Untillateinthe20thcenturymostAmericansspenttimewithpeopleofgenerations.Nowmid-agedAmericansmaynotkeepintouchwitholdpeopleuntiltheyareoldthemselves.That’sbecausewegrouppeoplebyage.Weputourthree-year-oldstogetherinday-carecenterour13-year-oldsinschoolandsportsactivitiesandour80-year-oldsinsenior-citizenhomes.Why?

Weliveawayfromtheoldformanyreasons:youngpeoplesometimesavoidtheoldtogetridoffearsforaginganddying.Itismuchhardertowatchsomeonewelovedisappearbeforeoureyes.Sometimesit’ssohardthatwestayawayfromthepeoplewhoneedusmost.

Fortunatelysomeofushavefoundourwaytotheold.Andwehavediscoveredthattheyoftensavetheyoung.

Areportermovedherfamilyontoablockfilledwitholdpeople.Atfirstherchildrenweredisappointed.Butthereporterbakedbananabreadfortheneighborsandhadherchildrendeliveritandvisitthem.Soonthechildrenhadmanynewfriendswithwhomtheysharedfoodstoriesandprojects.“Mychildrenhaveneverbeenlesslonely”thereportersaid.

Theyounginturnsavetheold.OnceIwasinaresthomewhenavisitorshowedupwithababy.Shewasimmediatelysurrounded.Peoplewhohadn’tgottenoutofbedinaweeksuddenlywereringingforawheelchair.Eventhosewhohadseemedasleepwakeuptowatchthechild.Babieshaveanastonishingpowertocomfortandcure.

Grandparentsareaspecialcase.Theygivegrandchildrenafeelingofsecurityandcontinuity.Asmyhusbandputit“mygrandparentsgavemeadeepsensethatthingswouldturnoutrightintheend.”

Grandchildrenspeakofattentiontheydon’tgetfromworriedparents.“Myparentswerealwaystellingmetohurryupandmygrandparentstoldmetoslowdown”onefriendsaid.Ateachertoldmeshecantellwhichpupilshaverelationshipswithgrandparents:theyarequietercalmermoretrusting.

NowinanAmericanfamilypeoplecanfindthat____.

A. childrenneverlivewiththeirparents

B.grandchildrenaresupportedbytheirgrandparents

C. agedpeoplearesupportedbytheirgrandchildren

D. notallworkingpeoplelivewiththeirparents

Thereasonwhyoldpeopleareleftalonemaybethat____.

A. theolddon’tl