IN China, more and more old people are living alone. Research shows that lonely people tend to be depressed（压抑的） and become ill more often; What is more, in old age, depressed people do not take good care of themselves. So what can these lonely people do? Volunteer（做志愿者）!
Anyone with any special skill can volunteer to teach those skills. For example, retired teachers can help the younger faculty(教员) write books; they can edit and proofread（校对）colleagues'（同事的） papers; they can volunteer as part-time（兼职） tutors（家庭教师） or editors of books. Retired business people can volunteer to help younger people set up a new business and even work part time for them. Retired artists can volunteer at schools to teach art classes or give private lessons.
But what if you do not have any special skill? Well, there are still many ways to be useful and volunteer. One way is to learn a new skill. The saying goes: "You are never too old to learn!"（活到老，学到老。） In Beijing, many old people are learning English in preparation for（准备） the 2008 Olympic Games.
There are many other ways to volunteer and we should each find what suits us best. Volunteering makes us useful and happy, and it brings us new friends. We can lead healthier lives. So my advice to old people is: Don't just sit there. Volunteer!David Tool
