TEXT D For an increasing number
of students at American universities, Old is suddenly in. The reason is
obvious: the graying of America means jobs. Coupled with the aging of the
babyboom generation, a longer life span means that the nation’s elderly
population is bound to expand significantly over the next 50 years. By 2050, 25
percent of all Americans will be older than 65, up from 14 percent in 1995. The
change poses profound questions for government and society, of course. But it
also creates career opportunities in medicine and health professions, and in law
and business as well. "In addition to the doctors, we’re going to need more
sociologists, biologists, urban planners and specialized lawyers," says
Professor Edward Schneider of the University of Southern California’s (USC)
School of Gerontology. Lawyers can specialize in "elder law,"
which covers everything from trusts and estates to nursing-home abuse and age
discrimination. Businessmen see huge opportunities in the elder market because
the baby boomers, 74 million strong, are likely to be the wealthiest group of
retirees in human history. "Any student who combines an expert knowledge in
gerontology with, say, an MBA or law degree will have a license to print money,"
one professor says. Margarite Santos is a 21-year-old senior at
USC. She began college as a biology major but found she was "really bored with
bacteria." So she took a class in gerontology and discovered that she liked it.
She says, "I did volunteer work in retirement homes and it was very
satisfying." It can be seen from the passage that the expansion of America’s elderly population
A.will provide good job opportunities in many areas B.will impose an unbearable burden on society C.may lead to nursing home abuse and age discrimination D.will create new fields of study in universities