If you’re a male and you’re reading this, congratulations! You’re a survivor. According to statistics，you’re more than twice as likely to die of skin cancer than a woman，and nine times more likely to die of AIDS. Assuming you make it to the end of your natural term，about 78 years for men in Australia，you’ll die on average five years before a woman.
There're many reasons for this--typically，men take more risks than women and are more likely to drink and smoke but perhaps more importantly, men don’t go to the doctor.
“Men aren't seeing doctors as often as they should，” says Dr. Gullotta.“This is particularly so
for the over-40s, when diseases tend to strike. According to a recent survey, 95％of women aged between 15 and early 49s see a doctor once a year, compared to 70％of men in the same age group.
“A lot of men think they’re unbeatable，”Gullotta says．“They only come in when a friend drops dead on the golf course and they think, Geez, if it could happen to him …”
Then there’s the ostrich（鸵鸟）approach．“Some men are scared of what might be there and would rather not know,” says Dr. Ross Cartmill.
“Most men get their cars serviced more regularly than they service their bodies,” Cartmill says. He believes most diseases that commonly affect men could be addressed by preventive check-ups.
“Prevention is cheaper in the long run than having to treat the diseases．Besides, the final cost is far greater，it’s called premature death.”
小题1:Why does the author congratulate male readers at the beginning of the passage?
A．They can live longer than they expected．
B．They are sure to enjoy a longer and happier life.
C．They have lived long enough to read this article.
D．They are more likely to survive serious diseases now．小题2:Which of the author’s statements is the most important reason that men die five years earlier on average than women according to the passage?
A．Men drink and smoke much more than women.
B．Men don’t seek medical care as often as women.
C．Men are more likely to suffer from deadly diseases.
D．Men aren’t as cautious as women in face of danger.小题3:Which of the following best completes the underlined sentence “Geez, if it could happen to him…” （in Para 4） ?
A．it could happen to me，too.
B．it would be a big misfortune.
C．I should avoid playing golf.
D．I should consider myself lucky.小题4:What does Dr．Ross Cartmill mean by“the ostrich approach”（in Para 5）?
A．A casual attitude towards one’s health conditions.
B．A new treatment for certain psychological problems．
C．Refusal to get medical treatment for fear of the pain involved.
D．Unwillingness to find out about one’s disease because of fear.
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