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随身英语Topping the charts 高居榜首 Play audio file根据研究调查显示，目前荷兰男性和拉脱维亚女性的平均身高为世界第一。欧洲国家普遍位于全球身高排行榜前列，但伊朗男性和韩国女性的身高在过去的100年间增长幅度最大。什么能使我们长高，是基因还是环境？长得高就能长寿这个说法是真的吗？本期《随身英语》探讨个子高的益处。 课文内容 词汇: Height 词汇: 身高 It seems that these days it's the European nations who have the tallest men and women. Research carried out by over 800 scientists measuring height trends for different nationalities since 1914 has found that Dutch men and Latvian women now top the height charts. However, according to the study, it's Iranian men and South Korean women who have shot up the most – they have gained on average more than 16cm and 20cm respectively. In the UK, the rate of growth for men and women has been the same – 11 cm – with the average male now standing at 178cm and the average female at 164cm , both 5cm shorter than the average Dutchman and Latvian female. Surprisingly, US men and women have sunk right down in the rankings. While in 1914, they were ranked third tallest for men and fourth tallest for women, nowadays they are down to 27th and 42nd,and today it's Estonia who has the third tallest men and women. East Asia has seen the most gain in height – with people in China, Japan and South Korea much taller than they were 100 years ago. The survey found that the world's smallest men are in East Timor, 160cm, and smallest women, 150cm, are from Guatemala, 20cm smaller than Latvian women. | 
