進入英語學習論壇下載音頻

Talking people out of committing suicide is an important part of Meng Mei's work.

Working for a suicide prevention hotline in Beijing for eight years, she has a record of success in helping those afflicted with various types of mental problems. But she refuses to use the word "save."

"I am not God. I cannot save anyone but can only help them with their problems," Meng said.

Today is the seventh "World Suicide Prevention Day". Suicide has become the primary cause of death of people 15 to 34 years old in China, Deng Xiaohong, vice director of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Health, said.

The hotline, which operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, has answered more than 110,000 calls since it was created in late 2002.

Most callers are between 20 and 40 years old, Zhang Yanping, deputy director of the center, told China Daily yesterday. Typically, about 30 percent of callers have some sort of mental illness, and 20 percent are consulting the hotline about a mental illness.

Some 12 percent are having trouble with a family member, and another 12 percent are having problems with a person outside their families.

Most people with mental illness are not willing to reveal their problems publicly, Zhang said. So operators give them a chance to vent emotional pressures, without fear of anyone knowing their identity.

Some 173 million people in China are estimated to be suffering from mental disorders - roughly one in seven people, according to BSRPC research.

Questions:

1. How long has Meng Mei been working for the suicide prevention hotline in Beijing?

2. When was the suicide prevention hotline created?

3. What are 20 percent of callers consulting the hotline about?

Answers:

1. Eight years.

2. In late 2002.

3. A mental illness.

（英語點津 Helen 編輯）

About the broadcaster:

Nancy Matos is a foreign expert at China Daily Website. Born and raised in Vancouver, Canada, Nancy is a graduate of the Broadcast Journalism and Media program at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. Her journalism career in broadcast and print has taken her around the world from New York to Portugal and now Beijing. Nancy is happy to make the move to China and join the China Daily team.