DEVELOPMENT REPORT - "Facts for Life"

DEVELOPMENT REPORT -June 24, 2002: 'Facts for Life'

By Jill Moss¹

This is the VOA Special English Development Report.

The United Nations Children’s Agency, UNICEF, and the World Health Organization have released a new
version of a publication aimed at saving the lives of children. The book is called “Facts for Life.
”
It is filled
with information about effective, low -cost ways to protect the health of young people.

International health experts estimate nearly eleven-million children under the age of five
die each year from preventable and treatable causes. About ninety percent of these deaths
happen at home.

Gro Harlem Brundtland heads the World Health Organization. She says that many deaths
of children could be prevented if people understood what to do when children get sick.
People should also know when to seek medical help.

Doctor Brundtland says that pneumonia², diarrhea, malaria³ and measles⁴ are the main
killers⁵ of babies. She says diarrhea and measles can be treated for a very small amount of
money.

“Facts for Life”
was first published in nineteen-eighty-nine. Since that time, officials say it has become one of
the most widely-read books in the world. More than fifteen-million copies are being used in two-hundred
countries. The information is important for parents, caregivers, health workers, teachers and government
officials.

This latest version has thirteen parts, each dealing⁶ with one major cause of child sickness and death. For example,
one part deals mainly with AIDS and the H-I-V virus that causes it. Other parts of the book have information
about giving birth and breastfeeding. There is also information about child development, early learning,
preventative medicines, healthy food, clean living conditions, emergencies and accidents.

“Facts for Life”
is offered in two-hundred-fifteen languages. The book is written in simple language so that all
people can understand the medical information. The information in the book is based on the latest scientific
findings.

“Facts for Life”
costs about seven dollars. You can order it or download the information from the UNICEF
Internet Web site. The address is www.unicef.org . Or you can contact the UNICEF office or committee in your
country.

This VOA Special English Development Report was written by Jill Moss.

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1 moss   

n.苔，藓，地衣

参考例句：

• Moss grows on a rock.苔藓生在石头上。
• He was found asleep on a pillow of leaves and moss.有人看见他枕着树叶和苔藓睡着了。

2 pneumonia   

n.肺炎

参考例句：

• Cage was struck with pneumonia in her youth.凯奇年轻时得过肺炎。
• Pneumonia carried him off last week.肺炎上星期夺去了他的生命。

3 malaria   

n.疟疾

参考例句：

• He had frequent attacks of malaria.他常患疟疾。
• Malaria is a kind of serious malady.疟疾是一种严重的疾病。

4 measles   

n.麻疹，风疹，包虫病，痧子

参考例句：

• The doctor is quite definite about Tom having measles.医生十分肯定汤姆得了麻疹。
• The doctor told her to watch out for symptoms of measles.医生叫她注意麻疹出现的症状。

5 killers   

凶手( killer的名词复数 )； 消灭…者； 致命物； 极难的事

参考例句：

• He remained steadfast in his determination to bring the killers to justice. 他要将杀人凶手绳之以法的决心一直没有动摇。
• They were professional killers who did in John. 杀死约翰的这些人是职业杀手。

6 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。