Old age in the United States presents manyproblems and opportunities. With the result of 【S1】______
improved medical services, people live longer than they
used to. This increase in longevity creates a wide range
of social needs that didn't exist when the average life
expectancy was higher. The medical specialty of 【S2】______
gerontology (老年医学) has opened research areas and
careers related to the elderly.
Because of changes in the family structure from
extended to nuclear, the elderly has to create existences 【S3】______
apart from basically small family units. This situation is
complicated by the fact many of their friends may have 【S4】______
died and their children may have moved away.
The elderly person must set up a new life. Often,
the elderly must rely on a fixed income—Social
Security and pensions—and gradually diminished 【S5】______
savings. While some live with their children, many
more live by themself, with a friend, or in a nursing 【S6】______
home.
Moreover, the increasing proportion of elderly 【S7】______
people has given .them a new political power. They have
formed organizations such as the Grey Panthers to voice
their own need and concerns over local , state, and 【S8】______
federal agencies. Lobbying (国会院外游说活动) for
such issues as increased Social Security benefits, better
healthy care, income tax benefits, and rent controls 【S9】______
have brought to the public an increased awareness of the 【S10】______
determination of the elderly to assert their ability to
deal effectively with their own lives.
【S1】
