Rich countries have almost completely wiped out infectious diseases such as cholera and malaria. Instead, their health ministries spend much of their time worrying about illnesses caused by wealth. Cheap, oil food has ended starvation in the rich world, but it also encourages diabetes (糖尿病).
Even education is not always pure good. Over the past few decades, East Asia has seen a surprising rise in the rate of short-sightedness. And a growing pile of evidence suggests that the main reason for this is education— specifically, the fact that children spend large parts of the day in dark classrooms.
Before the long economic growth that began in the 1960s, myopia (近视) was uncommon in East Asia. These days, among the young, it is almost common. In Hong Kong, Singapore and Taipei more than 80% of school-leavers are short-sighted. In Seoul over 90% young men are.
If East Asia is the center of the epidemic, the West is not immune. Studies suggest rates of between 20% and 40% in Europe, higher than the natural state of affairs. One study in California found a rate of 59% among 17-to-19-year-olds.
Glasses and contact lenses (隐形眼镜) are expensive. In parts of rural areas where myopia is almost ubiquitous, some families cannot afford either and their children struggle in schools. And severe myopia predisposes (诱发) those who suffer it to other eye diseases in middle age, some of which can cause untreatable loss of vision.
The evidence suggests that regular exposure to bright daylight is important in properly controlling the growth of children’s eyes. Too little light leads to short-sighted eyes. Researchers think that this explains why rates are so high in Asia, where a strong cultural stress on the value of education leads to long school days and, often, private tutoring in the afternoon and evening.
Governments are well placed to solve the problems, while reassuring anxious parents that a bit less classroom time is unlikely to be catastrophic. After all, countries such as Finland and Sweden do well in global education rankings with a less intense approach to education. Giving more outdoor time to young children would still leave room for them to prepare for exams in their teenage years.
8. What can we infer from the first paragraph?
A.Wealth is a double-edged sword. |
B.Cholera and malaria are easy to treat. |
C.Diabetes will be wiped out in the near future. |
D.Health ministries play a vital role in ensuring food safety. |
9. How does the author prove his argument in Paragraph 3?
A.By listing figures. | B.By making a comment. |
C.By explaining the reasons. | D.By clarifying a concept. |
10. What does the underlined word “ubiquitous” in Paragraph 5 mean?
A.Rather rare. | B.Very common. |
C.Well known. | D.Extremely popular. |
11. What’s the author’s advice to fight myopia?
A.Help students make full preparations for their exams. |
B.Copy the practices of Finland and Sweden. |
C.Pay little attention to education. |
D.Send children outside more. |