If you’re a male and you’re reading this, congratulations: you’re a survivor. According to statistics, you are more than twice as likely to die of skin cancer as 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 are 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.”
Gullotta says a healthy man should visit the doctor every year or two. For those over 45, it should be at least once a year.
Two months ago Gullotta saw a 50-year-old man who had delayed doing anything about his smoker’s cough for a year.
“When I finally saw him it had already spread and he has since died from lung cancer,” he says. “Earlier detection and treatment may not have cured him, but it would have prolonged his life.”
According to a recent survey, 95% of women aged between 15 and early 40s see a doctor once a year, compared to 70% of men in the same age group.
“A lot of men think they’re undefeatable,” Gullota 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 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.
Regular check-ups for men would inevitably place strain on the public purse, Cartmill says. “But prevention is cheaper in the long run than having to treat the diseases. Besides, the ultimate cost is far greater: it is called premature death.”
41. Why does the author congratulate his male readers at the beginning of the passage?
A. They are more likely to survive serious diseases today.
B. Their average life span has been considerably extended.
C. They have lived long enough to read this article.
D. They are sure to enjoy a longer and happier life.
42. What does the author state is the most important reason men die five years earlier on average than women?
A. Men drink and smoke much more than women.
B. Men don’t seek medical care as often as women.
C. Men aren’t as cautious as women in face of danger.
D. Men are more likely to suffer from fatal diseases.
43. Which of the following best completes the sentence ‘Geez, if it could happen to him, …’ (Line 2, Para.8)?
A. it could happen to me, too
B. I should avoid playing golf
C. I should consider myself lucky
D. it would be a big misfortune
44. What does Dr. Ross Cartmill mean by “the ostrich approach” (Line 1, Para.9)?
A. A casual attitude towards one’s health conditions.
B. A new therapy 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.
45. What does Cartmill say about regular check-ups for men?
A. They may increase public expenses.
B. They will save money in the long run.
C. They may cause psychological strains on men.
D. They will enable men to live as long as women.