媒體英語(yǔ)會(huì)帶大家一起學(xué)習(xí) BBC 撰稿人在報(bào)道世界大事時(shí)常用到的單詞和短語(yǔ)。

科學(xué)家們說(shuō)亞洲離校生中患有視力問(wèn)題的人數(shù)這幾年急劇上升。研究人員在科學(xué)雜志《The Lancet》上發(fā)表報(bào)告指出幾乎90%的年輕人患有近視—他們認(rèn)為主要原因是學(xué)生們有繁重的功課及沒(méi)有足夠的室外活動(dòng)而缺乏室外光線(xiàn)。請(qǐng)聽(tīng)BBC英國(guó)廣播公司科學(xué)記者M(jìn)att McGrath發(fā)回的報(bào)道:

The strong emphasis on educational achievement in China, Japan and other parts of South East-Asia may be coming at a heavy price. Researchers say that hard work at school plus the lack of exposure to outdoor light is damaging the eyes of almost nine out of ten students - with one in five at serious risk of visual impairment and blindness.

The scientists say that young people need up to three hours a day of outdoor light, but many infants are also missing out as they nap during lunch time. Dr. Ian Morgan is the lead author of the study:

I think what's happened in South-East Asia is we've got a double whammy. We've got the massive educational pressures and we've got the construction of a child's day in a way that really minimises the amount of time they spend outside in bright light.

The scientists say that genetic factors, long thought to play a big role in short-sightedness, are not as important as the environment. They point to Singapore as a place with several distinct ethnic groups, all of whom are now suffering high levels of myopia.

The authors suggest that mandatory time outdoors should be considered by educational authorities across South-East Asia as a way of dealing with the problem.