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International Day of Older Persons
The International Day of Older Persons is a time to celebrate the older people in our lives.
Read the article to find out more about this special day.
Instructions
Do the preparation exercise first. Then read the article and do the other exercises.
Preparation
Match the definitions (a–h) with the vocabulary (1–8).
Vocabulary Definition
1. g elderly a. to give help to someone if they need it
2. e lonely b. knowledge and skills you get from doing and seeing things
3. a to support c. the things people have to make their lives comfortable
someone and safe, for example a home or food
4. d a billion d. the number 1,000,000,000
5. h healthcare e. unhappy because you are not with other people
6. c living conditions f. an activity where you make something with your hands
7. b experience g. a polite word for ‘old’
8. f a craft h. the hospitals, doctors, nurses, medicine, etc. available to
you
International Day of Older Persons
Who are the older people that you know well? Perhaps your grandmother, grandfather, a
neighbour or a family friend? The International Day of Older Persons, on 1 October, is a day
to celebrate and show respect for the older people in our lives.
Why do we have a special day for older people?
The United Nations decided to create a special day for older people in 1990. They realised
that many elderly people have difficulties, like being ill or feeling lonely. Having a special day
helps us understand the problems that older people have and reminds us to support and
care for them.
© British Council 2023 www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglishkids
How many older people are there in the world?
In 2019 there were one billion people aged 60 years and older, and by 2050 there will be 2.1
billion! People are living longer because, in many places, they have better healthcare and
living conditions than in the past. This means that more and more people can enjoy their
older years.
What can we learn from older people?
Older people have a lot of experience of life, so they know a lot of things! They can share
stories from the past that help us understand the world better. They can also help us learn
how to do interesting things, like cooking, gardening and crafts or how to play fun card
games or board games.
How can we celebrate the International Day of Older Persons?
One way to celebrate this special day is by spending time with your grandparents or an
elderly neighbour. You could play a game with them, or talk to them about life when they
were young. You could even prepare some interesting questions to ask them and interview
them! If you live far from your grandparents, you could have a phone call or a video call with
them. Another idea is to make a card, draw a picture or write a letter or poem to give to
people in your local old people’s home. It’s sure to make them smile!
Tasks
Task 1
What information is in the article? Choose the four correct answers.
✓ the date of the International Day of Older Persons
the names of some famous older people
the reason why we have a special day for older people
the number of people in the world who are more than 100 years old
the sorts of things that we can learn from older people
some things we can do on this special day
© British Council 2023 www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglishkids
Task 2
Complete the sentences with words from the box.
billion lonely grandparents to support healthcare experience
1. Many elderly people have difficulties, like being ill or feeling lonely .
2. This special day reminds us to support and care for them.
3. In 2050, there will be 2.1 billion people aged 60 years and older.
4. In many places, people have better healthcare than before.
5. Older people have a lot of experience of life.
6. You could celebrate this special day with your grandparents or an elderly
neighbour.
Write and draw
Who are the older people that you know well? What do you like doing together? Write about
them and draw a picture!
The oldest person I know is my maternal
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
grandparents. I love cooking delicious dishes
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
with my grandmother. I like stories of my
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
grandfather's experiences.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
© British Council 2023 www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglishkids
Answers
Preparation task
1. g
2. e
3. a
4. d
5. h
6. c
7. b
8. f
Task 1
✓ the date of the International Day of Older Persons
the names of some famous older people
✓ the reason why we have a special day for older people
the number of people in the world who are more than 100 years old
✓ the sorts of things that we can learn from older people
✓ some things we can do on this special day
Task 2
1. lonely
2. to support
3. billion
4. healthcare
5. experience
6. grandparents
© British Council 2023 www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglishkids
