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l us to (7) play it safe, to pull in your horns. Consequently, rather than performing to (8) our potential, we concentrate on minimizing our losers. The results can be (9) catastrophic.If you find yourself shying away from (10) risks, these five tips will help you (10) tap into the adventurous spirit buried in us all.1. Take (11) dreams seriously.2. Take it in little steps . When starting something new, (12) figure out a first step and make it one you are reasonably sure of (13) acplishing.3. Don’t say “don’t”, The Don’ts, a form of (14) negative goal setting, can be selffulfilling because your mind (15) responds to pictures.4. Make your own (16) rules.5. Learn from your mistakes.By (17)embracing risk, you will acplish more than you (18)ever thought you could. In the process you will (19) transform your life into an exciting adventure that will constantly challenge, reward and (20) rejuvenate you. Part 2 listening for GistIt39。ll be a dull day, with outbreaks of rain. There may be some heavy showers in the southwest later, with perhaps the odd thunderstorm. The outlook for tomorrow: continuing dull, but there should be some breaks in the cloud by midday. It39。re still trying to get a plan. But in the twenties, late twenties, you kind of know what you wanna do and you kind of have an idea of, of how to get it. And you know how to settle down, too. You can see a plan for getting things and also settling down.Interviewer: Hmm, um, is there a time in your life that you think you would call the most difficult time? Bruce: Probably the teenage years, like fourteen, fifteen ... Interviewer: Yeah? Bruce: Sixteen. Interviewer: The mid teens. Bruce: Yeah, I think the mid teens were the worst. Interviewer: So, Julie, why would you like to be a little girl again?Julie: Um, I think, uh, I think lately because the age I39。re, when you39。t have as many worries and responsibilities. Interviewer: Yeah. Julie: You don39。m at now, when you get out of college and you need to find a job... Interviewer: Uhhuh. Julie: And I39。t depend on my parents anymore...Interviewer: Uhhuh.Julie: And I have new responsibilities just trying to get used to having new responsibilities and also figure out what I wanna do there39。t always know what the best thing to do is. Um, those are things that I need to learn. Interviewer: Yeah.Julie: Yeah.Interviewer: So, Ann, why was being in your thirties good? Ann: Because in your thirties you pretty much know what you like and what you don39。re kind of settled into life. And, at least for me, that was a really good time. Actually, now that my sons are married and, and they39。m playing in an orchestra, which I would never39。 many people never reached the age of retirement. In 2001, life expectancy was years。re living longer and drawing from the Social Security fund for more years with each passing generation. The declining age of retirement only exacerbates* this trend. In simple terms, if the number of those paying into the fund drops as the number of those drawing from it rises, an imbalance is sure to develop in the future. Barring any restructuring of the system beforehand, Social Security expenses will exceed revenues in the year 2015. At that point the system will begin to use reserves to meet its obligations. According to the Social Security Administration estimates, these reserves will carry the system through the mid2030s. At that point, if not sooner, one of two things will need to be done: (1) The Social Security tax rate will need to be increased, or (2) Benefits paid out wij1 need to be reduced. The second solution may involve extending the retirement age to 70 or an even older age. Since none of these options is politically palatable (the elderly have the highest voting rate), it remains to be seen which will be implemented most likely some bination of the two. Since 3 out of every 10 Americans aged 65 or older depend on Social Security payments for 90% or more of their ine (and 3 out of 5 depend on Social Security for 50% or more of their ine) we must ask an important question: Are those of us now in our 30s and 40s planning on an alternative or supplemental retirement ine? A: Prelistening Question Actually, it is a government scheme that provides economic assistance to those people faced with sickness, unemployment, maternity and retirement, etc. In this case, the cost is paid entirely out of taxation. If the cost is met wholly or partly from contributi