The Reading / Listening - Elderly Drivers - Level 6

There is a new road-safety strategy in central Japan to encourage elderly drivers to stop driving. A company that operates 89 funeral homes is offering a 15 per cent discount on funeral services to any driver over the age of 75 who surrenders their driving licence. The discount also applies to family members of those relinquishing their licence. The scheme has the full backing of the local police force. Drivers must visit a police station to hand in their licence. Police officers then provide a document, which the elderly person hands to the funeral home as proof that they are no longer allowed to drive. Similar schemes in Japan have included cut-price taxi fares, discounts on entry to public baths and cheaper noodles.

The latest initiative is a further attempt to reduce the number of traffic accidents involving seniors, which is becoming a serious problem in Japan. There are almost 5 million licence holders in Japan over the age of 75. This is double the number from a decade ago. In that same period, there has been an increase in the number of fatal collisions involving elderly drivers. Drivers aged 75 or older accounted for 13.2 per cent of fatal traffic accidents in central Japan's Aichi Prefecture last year. This is up from 7.7 per cent in 2007. Aichi police say some of those accidents involved seniors confusing the accelerator and brake pedals or mistakenly putting the vehicle into reverse.

Try the same news story at these easier levels:

    Elderly Drivers - Level 4  or  Elderly Drivers - Level 5

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 :-)

Warm-ups

1. ELDERLY DRIVERS: Students walk around the class and talk to other students about elderly drivers. Change partners often and share your findings.

2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, talk about these topics or words from the article. What will the article say about them? What can you say about these words and your life?

       road safety / strategy / funeral / discount / driving licence / police / taxi fares / noodles
       initiative / traffic accidents / problem / double / a decade ago / accelerator/ reverse

Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently.

3. AGE LIMIT: Students A strongly believe people over 75 should not be allowed to drive; Students B strongly believe there should be no age limit.  Change partners again and talk about your conversations.

4. ROAD SAFETY: How can we improve road safety? Complete this table with your partner(s). Change partners often and share what you wrote.

 

Improvements?

How popular would they be?

Speed

 

 

Cars

 

 

Police

 

 

Roads

 

 

Driver testing

 

 

Mobile phones

 

 
MY e-BOOK
ESL resource book with copiable worksheets and handouts - 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers / English teachers
See a sample

5. FUNERAL: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word "funeral". Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.

6. TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS: Rank these with your partner. Put the best ways to avoid traffic accidents at the top. Change partners often and share your rankings.

  • dashboard cameras
  •  more CCTV
  • speed radar everywhere
  • regular driver re-testing
  • reduced speed limits
  • huge speeding fines
  • road bumps
  • more police patrols

 

Before reading / listening

1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if a-h below are true (T) or false (F).

  1. A company with 89 funeral homes is part of a road-safety campaign.     T / F
  2. The company is offering a 15% discount to anyone who stops driving.     T / F
  3. The local police force has big doubts about the strategy.     T / F
  4. Old people in Japan have been offered cheaper noodles to stop driving.   T / F
  5. Over 5 million people with driving licences in Japan are over 75 years old.  T / F
  6. The number of elderly drivers in Japan has hardly changed in a decade.   T / F
  7. There has been an increase in fatal collisions involving elderly people.     T / F
  8. Police said some elderly people mistake the accelerator for the brake.     T / F

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article.

  1. strategy
  2. encourage
  3. surrenders
  4. backing
  5. proof
  6. further
  7. double
  8. fatal
  9. collisions
  10. mistakenly
  1. gives up
  2. inadvertently
  3. plan
  4. additional
  5. deadly
  6. support
  7. crashes
  8. urge
  9. twice
  10. evidence

3. PHRASE MATCH: (Sometimes more than one choice is possible.)

  1. a new road-
  2. offering a
  3. The scheme has the full backing
  4. proof that they are no
  5. cut-
  6. The latest initiative is a further
  7. This is double the number
  8. an increase in the number of fatal
  9. seniors confusing the accelerator
  10. mistakenly putting the vehicle
  1. 15 per cent discount
  2. from a decade ago
  3. price taxi fares
  4. and brake pedals
  5. into reverse
  6. safety strategy
  7. collisions involving elderly drivers
  8. attempt to reduce the number
  9. longer allowed to drive
  10. of the local police force

Gap fill

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.
proof
operates
noodles
backing
strategy
price
hand
surrenders

There is a new road-safety (1) ____________ in central Japan to encourage elderly drivers to stop driving. A company that (2) ____________ 89 funeral homes is offering a 15 per cent discount on funeral services to any driver over the age of 75 who (3) ____________ their driving licence. The discount also applies to family members of those relinquishing their licence. The scheme has the full (4) ____________ of the local police force. Drivers must visit a police station to (5) ____________ in their licence. Police officers then provide a document, which the elderly person hands to the funeral home as (6) ____________ that they are no longer allowed to drive. Similar schemes in Japan have included cut-(7) ____________ taxi fares, discounts on entry to public baths and cheaper (8) ____________.

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.
serious
accounted
period
reverse
attempt
confusing
double
collisions

The latest initiative is a further (9) ____________ to reduce the number of traffic accidents involving seniors, which is becoming a (10) ____________ problem in Japan. There are almost 5 million licence holders in Japan over the age of 75. This is (11) ____________ the number from a decade ago. In that same (12) ____________, there has been an increase in the number of fatal (13) ____________ involving elderly drivers. Drivers aged 75 or older (14) ____________ for 13.2 per cent of fatal traffic accidents in central Japan's Aichi Prefecture last year. This is up from 7.7 per cent in 2007. Aichi police say some of those accidents involved seniors (15) ____________ the accelerator and brake pedals or mistakenly putting the vehicle into (16) ____________.

Listening — Guess the answers. Listen to check.

1) discount on funeral services to any driver over the age of 75 who ______ licence
     a.  surrender their driving
     b.  surrendering their driving
     c.  surrenders their driving
     d.  suspenders their driving

2)  The discount also applies to family members of those ______ licence
     a.  relinquishing their
     b.  delinquents in their
     c.  refurbishing their
     d.  relishing in their

3)  The scheme has the full backing of the ______
     a.  local police forces
     b.  local police force
     c.  local police farce
     d.  local police fierce

4) hands to the funeral home as proof that they are no longer ______
     a.  allowable to drive
     b.  allowing to drive
     c.  allows to drive
     d.  allowed to drive

5)  Similar schemes in Japan have included cut-price taxi fares, discounts on ______
     a.  entry to publicly baths
     b.  entry to public baths
     c.  entry to publicity baths
     d.  entry to publics baths

6)  a further attempt to reduce the number of traffic accidents ______
     a.  involve in seniors
     b.  involved in seniors
     c.  involving in seniors
     d.  involving seniors

7)  In that same period, there has been an increase in the number ______
     a.  of fatal colliding
     b.  of fatal collusions
     c.  of fatal co-lesions
     d.  of fatal collisions

8)  Drivers aged 75 or older accounted for 13.2 per cent of ______
     a.  fatally traffic accidents
     b.  fate all traffic accidents
     c.  fatality traffic accidents
     d.  fatal traffic accidents

9)  This is up from 7.7 per cent in 2007. Aichi police say some of those accidents ______
     a.  involved senior
     b.  involve seniors
     c.  involved seniors
     d.  involve senior

10)  confusing the accelerator and brake pedals or mistakenly putting the vehicle ______
     a.  onto reverse
     b.  unto reverse
     c.  into reverse
     d.  alto reverse

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

There is a new road-safety (1) ___________________ Japan to encourage elderly drivers to stop driving. A company (2) ___________________ funeral homes is offering a 15 per cent discount on funeral (3) ___________________ over the age of 75 who surrenders their driving licence. The discount also applies to family members of those relinquishing their licence. The scheme has the (4) ___________________ the local police force. Drivers must visit a police station to hand in their licence. Police officers then provide a document, which the elderly person hands to the funeral (5) ___________________ that they are no longer allowed to drive. Similar schemes in Japan have included cut-price taxi fares, discounts on (6) ___________________ baths and cheaper noodles.

The (7) ___________________ a further attempt to reduce the number of traffic accidents involving seniors, which is (8) ___________________ problem in Japan. There are almost 5 million licence holders in Japan over the age of 75. This is (9) ___________________ from a decade ago. In that same period, there has been an increase in (10) ___________________ collisions involving elderly drivers. Drivers aged 75 or older accounted for 13.2 per cent of fatal (11) ___________________ central Japan's Aichi Prefecture last year. This is up from 7.7 per cent in 2007. Aichi police say (12) ___________________ involved seniors confusing the accelerator and brake pedals or mistakenly putting the vehicle into reverse.

Comprehension questions

  1. How many funeral homes does the company operate?
  2. What discount is the funeral home company offering?
  3. Who else can benefit from the discount?
  4. Who has given the discount scheme its full backing?
  5. What have seniors got discounted entry to in other parts of Japan?
  6. How many over 75-year-olds in Japan have a driving license?
  7. What percentage of fatal accidents in Aichi last year involved seniors?
  8. What percentage of fatal accidents in Aichi in 2007 involved seniors?
  9. What do some seniors confuse with the brake pedals?
  10. What do some seniors mistakenly put their car into?

Multiple choice quiz

1) How many funeral homes does the company operate?
a) 89
b) 98
c) 75
d) 57

2) What discount is the funeral home company offering?
a) 22.5%
b) 75%
c) 15%
d) 50%

3) Who else can benefit from the discount?
a) the police
b) family members
c) funeral home directors
d) insurance companies

4) Who has given the discount scheme its full backing?
a) old people
b) young people
c) Japan's Prime Minister
d) the local police

5) What have seniors got discounted entry to in other parts of Japan?
a) public baths
b) soccer games
c) museums
d) bullet trains

6) How many over 75-year-olds in Japan have a driving license?
a) around five million
b) exactly five million
c) just over five million
d) nearly five million

7) What percentage of fatal accidents in Aichi last year involved seniors?
a) 21.3%
b) 13.2%
c) 12.3%
d) 32.1%

8) What percentage of fatal accidents in Aichi in 2007 involved seniors?
a) 4.4%
b) 5.5%
c) 6.6%
d) 7.7%

9) What do some seniors confuse with the brake pedals?
a) foot rests
b) steering wheels
c) accelerators
d) gear shifts

10) What do some seniors mistakenly put their car into?
a) the wrong garage
b) reverse
c) rivers
d) the back of other cars

Role play

Role A — Reducing Speed Limits

You think reducing speed limits is the best way to reduce traffic accidents. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their things. Also, tell the others which is the least effective of these (and why): more police patrols, dashboard cameras or re-testing of drivers.

Role B — More Police Patrols

You think more police patrols is the best way to reduce traffic accidents. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their things. Also, tell the others which is the least effective of these (and why): reducing speed limits, dashboard cameras or re-testing of drivers.

Role C — Dashboard Cameras

You think dashboard cameras is the best way to reduce traffic accidents. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their things. Also, tell the others which is the least effective of these (and why): more police patrols, reducing speed limits or re-testing of drivers.

Role D — Regular Driver Re-testing

You think regular re-testing of drivers is the best way to reduce traffic accidents. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their things. Also, tell the others which is the least effective of these (and why):  more police patrols, dashboard cameras or reducing speed limits.

After reading / listening

1. WORD SEARCH: Look in your dictionary / computer to find collocates, other meanings, information, synonyms … for the words...

'elderly'

  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________

    • and 'driver'.

  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________

    • • Share your findings with your partners.

    • Make questions using the words you found.

    • Ask your partner / group your questions.

    2. ARTICLE QUESTIONS: Look back at the article and write down some questions you would like to ask the class about the text.

    •Share your questions with other classmates / groups. •Ask your partner / group your questions.

    3. GAP FILL: In pairs / groups, compare your answers to this exercise. Check your answers. Talk about the words from the activity. Were they new, interesting, worth learning…?

    4. VOCABULARY: Circle any words you do not understand. In groups, pool unknown words and use dictionaries to find their meanings.

    5. TEST EACH OTHER: Look at the words below. With your partner, try to recall how they were used in the text:

    • further
    • 5
    • period
    • 13.2
    • 2007
    • reverse
    • new
    • 89
    • applies
    • local
    • hands
    • entry

    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 - Funeral discounts for Japan's elderly who quit driving

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

    1. What did you think when you read the headline?
    2. What springs to mind when you hear the word 'elderly'?
    3. How safe are the roads in your country?
    4. Who are the most dangerous drivers in your country?
    5. In what ways are elderly drivers safer?
    6. Do you think this is a good offer?
    7. Why do you think family members also get the discount?
    8. How successful do you think this strategy will be?
    9. What would you do to make roads safer?
    10. Should there be an age at which people should stop driving?

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

    1. Did you like reading this article? Why/not?
    2. What do you think of when you hear the word 'driver'?
    3. What do you think about what you read?
    4. What are the risks of driving at an older age?
    5. Should seniors have stickers on their cars to warn other drivers?
    6. Should senior drivers pay more in insurance?
    7. What kind of driver are you?
    8. What other incentives could be given to senior drivers?
    9. How would an elderly person's life change if they could no longer drive?
    10. What questions would you like to ask an elderly driver?

    Discussion — Write your own questions

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

    (a) ________________

    (b) ________________

    (c) ________________

    (d) ________________

    (e) ________________

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

    (f) ________________

    (g) ________________

    (h) ________________

    (i) ________________

    (j) ________________

    Language — Cloze (Gap-fill)

    There is a new road-safety strategy in (1) ____ Japan to encourage elderly drivers to stop driving. A company that (2) ____ 89 funeral homes is offering a 15 per cent discount on funeral services to any driver over the age of 75 who (3) ____ their driving licence. The discount also applies to family members of those relinquishing their licence. The scheme has the full backing of the local police force. Drivers must visit a police station to (4) ____ in their licence. Police officers then provide a document, which the elderly person hands to the funeral home (5) ____ proof that they are no longer allowed to drive. Similar schemes in Japan have included cut-price taxi fares, discounts (6) ____ entry to public baths and cheaper noodles.

    The latest initiative is a (7) ____ attempt to reduce the number of traffic accidents involving seniors, which is becoming a serious problem in Japan. There are almost 5 million licence holders in Japan over the age of 75. This is double (8) ____ number from a decade ago. In that same period, there has been an increase in the number of fatal collisions (9) ____ elderly drivers. Drivers aged 75 or older accounted (10) ____ 13.2 per cent of fatal traffic accidents in central Japan's Aichi Prefecture last year. This is up from 7.7 per cent in 2007. Aichi police say some of those accidents involved seniors (11) ____ the accelerator and brake pedals or mistakenly putting the vehicle (12) ____ reverse.

    Which of these words go in the above text?

    1. (a)     central     (b)     centrally     (c)     centralize     (d)     centralized    
    2. (a)     operating     (b)     operative     (c)     operates     (d)     operational    
    3. (a)     surrounds     (b)     surrogates     (c)     surrenders     (d)     surreal    
    4. (a)     back     (b)     face     (c)     head     (d)     hand    
    5. (a)     has     (b)     was     (c)     as     (d)     is    
    6. (a)     at     (b)     on     (c)     by     (d)     in    
    7. (a)     fathered     (b)     further     (c)     fathom     (d)     farther    
    8. (a)     those     (b)     the     (c)     of     (d)     a    
    9. (a)     involve     (b)     involvement     (c)     involving     (d)     involved    
    10. (a)     at     (b)     on     (c)     by     (d)     for    
    11. (a)     confessed     (b)     confession     (c)     confusion     (d)     confusing    
    12. (a)     alto     (b)     onto     (c)     unto     (d)     into

    Spelling

    Paragraph 1

    1. a new road-safety eartygst
    2. oaregucen elderly drivers to stop
    3. uessdrnrer their driving licence
    4. The hecmse has the full backing of the local police
    5. provide a mctouedn
    6. orfpo that they are no longer allowed

    Paragraph 2

    1. The latest intitaevii
    2. accidents nlogvniiv seniors
    3. the number of fatal inolsisocl
    4. cuoctedna for 13.2 per cent
    5. confusing the lcrecreaato and brake pedals
    6. putting the cheielv into reverse

    Put the text back together

    (    )     traffic accidents in central Japan's Aichi Prefecture last year. This is up from 7.7 per cent

    (    )     in 2007. Aichi police say some of those accidents involved seniors confusing

    (    )     the number from a decade ago. In that same period, there has been an increase in the number of fatal

    (    )     document, which the elderly person hands to the funeral home as proof that they are no longer allowed to

    (    )     collisions involving elderly drivers. Drivers aged 75 or older accounted for 13.2 per cent of fatal

    (    )     driver over the age of 75 who surrenders their driving licence. The discount also applies to family members

    (    )     force. Drivers must visit a police station to hand in their licence. Police officers then provide a

    (    )     serious problem in Japan. There are almost 5 million licence holders in Japan over the age of 75. This is double

    (    )     drive. Similar schemes in Japan have included cut-price taxi fares, discounts on entry to public baths and cheaper noodles.

    (    )     driving. A company that operates 89 funeral homes is offering a 15 per cent discount on funeral services to any

    (    )     of those relinquishing their licence. The scheme has the full backing of the local police

    (    )     the accelerator and brake pedals or mistakenly putting the vehicle into reverse.

    (    )     The latest initiative is a further attempt to reduce the number of traffic accidents involving seniors, which is becoming a

    (  1  )     There is a new road-safety strategy in central Japan to encourage elderly drivers to stop

    Put the words in the right order

    1. road   -   strategy   safety   a   is   There   Japan   central   in   new   .
    2. members   those   their   Family   of   relinquishing   licence   .
    3. in   must   to   visit   their   a   licence  police   Drivers  station   hand   .
    4. that   to   are   drive   no   Proof   longer   they   allowed   .
    5. fares  price   Similar   schemes  taxi   in   Japan   have  included  cut-   .
    6. to   number   accidents  attempt   the   traffic  further   reduce  of   A   .
    7. in   5   Japan   million   There   licence   are   holders   almost   .
    8. number   This   from   is   a   double   decade   the   ago   .
    9. drivers   elderly   involving   collisions   fatal   of   number   The   .
    10. accelerator   brake   Seniors   the   and   pedals   confusing   .

    Circle the correct word (20 pairs)

    There is a new road-safety strategy in centrally / central Japan to encourage elderly drivers to stop driving. A company that operates / operate 89 funeral homes is offering a 15 per cent discount in / on funeral services to any driver over the age of 75 who surrenders / surrendering their driving licence. The discount also applicable / applies to family members of those relinquishing their licence. The scheme has the full / fully backing of the local police force. Drivers must visit a police station to hand / handy in their licence. Police officers then provide a document, what / which the elderly person hands to the funeral home as prove / proof that they are no longer allowed to drive. Similar schemes in Japan have included cut-price taxi fairs / fares, discounts on entry to public baths and cheaper noodles.

    The latest initiative is a further / farther attempt to reduce the number of traffic accidents involvement / involving seniors, which is becoming / become a serious problem in Japan. There are most / almost 5 million licence holders in Japan over the age of 75. This is doubling / double the number from a decade age / ago. In that same period, there has been an increase in the number of fatally / fatal collisions involving elderly drivers. Drivers aged 75 or older accounted for 13.2 per cent of fatal traffic accidents in central Japan's Aichi Prefecture last year. This is up / increase from 7.7 per cent in 2007. Aichi police say some of those / them accidents involved seniors confusing the accelerator and brake pedals or mistakenly putting the vehicle into / onto reverse.

    Talk about the connection between each pair of words in italics, and why the correct word is correct.

    Insert the vowels (a, e, i, o, u)

    Th_r_ _s _ n_w r__d-s_f_ty str_t_gy _n c_ntr_l J_p_n t_ _nc__r_g_ _ld_rly dr_v_rs t_ st_p dr_v_ng. _ c_mp_ny th_t _p_r_t_s 89 f_n_r_l h_m_s _s _ff_r_ng _ 15 p_r c_nt d_sc__nt _n f_n_r_l s_rv_c_s t_ _ny dr_v_r _v_r th_ _g_ _f 75 wh_ s_rr_nd_rs th__r dr_v_ng l_c_nc_. Th_ d_sc__nt _ls_ _ppl__s t_ f_m_ly m_mb_rs _f th_s_ r_l_nq__sh_ng th__r l_c_nc_. Th_ sch_m_ h_s th_ f_ll b_ck_ng _f th_ l_c_l p_l_c_ f_rc_. Dr_v_rs m_st v_s_t _ p_l_c_ st_t__n t_ h_nd _n th__r l_c_nc_. P_l_c_ _ff_c_rs th_n pr_v_d_ _ d_c_m_nt, wh_ch th_ _ld_rly p_rs_n h_nds t_ th_ f_n_r_l h_m_ _s pr__f th_t  th_y _r_ n_ l_ng_r _ll_w_d t_ dr_v_. S_m_l_r sch_m_s _n J_p_n h_v_ _ncl_d_d c_t-pr_c_ t_x_ f_r_s, d_sc__nts _n _ntry t_ p_bl_c b_ths _nd ch__p_r n__dl_s.

    Th_ l_t_st _n_t__t_v_ _s _ f_rth_r _tt_mpt t_ r_d_c_ th_ n_mb_r _f tr_ff_c _cc_d_nts _nv_lv_ng s_n__rs, wh_ch _s b_c_m_ng _ s_r___s pr_bl_m _n J_p_n. Th_r_ _r_ _lm_st 5 m_ll__n l_c_nc_ h_ld_rs _n J_p_n _v_r th_ _g_ _f 75. Th_s _s d__bl_ th_ n_mb_r fr_m _ d_c_d_ _g_. _n th_t s_m_ p_r__d, th_r_ h_s b__n _n _ncr__s_ _n th_ n_mb_r _f f_t_l c_ll_s__ns _nv_lv_ng _ld_rly dr_v_rs. Dr_v_rs _g_d 75 _r _ld_r _cc__nt_d f_r 13.2 p_r c_nt _f f_t_l tr_ff_c _cc_d_nts _n c_ntr_l J_p_n's __ch_ Pr_f_ct_r_ l_st y__r. Th_s _s _p fr_m 7.7 p_r c_nt _n 2007. __ch_ p_l_c_ s_y s_m_ _f th_s_ _cc_d_nts _nv_lv_d s_n__rs c_nf_s_ng th_ _cc_l_r_t_r _nd br_k_ p_d_ls _r m_st_k_nly p_tt_ng th_ v_h_cl_ _nt_ r_v_rs_.

    Punctuate the text and add capitals

    there is a new road-safety strategy in central japan to encourage elderly drivers to stop driving a company that operates 89 funeral homes is offering a 15 per cent discount on funeral services to any driver over the age of 75 who surrenders their driving licence the discount also applies to family members of those relinquishing their licence the scheme has the full backing of the local police force drivers must visit a police station to hand in their licence police officers then provide a document which the elderly person hands to the funeral home as proof that they are no longer allowed to drive similar schemes in japan have included cut-price taxi fares discounts on entry to public baths and cheaper noodles

    the latest initiative is a further attempt to reduce the number of traffic accidents involving seniors which is becoming a serious problem in japan there are almost 5 million licence holders in japan over the age of 75 this is double the number from a decade ago in that same period there has been an increase in the number of fatal collisions involving elderly drivers drivers aged 75 or older accounted for 132 per cent of fatal traffic accidents in central japan's aichi prefecture last year this is up from 77 per cent in 2007 aichi police say some of those accidents involved seniors confusing the accelerator and brake pedals or mistakenly putting the vehicle into reverse

    Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

    Thereisanewroad-safetystrategyincentralJapantoencourageelderly
    driverstostopdriving.Acompanythatoperates89funeralhomesisoffer
    inga15percentdiscountonfuneralservicestoanydriverovertheageof7
    5whosurrenderstheirdrivinglicence.Thediscountalsoappliestofamily
    membersofthoserelinquishingtheirlicence.Theschemehasthefullbac
    kingofthelocalpoliceforce.Driversmustvisitapolicestationtohandinth
    eirlicence.Policeofficersthenprovideadocument,whichtheelderlyper
    sonhandstothefuneralhomeasproofthattheyarenolongerallowedtod
    rive.SimilarschemesinJapanhaveincludedcut-pricetaxifares,discou
    ntsonentrytopublicbathsandcheapernoodles.Thelatestinitiativeisaf
    urtherattempttoreducethenumberoftrafficaccidentsinvolvingsenior
    s,whichisbecomingaseriousprobleminJapan.Therearealmost5millio
    nlicenceholdersinJapanovertheageof75.Thisisdoublethenumberfro
    madecadeago.Inthatsameperiod,therehasbeenanincreaseinthenu
    mberoffatalcollisionsinvolvingelderlydrivers.Driversaged75orolder
    accountedfor13.2percentoffataltrafficaccidentsincentralJapan'sAic
    hiPrefecturelastyear.Thisisupfrom7.7percentin2007.Aichipolicesay
    someofthoseaccidentsinvolvedseniorsconfusingtheacceleratorandb
    rakepedalsormistakenlyputtingthevehicleintoreverse.

    Free writing

    Write about elderly drivers for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

     

    Academic writing

    There should be an age limit at which people must stop driving. Discuss.

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

    _____________________________________________________________________________

     

    Homework

    1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

    2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find out more about this news. Share what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

    3. ELDERLY DRIVERS: Make a poster about elderly drivers. Show your work to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all have similar things?

    4. LICENCE-SURRENDER SCHEMES: Write a magazine article about enticing elderly drivers to surrender their driving licence in exchange for discounts. Include imaginary interviews with people who are for and against this.

    Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Write down any new words and expressions you hear from your partner(s).

    5. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? Write a newspaper article about the next stage in this news story. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

    6. LETTER: Write a letter to an expert on elderly drivers. Ask him/her three questions about them. Give him/her three of your ideas on elderly drivers and road safety. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your partner(s) will answer your questions.

    A Few Additional Activities for Students

    Ask your students what they have read, seen or heard about this news in their own language. Students are likely to / may have have encountered this news in their L1 and therefore bring a background knowledge to the classroom.

    Get students to role play different characters from this news story.

    Ask students to keep track of this news and revisit it to discuss in your next class.

    Ask students to male predictions of how this news might develop in the next few days or weeks, and then revisit and discuss in a future class.

    Ask students to write a follow-up story to this news.

    Students role play a journalist and someone who witnessed or was a part of this news. Perhaps they could make a video of the interview.

    Ask students to keep a news journal in English and add this story to their thoughts.

    Also...

    Buy my 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers eBook. It has hundreds of ideas, activity templates, reproducible activities for:

    • News
    • Warm ups
    • Pre-reading / Post-reading
    • Using headlines
    • Working with words
    • While-reading / While-listening
    • Moving from text to speech
    • Post-reading / Post-listening
    • Discussions
    • Using opinions
    • Plans
    • Language
    • Using lists
    • Using quotes
    • Task-based activities
    • Role plays
    • Using the central characters in the article
    • Using themes from the news
    • Homework

    Buy my book

    $US 9.99

    Answers

    (Please look at page 26 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

    Back to the top

    Help Support This Web Site

    • Please consider helping Breaking News English.com

    Sean Banville's Book

    Thank You