兒童近視率上升的原因是什么？本文就現代生活方式對兒童視力的影響，以及矯正兒童視力的解決方案展開討論。

詞匯：eye health 眼部健康

How's your eyesight? From the moment we're born, our eyes grow, our vision becomes clearer and some of us will have normal or even 20:20 vision. However, others will become short-sighted and end up wearing glasses or contact lenses to help them see everything clearly. And some experts claim that more of us will be wearing them in the future because of our lifestyle when we were younger.

Even today, optometrists are reporting a rise in short-sightedness – also called myopia – in children. The condition can be genetic, but it's also partly being blamed on a number of modern-day factors – particularly children staring at phone screens, computers and game consoles for long periods of time. It's believed myopia also makes them susceptible to secondary eye conditions such as glaucoma, retinal detachment and other visual impairments later in life.

Of course, children have had increased screen time due to lockdowns imposed during the Covid pandemic – it's been the only way to access education and communicate with others. But education generally could be blamed for the rise in myopia. Neema Ghorbani-Mojarrad, lecturer at the University of Bradford, told BBC Future website: "We suspect it is reading and spending more time indoors. Every year of education completed increases the expected amount of short-sightedness."

The problem appears to be more severe in some Asian countries. Some experts say that in these places with huge educational success, children spend more time indoors studying. Therefore, it seems, spending more time outdoors could be good for children's eye health. The UK's College of Optometrists is suggesting parents should get their kids playing outside for two hours a day. Several scientific studies show this can prevent or stop the development of myopia.

There's been a focus on using technology, such as laser surgery, for fixing myopia, but for children at least, it seems a dose of daylight and a break from the screen might be part of the solution. Opticians also recommend kids have regular eye tests to identify any problems before they become more severe.

詞匯表

eyesight 視力
vision 視力，視覺
20:20 vision 正常裸眼視力
short-sighted 近視的
wear glasses 戴眼鏡
wear contact lenses 戴隱形眼鏡
optometrist 驗光師，配鏡師
myopia 近視
genetic 基因遺傳的
secondary eye condition 繼發性眼病
glaucoma 青光眼
retinal detachment 視網膜脫離
visual impairment 視覺障礙
screen time （看電視、電腦、手機等的）屏幕時間
laser surgery 激光手術
optician 配鏡師，眼鏡銷售員
eye test 視力測試

測驗與練習

1. 閱讀課文并回答問題。

1. Give a modern-day factor that might cause children to be short-sighted.

2. True or false? Spending time indoors can be bad for children's eyesight.

3. True or false? Spending fewer years in education means you are more likely to develop short-sightedness.

4. Why do some experts suggest countries with huge educational success have more short-sighted children?

5. What should children do to help identify any eye problems before they become more severe?

2. 選擇意思恰當的單詞或詞組來完成下列句子。

1. The fact that everyone in the family is tall must be _______.

genes                              genetical                 genetic                    genetics

2. You need to cut down on your _______ and go out for a walk.

eyesight                          glaucoma                 screen time             glasses

3. We need to _______ on the current task before trying to do the next one!

focus                               focussing                 focuss                      focussed

4. I think I must be _______ – I can't read the road sign without my glasses.

visual impairment           myopia                     20:20 vision             short-sighted

5. The _______ has prescribed me a new pair of glasses.

eye health                        eye test                   optician                    glaucoma

答案

1.  閱讀課文并回答問題。

1. Give a modern-day factor that might cause children to be short-sighted.
Children staring at phone screens, computers and games consoles for long periods of time might cause them to become short-sighted.

2. True or false? Spending time indoors can be bad for children's eyesight.
True. The UK's College of Optometrists suggest children being outside for two hours a day is proven to prevent or stop the development of myopia.

3. True or false? Spending fewer years in education means you are more likely to develop short-sightedness.
False. Neema Ghorbani-Mojarrad, lecturer at the University of Bradford, said "Every year of education completed increases the expected amount of short-sightedness."

4. Why do some experts suggest countries with huge educational success have more short-sighted children?
Because children spend more time indoors studying.

5. What should children do to help identify any eye problems before they become more severe?
Opticians recommend children have regular eye tests to identify any problems before they become more severe.

2.  選擇意思恰當的單詞或詞組來完成下列句子。

1. The fact that everyone in the family is tall must be genetic.

2. You need to cut down on your screen time and go out for a walk.

3. We need to focus on the current task before trying to do the next one!

4. I think I must be short-sighted – I can't read the road sign without my glasses.

5. The optician has prescribed me a new pair of glasses.