雅思词汇课文（17）· The Ageing Population 人口老龄化

社会与经济主题，约 350 词，融入 30 个雅思核心词。

🎧 课文朗读音频（约 1 分钟）

📖 课文 Text

The Ageing Population

In 1800, only one in fifteen Europeans was over 60. Today, the figure is closer to one in four. By 2050, one in six people worldwide will be aged over 65. This demographic shift is without historical precedent and will reshape economies, families and political systems on every continent.

The cause is straightforward: people are living longer and having fewer children. In Japan, nearly 30 per cent of the population is over 65. In Italy and Germany, the proportion is over 20 per cent. Even in developing countries, fertility rates are falling, and life expectancy is rising. China's one-child policy, now abandoned, has accelerated the trend dramatically.

The economic consequences are profound. A shrinking working-age population must support a growing number of retirees. Pension systems, designed when most people died before collecting a state pension, are under strain. Healthcare costs rise sharply with age, as chronic conditions such as dementia and heart disease become more common.

Yet there is reason to avoid panic. Many older people remain healthy, active and willing to work. Retirement ages are rising in many countries. Older workers bring experience, stability and loyalty. The "silver economy" — goods and services tailored to older consumers — is one of the fastest-growing markets.

The challenge is distribution. The burden falls heaviest on women, who often provide unpaid care for elderly relatives. Rural areas, where young people have left for cities, face the sharpest decline in working adults. Immigration, long controversial in rich countries, is one obvious but politically unpopular solution.

The ageing of humanity is not a crisis but a transition. How societies adapt — through pensions, technology, family policy and immigration — will define the twenty-first century.

📝 生词表 New Words and Expressions

🧠 课文理解 Comprehension

1. What percentage of Japan's population is over 65?

• A. about 20 per cent
• B. nearly 30 per cent
• C. about 15 per cent
• D. over 50 per cent

2. Why are pension systems under strain?

• A. people collect pensions for fewer years
• B. people now live longer and collect pensions for longer
• C. governments have abolished pensions
• D. pensions are too generous

3. The "silver economy" refers to...

• A. the market for silver jewellery
• B. goods and services for older consumers
• C. mining companies
• D. currency speculation

4. Who bears the heaviest burden of elderly care?

• A. men
• B. women providing unpaid care
• C. the government
• D. charities

5. The writer believes the ageing population is...

• A. an unmitigated disaster
• B. a transition that societies can adapt to
• C. a problem that will solve itself
• D. only a concern for rich countries

✏️ 词汇练习 Vocabulary Practice

Fill in the blanks with the correct word from the list. Change the form where necessary.

| demographic / precedent / accelerate / chronic / burden / rural / controversial / adapt |

1. The country's ______ structure is changing as birth rates fall.
2. The court's decision set a dangerous ______ for future cases.
3. The new policy aims to ______ economic growth.
4. He suffers from ______ back pain that requires regular treatment.
5. Caring for an elderly parent can be a heavy financial ______.
6. Many young people leave ______ areas to find work in cities.
7. The new law remains deeply ______ among voters.
8. Animals that cannot ______ to a changing environment face extinction.

✅ 答案 Answers

Comprehension

1. B　2. B　3. B　4. B　5. B

Vocabulary

1. demographic　2. precedent　3. accelerate　4. chronic　5. burden　6. rural　7. controversial　8. adapt