今年,英国女王伊丽莎白二世迎来了她90岁的生日。英国民众在庆祝女王生日的同时也在讨论能延缓衰老和保持健康长寿的方法。接下来英语网与大家一起讨论长寿的秘诀。 课文内容 词汇: aging 老龄化 When is it time to slow down? Is it when you reach middle age, when you can draw your pension or even later? Queen Elizabeth II turned 90 this year and there are not many signs that she's taking it easy. Last year alone the monarch carried out over 300 engagements. Longevity has long been a topic of discussion in Britain. What's likely to make us live longer? According to Professor Sarah Harper, from the Oxford Institute of Population Ageing, just over half your chances of living a long life come down to luck. She says: "If you have parents and grandparents who made it into their eighties and nineties there's a chance you have inheritedgood genes. You are more likely to have a strong immune system and are less likely to develop chronic diseases." Lucky you, then. But don't rely on that because bad habits can spoil everything. Half of long-term smokers die prematurely. Smoking causes heart disease, lung cancer and other illnesses. A poor diet and lack of exercise can lead to obesity, which reduces your life expectancy by between three and 10 years, says the National Health Service in Britain. |