Beingsociablelookslikeagoodwaytoaddyearstoyourlife.Relationshipswithfamilyfriendsneighboursevenpetswillalldothetrickbutthebiggestlongevity(长寿)boostseemstocomefrommarriageoranequivalentrelationship.Theeffectwasfirstnotedin1858byWilliamFarrwhowrotethatwidows(寡妇)andwidowers wereatamuchhigherriskofdyingthantheirmarriedpeers.Studiessincethensuggestthatmarriagecouldaddasmuchassevenyearstoaman’slifeandtwotoawoman’s.Theeffectholdsforallcausesofdeathwhetherillnessaccidentorself-harm.

Eveniftheoddsarestackedagainstyoumarriagecanmorethancompensate.LindaWaiteoftheUniversityofChicagohasfoundthatamarriedoldermanwithheartdiseasecanexpecttolivenearlyfouryearslongerthananunmarriedmanwithahealthyheart.Likewiseamarriedmanwhosmokesmorethanapackadayislikelytoliveaslongasadivorcedmanwhodoesn’tsmoke.There’saflipsidehoweveraspartnersaremorelikelytobecomeillordieinthecoupleofyearsfollowingtheirspouse’sdeathandcaringforaspousewithmentaldisordercanleaveyouwithsomeofthesamesevereproblems.Evensotheoddsfavourmarriage.Ina30-yearstudyofmorethan10000peopleNicholasChristakisofHarvardMedicalSchooldescribeshowallkindsofsocialnetworkshavesimilareffects.

Sohowdoesitwork?Theeffectsarecomplexaffectedbysocio-economicfactorshealth-serviceprovisionemotionalsupportandothermorephysiological(生理的)mechanisms.Forexamplesocialcontactcanboostdevelopmentofthebrainandimmunesystemleadingtobetterhealthandlesschanceofdepressionlaterinlife.Peopleinsupportiverelationshipsmayhandlestressbetter.Thentherearethepsychologicalbenefitsofasupportivepartner.

Alifepartnerchildrenandgoodfriendsareallrecommendedifyouaimtoliveto100.TheultimatesocialnetworkisstillbeingmappedoutbutChristakissays:“Peopleareinterconnectedsotheirhealthisinterconnected.”

1.WilliamFarr’sstudyandotherstudiesshowthat_________.

A.sociallifeprovidesaneffectivecureforillness

B.beingsociablehelpsimproveone’squalityoflife

C.womenbenefitmorethanmenfrommarriage

D.marriagecontributesagreatdeal