在多屏幕的现代社会中，孩子们的日常生活被各种电子屏幕所包围。他们每天要做的很多事情都涉及长时间盯着一种电子设备屏幕，而有越来越多的证据表明长时间看屏幕会使孩子的视力下降，造成近视。本期《随身英语》讨论儿童长时间注视电子屏幕对视力的潜在危害。

课文内容

Vocabulary: eyesight 词汇: 视力

These days there is so much tempting technology to look at: smartphones, tablets, computer games and TV screens. Much of our entertainment and education comes from using them, so it's no wonder we spend so much time staring at them. But even if the saying that looking at a screen for too long gives you square eyes isn't true, there is still some concern that it can affect your eyesight. So, should we be worried?

Certainly for children who spend hours glued to a screen there is a concern that their health might be at risk. The lack of physical activity can lead to an increase in their weight. But there is a fear that their eyesight is deteriorating too. Although there's not much evidence to prove this yet, recent findings have opened our eyes to the issue.

Katherine Sellgren from BBC News spoke to Chris Hammond, professor of ophthalmology at King's College London and consultant ophthalmic surgeon at St Thomas' Hospital. He said "We know that myopia, or short-sightedness, is becoming more common… It has reached epidemic levels in East Asia, Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea, where approaching 90% of 18-year-olds are now short-sighted."

But can this be linked to children's obsession with using electronic gadgets? Annegret Dahlmann-Noor, consultant ophthalmologist at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London says lack of natural light seems to be the key issue. She's suggested that children in East Asia study a lot, using computers, smartphones or tablets, and they are go outside less, which could be a cause of short-sightedness. Wearing glasses is one solution, but it's not ideal.

This leads to a dilemma: achieving short-term academic success or protecting your long-term eyesight. It's always going to be a challenge to drag children away from their screens and it's likely that more and more studying will be done online, through a screen. But despite that, Professor Hammond says, "in countries like urban China, where 10% of children in each class per year are becoming short-sighted from about the age of six, there's an argument for saying we should be trying to prevent it." It's evidence we can't turn a blind eye to. So, maybe it's time to hit the 'off' button and get our children outside?

词汇表

square eyes “眼睛变方了”，看电视上瘾
glued to (something) 全神贯注地盯着…看
deteriorate 变差
opened one’s eyes 使某人认清、了解（某事）
ophthalmology 眼科学
ophthalmic 眼科的
myopia 近视
short-sightedness 近视
epidemic 大范围扩散
short-sighted 近视的
ophthalmologist 眼科医师
natural light 自然光
glasses 眼镜
turn a blind eye 视而不见

测验与练习

1. 阅读课文并回答问题。

1. According to an old saying, how do you get square eyes?

2. What is thought to prevent children from becoming short-sighted?

3. True or false? Children in East Asia who wear glasses are becoming more short-sighted.

4. Which word used in the article means 'to make someone do something they do not want to do'?

5. Why might children have to look at screens for long periods of time?

2. 请在不参考课文的情况下完成下列练习。选择一个意思合适的单词填入句子的空格处。

1. My husband's always ______ the TV when the football is on!

glued on glued to glued with glue to

2. There's an ______ of chicken pox at school so they've decided to close it.

myopia deterioration epidemic ophthalmic

3. The new extension to the back of our house means we now get lots of ______.

natural light night light nature light natural lights

4. Weather conditions are ______ so we have decided to turn around and sail back to the harbour.

decorating deteriorated deteriorate deteriorating

5. My holiday to Vietnam really ______ to the beauty of the country.

turned a blind eye opened my eyes square eyes myopia

答案

1. 阅读课文并回答问题。

1. According to an old saying, how do you get square eyes?
By looking at a screen for too long.

2. What is thought to prevent children from becoming short-sighted?
Going outside and getting natural daylight.

3. True or false? Children in East Asia who wear glasses are becoming more short-sighted.
False. Short-sightedness has reached epidemic levels in East Asia, Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea but wearing glasses is one solution to the problem.

4. Which word used in the article means 'to make someone do something they do not want to do'?
Drag. (It's always going to be a challenge to drag children away from their screens.)

5. Why might children have to look at screens for long periods of time?
To study.

2. 请在不参考课文的情况下完成下列练习。选择一个意思合适的单词填入句子的空格处。

1. My husband's always glued to the TV when the football is on!

2. There's an epidemic of chicken pox at school so they've decided to close it.

3. The new extension to the back of our house means we now get lots of natural light.

4. Weather conditions are deteriorating so we have decided to turn around and sail back to the harbour.

5. My holiday to Vietnam really opened my eyes to the beauty of the country.