Episode 89 B

EPISODE 89
LEVEL B2

READING COMPREHENSION 

AGE AND THE LAW         

  

There seems nothing harder than deciding at what age somebody should be allowed to do something – drive a car, drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes or play the lottery.

Apparently (=in fact), the British government is proposing to raise (=increase) the age when you are allowed to buy cigarettes from 16 to 18. Should they therefore (=that is why) also consider raising age at which people can gamble (= an action that involves risk)? At present this is 16 for the National Lottery and 18 for other kinds of gambling like betting on (=risking some money to win more) horse races. Of course, gambling is different from smoking but that fact is of no help in reaching a decision about which of them a person should be allowed to do and when.

There appears to be no logic to the law. Why should a person be allowed to play the Lottery two years before they are allowed to vote and three more years before they are allowed to become a Member of Parliament. Some people might argue there is no point in trying to stop anyone doing anything at any age. Certainly (=obviously), some things are illegal no matter how old you are, yet (=however) people still do them.

The whole situation is very confusing and the questions are impossible to answer. I have one more of my own to add. Why is it that in Britain women can retire five years before men when women, as everyone knows, live longer than men? Needless to say (= used to say sth is already known), no one seems able to express that anomaly (= sth unusual or unexpected). Thankfully, it is about to change.

 

EXERCISE 1 

Which of these statements is the best summary of what it is about?

1. The law regarding the legal age at which you can do things is unfair.
2. It is a waste of time having different legal ages for particular activities.
3. It is difficult to decide on a legal age for doing certain activities.

 

ENGLISH IN USE  

Many adverbs and adverbial phrases give the reader information about the writer’s attitude to what he or she is writing.

Adverbs have many functions :

• To express an opinion : personally, as far as I am concerned, in my view
• To show you are sure of the facts : clearly, as far as I know, evidently, certainly, apparently,, needless to say
• To show the surprise : surprisingly, curiously, strangely 
• To show you are not/pleased : fortunately, unfortunately, sadly

 

EXERCISE 2

Rewrite the sentences using adverbs:

1. I wasn’t surprised when John got lost.
2. I’m really glad it didn’t rain as I had forgotten to take my umbrella.
3. It is strange that Rachel doesn’t resemble her twin at all.
4. People should be allowed to vote when they are 16. That’s what I think.
5. I’m not surprised that she didn’t invite Mark.
6. I’ve heard that you can get married in Scotland when you’re 16.
7. John was late which was nothing unusual.
8. I don’t think that smoking should be allowed on any flight.

 

IDIOM CLOSE-UP

 

Look young for his/ her age = look younger than in fact sb is
Be in your prime = in the best period of your life
Act your age = behave in a more adult way
Come of age = reach an age when legally an adult

 

1.If someone looks  young for his / her age, is that good or bad?

2. When is someone in his prime?
3. If you tell a 20-year-old man Act Your Age! what kind of thing might he be doing?
4. At what age do people generally come of age in your country?

 

PHRASAL VERBS CLOSE-UP

EXERCISE 3 

Take after – have a similar appearance or character as an older member of his family
Live up to sb’s hopes – be as good as he /she is expected to be
Pass for (some age) = appear to be 

 

1. I’m sure he will …………………. all his parents’ expectations one day.
2. He has blue eyes and quite fair hair, so he ………………… his father.
3. A lot of 13-year-olds could …………………. 17 or 18 these days.

 

 

NEWS

 

OVER 50 MUMS ON THE RISE

“The number of Australians giving birth in their 50s has more than doubled over five years, with 53 women aged 50 or over having children in 2011. This compares with 22 over-50s giving birth in 2006 and 11 in 1996, according Bureau of Statistics data. An IVF expert, however, has warned women relying on IVF and deliberately leaving pregnancy until their 40s and beyond to ”get on with it”. In Australia, there is no age cut-off for women giving birth through IVF. But most clinics will not do the procedure using a patient’s own eggs beyond the age of 45 because it becomes less likely to succeed as menopause approaches. The medical director of Genea IVF clinics Associate Professor Mark Bowman said no one aged 46 or older had taken home a baby using their own eggs since his company began almost 26 years ago. ”It doesn’t happen,” said Associate Professor Bowman, who is also president of the Fertility Society of Australia. Last week, former Olympic swimmer Lisa Curry, 51 said she and her partner had decided to try IVF. ”There are two main issues we consider,” he said. ”The first is the health issue – does the woman in front of you have the physical ability to carry a pregnancy successfully to term? The second was the ethical issue of what was in the best interest of the child, he said.”

IVF = in vitro fertilisation
Deliberately = on purpose
Age cut off = age limit
Fertility = an ability to give birth to children

 

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