Topic For The Number Thirteen (Nov.21.2015)

[Alex J Jung]

안녕하세요.

리더 알렉스 입니다.

이번 주는 그리 춥지 않은 날씨로 꽤 괜찮았는데,

다음 주 부턴 추워 집니다.

모두들 따듯하게.

낼 만나요.

Small talk

   1. Do you have a place where you can be alone?

   2. Is this a place you can go every day?

   3. How do you feel when you’re alone?

   4. Do you spend a lot of time by yourself?

   5. How do you think being alone affects your mental health and happiness?

Topic 1.  More and more 70-year-olds working 

 People are working to an older age in Britain. The number of 70-74 year-old people who work has doubled in the past decade. Around 10 per cent of British people in their early 70s are now working. It is the highest figure since records began.

The British government says just over a quarter of a million 70-74-year-olds currently have jobs. In 2005, there were around 100,000 of them. The government said people are working to an older age and are deciding to retire later. A labour union spokesperson said the reason for people working in their old age is because retirement pensions in Britain are becoming more difficult to live on. Many older people have to work and delay retirement to be able to survive.

Employment spokesman Frances O'Grady said: "The last decade has seen [big] changes in the labour market, with far more people working beyond retirement age. While there are plenty who enjoy remaining in work, many need to earn extra cash because they cannot afford to retire."

He added that: "We need decent jobs and pensions for all so that people can make a genuine choice about whether they remain in work." A spokesman for small businesses, John Allan, said more older people were starting their own businesses. He said: "More and more older people are [deciding on] a career change later in life and are starting up their own businesses, pursuing something they may have dreamed of doing for years."

 Question

1. At what age do you want to stop working?

2. What is the best retirement age?

3. What are people in their 70s good at?

4. What are the difficulties for people when they retire?

5. How important is a pension?

6. What do you like and dislike about your job?

7. Would you like to work beyond retirement age?

8. Would you like to have your own business?

 Topic 2. China ends one-child policy 

 China has ended its decades-long one-child policy to allow all couples to have two children. The ruling Communist Party of China made the announcement on Thursday.

The one-child policy, officially called the family planning policy, was a population control measure that was introduced in 1979. Policy makers hoped to restrict the country's surging population and therefore control rates of poverty. It wasn't adhered to strictly and many exceptions were allowed.

In 2007, around 36 per cent of China's population was subject to a strict one-child restriction. An additional 53 per cent was allowed to have a second child if the first child was a girl. The new two-child policy will reverse China's very low fertility rate.

The new two-child policy is expected to provide a huge economic boost for China and prevent it from developing into an ageing society. China’s labour force reached a peak of 940 million in 2012.

However, this decreased to 930 million in 2014 and was expected to fall by another 29 million by 2020. Predictions from Peking University are that there will be an average of 2.5 million extra newborns per year.

This will result in more workers and an additional $11.8 billion in annual consumption. Shares in many international baby goods companies jumped by over 10 per cent after the news was announced. The new policy will affect around 100 million couples.

Qusetions

1. What do you know about China's one-child policy?

2. What's the best number of children to have?

3. What problems are associated with overpopulation?

4. What do you think of China's new two-child policy?

5. What other kinds of companies will benefit from more babies?

6. Which are better, boys or girls?

7. Does our country do anything to control its population?

8. What are the problems of an ageing society?

[STAFF♡]

참석하시는 분은 댓글남겨주세요:)

[Alex J Jung]

오늘 스터디 캔슬 했어요 :)