Social isolation poses more health risks than obesity or smoking 15 cigarettes a day, according to research published by Brigham Young University. The 26 is that loneliness is a huge, if silent, risk factor.
Loneliness affects physical health in two ways. First, it produces stress hormones that can lead to many health problems. Second, people who live alone are less likely to go to the doctor 27 , to exercise or to eat a healthy diet.
Public health experts in many countries are 28 how to address widespread loneliness in our society. Last year Britain even appointed a minister for loneliness. "Loneliness 29 almost every one of us at some point," its minister for loneliness Baroness Barran said. "It can lead to very serious health 30 for individuals who become isolated and disconnected. "
Barran started a"Let's Talk Loneliness" campaign that 31 difficult conversations across Britain. He is now supporting" 32 benches," which are public seating areas where people are encouraged to go and chat with one another. The minister is also 33 to stop public transportation from being cut in ways that leave people isolated.
More than one-fifth of adults in both the United States and Britain said in a 2018 34 that they often or always feel lonely. More than half of American adults are unmarried, and researchers have found that even among those who are married, 30% of relationships are 35 strained. A quarter of Americans now live alone, and as the song says, one is the loneliest number.
A) abruptly
B) appointments
C) consequences
D) debating
E) dimensions
F) friendly
G)hindered
H)idiom
I) intplication
J) pushing
K) severely
L) sparked
M)splitting
N) survey
0) touches
答案解析：
26. 根据“Social isolation poses more health risks than obesity or smoking 15 cigarettes a day...that loneliness is a huge, if silent, risk factor.”可知，此处是在说明研究得出的结论，即孤独是一个巨大的风险因素，“implication”有“含义，暗示，结论”的意思，符合语境，所以选I。
27. 根据“people who live alone are less likely to go to the doctor...to exercise or to eat a healthy diet”可知，此处是说独居的人不太可能去看医生、锻炼或健康饮食，“go to the doctor appointments”表示“去看医生预约(的病)”，这里用“appointments”表示与看病相关的行为，所以选B。
28. 根据“how to address widespread loneliness in our society”可知，许多国家的公共卫生专家正在讨论如何解决社会上的普遍孤独问题，“debating”表示“讨论，辩论”，符合语境，所以选D。
29. 根据“almost every one of us at some point”可知，孤独几乎会触及我们每个人，“touches”表示“触及，影响到”，符合语境，所以选O。
30. 根据“It can lead to very serious health...for individuals who become isolated and disconnected.”可知，孤独会给那些变得孤立和与世隔绝的人带来非常严重的健康后果，“consequences”表示“后果，结果”，符合语境，所以选C。
31. 根据“Barran started a 'Let's Talk Loneliness' campaign that...difficult conversations across Britain.”可知，Barran发起的这场运动引发了英国各地的艰难对话，“sparked”表示“引发，触发”，符合语境，所以选L。
32. 根据“which are public seating areas where people are encouraged to go and chat with one another”可知，此处是说支持“友好长椅”，“friendly”表示“友好的”，符合语境，所以选F。
33. 根据“to stop public transportation from being cut in ways that leave people isolated”可知，这位部长正在推动阻止公共交通以让人们孤立的方式被削减，“pushing”表示“推动，促使”，符合语境，所以选J。
34. 根据“More than one-fifth of adults in both the United States and Britain said...that they often or always feel lonely.”可知，这是一项调查的结果，“survey”表示“调查”，符合语境，所以选N。
35. 根据“More than half of American adults are unmarried, and researchers have found that even among those who are married...”以及语境可知，此处是说即使是在已婚的人中，也有30%的关系受到严重压力，“severely”表示“严重地”，符合语境，所以选K。
