【词汇】Living Longer.docx

智课网TOEFL备考资料【词汇】Living Longer ［题目］In general, people are living longer now. Discuss the causes of this phenomenon. Use specific reasons and details to develop your essay. 21. Living Longer In the past it was not uncommon for a man to die at forty, having lived a full life. But now we consider a lifespan of forty years to be very short. It is not unusual for people to live into their eighties and nineties, and some even reach 100. Whats more, people are living long, healthy lives and are active well into their golden years. Mankinds longevity is due mainly to advances in science and technology. Medical breakthroughs have eradicated many fatal diseases that were once common. Perhaps more importantly, better general health means that people are less likely to contract infections in the first place. Better health also helps people prevent slowly debilitating conditions, such as heart disease, which can take their lives at an early age. And as civilization has advanced, our living environment and sources of food have become more sanitary. Furthermore, work is now safer and not as taxing on the human body. We do not wear out after just a few years of very hard work. There are many reasons why people are now living longer than ever before. But what is more important is that they are living better as they live longer. It is my opinion that we have scientific and technological developments to thank for this progress. 【注释】 lifespan n.寿命whats more而且 golden years黄金时代；退休期(多指65岁以上) mankind n.人类longevity n.长寿 advance n./v.进步breakthrough n.突破 eradicate v.根除fatal adj.致命的 contract v.感染infection n.传染病 debilitate v.使衰弱condition n.身体状况 civilization n.文明sanitary adj.卫生的 taxing adj.累人的；繁重的 wear out使筋疲力尽progress n.进步 活得更久 【译文】 21.活得更久 以前的人活到40岁就过完一生而死亡是很平常的。但是现在，我们认为40岁的寿命很短。人们活到八十几岁、九十几岁，有些甚至到100岁，是很平常的。而且，人们还能活得久而且又健康，精力充沛地迈入他们的黄金时代(退休期)。 人类会长寿主要是因为科学及科技的进步。医学上的重大突破已经根除了以前十分普遍的致命疾病。而更重要的也许是，大众健康的改善首先意味着人们不大可能得传染病。人们变得更健康也有助于预