Life expectancy rates in the United States are al an all-time high, with people born in
2005 projected to live for nearly 78 years, a new federal study finds.
The finding reflects a continuing trend of increasing life expectancy that began in l955, when the average American lived to be 69.6 years old. By l995, lire expectancy was 75.8 years and by 2006, it had risen to 77. 9 years, according to the report released Wednesday.
This is good news, said report co-author Donna Hoyert, a health scientist at the national Center for Health Statistics. Its even better news that it is a continuation of trends, so it is a long period of continuing improvement.
Despite the upward trend, the United States still has lower lire expectancy than some 40 other countries, according to the U. S. Census Bureau. The country with the longest lire expectancy is Andorra at 83.5 years, followed by Japan, Macau, San Marino and Singapore.
Much of the increase owes to declining death rates from the three leading causes of death in the country-heart disease, cancer and stroke.
In addition, in 2005, the U. S. death rate dropped to an all-time low of less than 800 deaths per l00, 000.
Dr. David Katz, director of the Prevention Research Center at Yale University School Medicine. Said, News that lire expectancy is increasing is, of course, good. But the evidence we have suggests that there is more chronic disease than ever in the U. S.
Adding years to life is a good thing, Katz said. But adding vital life to years is at least equally important. If we care about living well, and not just longer, we still have our work cut out for us. he said.
31 Since l 955, lire expectancy rates in the U. S. have
A moved up and down.
B been declining.
C remained steady.
D been on the rise.
32 Compared with the country with the longest lire expectancy, the U. S. is
A nearly 3 years behind.
B nearly 4 years behind.
C nearly 6 years behind.
D nearly 8 years behind.
33 The increase In the U. S. lire expectancy is mostly due to
A declining death rates from heart disease, cancer and stroke.
B increasing lire expectancy rates in some other countries.
C a rise in the rate of chronic disease.
D a declining birth rate.
34 Which of the following statements is NOT true?
A The U. S. 1ife expectancy is at an all-time high.
B The U. S. death rate was at an all-time low in 2005.
C Chronic disease appears to be at an all-time high in the U. S.
D The annual death rate in the U. S. is over 800 deaths per l00, 000.
35 The expression adding vital to years in the last paragraph means
A living longer
B living well.
C living longer and well
D living at any cost.
答案：31. D 32. C 33. A 34. D 35. B