Lesson 4

Reading

1. Read the comments on an article posted on social media which said that people who are over seventy can still make a contribution to society. Match the opinions (1-3) with the comments (A-C).

1. Some factors make it harder for older people to contribute to society, but they can still have a positive impact on it. C
2. Older people can’t do anything to help society even if they wanted to, so there’s no reason to discuss whether or not they do this. A
3. Our ideas about who is old and what old people can do have changed with the result that we now see them in a more positive light. B

2. Read the comments again. Use the phrases in the box, which you could use in an opinion essay, to complete the sentences about the writer’s opinions.

1. From my point of view, older people who remain active are the exceptions among people their age.
2. Owing to their age, most people over seventy are not able to contribute to society by going to work.
3. The first thing to consider is that being over seventy years old does not necessarily make you an ‘old person’ any more as many people now remain active into their seventies.
4. A further reason why we should see older people as still able to make a contribution to society is that they often use their free time to do volunteer work or help with their grandchildren.
5. We cannot ignore the fact that some people who are over seventy are not as healthy and, therefore, not as active as younger people.