【文章內(nèi)容簡介】 that women are far more likely to save for their children39。s education and they are also more likely to save up in order to buy a house one day. The same studies have found that men, on the other hand, tend to save for a car, which by the way takes a surprisingly large amount of the household budget in North America. But the other main priority for men when saving money is their retirement. When they39。re earning, they39。re far more likely to put money aside for their old age than women are. Now this is rather disturbing, because in fact the need for women to save for their old age is far greater than for men. Let39。s consider this for a moment. To start with, it is a fact that throughout the world, women are likely to live many years longer than men, so they need money to support them during this time. Since women are likely to be the ones left without a partner in old age, they may therefore have to pay for nursing care, because they don39。t have a spouse to look after them. Furthermore the high divorce rates in North America are creating a poverty cycle for women. It is the divorced women who will most often have to look after the children and thus they need more money to look. after not just themselves but others.So what can be done about this situation? The population in North America is likely to contain an increasing number of elderly women. The research indicates that at present for women it takes a crisis to make them think about their future financial situation. But of course this is the very worst time for anyone to make important decisions. Women today need to look ahead, think ahead not wait until they39。re under pressure. Even women in their early twenties need to think about pensions, for example, and with increasing numbers of women in professional positions there are signs that this is beginning to happen. Then research also suggests that women avoid dealing effectively with their economic situation because of a lack of confidence. The best way for them to overe this is by getting themselves properly informed so they are less dependent on other people39。s advice. A number of initiatives have been set up to help them do this. This College, for example, is one of the educational institutions which offers night classes in Money Management, and increasing numbers of women are enrolling on such courses. Here, they can be given advice on different ways of saving. Many women are unwilling to invest in stocks and shares, for instance, but these can be extremely profitable. It is usually advised that at least 70% of a person39。s savings should be in lowrisk investments but for the rest, financial advisors often advise taking some wellinformed risks. Initiatives such as this can give women the economic skills and knowledge they need for a fortable, independent retirement. The increasing proportion of elderly women in the population is likely to have other economic consequences...C6T1TAPESCRIPTSSECTION 1MAN: Right, got that. And what’s the next type?WOMAN: Well, that’s Silver—it’s the same as Gold except you have to pay a small fee of 163。1,00 per lesson for any you do and you can only use the centre at certain times.MAN: I see. So when exactly？WOMAN: You can only use the facilities between 10 am and 4:30 pm.MAN: So I couldn’t use the pool at 8 in the morning or evening, then?WOMAN: That’s right.MAN: OK. And the price for that? Is the joining fee the same as for Gold?WOMAN: Actually, it’s slightly less than the 163。250—it’s 163。225, but the annual fee is only 163。300. Does that sound more like what you want?MAN: Well, it’s still rather more expensive than I thought. I’m a student here in England and I’m only here for six months.WOMAN: Ah, then the Bronze scheme would probably suit you best.MAN: How is that different?WOMAN: Well, some of the facilities have restricted use.MAN: And do I have to pay for classes?WOMAN: Yes, it’s 163。3 for each class you join.MAN: I see. And what are the hours then?WOMAN: Between and weekdays only and you pay a 163。50 joining fee. The annual fee is 163。180—it works out at 163。15 a month, so that would be quite a lot cheaper.MAN: Oh, that should be all right. I could e in my free periods. What do I have to do if I want to join?WOMAN: Well, we book you in for an assessment with an instructor, who will show you how to use all the equipment. If you want to organize a trial session and look around the centre, you’ll need to speak to David Kynchley.MAN: Hmm. Could you spell that please?WOMAN: Yes, David KYNCHLEY. I’ll give you his direct line number. It’s ohfourfiveeightninefivethreedouble one.MAN: Thanks.WOMAN: Thank you for calling Kingswell Club.SECTION 2MAN: And here on Radio Rivenden we have Lynne Rawley, the Public Relations Officer of our own Rivenden City Theatre. Hello, Lynne.LYNNE: Hello.MAN: Now, the theatre is reopening soon after its threeyear redevelopment program, isn’t it?LYNNE: That’s right, and there are a lot of improvements. The first thing people will see when they go in is that the foyer has been repainted in the original green and gold. Then the box office has been reoriented with its own access form the side of the building instead of through the foyer, which means it can be open longer hours, and has more space, too. The shop that used to be in the foyer, which sold books and CDs, is the one part of the redevelopment which isn’t yet plete. The plan is to find new premises for it near the theatre, and we’ve had difficulty finding somewhere suitable. We hope to reopen the shop in the next few months.MAN: Will audiences find any difference in the auditorium?LYNNE: Yes, we’ve increased the legroom between the rows. This means that there are now fewer seats but we’re sure audiences will be much happier. And we’ve installed air conditioning, so it won’t get so hot and stuffy. We already had a few seats which were suitable for wheelchair users, and now there are twice as many, whi