The rapidly graying population 【小题1】 (eye) by the government as a potential market for medical technology now. 【小题2】 (disappoint) government predictions show that by 2025, Japan’s first baby boomers will have turned 75 and about 7 million people are likely to suffer from some form of dementia (痴呆). The nation won’t be able to avoid a dementia crisis 【小题3】 an additional 380,000 senior care workers.

The long-standing 【小题4】(short) of professional care workers has encouraged the Japanese government 【小题5】 (simplify) procedures for foreign caregivers to be trained and certified. The current Technical Intern Training Program between Vietnam, the Philippines, and Indonesia, under 【小题6】 economic partnership agreement, was extended to include nursing care as well as agriculture, fishery, and construction sectors.

【小题7】 the government made efforts to increase the numbers of senior care workers, the target number of foreign graduates has still fallen flat, with the national caregiver examination 【小题8】(prove) a major obstacle to pass. The success rate for foreign students was a merely 106 students last year, 【小题9】 has slightly improved to 216 students this year. Another depressing reality is that 19 to 38 percent of foreign nurses who pass the exam opt to leave the industry and return home. All the challenges above account for 【小题10】 the government believes care robots will soon step in.

There’s one thing 【小题1】 certain — we’re all getting older. But, growing old 【小题2】 (graceful) is no bad thing. And with age comes wisdom. However, as the world population ages, will there be enough people to replace our younger selves?

A situation 【小题3】 there are more old people than young certainly has 【小题4】 effect on the world. A report by the Pew Research Center says that globally the number of people over 65 years will be three times by 2050, 【小题5】 (change) some countries’ demographic make-up (人口构成).

This growing and dependent population means that there is an increased demand for health and social care. Governments will struggle to provide satisfactory pensions (养老金), which 【小题6】 (fund) by taxes paid by the working population. And long-term, a smaller population of economically-active people may be a problem for 【小题7】 (company) trying to hire staff.

Attitudes to an ageing population vary around the world. The Pew Research Center survey found that 87% of Japanese people were most concerned about it, while only 26% of people from the USA were. Here, immigration is helping in order 【小题8】 (make) the younger workforce larger and stronger. Some countries thought the elderly should take care of 【小题9】 (they), while others thought it was the 【小题10】 (responsible) of the family. Many thought the government should be responsible.

World Population Day was founded by the United Nations, and this holiday is【小题1】(annual) observed on July 11th.

The idea of World Population Day started in the late 1960s,【小题2】world leaders openly declared that adults have the right【小题3】(choose) whether they wanted children or not. This idea was also viewed as a human right. During this era, leaders were more open about【小题4】(discuss)child-bearing and the right women had to time their children【小题5】they wished. While this was just one of the【小题6】(sign) to the feminist movement in the US, this idea was new to many developing nations at the time.

In 1989, the world population quickly increased to five billion. During this same year, the United Nations founded World Population Day. Both events【小题7】(occur) on July 11th of that year.

World Population Day is celebrated in many ways‒‒much of this depends on the region. For participants who live in countries where gender【小题8】(equal) is a law, the holiday is meant to be 【小题9】reflection and celebration of significant moments in history that helped society achieve this basic human right.

Every July 11th, the United Nations also has central celebrations in which all nations【小题10】(permit) to participate. In addition, the UN holds an annual theme.