What was wrongly assumed in the past?
Directions: Read the passage and answer the question that follows.
In the past, it was assumed that intellectual performance and physical fitness were two entirely different things. Some people were said to be all brawn and no brain. Others were all brain and no brawn. Now, research is beginning to show that there is no separating mind and body. Brain is a part of human body and physical health has a profound effect on mental health and vice-versa.
Over the last few decades, great strides have been made in the realm of physical health and nowadays people in the developed world are undoubtedly living longer than ever before. A century ago, a baby girl in Australia could expect to live no more than 58 years on an average. Now, she can expect to live upto 83 on an average, a massive shift of 25 years. And the fact that the average has shifted this much means that a great many Australian women are living beyond the age of 83.
It’s nothing new for the people to live well beyond 83, of course. History is full of famous examples of centenarians. What’s changed is that a century ago, an 83-year lifespan was a rarity. Now, it is the norm. A similar thing has been happening in the fitness levels of older people. A century ago, it was rare for old people to be fit and healthy. Now it is a norm.
What’s more, some of these over-60s are so fit that there is now a Veterans’ Olympics in which veterans compete to a very high standard. Any slight drop in their physical performance is often more than matched by the benefits of a lifetime’s experience. Sixty-four-year-old UK squash player Mike Thurgur is one such inspiring example. In a recent charity event, he was on court for 15 hours non-stop, taking on all comers, including many national-level players one third his age and beat them all. Equally impressive is the astronaut John Glenn. He coped with the rigours of space travel at the age of 77.
The average age of the people around the world is going up and up. Already, 1 in 10 is over 60. The United Nations estimate that by 2050, it will be 1 in 5. As this ‘greying’ of humanity gathers pace, more and more of us will be over 80, and many will even be over 100.
This is a phenomenal achievement. Barely a century ago, very few people ever had the chance to reach their 80s and beyond. All too many were cut down in their prime by disease and hardship. In 1900, 99 in every 100 people would die before they even reached 60. Only 1 in 100 would live long enough to collect a pension. The rare privilege of living out anywhere near the full human lifespan was reserved for a tiny elite. Now, thanks to better diet, steady improvement in public health and the benefits of modern medicine, most of us can expect to live until our 90s and beyond. In the West, life expectancy is going up year after year. Every American baby born in the year 2004 can expect to live up to the age of 77.9 years on an average. White girls can expect to live up to nearly 81.