Age-Quake Reading Answers

We have given the Age-Quake reading answers along with questions, answers and explanations. This article consists of 14 questions based on the given passage in 3 different forms namely- 5 questions as short answer questions, 5 questions as yes, no or not given and 4 questions as summary completion.

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Table of content:

• Solution for Age-Quake
• Age-Quake IELTS reading practice test
• Passage
• Questions
• Answers with explanations

Solution for Age-Quake

Here we have given the answers for Age-Quake reading answers in the table form, below.

Answer Table

14. Uncomfortable	17. Immigration/increase productivity/ working smarter	20. Not given	23. Not given	26. A
15. Living longer/ falling birth rates	18. Vote conservative	21. Yes	24. B/E	27. F
16. Immigration/high fertility/ Declines in mortality	19. No	22. No	25. B/E

Age-Quake IELTS Reading Practice Test- Exam Review

Here we have given Age-Quake IELTS reading answers as a sample article for the IELTS reading practice test. This article will help you to crack your exam with a good band score. Go through the given passage to answer the questions.

Passage

We have given Age-Quake reading answers with location. Be focused, while reading the passage and answer the questions.

Age-Quake reading answers

Age-Quake: Say Hello to Under-population

1. Welcome to the new world of aging; a world in which liberals used to unending economic growth and greens focused on zero population growth will find themselves uncomfortable. Instead of overpopulation it will be underpopulation that will be the world’s biggest problem, first in the West, and then most likely the rest of the world. Only nations with high immigration that can make the switch from a youth economy to an old person’s economy will survive. This will mean among the biggest changes in human history—pensions, growth economies, 9-5 work, male domination—all must end if we are to successfully navigate the age quake ahead.

2. Writes Paul Wallace, author of Agequake, historically "we have been remarkably young. Our average age has been around 20 or less. But in the current generation’s lifetime, the average age of the world will nearly double from 22 in 1975 to 38 in 2050, according to the UN projections... Under another projection, it could reach over 40 as early as 2040."

3. Not only is the population pyramid about to flip but populations in Europe may plunge on a scale not seen since the Black Death in 1348. But this is not just a Western trend; indeed, because of the speed of the demographic slowdown in the developing world, it means that "they will age much more quickly than the West," says Wallace. In twenty years’ time, China will be one of the most rapidly aging societies.

The worker-retiree ratio

4. While many of these changes will be positive—longer life (by mid-century there will be over two million centenarians compared with 150,000 today), healthier life styles, less childhood deaths, and falling numbers of young people (which means falling crime rates)—others are not so positive.

5. Who will pay for the retirement benefits of the elderly? Over the next thirty years the ratio of workers to pensioners in industrialised nations will fall from the current 3 to 1 to 1.5 to 1. How will societies stay rejuvenated with new ideas?

6. Would we have had a personal computer revolution if youngsters like Steve Jobs were not there to challenge authority and create new products? And what will happen when those purchasing stocks in the 1980s and 1990s begin to sell them 20 years later to pay for their retirement? There will be no age-cohort to purchase them as the baby boomers currently have. Will we enter a long term bear market and thus possibly a long term economic depression? But what is the cause of the aging of society?

7. Two factors. First, we are living longer and second, birth rates are falling. "In the late 1990’s fertility rates were already at or below replacement level—2.1 children per woman—in 61 countries with almost half the world’s population," writes Wallace. Even nations like India and Indonesia are likely to fall below this level.

Iceberg ahead

8. The population pyramid is reversing, especially in rich nations. Populations, like supertankers, take forever to turn around; but when they do the changes are dramatic. Europeans have not noticed the population decline because of immigration, high fertility in the past and declines in mortality, but in reality birth rates are plunging. Pete Peterson in his book, Grey Dawn, describes global aging as an iceberg. While it is easy to see above the waterline, it is far more difficult to prepare for "the wrenching costs … that promise to bankrupt even the greatest powers … making today’s crisis look like child’s play."

9. One solution for the West is immigration. Already California is set to become a majority minority state. The USA will become the second largest Spanish speaking nation in 2020. But there are danger signs as generally older Californians will be Caucasian and rich, while younger one’s will be Hispanic and poorer. The question is not will California secede but which California will secede?

10. A second solution is increasing productivity, working smarter. While the convergence of computing and telecommunications have not shown immediate gains, it is early days yet.

11. The problem of fewer young people working will not be a problem since they will be able to produce more wealth.

12. Projecting the future age structure of a population can be done with a great deal of certainty (barring asteroids, pandemics, etc.). Demographics also can predict changes in behavior since one is more likely to migrate in one’s 20s, more likely to vote conservative in one’s 50s (when one has property to conserve, and when one is concerned more with crime and order and less with freedom and social justice).

13. To survive the agequake, our basic structures of work/leisure/family structures will have to change. The old pattern of student, work, retirement, death will have to transform. More flexible patterns will have to be set up to combine work, play, and the rearing of children. In fact, the entire (endless growth) capitalist system must transform; nothing less can adequately resolve the tensions ahead.

Questions

Questions 14-18

• Choose no more than three words from the passage for each answer.

14. How will liberals feel in the future?
15. What is one factor associated with a fall in worker to pensioner ratio?
16. Why have Europeans not been aware of a fall in population?
17. What is one way of solving the problem of a reverse population pyramid?
18. What are you likely to do in your 50s?

Questions 19-23

• Do the following statements agree with the claims given in the reading passage?
• In boxes 19-23 on your answer sheet, write.
• Yes if the statement reflects the claims of the writer
• No if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer
• Not given if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about it

19. Maintaining the youth economy is the only way for old people to survive
20. For a long time, people only lived until they were 20 years old
21. The fertility rate in India is expected to fall below 2.1 children per woman.
22. Population levels have not been falling in Europe because of factors like immigration. 
23. People will have to study more in the future due to greater competition for the best jobs. 

Questions 24-27

• Complete the summary using the list of words A-H, below
• Write the correct letter, A-H, in boxes 24-27 on your answer sheet. 

By 2020, the Hispanic population in California will not be as 24____________, or 25________ as the 26________  population, but it will be the second 27__________ spanish speaking nation. 

A. Caucasian	E. Old
C. Minority	G. Richer
B. Rich	F. Largest
D. Older	H. Majority

Answers for Age-Quake with Explanation

Here we have given the solution for Age-quake reading answers with explanations. This section will assist you while answering. 

14. Answer: uncomfortable

Explanation: “Welcome to the new world of aging; a world in which liberals used to unending economic growth and greens focused on zero population growth will find themselves uncomfortable”. With this line it is clear that liberals feel uncomfortable in the future. Hence the given answer is located in the first 3 lines of paragraph 1. 

15. Answer: Living longer/ falling birth rates

Explanation: “First, we are living longer and second, birth rates are falling”. With this line it is clear that living longer is one factor associated with a fall in worker to pensioner ratio. Hence the given answer is located in the first line of paragraph 7. 

16. Answer: Immigration/high fertility/ Declines in mortality

Explanation: “Europeans have not noticed the population decline because of immigration, high fertility in the past and declines in mortality, but in reality birth rates are plunging”. With this line it is clear that Europeans were not aware of a fall in population because of immigration, high fertility and declines in mortality. Hence the given answer is located in the 3-5 lines of paragraph 8. 

17. Answer: Immigration/increase productivity/ working smarter

Explanation: “One solution for the West is immigration. Already California is set to become a majority minority state” and “A second solution is increasing productivity, working smarter”. With this line it is clear that solving the problem of a reverse population pyramid is immigration, increasing productivity and working smarter. Hence the given answer is located in the 1-2 lines of paragraph 9 and 1st line of paragraph 10. 

18. Answer: Vote conservative

Explanation: “Demographics also can predict changes in behavior since one is more likely to migrate in one’s 20s, more likely to vote conservative in one’s 50s”. With this line it is clear that one is more likely to vote conservative in one’s 50s. Hence the given answer is located in the 2-5 lines of paragraph 12. 

19. Answer: No

Explanation: “Only nations with high immigration that can make the switch from a youth economy to an old person’s economy will survive”. With this line it is clear that the given statement contradicts the given information. Hence the given answer is located in the 5-6 lines of paragraph 1. 

20. Answer: Not given 

21. Answer: Yes

Explanation:  "In the late 1990’s fertility rates are already at or below replacement level—2.1 children per woman”. With this line it is clear that the fertility rate in India is expected to fall below 2.1 children per woman. Hence the given answer is located in the 2-3 lines of paragraph 7. 

22. Answer: No

Explanation: “Europeans have not noticed the population decline because of immigration, high fertility in the past and declines in mortality, but in reality birth rates are plunging”. With this line it is clear that the given statement contradicts the given information. Hence the given answer is located in the 3-5 lines of paragraph 8.  

23. Answer: Not given

24. Answer: B/E

Explanation: “The USA will become the second largest Spanish speaking nation in 2020. But there are danger signs as generally older Californians will be Caucasian and rich”. With this line it is clear that by 2020, the Hispanic population in California will not be as rich. Hence the given answer is located in the 2-5 lines of paragraph 9.  

25. Answer: B/E

Explanation: “The USA will become the second largest Spanish speaking nation in 2020. But there are danger signs as generally older Californians will be Caucasian and rich, while younger ones will be Hispanic and poorer”. With this line it is clear that by 2020, the Hispanic population in California will not be as rich or old. Hence the given answer is located in the 2-5 lines of paragraph 9.  

26. Answer: A

Explanation: “The USA will become the second largest Spanish speaking nation in 2020. But there are danger signs as generally older Californians will be Caucasian and rich, while younger ones will be Hispanic and poorer”. With this line it is clear that by 2020, the Hispanic population in California will not be as rich, or old as the caucasian  population. Hence the given answer is located in the 2-5 lines of paragraph 9. 

27. Answer: F

Explanation: “The USA will become the second largest Spanish speaking nation in 2020”. With this line it is clear that  it will be the second Largest Spanish speaking nation. Hence the given answer is located in the 2-3 lines of paragraph 9. 

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