Text 02
JAPAN PENSIONERS VOLUNTEER TO TACKLE
NUCLEAR CRISIS
A group of more than 200 Japanese pensioners are
volunteering to tackle the nuclear crisis at the Fukushima
power station.
The Skilled Veterans Corps, as they call themselves, is
made up of retired engineers and other professionals, all
over the age of 60. They say they should be facing the
dangers of radiation, not the young.
It was while watching the television news that Yasuteru
Yamada decided it was time for his generation to stand
up. The retired engineer is reporting back for duty at the
age of 72, and he is organising a team of pensioners to
go with him.
Volunteering to take the place of younger workers at
the power station is not brave, Mr Yamada says, but
logical.
"I am 72 and on average I probably have 13 to 15
years left to live," he says. "Even if I were exposed to
radiation, cancer could take 20 or 30 years or longer to
develop. Therefore us older ones have less chance of
getting cancer."
Adapted from: BBC News. Available on: <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-13598607 .
Access on: Nov. 25, 2011.
Analyze the statements below.
I. Some old people in Japan want to help with the
problem at the Fukushima power station.
II. The old people want to help because they have lower
life expectancy than the young ones.
III. Only old people are allowed to work in Fukushima.
IV. The pensioners are volunteering because radiation is
not dangerous for old people.
It is right to affirm that
