VII Listening ExercisesY ou are going to hear a short speech on our aging society.A. 1. Listen carefully. All the words and phrases in Column A will appear in the listeningmaterial. Guess their meanings and match them with their definitions in Column B.Column A Column B1) numerous A. very happy or excited2) preface B. expectation3) prospect C. cut off completely4) traumatic D. vocabulary5) limb E. very upsetting or difficult6) severed F. a part of the body, like an arm or leg7) lexicon G. introduce or begin8) bode well for H. many9) elated I. throw away, dispose of10) discard J. be a good sign for the future for2. Complete the following sentences with proper forms of the words or phrase in1) The managernegotiations as they couldn’t agree on any of the important issues.9) Many artificial10) These early sales figures the success of the book.B. Listen again. Complete the statements and answer the questions.1. Statementsis a group of living together orwith one another forof a family is and to4) divide families into two general types: the family and theinclude2. QuestionsScriptModerator:There is no definition of a “normal” family. Broadly speaking, the family is a group of people related by blood or law, living together for a common purpose. That purpose is usually to provide shelter and food, and to bring up children.There are many different views on family life. Some people could not do without the support and love of their families. Others say it is the source of most of our problems and anxieties. Whatever the truth is, the family is definitely a powerful symbol. Turn on the television or open a magazine and you will see advertisements with happy, balanced families. Politicians often try to win votes by standing for “family values”: respect for parental authority, stability in marriage, chastity and care for the elderly.Sociologists divide families into two general types: the nuclear family and the extended family. The nuclear family usually consists of two parents and one or two c hildren while the extended family may include three or more generations living together. Conflicts among generations in extended families sometimes can be extremely penetrating. How to take care of the older generation has become a very knotty problem.Ladies and Gentleman, it gives me great pleasure to introduce our guest speaker today, Dr. Howard Miller. Dr. Miller, Professor of Sociology at Washington University, has written numerous articles and books on the problems 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 with 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 emphaticexclaiming 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 not only the decline of 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 what is “new” or in fashion, and our own usage of lexicon in the English language often does not bode well for older citizens. 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” calls up images of the need to replace or discard.Now, many of the lectures given at this conference have focused on pension reform, medical care, and the development of public facilities for senior citizens. And while these are important problems that must be dealt with, 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 reevaluating our views on what it means to be a part of this group, and finding meaningful roles the elderly can and should play in our societies.First of all, I’d talk about ...。