1、2023年高考英语外刊时文精读精练 (15)Short-sightedness: Protecting the pupils近视：保护学生 主题语境：人与自我 主题语境内容：健康的生活方式【外刊原文】（斜体单词为超纲词汇，认识即可；下划线单词为课标词汇，需熟记。）Few things come with no downsides at all. Rich countries havealmostcompletelybanishedinfectiousdiseasessuch astuberculosis(结核病),cholera(霍乱)andmalaria(疟疾). Instead, thei
2、r healthministriesspend much of their time worrying about illnesses caused by wealth. Cheap, high caloriefood hasabolishedstarvationin the rich world, but it also encouragesdiabetes(糖尿病). White-collarjobs are lesstiring thanphysicalwork. They also promoteobesityand heart disease.Even education is no
3、t always good. Over the past few decades, East Asia has seen astunningrise in the rate of short-sightedness. And a growingpileofevidencesuggests that the mainreason for this is educationspecifically, the fact that children spend large parts of the day inrelativelydark classrooms.Before the long econ
4、omic booms that began in the1960s,short-sightednesswasuncommonin East Asia. These days, among the young, it is almostwidespread. In Seoul over nine in ten young men are short-sighted. China, which began its economic rise later, iscatchingup. Data showshort-sightednessrates among young people of abou
5、t80%.If East Asia is the centre of theepidemic(流行病), the West is notimmune. Good data are harder to come by. But studies suggest rates of between20% and40% in Europe, higher than the natural state of affairs. One study in California found a rate of59% among17- to19-year-olds.There are,admittedly, wo
6、rse things tosufferfrom. But short-sightedness is not always harmless.Glassesandcontactlenses(隐形眼镜)are an expensive,lifelongbother. In parts ofruralChina, where some families cannot afford either, children struggle in the very schools that are causing the problem. And severeshort-sightednessleads th
7、ose enduring it to other eyediseasesin middle age, some of which can cause untreatable loss of vision. Governments in Asia are increasingly worried about the public-healtheffectsof entire generations growing up short-sighted. Those in other parts of the world should start worrying, too.Theevidencesu
8、ggests that regularexposureto bright daylight is vital inproperlycontrolling the growth of childrens eyes. Too little light leads toshort-sightedeyes. Researchers think that this explains why rates are so high in Asia, where a strong culturalemphasison the value of education leads to long school day
9、s and, often,privatetutoringin the afternoon and evening. That leaves little time forsunshine. Western children, whose parents are increasingly worried by acompetitivejobs market that threatens much lesssecureemploymentthan they enjoyed, are beginning to go the same way.Special eyedrops, as well as
10、cleverglassesandcontactlenses, may be able to slow thedevelopmentofshort-sightednessonce it has started. Butpreventionis better than relief, and the science suggests a cheap,straightforwardmeasure. A series of encouragingtrialsshow that giving schoolchildrenand especially those inprimaryeducationmor
11、e time outside can cut the number who go on to developshort-sightedness. An island-wide policy of doing just that seems to have begunchangingthe decades-long rise inshort-sightednessrates. Similar attempts in Singapore relied on parents, whoprovedmorereluctantto change theirbehaviour, perhaps worrie
12、d that other parents might not follow suit, leaving their children at adisadvantagein the classroom.Governments are well placed to solve suchcollective-action problems, whilereassuringanxious parents that a bit less classroom time is unlikely to becatastrophic. After all, countries such as Finland a
13、nd Sweden do well in global educationrankingswith a lessintenseapproachto education. Giving more outdoor time to young children would still leave room for them to cram (死记硬背) for exams in their teenage years. And longer breaks in the playground may also improve other rich-world problems such as chil
14、dhoodobesity. Far-sightedgovernments should send the kidsoutdoors.【课标词汇精讲】1. banish 消除，排除Diseases like malaria have been banished for centuries.疟疾之类的疾病已经被根除数世纪之久。He has now banished all thoughts of retirement.他现在已经完全打消了退休的念头。2. infectious易传染的，传染性的；有感染力的；an infectious disease/patient传染病传染病病人an infect
15、ious smile有感染力的笑声infectious enthusiasm有感染力的热情3. abolish废除，废止Slavery was abolished in the US in the 19th century.美国于 19 世纪废除了奴隶制。The whole system should be abolished.整个制度应该被废除。4. starvation饥饿，挨饿Twenty million people face starvation unless a vast emergency aid programme is launched.若不启动大型紧急援助专案计划，两千万人
16、将有饿死的危险。The animals had died of starvation.这些动物饿死了。5. promote促进；促销，推销；推广Advertising companies are always having to think up new ways to promote products.广告公司总是得想出新办法来促销。Greenpeace works to promote awareness of the dangers that threaten our planet today.绿色和平组织致力于促使人们更了解当前威胁地球的危机。6. stunning震惊的 stunni
17、ng news令人震惊的新闻He suffered a stunning defeat in the election. 他在选举中惨败。 7. evidence证据；证明Several experts are to give evidence on the subject.几位专家将就这个问题提出证据。There is growing/mounting/increasing evidence that people whose diets are rich in vitamins are less likely to develop some types of cancer.越来越多的证据证
18、明，在饮食中吸收含有富维他命食物的人不太容易罹患某些癌症。8. specifically特意，专门地; 明确地；确切地；具体地These jeans are designed specifically for women.这些牛仔裤是专为女性设计的。It specifically said/stated on the label that the jacket should be dry-cleaned only.标签上明确标明这件夹克衫只能干洗。9. relatively相对地，比较而言，按比例说Relatively speaking, its a fairly poor country.相
19、对而言，这是个很贫穷的国家。The system is relatively easy to use.这个系统使用起来相对容易。10. widespread分布广的，散布广的；普遍的There was widespread support for the war.普遍支持战争。The storm caused widespread damage.暴风雨造成了大范围的破坏。11. catchup赶上I ran after her and managed to catch up with her.我在她后面追，终于赶上了她。At the moment our technology is more
20、advanced, but other countries are catching up with us.目前我们的技术比较先进，但是其他国家正在赶上来。12. immune免疫的;对某种疾病有免疫力的:Most people whove had chicken pox once are immune to it for the rest of their lives.大多数出过水痘的人终生都对此病具有免疫力。Once weve had the disease, were immune for life.我们一旦得过这种病，就获得了终身免疫力。13. Admittedly用于让步或承认某事属
21、实或确实如此诚然; 无可否认Admittedly, the salary was not wonderful but the duties were light.诚然，薪水不是很高，但是工作很轻松。This is admittedly an extreme case.这确实是个极端的事例。14. suffer受苦；受折磨Shes been suffering from (= been ill with) cancer for two years.她患癌症已经两年了。Marys suffering from ill health at the moment.玛丽眼下身体不好。15. endure
22、忍耐（痛苦，困难），忍受It seemed impossible that anyone could endure such pain.似乎没人能忍耐这样的痛苦。We had to endure a nine-hour delay at the airport.航班延误，我们不得不在机场苦等了九个小时。16. Increasingly越来越多地，不断增加地to be increasingly important/common越来越重要普遍He was finding it increasingly difficult to make decisions.他发现越来越难以作出决定。There i
23、s an increasingly popular alternative.有了越来越受欢迎的替代品。17.exposure接触；面临；遭受You should always limit your exposure to the sun.无论甚么时候，都不要长时间晒太阳。Even a brief exposure to radiation is very dangerous.即使只是短期接受辐射也是非常危险的。18.vital必不可少的；极其重要的She had found out some information of vital importance.她已经查出了一些极为重要的资讯。Reg
24、ular exercise is vital for your health.经常锻炼对健康非常重要。19. emphasis重视，强调They placed great emphasis on the individuals freedom.他们特别强调个人自由。Schools here put/place/lay great emphasis on written work and grammar.这里的学校特别重视写作和文法。20. competitive竞争的；竞赛的Graduates have to fight for jobs in a highly competitive mar
25、ket.毕业生不得不在竞争激烈的市场上奋力争取找到工作。Universities are very competitive for the best students.大学对优等生的争夺十分激烈。21. secure 安全的，无危险的; 可靠的，稳定的The official said that no airport could be totally secure.那名官员说任何机场都不可能绝对安全。We want a secure future for our children.我们希望我们的孩子有一个可靠的未来。22. employment受雇；就业The employment prosp
26、ects for science graduates are excellent.理科毕业生的就业前景非常好。Steves still looking for full-time employment .史蒂夫还在寻找全职工作。23.prevention阻止，妨碍；预防The organization is committed to AIDS prevention and education.该组织致力于爱滋病的防治和教育。Effective crime prevention must be our main goal.有效预防犯罪必须是我们的主要目标。24.straightforward容易
27、理解的，简单的Installing the program is relatively straightforward.安装这个程序相对来说比较简单。This area of law is far from straightforward (=complicated) .这方面的法律很复杂。25. trial验，试验，测试Theyve employed her for a six-month trial (period).他们录用了她，试用期为六个月。They let me have the computer on trial for thirty days.他们让我试用这台计算机三十天。26
28、. primary首要的；主要的;初等教育的，小学的primary education初等教育a primary school小学The Red Crosss primary concern is to preserve and protect human life.红十字会最关心的是维护人的生命安全。27.reluctant不情愿的，勉强的She seemed reluctant to discuss the matter.她似乎不愿讨论这件事。I was having such a good time I was reluctant to leave.我玩得很开心，都不愿意离开了。28.
29、reassure安慰，使放心，使消除疑虑He understood her feelings and tried to reassure her.他理解她的心情并努力安慰她。I was nervous on my first day at college, but I was reassured to see some friendly faces.踏进大学的第一天我很紧张，但是当我看到那么多友善的脸孔，心里感到踏实多了。29.catastrophic 灾难性的;引起重大灾难的A tidal wave caused by the earthquake hit the coast causing
30、 catastrophic damage.地震引起的海啸袭击了沿海地区，导致灾难性的破坏。The water shortage in this country is potentially catastrophic.这个国家的水资源匮乏可能会带来灾难性的后果。30.intense强烈的；剧烈的，极度的He suddenly felt an intense pain in his back.他突然觉得背部一阵剧痛。Young people today are under intense pressure to succeed.如今的年轻人面临极大的成功压力。【课标词汇精练】1. Over thr
31、ee hundred people have died of since the beginning of the year.从年初起，已有 300 多人饿死。2. It has long been known that regular exercise all-round good health.经常运动能促进全面健康，这一点已久为人知。3. The Presidents final decision came with suddenness. 总统之最后决定的突然性令人吃惊4. The campaign has received support.这场运动得到广泛支持。5. He was o
32、ff school for a while and is finding it hard to .他休学了一段时间，现在发现要跟上很吃力。6. He seems to be to colds - he just never gets them.他好像对感冒具有免疫力他从不感冒。7. It is becoming clear that this problem will not be easily solved. 越来越明显的是,这个问题不会轻易解决。 8. to lead is known to damage the brains of young children.众所周知，接触铅对幼儿的大
33、脑有害。9. It is to get medical supplies to the area as soon as possible.要尽快把药品送往该地区，这至关重要。10. For someone who cant read, shopping is by no means a matter.对于不识字的人来说，购物决不是一件简单的事情11. , I could have tried harder but I still dont think all this criticism is fair.不可否认，我本来可以再努力些。尽管如此，我认为这些批评也并非完全公道。12. I thin
34、k he quite a lot when his wife left him.我想他妻子离开他时，他一定很痛苦。13. Is there any scientific that a persons character is reflected in their handwriting?一个人的笔迹反映其性格的说法有甚么科学凭据呢？14. They tried to the memory from their minds.他们试图驱走心中的记忆。15. These viruses affect children and are highly .这些病毒会侵袭儿童，而且具有很强的传染性。16.
35、The government should income tax for the low-paid. 政府应该取消低收入者的所得税。17. We are aiming our campaign at young people.我们的促销宣传是专门针对年轻人的。18. Although Europes economy was growing, it was falling behind.尽管欧洲经济也在增长，但相对而言是落后了。19. Shes already had to three painful operations on her leg.她已经承受了三次腿部手术的巨大痛苦。20. spo
36、rts encourage children to work together as a team.竞技体育激励孩子们的团队协作精神。21. At last they were able to feelabout the future.他们终于觉得不必为将来而担忧了。22. I think we should put as much on preventing disease as we do on curing it.我认为我们应该像重视治疗一样重视疾病的预防。23. The minister warned that if war broke out, it would be for the
37、 whole world.这位部长警告说，万一爆发战争，那对全世界都将是场灾难。24. The job demands concentration.这项工作要求高度专心。25. Educating new drivers is important for the of accidents .培训新司机对预防事故很重要。 26. levels are unlikely to rise significantly before the end of next year.在明年年底之前就业率很难有大幅度提升。27. He tried to me that my mother would be oka
38、y.他试图安慰我，说我母亲不会有事的。28. Theyre doing clinical on a new drug.他们正在对一种新药进行临床试验。29. The responsibility lies with those who break the law.主要的责任在于那些违法者。30. Many parents feelto talk openly with their children.很多父母都不愿意和儿女们敞开心扉交谈。Keys:1. Over three hundred people have died of starvation since the beginning of
39、 the year.2. It has long been known that regular exercise promotes all-round good health.3. The Presidents final decision came with stunning suddenness. 4.The campaign has received widespread support.5.He was off school for a while and is finding it hard to catch up.6.He seems to be immune to colds
40、- he just never gets them.7.It is becoming increasingly clear that this problem will not be easily solved. 8.Exposure to lead is known to damage the brains of young children.9.It is vital to get medical supplies to the area as soon as possible.10.For someone who cant read, shopping is by no means a
41、straightforward matter.11.Admittedly, I could have tried harder but I still dont think all this criticism is fair.12.I think he suffered quite a lot when his wife left him.13.Is there any scientific evidence that a persons character is reflected in their handwriting?14.They tried to banish the memor
42、y from their minds.15.These viruses affect children and are highly infectious.16.The government should abolish income tax for the low-paid. 17.We are aiming our campaign specifically at young people.18.Although Europes economy was growing, it was falling behind relatively.19.Shes already had to endu
43、re three painful operations on her leg.20.Competitive sports encourage children to work together as a team.21.At last they were able to feel secure about the future.22.I think we should put as much emphasis on preventing disease as we do on curing it.23.The minister warned that if war broke out, it
44、would be catastrophic for the whole world.24.The job demands intense concentration.25.Educating new drivers is important for the prevention of accidents .26.Employment levels are unlikely to rise significantly before the end of next year.27.He tried to reassure me that my mother would be okay.28.The
45、yre doing clinical trials on a new drug.29.The primary responsibility lies with those who break the law.30.Many parents feel reluctant to talk openly with their children.【译文】几乎没有什么事情是完美的。富裕国家几乎完全消灭了结核病、霍乱和疟疾等传染病。但是，他们的卫生部门把大量时间花在了思考如何应对富贵病上。在富裕国家，廉价、高热量的食物消除了饥饿，但也引发了糖尿病。久坐不动的白领工作比体力活更轻松（致死率也更低），但会引发
46、肥胖和心脏病。即使是教育给人们带来的也并非全是益处。在过去的几十年里，东亚地区的近视率以惊人的速度增长。越来越多的证据表明，造成这种现象的主要原因就是教育具体而言，是因为孩子们每天大部分时间都呆在光线相对昏暗的教室里在20世纪60年代开始的长期经济繁荣之前，近视现象在东亚并不多见。如今，年轻人几乎都是近视眼。在首尔，90%的年轻人患有近视。在经济崛起较晚的中国，近视率正在迎头赶上。数据显示，年轻人的近视率约为80%。如果说东亚是近视这一“流行病”的中心，那么西方也未能幸免。尽管缺乏精确的数据。但研究表明，欧洲近视率在20%至40%之间，比自然状态下高。加州的一项研究发现，在17至19岁的青少年
47、中，近视率59%。诚然，还有比近视更糟糕的事情。但近视也并不是无关紧要的小事。眼镜和隐形眼镜价格昂贵，且需终身佩戴。在中国部分农村地区，一些家庭买不起眼镜，而孩子们不得不在给他们造成近视的学校中继续艰难上学。严重的近视会使人在中年时患上其他眼疾，其中一些还会导致无法治愈的失明。亚洲各国政府越来越担心，一整代人在成长过程中都患有近视，这会对公共健康造成影响。世界其他地区的人也应该开始重视起来了。有证据表明，经常暴露在明亮的日光下对适当控制儿童眼睛的生长发育至关重要。接触阳光过少会导致近视。研究人员认为，这就是亚洲近视率高的原因，亚洲文化对教育的高度重视使得学生上学时间长，而且经常在下午和晚上进行
48、私人辅导。这样学生就没有时间晒太阳了。西方的孩子们也开始走上同样的道路，因为他们的父母日益担忧竞争激烈的就业市场会导致他们的子女可能无法像他们那一代获得稳定的就业保障。一旦患上近视，特殊的眼药水，精巧的眼镜和隐形眼镜可能可以减缓近视的发展。但是，预防胜于缓解，而且科学表明，有一种价廉又直接的措施。一系列令人振奋的试验表明，给学生，尤其是小学生，更多的户外活动时间可以减少日后患上近视的人数。一项在全岛范围内实施的政策似乎已经开始扭转几十年来近视率上升的趋势。在新加坡，类似措施的尝试依赖于父母，事实证明，他们更不愿意改变自己的行为，可能担心其他家长可能不会采用这一方法，这样会让自己的孩子在学业上处于不利地位。政府可以很好地解决这些需要集体行动的问题，同时让焦虑的家长们放心，课堂时间少一点不会带来灾难性的后果。毕竟，像芬兰和瑞典这样在全球教育排名中名列前茅的国家，他们的教育强度没那么大。给孩子们更多的户外活动时间，并不妨碍他们在青少年时期为考试拼命学习。更多的操场休息时间还有助于改善富裕国家的一些其他问题，如儿童肥胖。有远见的政府应该让孩子走出教室。
