雅思词汇课文（13）· The Mental Health Crisis 心理健康危机
健康与社会主题，约 350 词，融入 30 个雅思核心词。
🎧 课文朗读音频（约 1 分钟）
📖 课文 Text
The Mental Health Crisis
Mental illness has always existed, but never before has it been so openly discussed. According to the World Health Organization, one in eight people worldwide lives with a mental disorder. Depression is now the leading cause of disability globally, and anxiety disorders affect hundreds of millions more. Yet in most countries, mental health receives only a fraction of the funding devoted to physical illness.
Part of the problem is historical. For centuries, mental suffering was attributed to weakness, moral failure or even supernatural forces. Only in the twentieth century did psychiatry emerge as a medical discipline. Even today, stigma remains a powerful barrier: many people refuse to seek help because they fear being judged or labelled. Young people, in particular, often suffer in silence.
Modern lifestyles may also be contributing to the rise. Social media platforms, designed to maximise engagement, can foster envy, loneliness and poor body image, especially among teenagers. The pressure to present a perfect life online, combined with less face-to-face interaction, has been linked to rising rates of anxiety and depression. Meanwhile, the decline of community institutions — churches, clubs, neighbourhoods — has left many adults with fewer sources of support outside the workplace.
The response has been slow but growing. A number of countries have introduced mental health education in schools, teaching children to recognise stress and talk about their feelings. Digital therapy apps, which deliver cognitive behavioural therapy through a phone, have become increasingly popular, though experts caution that they are not a substitute for human contact. Employers are also beginning to understand that a stressed workforce is an unproductive one, and many now offer counselling as part of health insurance.
There are no quick fixes. Mental health is shaped by income, housing, relationships and work conditions as much as by brain chemistry. But the first step is already being taken: to stop treating mental illness as a private shame and start treating it as a public health issue.
📝 生词表 New Words and Expressions
| Word | 音标 | 词性 | 中文 | 课文例句 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| mental | /ˈmentl/ | adj. | 心理的、精神的 | Mental illness |
| disorder | /dɪsˈɔːdə/ | n. | 障碍、疾病 | mental disorder |
| depression | /dɪˈpreʃn/ | n. | 抑郁症 | Depression is the leading cause |
| anxiety | /æŋˈzaɪəti/ | n. | 焦虑 | anxiety disorders |
| funding | /ˈfʌndɪŋ/ | n. | 资金、拨款 | receives only a fraction of the funding |
| physical | /ˈfɪzɪkl/ | adj. | 身体的、生理的 | physical illness |
| historical | /hɪˈstɒrɪkl/ | adj. | 历史的 | Part of the problem is historical |
| attribute | /əˈtrɪbjuːt/ | v. | 归因于 | was attributed to weakness |
| supernatural | /ˌsuːpəˈnætʃrəl/ | adj. | 超自然的 | supernatural forces |
| psychiatry | /saɪˈkaɪətri/ | n. | 精神病学 | psychiatry emerged |
| discipline | /ˈdɪsəplɪn/ | n. | 学科 | medical discipline |
| stigma | /ˈstɪɡmə/ | n. | 污名、耻辱 | stigma remains a barrier |
| barrier | /ˈbæriə/ | n. | 障碍 | powerful barrier |
| label | /ˈleɪbl/ | v./n. | 贴标签 | being judged or labelled |
| lifestyle | /ˈlaɪfstaɪl/ | n. | 生活方式 | Modern lifestyles |
| platform | /ˈplætfɔːm/ | n. | 平台 | social media platforms |
| engagement | /ɪnˈɡeɪdʒmənt/ | n. | 参与度 | maximise engagement |
| foster | /ˈfɒstə/ | v. | 助长、培养 | foster envy and loneliness |
| envy | /ˈenvi/ | n. | 嫉妒 | foster envy |
| loneliness | /ˈləʊnlinəs/ | n. | 孤独 | loneliness |
| body image | /ˈbɒdi ˈɪmɪdʒ/ | n. | 身体形象 | poor body image |
| teenager | /ˈtiːneɪdʒə/ | n. | 青少年 | among teenagers |
| institution | /ˌɪnstɪˈtjuːʃn/ | n. | 机构 | community institutions |
| counselling | /ˈkaʊnsəlɪŋ/ | n. | 心理咨询 | offer counselling |
| therapy | /ˈθerəpi/ | n. | 治疗 | digital therapy apps |
| cognitive behavioural therapy | /ˈkɒɡnətɪv bɪˈheɪvjərəl ˈθerəpi/ | n. | 认知行为疗法 | cognitive behavioural therapy |
| substitute | /ˈsʌbstɪtjuːt/ | n. | 替代品 | not a substitute for human contact |
| productive | /prəˈdʌktɪv/ | adj. | 高效的 | an unproductive workforce |
| fix | /fɪks/ | n. | 解决办法 | no quick fixes |
| shame | /ʃeɪm/ | n. | 羞耻 | a private shame |
🧠 课文理解 Comprehension
1. According to the WHO, how many people globally live with a mental disorder?
- A. one in ten
- B. one in eight
- C. one in twenty
- D. one in a hundred
2. Why do many people refuse to seek help for mental health?
- A. treatment is too expensive everywhere
- B. they fear being judged or labelled due to stigma
- C. therapy does not work
- D. doctors refuse to treat them
3. Social media can worsen mental health by...
- A. reducing face-to-face interaction and fostering envy
- B. providing too much information
- C. causing physical illness
- D. helping people make friends
4. Digital therapy apps are described as...
- A. a complete replacement for doctors
- B. useful but not a substitute for human contact
- C. ineffective and dangerous
- D. only suitable for severe cases
5. The writer argues that mental health is shaped by...
- A. brain chemistry alone
- B. income, housing, relationships and work conditions
- C. genetic factors only
- D. social media only
✏️ 词汇练习 Vocabulary Practice
Fill in the blanks with the correct word from the list. Change the form where necessary.
| attribute / barrier / stigma / foster / substitute / productive / counselling / fix |
- Researchers ______ the rise in anxiety to increased academic pressure.
- Language can be a major ______ to international trade.
- The ______ attached to mental illness prevents many people from seeking help.
- Reading widely can ______ a child's love of learning.
- There is no cheap ______ for a good night's sleep.
- A well-designed office can make employees more ______.
- The university offers free ______ to all enrolled students.
- There is no simple ______ to the problem of youth unemployment.
✅ 答案 Answers
Comprehension
- B（"one in eight people worldwide lives with a mental disorder"）
- B（"they fear being judged or labelled"）
- A（"foster envy, loneliness... less face-to-face interaction"）
- B（"not a substitute for human contact"）
- B（"income, housing, relationships and work conditions as much as brain chemistry"）
Vocabulary
- attribute 2. barrier 3. stigma 4. foster 5. substitute 6. productive 7. counselling 8. fix
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