Unlocking
Word Meanings
Read
the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. pass away (idiom) [pas] [uh-wey] – to die (or to end or stop something)
Example: The man passed away before the cure was found.
(to die)
2. in one’s prime (idiom) [in] [wuhns] [prahym] – a time
when a person is at his strongest or best
Example: The actress traveled
the world in her prime.
3. retirement (n.) [ri-tahyuhr-muhnt] – the act of
giving up or leaving a job permanently
Example: My parents toured
around the Asia after their retirement.
4. prolong (v.) [pruh-long] – to make
something longer; to extend
Example: Do not prolong your problem by doing nothing.
Article
Read
the text below.
The oldest man in the world, Walter Breuning , passed away at age
114.
He died of natural causes in a hospital in Montana, USA.
In his prime,
Walter worked as a railway clerk and was married to his wife for 35 years until
she passed away in 1957.
He had been living in the same retirement house in Montana for 31
years.
Before he died, Walter had been passionate about ending the wars
in Iraq and Afghanistan. As a kid, he grew up hearing his grandfather tell
stories about the killings during the Civil War in the 1860s and even back
then, he had already thought war was a terrible thing.
When asked about the secret to his long life, Walter claimed a
diet of two meals a day prolonged
his life. He advised that it is important to stick to a proper
diet to be in good shape.
Walter died without fear of death because he believed dying is
part of life. We are all born to die, he said.
Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy
a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion A
Discussion A
·
Why
are some old people sent to retirement homes?
·
Do
you agree that staying in retirement homes is good for old people? Please
explain.
Discussion B
·
Why do most people think older people
understand life better than younger ones?
·
Do you think it is possible for younger
people to have a better understanding of life than older people? Please explain
your answer.
