important finding of the report is that poorer countries are also experiencing the phenomenon of an ageing population. More than 80% of the increase in older people in the year up to July 2008 was seen in developing countries. By 2040, the poor world is expected to be home to more than 1 billion people aged 65 and over – as much as 76% of the world total.

Many countries with large numbers of old people are already having problems paying for a longer retirement for their older population. Life expectancy after retirement has already reached 21 years for French men and 26 years for French women. Retirement ages have begun to rise in developed countries, as governments encourage people to continue working, but public pensions funds may be unable to provide enough money to pay for old age pensions.

Socially, too, there are pressures for both individuals and families. Women live on average seven years longer than men, so more and more older women are living alone. Around half of all women 65 and over in Germany, Denmark and Slovakia are on their own and loneliness is a major problem.

© Guardian News & Media 2009
First published in The Guardian, 20/07/09

A. Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible.
1. What will the world’s population be in 2050?
2. How many of the world’s 25 oldest countries are in Europe?
3. By 2040 how many Europeans will be at least 65?
4. Which country has the highest life expectancy in the world?
5. Which country has the lowest life expectancy?
6. How much longer (on average) do women live than men?

B. Read the text again and match the beginnings and endings to make sentences about the text.
1. People over 65 will soon …
2. The number of people in the world over 65 years old ….
3. This change in population structure …
4. People born in developed countries …
5. By 2040, 76% of people aged 65 and over ...
6. Large numbers of older women live alone because …
a) … will live in poor, developing countries.
b) … will bring significant problems to families and social service providers.
c) … women live on average seven years longer than men.
d) … is increasing at an average of 870,000 each month.
e) … outnumber children under five years old for the first time.
f) … live on average 14 years longer than those born in developing countries.

C. Contextual reference: What do the words in bold (in the text) refer to?

D. Translate the text.