Table of Contents
Growing of the Aging Society
Passage
A. American scientists say that the elderly are now healthier, happier and more independent. The results of a study that has taken place over a 14-year period will be released at the end of the month. The research will show that common health disorders suffered by the elderly are affecting fewer people and happening after in life.
B. Over the last 14 years, The National Long-term Health Care Survey has gathered data from more than 20,000 males and females over the age of 65 about their health and lifestyles. The group has analysed the results of data gathered in 1994 on conditions such as arthritis, high blood pressure and poor circulation; these were the most common medical complaints for this age group. The results show that these conditions are troubling a smaller proportion of people each year and decreasing very quickly. Other diseases suffered by the elderly including dementia, emphysema and arteriosclerosis are also affecting fewer people.
C. According to Kenneth Manton, a demographer from Duke University in North Carolina, “the question of what should be considered normal ageing has really changed.” He also mentioned that diseases suffered by many people around the age of 65 in 1982 are now not occurring until people reach the age of 70-75.
D. It is clear that due to medical advances some diseases are not as prominent as they used to be. However, there were also other factors influencing this change. For instance, improvements in childhood nutrition in the first quarter of the twentieth century gave many people a better start in life than was possible before.
E. The data also shows some negative changes in public health. The research suggests that the
rise of respiratory conditions such as lung cancer and bronchitis may reflect changing smoking habits and an increase in air pollution. Manton says that as we have been exposed to worse and worse pollution, it is not surprising that some people over the age of 60 are suffering as a result.
F. Manton also found that better-educated people are likely to live longer. For instance, women of 65 with less than eight years of education are expected to live to around 82. Those who studied more could be able to live seven years longer. Whilst some of this can be attributed to better- educated people usually having a higher income, Manton believes it is mainly because they pay closer attention to their health.
G. Also, the survey estimated how independent people of 65 were and found a striking trend. In the 1994 survey, almost 80% of them were able to complete activities such as eating and dressing alone as well as handling difficult tasks, like cooking and managing their financial affairs. This situation indicates an important drop among disabled elderly people in the population. If 14 years ago, the apparent trends in the US had continued, researchers believe that there would be one
million disabled elderly people in today’s population. Manton shows the trend saved more than $200 billion for the US’s government’s Medicare system, and it has suggested the elderly American population is less of a financial burden than expected.
H. The growing number of independent elderly people is probably linked to the huge increase in home medical aids. For instance, the research shows the use of raising toilet seat covers and bath seats has increased by more than fifty per cent. Also, these developments about health benefits are reported by the MacArthur Foundation’s research group for successful ageing. It found the elderly who are able to take care of themselves were more likely to stay healthy in their old age.
I. Retaining a certain level of daily physical activity may also help brain function, according to Carl Cotman, a neuroscientist at the University of California at Irvine. He found that rats exercising on
a treadmill have higher levels of a brain-derived neurotrophic factor in their brains. He believes the hormone which holds neuron functions may prevent the active human’s brain function from declining.
J. Teresa Seeman, a social epidemiologist at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, was conducting the same research. She found a line between self-esteem and stress in people over 70. The elderly who do challenging activities such as driving have more control of their mind and have a lower level of the stress hormone cortisol in their brains. Chronically high levels of this hormone can cause heart disease.
K. However, an independent life may have negative points. Seeman knew that the elderly people that were living alone were able to retain higher levels of stress hormones even when sleeping. The research indicates that elderly people are happier if they can live an independent life but also acknowledge when they need help.
L. Seeman says, “With many cases of research about ageing, these results help common sense.” Also, the situations show that we may be ignoring some of the simple factors. She mentions, “The sort of thing your grandmother always used to talk to you about seems to be exactly right.”
Questions
Questions 1-6
Reading Passage 1 has twelve paragraphs, A-L.
Choose the correct heading for paragraphs B-G from the list of headings below.
List of Headings
I. Disorders strike much later in life.
II. Drawbacks in public health.
III. Longevity based on high education.
IV. The elderly people of today got better nutrition when they were children.
V. The elderly are becoming more well off.
VI. Most of independent people over 65 complete activities themselves.
VII. Diseases have decreased recently.
1. Paragraph B
2. Paragraph C
3. Paragraph D
4. Paragraph E
5. Paragraph F
6. Paragraph G
Questions 7-13
Do the following statements reflect the claims of the writer in Reading Passage 1?
• TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
• FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
• NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
7. Smoking habits are a crucial cause in some cancers.
8. The better-educated elderly people tend to live longer.
9. People over 65 can independently manage a variety of tasks.
10. Elderly people have overcome dementia as a result of home medical aids.
11. Continuing physical exercises is likely to assist digestive function.
12. People over 70 who still do challenging things such as driving are able to lower their level of the hormone cortisol which is linked to heart disease.
13. Isolation may cause a higher level of stress hormones.
Answers
Below are the answers, key words and full explanations for the IELTS Reading passage Growing of the Aging Society (Passage 1, Questions 1–13).
Questions 1–6: Matching Headings (Paragraphs B–G)
1. Paragraph B
Answer: VII — Diseases have decreased recently.
Explanation: “these conditions are troubling a smaller proportion of people each year and decreasing very quickly. Other diseases … are also affecting fewer people.” Common diseases are declining.
affecting fewer people / decreasing quickly = diseases have decreased.
Answer: VII
2. Paragraph C
Answer: I — Disorders strike much later in life.
Explanation: “diseases suffered by many people around the age of 65 in 1982 are now not occurring until people reach the age of 70-75.” Illnesses appear at older ages now.
not occurring until 70–75 = disorders strike much later.
Answer: I
3. Paragraph D
Answer: IV — The elderly people of today got better nutrition when they were children.
Explanation: “improvements in childhood nutrition in the first quarter of the twentieth century gave many people a better start in life.“
improvements in childhood nutrition = better nutrition as children.
Answer: IV
4. Paragraph E
Answer: II — Drawbacks in public health.
Explanation: “The data also shows some negative changes in public health … the rise of respiratory conditions such as lung cancer and bronchitis.“
negative changes in public health = drawbacks in public health.
Answer: II
5. Paragraph F
Answer: III — Longevity based on high education.
Explanation: “better-educated people are likely to live longer … Those who studied more could be able to live seven years longer.“
better-educated people live longer = longevity based on high education.
Answer: III
6. Paragraph G
Answer: VI — Most of the independent people over 65 complete activities themselves.
Explanation: “almost 80% of them were able to complete activities such as eating and dressing alone as well as handling difficult tasks, like cooking and managing their financial affairs.“
80% complete activities alone = most independent people over 65 do activities themselves.
Answer: VI
Questions 7–13: True / False / Not Given
7. Smoking habits are a crucial cause in some cancers.
Answer: NOT GIVEN
Key words: smoking habits, crucial cause, cancers
Explanation: “the rise of respiratory conditions such as lung cancer and bronchitis may reflect changing smoking habits.” The passage links smoking loosely (“may reflect”) but never states it is a crucial cause of cancer, so this cannot be confirmed.
Answer: NOT GIVEN
8. The better-educated elderly people tend to live longer.
Answer: TRUE
Key words: better-educated, live longer
Explanation: “Manton also found that better-educated people are likely to live longer.“
Answer: TRUE
9. People over 65 can independently manage a variety of tasks.
Answer: TRUE
Key words: over 65, independently, variety of tasks
Explanation: “almost 80% of them were able to complete activities … as well as handling difficult tasks, like cooking and managing their financial affairs.“
complete activities and difficult tasks alone = independently manage a variety of tasks.
Answer: TRUE
10. Elderly people have overcome dementia as a result of home medical aids.
Answer: NOT GIVEN
Key words: overcome dementia, home medical aids
Explanation: Home medical aids (raised toilet seats, bath seats) are linked to independence, but the passage never says they helped elderly people overcome dementia. No such link is given.
Answer: NOT GIVEN
11. Continuing physical exercises is likely to assist digestive function.
Answer: FALSE
Key words: physical exercises, digestive function
Explanation: “Retaining a certain level of daily physical activity may also help brain function.” Exercise is linked to brain function, not digestive function, so the statement contradicts the passage.
help brain function ≠ assist digestive function.
Answer: FALSE
12. People over 70 who still do challenging things such as driving are able to lower their level of the hormone cortisol which is linked to heart disease.
Answer: TRUE
Key words: over 70, driving, cortisol, heart disease
Explanation: “The elderly who do challenging activities such as driving … have a lower level of the stress hormone cortisol in their brains. Chronically high levels of this hormone can cause heart disease.“
challenging activities → lower cortisol → cortisol linked to heart disease = matches statement.
Answer: TRUE
13. Isolation may cause a higher level of stress hormones.
Answer: FALSE
Key words: isolation, higher stress hormones
Explanation: This is a tricky item. The passage notes that “elderly people that were living alone were able to retain higher levels of stress hormones,” but it frames living alone as a positive, chosen independent life: “elderly people are happier if they can live an independent life.” The writer does not present independent living as harmful “isolation,” so the statement does not match the writer’s claim and is marked FALSE. (Note: this is a debatable, poorly-worded item, but both answer sources give FALSE.)
Answer: FALSE
| Answer Key (Quick Reference) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Q | Answer | Q | Answer |
| 1 | VII | 8 | TRUE |
| 2 | I | 9 | TRUE |
| 3 | IV | 10 | NOT GIVEN |
| 4 | II | 11 | FALSE |
| 5 | III | 12 | TRUE |
| 6 | VI | 13 | FALSE |
| 7 | NOT GIVEN | ||
Cambridge IELTS 1-21 Reading test solutions
