The Reading / Listening - Elderly Drivers - Level 4

A funeral company in Japan is giving a 15 per cent discount to drivers over 75 who give up driving. Family members also get the discount. The road-safety strategy is backed by the local police. Seniors must give their driving licence to the police to get a document that proves they are no longer allowed to drive. Similar schemes in Japan have included cut-price taxi fares, discounts on public baths and cheaper noodles.

This strategy is another attempt to cut the large number of traffic accidents involving seniors. Almost five million seniors drive in Japan. This is double the number from 10 years ago. The number of fatal accidents involving elderly drivers was 7.7 per cent in 2007. Last year, this number jumped to 13.2 per cent. Some of those accidents were because seniors mistook the accelerator for the brake pedal, or mistakenly put their car into reverse.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Elderly Drivers - Level 5 or  Elderly Drivers - Level 6

Sources
  • http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-39327663
  • http://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20170320/p2g/00m/0fe/048000c
  • http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/03/20/national/social-issues/funeral-discounts-deployed-rein-elderly-drivers/


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. giving a
  2. drivers over 75 who give
  3. Family members also
  4. The road-safety strategy is backed
  5. give their driving licence
  6. proves they are no
  7. Similar schemes
  8. cut-
  1. up driving
  2. to the police
  3. longer allowed to drive
  4. price taxi fares
  5. in Japan
  6. get the discount
  7. 15 per cent discount
  8. by the local police

Paragraph 2

  1. This strategy is another
  2. cut the large number of traffic accidents
  3. Almost five million seniors
  4. This is double the number
  5. The number of fatal
  6. Last year, this number jumped
  7. seniors mistook the accelerator
  8. mistakenly put their
  1. to 13.2 per cent
  2. from 10 years ago
  3. car into reverse
  4. involving seniors
  5. for the brake pedal
  6. drive in Japan
  7. accidents
  8. attempt

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A funeral company in Japan (1) ___________________ 15 per cent discount to drivers over 75 (2) ___________________ driving. Family members also get the discount. The road-safety strategy (3) ___________________ the local police. Seniors must give their driving licence to the (4) ___________________ document that proves they are (5) ___________________ to drive. Similar schemes in Japan have included cut-price taxi fares, (6) ___________________ baths and cheaper noodles.

This (7) ___________________ attempt to cut the large number of traffic accidents involving seniors. Almost five million (8) ___________________ Japan. This is (9) ___________________ from 10 years ago. The number of (10) ___________________ involving elderly drivers was 7.7 per cent in 2007. Last year, this number jumped to 13.2 per cent. Some of those accidents were because (11) ___________________ the accelerator for the brake pedal, or mistakenly put their (12) ___________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

AfuneralcompanyinJapanisgivinga15percentdiscounttodriversover
75whogiveupdriving.Familymembersalsogetthediscount.Theroad-
safetystrategyisbackedbythelocalpolice.Seniorsmustgivetheirdrivin
glicencetothepolicetogetadocumentthatprovestheyarenolongerallo
wedtodrive.SimilarschemesinJapanhaveincludedcut-pricetaxifar
es,discountsonpublicbathsandcheapernoodles.Thisstrategyisanoth
erattempttocutthelargenumberoftrafficaccidentsinvolvingseniors.A
lmostfivemillionseniorsdriveinJapan.Thisisdoublethenumberfrom1
0yearsago.Thenumberoffatalaccidentsinvolvingelderlydriverswas7
.7percentin2007.Lastyear,thisnumberjumpedto13.2percent.Some
ofthoseaccidentswerebecauseseniorsmistooktheacceleratorfortheb
rakepedal,ormistakenlyputtheircarintoreverse.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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