Today, many countries are facing the problem of loneliness. According to a British commission, more than nine million UK citizens feel lonely some, or even all of the time. Reports from other countries like the US and Australia suggest similar findings. Young people may experience loneliness due to the popularity of social media, while the elderly may live alone and have no one to talk to. Loneliness can have negative effects on people’s health. A study showed that feeling lonely or being alone for a long time could reduce an individual’s lifespan by 15 years.
現今，許多國家都面臨孤獨的問題。據一個英國委員會表示，有超過九百萬英國公民有時或甚至一直都感到寂寞。來自其他如美國和澳洲等國家的報告也顯示相似的結果。年輕人或許會因為社群媒體的普及經歷孤獨，而年長者可能獨居沒有能聊天的對象。孤獨會對人們的健康產生負面影響。研究顯示長時間感到孤單或獨自一人會減少一個人十五年的壽命。
生活必備字詞：
citizen n. 公民
due to... 由於……
have positive / negative effects on... 對……產生正∕負面影響
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本文節錄自《常春藤生活英語》雜誌，完整內容請見三月號。
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