Greying Population Stays in the Pink Reading Answers

Dec 19, 2022

Greying Population Stays in the Pink Reading Answers has twelve passages and 13 different types of questions. Candidates will be shown various question types with clear instructions in this IELTS Section. Greying Population Stays in the Pink Reading Answers is a passage extracted from IELTS Academic Cambridge Test 6. This IELTS reading passage Greying Population Stays in the Pink Reading Answers contains two types of questions- Complete the summary by filling the blanks, and Complete the sentences. IELTS reading samples come with a detailed explanation of each question in this passage. These samples ensure good IELTS reading practice for all the test-takers. Greying Population Stays in the Pink Reading Answers is taken from Greying population stays in the pink By Philip Cohen published in New Scientist in 1996.

Check: Get 10 Free Sample Papers
Check: Register for IELTS Coaching - Join for Free Trial Class Now

Section 1

Read the Passage to Answer the Following Questions

Greying Population Stays in the Pink Reading Answers

Older people are growing healthier, happier, and more independent, say American scientists. The results of a 14-year study to be announced later this month reveal that the diseases associated with old age are afflicting fewer and fewer people and when they do strike, it is much later in life.
In the last 14 years, the National Long-term Health Care Survey has gathered data on the health and lifestyles of more than 20,000 men and women over 65. Researchers, now analysing the results of data gathered in 1994, say arthritis, high blood pressure, and circulation problems - the major medical complaints in this age group - are troubling a smaller proportion every year. And the data confirms that the rate at which these diseases are declining continues to accelerate. Other diseases of old age - dementia, stroke, arteriosclerosis, and emphysema - are also troubling fewer and fewer people.
'It really raises the question of what should be considered normal aging,' says Kenneth Manton, a demographer from Duke University in North Carolina. He says the problems doctors accepted as normal in a 65-year-old in 1982 are often not appearing until people are 70 or 75.
Clearly, certain diseases are beating a retreat in the face of medical advances. But there may be other contributing factors. Improvements in childhood nutrition in the first quarter of the twentieth century, for example, gave today's elderly people a better start in life than their predecessors.
On the downside, the data also reveals failures in public health that have caused surges in some illnesses. An increase in some cancers and bronchitis may reflect changing smoking habits and poorer air quality, say the researchers. 'These may be subtle influences,' says Manton, 'but our subjects have been exposed to worse and worse pollution for over 60 years. It's not surprising we see some effect.'
One interesting correlation Manton uncovered is that better-educated people are likely to live longer. For example, 65-year-old women with fewer than eight years of schooling are expected, on average, to live to 82. Those who continued their education live an extra seven years. Although some of this can be attributed to a higher income, Manton believes it is mainly because educated people seek more medical attention.
The survey also assessed how independent people over 65 were, and again found a striking trend. Almost 80% of those in the 1994 survey could complete everyday activities ranging from eating and dressing unaided to complex tasks such as cooking and managing their finances. That represents a significant drop in the number of disabled old people in the population. If the trends apparent in the United States 14 years ago had continued, researchers calculate there would be an additional one million disabled elderly people in today's population. According to Manton, slowing the trend has saved the United States government's Medicare system more than $200 billion, suggesting that the greying of America's population may prove less of a financial burden than expected.
The increasing self-reliance of many elderly people is probably linked to a massive increase in the use of simple home medical aids. For instance, the use of raised toilet seats has more than doubled since the start of the study, and the use of bath seats has grown by more than 50%. These developments also bring some health benefits, according to a report from the MacArthur Foundation's research group on successful ageing. The group found that those elderly people who were able to retain a sense of independence were more likely to stay healthy in old age.
Maintaining a level of daily physical activity may help mental functioning, says Carl Cotman, a neuroscientist at the University of California at Irvine. He found that rats that exercise on a treadmill have raised levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor coursing through their brains. Cotman believes this hormone, which keeps neurons functioning, may prevent the brains of active humans from deteriorating.
As part of the same study, Teresa Seeman, a social epidemiologist at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, found a connection between self-esteem and stress in people over 70. In laboratory simulations of challenging activities such as driving, those who felt in control of their lives pumped out lower levels of stress hormones such as cortisol. Chronically high levels of these hormones have been linked to heart disease.
But independence can have drawbacks. Seeman found that elderly people who felt emotionally isolated maintained higher levels of stress hormones even when asleep. The research suggests that older people fare best when they feel independent but know they can get help when they need it.
'Like much research into ageing, these results support common-sense,' says Seeman. They also show that we may be underestimating the impact of these simple factors. 'The sort of thing that your grandmother always told you turns out to be right on target,' she says.

Section 2

Solution and Explanation
Questions 1-9
Complete the summary using the list of words, A-Q, below.
Write the correct letter, A-Q, in boxes 1-9 on your answer sheet.

Research carried out by scientists in the United States has shown that the proportion of people over 65 suffering from the most common age-related medical problems is ____1_____ and that the speed of this change is _____2_____. It also seems that these diseases are affecting people ______3_____ in life than they did in the past. This is largely due to developments in ______4______ but other factors such as improved _______5_____ may also be playing a part. Increases in some other illnesses may be due to changes in personal habits and to ______6_____. The research establishes a link between levels of _______7_____ and life expectancy. It also shows that there has been a considerable reduction in the number of elderly people who are ______8_____ which means that the _______9_____ involved in supporting this section of the population may be less than previously predicted.

Answer options:

Cost
Falling
Technology
Undernourished
earlier
later
Disabled
More
Increasing
Nutrition
Education
Constant
Medicine
Pollution
Environmental
Health
Independent

Question: 1

Answer: B. Falling
Supporting sentence: Researchers, now analysing the results of data collected in 1994, say arthritis, high blood pressure, and circulation problems - the major medical complaints in this age group - are troubling a smaller proportion every year.
Keywords: Research, United States, proportion, leftover, suffering
Keyword Location: Paragraph 2
Explanation: The National Long-term Health Care Survey has 'gathered data on the health and lifestyles' of more than 20,000 men and women over 65' during the previous 14 years, according to paragraph B. According to researchers who examined data from 1994, "arthritis, high blood pressure, and circulation difficulties - the primary medical complaints in this age group are the number is decreasing or falling. As a result, the solution is B.

Question: 2

Answer: I. Increasing
Supporting sentence: The data confirm that the rate at which these diseases are declining continues to accelerate.
Keywords: declining continues to accelerate, major medical complaints
Keyword Location: Paragraph 2
Explanation: According to paragraph B, experts note that after analysing the findings of data collected in 1994, arthritis, high blood pressure, and circulation difficulties - the major medical complaints in this age group - are bothering a lower number of people each year. The data reveals that the 'pace at which these diseases are dropping' continues to 'accelerate'. As a result, the answer is I.

Question: 3

Answer: F. Later
Supporting sentence: He says the problems doctors accepted as normal in a 65-year-old in 1982 are often not appearing until people are 70 or 75.
Keywords: diseases, affecting people in the past.
Keyword Location: Paragraph 3
Explanation: According to paragraph C, Kenneth Manton, a demographer at Duke University in North Carolina, the 'issues doctors viewed as typical in a 65-year-old in 1982' are frequently "not emerging until people are 70 or 75," implying that these diseases are impacting people far later in life than in the past. As a result, the answer is F.

Question: 4

Answer: M. Medicine
Supporting sentence: Clearly, certain diseases are beating a retreat in the face of medical advances. But there may be other contributing factors.
Keywords: Development, improved
Keyword Location: Paragraph 4
Explanation: In paragraph D, it is said that "some illnesses are beating a retreat" (induced later in life) "in the face of medicinal improvements" (largely due to developments in medicines). As a result, the answer is M.

Question: 5

Answer: J. Nutrition
Supporting sentence: Improvements in childhood nutrition in the first quarter of the twentieth century, for example, gave today's elderly people a better start in life than their predecessors.
Keywords: Improvement, first quarter
Keyword Location: Paragraph 4
Explanation: According to paragraph D, "some illnesses are beating a retreat" as a result of medicinal developments. However, there may be 'other contributing elements' (factors that also play a role), such as 'improvements in childhood nutrition' in the first quarter of the twentieth century, which 'provided today's elderly people a better start in life than their forefathers'. As a result, the answer is J.

Question: 6

Answer: N. Pollution
Supporting sentence: On the downside, the data also reveals public health failures that have caused surges in some illnesses.
Keywords: Increases, illness, personal habits
Keyword Location: Paragraph 5
Explanation: According to graph E, the data also demonstrates "failures in public health" that have resulted in "surges in some ailments" (increases in some other illnesses). Some malignancies and bronchitis may be on the rise as a result of 'changing smoking patterns' (personal habits) and 'poorer air quality' (pollution). As a result, the answer is N.

Question: 7

Answer: K. Education
Supporting sentence: One interesting correlation Manton uncovered is that better-educated people are likely to live longer.
Keywords: Research, life-expectancy
Keyword Location: Paragraph 6
Explanation: One intriguing a relationship Manton discovered is that 'better-educated persons' are 'likely to live longer' (have a better life expectancy). For example, 65-year-old women with fewer than eight years of education are anticipated to survive to the age of 82 on average. Those who 'completed their schooling' live seven years longer. Manton feels this is primarily due to educated individuals seeking greater medical treatment. As a result, the answer is K.

Question: 8

Answer: G. Disabled
Supporting sentence: If the trends apparent in the United States 14 years ago had continued, researchers calculate there would be an additional one million disabled elderly people in today's population.
Keywords: reduction, elderly, disables
Keyword Location: Paragraph 7
Explanation: According to graph G, over 80% of people who took part in the 1994 poll were able to do daily activities such as eating and dressing without assistance, as well as more complicated duties like as cooking and handling their money. This shows a'significant dip' (substantial fall) in the population's number of disabled'old people' (elderly individuals).
As a result, the answer is G.

Question: 9

Answer: A. Cost
Supporting sentence: According to Manton, slowing the trend has saved the United States government's Medicare system more than $200 billion, suggesting that the greying of America's population may prove less of a
financial burden than expected.
Keywords: financial burden, population, less than
Keyword Location: Paragraph 7
Explanation: In graph G, researchers calculate that if the patterns of a major reduction in the number of impaired senior persons seen in the United States 14 years ago had remained, there would be an additional one million disabled elderly people in today's population. Slowing the trend has'saved the United States government's Medicare system more than $200 billion,' according to Manton, implying that the 'greying of America's population may prove less of a financial burden, that is, the expense of sustaining this segment of the population may be less. As a result, the answer is A.

Questions 10-13
Complete each sentence with the correct ending, A-H, below.
Answer options

May cause heart disease.
Can be helped by hormone treatment.
May cause rises in levels of stress hormones.
Have cost the United States government more than $200 billion.
May help prevent mental decline.
May get stronger at night.
Allow old people to be more independent.
Can reduce stress in difficult situations

Write the correct letter, A-H, in boxes 10-13 on your answer sheet.

Home medical aids

Answer: G. Allow old people to be more independent.
Supporting sentence: The increasing self-reliance of many elderly people is probably linked to a massive increase in the use of simple home medical aids.
Keywords: Home, medical, aids, old people, more independent.
Keyword Location: Paragraph 8
Explanation: The 'growing self-reliance' (greater independence) of many 'elderly individuals' (old people) is linked to a significant 'growth in the use of modest home medical devices,' according to paragraph H. For example, since the beginning of the research, the usage of elevated toilet seats has more than doubled, while the use of bath seats has increased by more than 50%. As a result, the answer is G.

Regular amounts of exercise

Answer: E. May help prevent mental decline.
Keywords: Regular amounts, exercise, prevent, decline.
Supporting sentence: Maintaining a level of daily physical activity may help mental functioning, says Carl Cotman, a neuroscientist at the University of California at Irvine.
Keyword Location: Paragraph 9
Explanation: In paragraph I, the author mentions Carl Cotman, a neuroscientist at the University of California, Irvine, who claims that "maintaining a level of daily physical activity" (regular quantities of exercise) may "improve mental functioning," implying that mental difficulties will not be a problem for the elderly. As a result, the answer is E.

Feelings of control over life

Answer: H. Can reduce stress in difficult situations
Supporting sentence: As part of the same study, Teresa Seeman, a social epidemiologist at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, found a connection between self-esteem and stress in people over 70.
Keywords: Feelings, control, reduce, stress
Keyword Location: Paragraph 10
Explanation: Teresa Seeman, a social epidemiologist at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, discovered a "connection between self-esteem and stress" in adults over the age of 70, according to paragraph J. Those who 'felt in charge of their lives' (felt in control of their lives) 'pumped out lower amounts of stress hormones' such as cortisol, lowering stress in tough situations, in laboratory simulations of hard tasks such as driving. As a result, the answer is H.

Feelings of loneliness

Answer: C. May cause rises in levels of stress hormones.
Supporting sentence: Seeman found that elderly people who felt emotionally isolated maintained higher levels of stress hormones even when asleep.
Keywords: Feelings, loneliness, rises in levels, stress hormones
Keyword Location: Paragraph 10
Explanation: According to paragraph K, Seeman discovered that older persons who felt 'emotionally isolated' had 'greater levels of stress hormones' (increase in stress hormone levels) even when sleeping. As a result, the correct answer is C.

Read More IELTS Reading Related Samples