Thomas Jefferson was unequivocal：“Without health，there is no happiness．An attention to health， then，should take the place of every other object．”During the past two decades，the association of health and quality of life has been underscored by developments that not only have meant better health for individuals but also have positioned the United States on the doorstep of transformational change in notions of good health and how it is determined．①It has become clear that health is not just a matter of biology and medical care，but of behavior，of environment，and of social conditions．Along with these insights have come important new opportunities and priorities．
The most basic measure of progress--vital statistics records of death rates for the nation’s prominent health threats--provides a first-order indication of the trends．Between l980 and 2000，age- adjusted death rates for heart disease declined by 37 percent，cancer by 4 percent，stroke by 40 percent， and inj uries by 26 percent．This is good news，and it is substantially attributable to progress in prevention．
Overall，life expectancy increased by 4 years for men and 2．5 years for women，reachin9 74．1 years for men and 79．5 years for women in 2000．
As lire expectancy increases and population ages，issues of quality of life have become ever more compellin9．There is good news on this front as well．In 2000，the proportion of people over age 6 5 9rew t0 12．6 percent，up from ll．3 percent in l980，and is expected to reach 20 percent by 2030．Yet，as the population ages，disability among older people is declinin9．Mortality dropped by about l percent per year among older people during the past two decades，and disability rates declined even more，by about 2 percent per year．The proportion of older people living in institutions declined t0 4．2 percent in l 999 from 6．8 percent in l982．
In part，these improvements have come about because of greater appreciation of controllable risks and more efforts to reduce those risks．o Research，some of which began a half century a90，has gradually deepened our understanding of the etiologic factors underlying the most common sources of disease and disability．④Studies of the relative contributions of various factors to the leading health threats suggest that actualleading causes of death in l 990 were not heart disease and cancer。but tobacco and the combination of sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy diets．More recent assessments indicate that tobacco has now been overtaken by diet and inactivity as the leading threat to health．[419 words]
1．The quotation from Thomas Jefferson is used to prove that______．
A．health is of utmost importance to the quality of life
B．nobody neglects the issue of health
C．Thomas Jefferson had marvelous insight
D．American people have realized the importance of health since long ago
2．It is a good news that age-adjusted death rates______between l980 and 2000．
A．for heart disease declined the most
B．for cancer declined the least
C．from some diseases were on the rise
D．for leading health threats dropped
3．Which of the following doesn’t support the opinion that the quality of life for older people has been improved?
A．Disability among older people is declinin9．
B．Mortality among older people has obviously decreased．
C．Older people are more reluctant to live in institutions than ever before．
D．Older people can expect to live much longer than ever before．
4．We pay much attention to the issues of quality of life because of all of the following EXCEPT ______
A．both men and women are expected to live longer than before
B．women are expected to live longer than men
C．population ages
D．1ife expectancy increases
5．It has been realized that the leading threat to death is______．
A．uncontronable risks to health
B．various etiologic factors
C．sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy diets
D．tobacco and the combination of sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy diets [NextPage]
难句透析
①During the past two decades，the association of health and quality of life has been underscored by developments[that not only have meant better health for individuals but also have positioned the United States on the doorstep of transformational change in notions o f good health and how it is determined}．
【结构】方括号所标示的部分是“developments”的定语从句。其中“not only…but als0…”连接谓语“have meant”和“have positioned”。
【释义】过去20年取得的进展不仅意味着人们健康水平的提高，而且把美国引到一个新起点，对于健康以及如何确定健康状态，面临观念的根本转变。这些进展突出了健康和生活质量的密切关系。
②It has become clear[that health is not J ust a matter of biology and medical care，but of behavior，of environment， and of social conditions]．Along with these insights have come important new opportunities and priorities．
【结构】在第一句中，“It”是形式主语，真正主语是方括号所标示的主语从句；其中“but of…”相当于“but a mat ter of…””。第二句是主谓倒装句，主语是“important new opportunities and priorities”，谓语动词是“have come”。
【释义】健康不只是生物学和医疗保健的问题，而且是行为、环境和社会条件的问题。这点已很清楚。伴随以上这些认识，出现了新的重要机遇，并产生了需要优先考虑的新的重要问题。
③In part，these improvements have come about because of”greater appreciation of controllable risks and”more efforts to reduce those risks．
【结构】 “greater appreciation…”和“more efforts…”是“because of”的并列宾语。
【释义】之所以取得这些进步，部分原因在于人们提高了对于那些可以控制的危险的判断能力，并且投入了更大力量去降低那些危险。
④Research，Esome of which began a half century ago]，has gradually deepened our understanding of the etiologic factors runderlying the most common sources of disease and disability]．
【结构】第一个方括号所标示的部分是“Research”的后置非限制性定语从句。第二个方括号所标示的现在分词短语是“factors”的后置定语。
【释义】造成疾病和残疾最普遍的原因中潜含有病因学因素。研究已经逐步深化了我们对于那些病因学因素的理解。早在半个世纪之前就开始进行一些这样的研究了。
⑤Studies of the relative contributions of various factors to the leading health threats suggest[that actual leading causes of death in l 990 were not heart disease and cancer。but tobacco and the combination of sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy diets]．
【结构】请注意，“contributions”后面通常使用介词“0f…t0…”。方括号所标示的部分是“suggest”的宾语从句。
【释义】各种不同因素对造成主要健康威胁所起的相对作用有所不同。对于这些因素所起的相对作用进行的研究表明，l990年导致死亡的真正主要原因并非心脏病和癌症，而是吸烟以及缺少运动的生活方式再加上不良饮食习惯。
全文翻译
托马斯·杰弗逊曾毫不含糊地说过：“没有健康，也就没有幸福。因此关注健康应该超越其他任何事务。”过去20年取得的进展不仅意味着人们健康水平的提高，而且把美国引到一个新起点，对于健康以及如何确定健康状态，面临观念的根本转变。这些进展突出了健康和生活质量的密切关系。①健康不只是生物学和医疗保健的问题，而且是行为、环境和社会条件的问题。这点已很清楚。伴随以上这些认识，出现了新的重要机遇，并产生了需要优先考虑的新的重要问题。
关于社会进步的最基本的指标——也就是至关重要的对国民健康构成最大威胁的死亡率记录数据…为将来的发展方向提供了第一时间的指示。在1980年至2000年间，分年龄段的心脏病死亡率下降了37％，癌症死亡率下降了4％，中风死亡率下降了40％，外伤死亡率下降了26％。这些都是好消息，而且在很大程度上要归功于预防措施上的进步。
总体上看，到2000年，男性寿命延长了4年达到74．1年，而女性寿命延长了2．5年达到79．5年。
随着寿命的延长以及人口老龄化，生活质量的问题也就越来越突出。在这个方面同样也有好消息。在2000年，65岁以上人口由l980年的ll．3％上升到l2．6％，而且有预测称这一比例将在2030年达到20％。在过去的20年当中，老年人的死亡率每年下降1％，残疾率则下降得更快，大概每年下降2％。居住在养老院中的老年人的比例也由l982年的6．8％下降到l999年的4．2％。
之所以取得这些进步，部分原因在于人们提高了对于那些可以控制的危险的判断能力，并且投入了更大力量去降低那些危险。造成疾病和残疾最普遍的原因中潜含有病因学因素。研究已经逐步深化了我们对于那些病因学因素的理解。早在半个世纪之前就开始进行一些这样的研究了。④各种不同因素对造成主要健康威胁所起的相对作用有所不同。对于这些因素所起的相对作用进行的研究表明，1990年导致死亡的真正主要原因并非心脏病和癌症，而是吸烟以及缺少运动的生活方式再加上不良饮食习惯。最近的评估显示不良饮食习惯和缺少运动已经取代了吸烟，成为威胁健康的最大因素。
超纲词汇
Etiologic 病因学的
underscore vt．强调
Unequivocal 不含糊的
参考答案：1．A 2．D 3．C 4．B 5．C
