2006年VOA标准英语-Americans' Life Expectancy Rises Dramatica

By Carol Pearson
Washington, DC
27 April 2006
 
watch Life Expectancy¹ report

Life expectancy in certain parts of the world has fallen dramatically -- as much as 50 percent in some countries. That's according to a World Health Organization official who spoke² at an international AIDS conference in South Africa. VOA's Carol Pearson reports this startling information comes as figures show life expectancy in the U.S. is significantly higher. 

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Life expectancy for Americans is the highest it has ever been. The average American born today can now expect to live almost 78 years. Americans are living longer and the number of deaths is declining.   The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says total deaths decreased almost 50,000 between 2003 and 2004. Robert Anderson, at the National Center for Health Statistics, says the decline in deaths is nationwide and, "This is the biggest drop in the number of deaths since about 1938."

The numbers surprised everyone, even the researchers. 

Robert Anderson   
  
"You would expect with an aging population for the number of deaths to increase, just because the population is older and people at older ages have higher death rates," says Mr. Anderson.

American women still live longer than American men, but the gap has narrowed to five years, the same number as the gap between whites and blacks, which has also decreased.  

 
Robert Butler
  
Dr. Robert Butler is with the International Longevity³ Center.  He says, "The older age group pays much more attention to their health, much more physical activity, and the availability of certain significant medications like statins that lower cholesterol⁴ levels."

The leading causes of death are still heart disease, cancer and stroke, but the numbers of Americans dying from these diseases has declined dramatically:  fewer Americans smoke and more older Americans are mindful of getting exercise.

"The truth is, people in their 70s and 80s are exercising, going to Pilates, and have health trainers," says Dr. Butler.

 
Louann Nockles 
  
Louann Nockles is 72 years old. She doesn't have a trainer... she is one.  "I walk to the gym every morning -- at 4:30 in the morning -- to open the gym."

It's the kind of lifestyle choice experts say is making a huge difference for thousands of older Americans.

1 expectancy   

n.期望，预期，（根据概率统计求得）预期数额

参考例句：

• Japanese people have a very high life expectancy.日本人的平均寿命非常长。
• The atomosphere of tense expectancy sobered everyone.这种期望的紧张气氛使每个人变得严肃起来。

2 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

3 longevity   

n.长命；长寿

参考例句：

• Good habits promote longevity.良好的习惯能增长寿命。
• Human longevity runs in families.人类的长寿具有家族遗传性。

4 cholesterol   

n.（U）胆固醇

参考例句：

• There is cholesterol in the cell of body.人体细胞里有胆固醇。
• They are determining the serum-protein and cholesterol levels.他们正在测定血清蛋白和胆固醇的浓度。