Question

【题目】Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as fa as possible.

Loneliness Peaks

For years America has been talking about obesity, but a new study points to a more serious health issue: isolation and loneliness.

Being connected to others socially is widely considered a fundamental human need --- crucial to both well-being and survival. Extreme examples show infants who lack human contact in care fail to grow and often die. Indeed, social isolation has been used as a form of punishment. According to Julianne Holt-Lunstad, the lead author of the study, an increasing portion of the U.S. population now population now experiences isolation regularly. Over 42 million adults above age 45 in the U.S. are estimated to be suffering from chronic(长期的)loneliness.

The study of 340 adults between the ages of 27 and 101 living in San Diego identified three key age ranges when people felt the loneliest. Participants who had the highest levels of loneliness were in their late-20s, mid-50s and late-80s. While it may come as a surprise that people in their late-20s suffered from loneliness, a larger survey shows they actually may suffer the hardest.

With an increasing number of people working from home, watching television, getting into an addiction to electronic devices, it has become too easy to be alone, even if that’s not a person’s intention. Modern day conveniences like having anything we want delivered make it possible to never need to leave the house. So, not surprisingly, those with frequent social contact usually feel less lonely than those with few social ties.

Mounting evidence suggests social isolation and loneliness significantly impact our health, and even shorten our lives, just like obesity. This study isn’t the first time loneliness has been flagged as an emerging health issue. Therefore, reducing both isolation and loneliness is important for quality of life and well-being.

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Answer 1

【答案】Socializing with people is believed to be the key to happiness, but more people are suffering from loneliness/isolation. According to a study, loneliness peaks in three age stages. Lack of social contact caused by modern lifestyles/convenience makes people feel lonely. As loneliness affects health seriously, it’s necessary to try to reduce it.

【解析】

本文是一篇写作概要。

本文是一篇说明文。多年来，美国一直在谈论肥胖问题，但一项新的研究指出了一个更严重的健康问题:孤立和寂寞。孤独程度最高的参与者年龄在20多岁、50多岁和80多岁。虽然让人惊讶的是，20多岁的人会感到孤独，但一项更大的调查显示，他们实际上可能是最孤独的。毫不奇怪，那些经常社交的人通常比那些很少社交的人感到不那么孤独。因此，减少孤立和孤独对生活质量和幸福都很重要。