Read the following text and answer questions [A] and [B] below.
Japan and Italy may appear to be very different countries but they have two important factors in common: a falling birthrate and an ageing society. In Italy today 18.9 % of the population is over 65, but this figure is likely to go up to 34.4 % by 2050. The average age of Italians is currently 41. 8 and in 2050 is predicted to be 50.5; 4.3 % of the population is over 80 and by 2050 that figure will probably reach 14.2 %. If these projections are right, then in 2050 Italy will have 15 million fewer people than today. Italy has the lowest fertility rate, at 1.23 children per woman, and the fastest ageing population in Europe.
In response to these problems the Italian government has decided to offer women who have a second child a payment of 1, 000 Euros. This has already been paid to 190, 000 Italian women, but many Italians believe that this policy does not go far enough. One town, where only 4 babies were born in 2002, has offered women 10, 000 Euros over a 5-year period for each additional baby. This kind of policy has been introduced in another European country, Sweden, and was initially successful in increasing the number of new babies. However after only a few years the birth rate fell back to the same level before the financial support was introduced.
Letizia Mencarini, a professor at the University of Florence, questioned more than 3, 000 mothers across Italy to find out what would persuade them to have more children. She found that the more the father was involved in looking after the child and doing household chores, the more likely his wife was to want and have a second baby. The survey indicated that Italian men do little around the house - fewer than 6 % of mothers responded that their husbands "always" or "often" did household chores such as cooking or cleaning. As a result many women cannot face the dual burden of going out to work and looking after an extra child.
Other solutions to the problem of an ageing society include raising the official retirement age from 60 to 65, providing cheaper child care facilities so both parents can continue to work after having children, and extending paid maternity and paternity leave for parents after the birth of their children. One thing is certain for both Italy and Japan: solving the problems of an ageing society will be neither simple nor cheap and this will be one of the greatest challenges these countries face in the coming years.
Note
maternity and paternity leave: a period of time after having a baby when parents are allowed to be away from work
A Short-Answer Questions (2) Describe two features of the population in Italy in 2050. (3) Why is the Italian government offering women a payment of 1, 000 Euros? (4) According to Letizia Mencarini, what do Italian women want their B Essay Question
Write a one-sentence answer to the following questions. Please answer using a complete sentence in English.
Example: Question: What do you want to study at Hokkaido University?
Answer: I want to study science at Hokkaido University.
(1) Which two problems does Italy face?
husbands to do?
Paragraphs 2, 3 and 4 in the text report several ways to resolve the issue of an ageing society. Which of the suggested solutions (or your own solution) do you think would work best? Write a short essay (about 70-90 words in English) describing your solution. Give clear reasons to support your opinion.
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