Topic 21 Why are people living longer?

It is a common phenomenon (явление) and an indisputable (неоспоримый) fact that people are living longer now. There are many reasons of this phenomenon. Generally speaking, it is due to the better living conditions people enjoy, the improved medical treatment people receive, and the healthier lifestyle people adopt (выбирать, принимать, удочерять).

With the development of science and technology, people's living conditions have been improved considerably (значительно, существенно). They have foods sufficient enough to keep them alive, clothes warm enough to protect them against cold, and houses strong enough to shelter them from danger. Hunger, cold, and danger no longer threaten the lives of the human beings. When facing with nature disasters, people can use all available means to survive.

To human beings, diseases may well be another killer. They took away (забрали) lives of a large number of people, some being very young. But things are quite different today. The quality of medical care has been improved. Doctors know more now about what causes diseases and how to cure them. Many diseases that were used to be incurable can be cured now. Patients who get timely and effective treatments may recover in a couple of months, or even weeks. It is estimated that today's deaths are mostly caused by unexpected accidents.

In ancient times, people did not care much about their way of living for lack of knowledge and shortage of daily necessities (нехватка предметов первой необходимости). Now, thanks to the progress men has made and the civilization men has built, the present-day people can afford time, money, and energy to consider (считаться, принимать во внимание) their living habits and lifestyles. They are eagerly (горячо, пылко, страстно) seeking healthier ways of life to live longer, such as giving up smoking, doing physical exercise, and eating low-fat foods such as vegetables and fruits, which are now available year-round.

It is announced by scientists and doctors that human life expectancy will be extended to over 150 years. Men and women of longevity (продолжительность жизни), say 100 years old, are increasing in number. Senior citizens (Пенсионеры) already dominate many cities in developed countries. Although it may present some problems, living longer is a blessing (является благом) to human beings.