Reading 5: Read the paragraph and then answer the next five…
Reading 5: Read the paragraph and then answer the next five questions (20-25). In Japan, old people traditionally have been highly respected. Evidence for this high level of respect can be seen in the fact that Japanese consider it a natural duty to care for their elderly parents. As a matter of fact, three fourths of all people who are 65 or older live with their children. Within the context of the extended family, the elderly remain highly productive, helping with housework, gardening, and, at times, the family business. The government also shows respect for the older generation by awarding medals to the elderly for attaining certain ages. In addition, the old traditionally receive the seat of honor, the deepest bows, the best clothes, and the first dip in the family bath. Throughout Asia, to neglect one’s parents or to leave them in the care of strangers has been considered a disgrace to the family name. (In recent years, however, as Japanese society has become more industrialized and the Japanese elderly have lost much of their land, they have also lost some of their prestige.) In contrast, the elderly are frequently derided in the United States. How often have you heard old people described as “old fogeys” or “geezers”? How often have you heard that they are “over the hill” or should be “put out to pasture”? These common expressions reflect a widespread prejudice against the elderly in our society, prejudice called “ageism” by Dr. Robert N. Buller, head of the National Institute on Aging. (Adapted from Sociology by Peck and Krieger, Scholastic, Inc. 1988, p. 369)
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