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A report from Duke University in the USA says American children are safer today than at [some / any] time in the past 20 years. The study is based [in / on] the annual Child Well-Being Index, which has been [complied / compiled] by Duke since 1975. It [measurements / measures] and tracks 28 aspects about the quality of life [among / between] children across America. Perhaps the most [promising / promised] figure in the report is that child death rates have gone down by [a / the] third since 1975. In addition, suicide rates among teens have [declined / declines] in the past 20 years. Fewer youngsters are victims of violent crimes today than 20 years ago and teen [births / birthdays] are at their lowest level in decades. The report says US kids are also [better / well] educated than they were 20 years ago.

The report [highlighted / lowlighted] a few of the [negatives / negativity] of the past 20 years. In [spate / spite] of fewer children dying and infant mortality rates decreasing, child health has [deteriorated / deteriorating] . A major contributory factor to this is the increasing levels of [obese / obesity] because of poor diet, the abundance of fast food, and less exercise. The [latter / letter] is due to teens spending much longer indoors using technology. The report suggests that technology may [prevent / protect] kids from physical dangers outdoors but can [harm / harmful] their health indoors. Child poverty still affects millions of children in the USA and has remained [largely / large] unchanged in the past 20 years. About 20 per cent of children lived below the poverty [curve / line] in 2013, which is about the same as it was in 1995.