閱讀理解

How Long Can People Live?

  She took up skating at age 85, made her first movie appearance at age 114, and held a concert in the neighborhood on her 121st birthday.

  Whe n it comes to long life, Jeanne Calment is the world’s recordholder.She lived to the ripe old age of 122.So is 122 the upper limit to the human life span(壽命)?If scientists come up with some sort of pill or diet that would slow aging, could we possibly make it to 150-or beyond?

  Researchers don’t entirely agree on the answers.“Calment lived to 122, so it wouldn’t surprise me if someone alive today reaches 130 or 135,”says Jerry Shay at the University of Texas.

  Steve Austad at the University of Texas agrees.“People can live much longer than we think,”he says.“Experts used to say that humans couldn’t live past 110.When Calment blew past that age, they raised the number to 120.So why can’t we go higher?”

  The trouble with guessing how old people can live to be is that it’s all just guessing.“Anyone can make up a number,”says Rich Miller at the University of Michigan.“Usually the scientist who picks the highest number gets his name in Time magazine.”

  Won’t new anti-aging techniques keep us alive for centuries?Any cure, says Miller, for aging would probably keep most of us kicking until about 120.Researchers are working on treatments that lengthen the life span of mice by 50 percent at most.So, if the average human life span is about 80 years, says Miller,“adding another 50 percent would get you to 120.”

  So what can we conclude from this little disagreement among the researchers?That life span is flexible(有彈性的),but there is a limit, says George Martin of the University of Washington.“We can get flies to live 50 percent longer,”he says.“But a fly’s never going to live 150 years.”

  “Of course, if you became a new species(物種),one that ages at a slower speed, that would be a different story,”he adds.

  Does Martin really believe that humans could evolve(進化)their way to longer life?“It’s pretty cool to think about it,”he says with a smile.

(1)

What does the story of Jeanne Calment prove to us?

[  ]

A.

People can live to 122.

B.

Old people are creative.

C.

Women are sporty at 85.

D.

Women live longer than men.

(2)

According to Steve Austad at the University of Texas, ________.

[  ]

A.

the average human life span could be 110

B.

scientists cannot find ways to slow aging

C.

few people can expect to live to over 150

D.

researchers are not sure how long people can live

(3)

Who would agree that a scientist will become famous if he makes the wildest guess at longevity?

[  ]

A.

Jerry Shay.

B.

Steve Austad

C.

Rich Miller

D.

George Martin

(4)

What can we infer from the last three paragraphs?

[  ]

A.

Most of us could be good at sports even at 120.

B.

The average human life span cannot be doubled.

C.

Scientists believe mice are aging at a slower speed than before.

D.

New techniques could be used to change flies into a new species.

答案:1.A;2.D;3.C;4.B;
解析:

(1)

本文主要談?wù)摰氖恰叭四軌蚧疃嚅L”的話題,所以Jeanne Calment的故事就是證明了人類能夠活到122歲的事實。

(2)

Steve Austad說的話是“People can live much longer than we think,”“Experts used to say that humans couldn’t live past 110.When Calment blew past that age, they raised the number to 120.So why can’t we go higher?”,他的話表明研究人員也不能確定人究竟能活多長。

(3)

跟本題相關(guān)的句子是“Usually the scientist who picks the highest number gets his name in Time magazine.”,這句話是Rich Miller說的。

(4)

最后三段話的中心意思是“That life span is flexible, but there is a limit”,并以蒼蠅為例證明了這個觀點。


練習(xí)冊系列答案
相關(guān)習(xí)題

科目:高中英語 來源:山東省濰坊市第一中學(xué)2011屆高三教學(xué)質(zhì)量檢測英語試題 題型:050

閱讀理解

How I Turned to Be Optimistic

  I began to grow up that winter nigh when my parents and I were returning from my aunt's house, and my mother said that we might soon be leaving for America.We were on the bus then.I was crying, and some people on the bus were turning around to look at me.I remember that I could not bear the thought of never hearing again the radio program for school children to which I listened every morning.

  I do not remember myself crying for this reason again.In fact, I think I cried very little when I was saying goodbye to my friends and relatives.When we were leaving I thought about all the places I was going to see-the strange and magical places I had known only from books and pictures.The country I was leaving never to come back was hardly in my head then.

  The four years that followed taught me the importance of optimism, but the idea did not come to me at once.For the first two years in New York I was really lost-h(huán)aving to study in three schools as a result of family moves.I did not quite know what I was or what l should be.Mother remarried, and things became even more complex for me.Some time passed before my stepfather and I got used to each other.I was often sad, and saw no end to“the hard times.”

  My responsibilities in the family increased a lot since I knew English better than everyone else at home.I wrote letters, filled out forms, translated at interviews With lmmigration officers, took my grandparents to the doctor and translated there, and even discussed telephone bills with company representatives.

  From my experiences I have learned one important rule:almost all common troubles eventually go away!Something good is certain to happen in the end when you do not give up, and just wait a little!I believe that my life will turn out all right, even though it will not be that easy.

(1)

How did the author get to know America?

[  ]

A.

From her relatives.

B.

From her mother.

C.

From books and pictures.

D.

From radio programs.

(2)

Upon leaving for America the author felt ________.

[  ]

A.

confused

B.

excited

C.

worried

D.

amazed

(3)

For the first two years in New York, the author ________.

[  ]

A.

often lost her way

B.

did not think about her future

C.

studied in three different schools

D.

got on well with her stepfather

(4)

What can we learn about the author from Paragraph 4?

[  ]

A.

She worked as a translator.

B.

She attended a lot of job interviews.

C.

She paid telephone bills for her family.

D.

She helped her family with her English.

(5)

The author believes that ________.

[  ]

A.

her future will be free from troubles

B.

it is difficult to learn to become patient

C.

there are more good things than bad things

D.

good things will happen if one keeps trying

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:山東省實驗中學(xué)2010屆高三第三次診斷性測試 題型:閱讀理解


第三部分:閱讀理解(共20小題;每小題2分,滿分 40分)
閱讀下列短文,從每題所給的四個選項(A、B、C和D)中,選出最佳選項,并在答題卡上將該項涂黑。
A
A university math tutor has discovered the science behind “singledom”, finding that our chances of finding the perfect partner are just 1 in 285,000. Peter Backus, a tutor at the University of Warwick, published his “Why I Don’t Have a Girlfriend” paper after a three-year love drought.
His unconventional study uses a famous math formula called The Drake Equation(德雷克等式), which was first used to estimate the existence of extra-terrestrial(地球以外) life.
The results don't look promising for British singles. 30-year-old Mr. Backus found that out of the 30 million women in the UK, only 26 would be suitable girlfriends for him.
The dull equation takes into account the number of women aged 24 to 34, living in his home city of London, and who are single, meaning his chances of meeting his dream woman on a night out are slim.
The economics expert said: “There are 26 women in London with whom I might have a wonderful relationship. So, on a given night out in London there is a 0.0000034% chance of meeting one of these special people. That’s a 1 in 285,000 chance, so it’s not great.”
The puzzling Drake equation reads: N =" R*" x Fp x Ne x Fi x Fc x L, and helped pioneering scientist Professor Drake to predict that there could be 10,000 civilizations in our galaxy.
Mr. Backus simply replaced the original equation with his own criteria for a dream date, which included the percentage of women likely to find him attractive, and the number of girls aged 24-34 in London. He said: “The research may sound depressing to people looking for love, but the good news for singles is, it’s probably not your fault!”
56. Mr. Backus’ discovery in this passage is mainly concerned about ______.
A. whether there exists life out of our planet
B. the possibility of his being able to find love
C. how to get rid of singledom
D. what math can do to serve our daily life
57. What does Mr. Backus think of the result of his research?
A. Optimistic.     B. Depressing.      C. Unrealistic.     D. Exciting.
58. What can we learn from the first paragraph?
A. Mr. Backus’ major research field is “singledom”.
B. Mr. Backus found a girlfriend three years ago.
C. Mr. Backus’ new thesis will surely be well received.
D. Mr. Backus has been searching for love for long.
59. By “the good news for singles” in the last sentence, Mr. Backus probably mean _____.
A. you don’t have to blame yourself for remaining single
B. maybe the discovery is not reliable at all
C. the result was based on his own criteria
D. there might be more dream date out of London
60. Which of the following statements is true?
A. This passage could be published in a scientific magazine.
B. The passage intends to prove there are other civilizations.
C. The passage writer doesn’t really understand the Drake equation.
D. Most women in London are not suitable for university teachers.

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:廣東省2010屆高三考前熱身測試試題英語 題型:閱讀理解


Ⅲ閱讀 (共兩節(jié),滿分40分)
第一節(jié)閱讀理解 (共15小題;每小題2分,滿分30分)
閱讀下列短文,從每題所給的A、B、C和D項中,選出最佳選項,并在答題卡上將該項涂黑。
      The old shopkeeper led me through to the back of the shop.The room was filled with boxes and
photographs of people dressed in old-fashioned clothes,holding packages in their hands.
“Who are these-people?”I asked.   
“Satisfied customers,”answered young Mr. Hopkins.“We have a very wide choice of items for
sale.Whenever I serve a new customer, I always take their picture.”Mr. Hopkins pointed to an ancient
camera standing next to one wall.“Now, how can I serve you?”he added.
By this time,I had started to trust Mr. Hopkins and had begun to appreciate the lovely items on
sale. I needed to buy Christmas presents for my family and friends,and this seemed to be the perfect
place to purchase them.I spent a very pleasant hour being shown the commodities in Mr. Hopkins’shop.
No matter what I asked for, Mr. Hopkins found it for me.Finally, I bought an antique jewelry box,a pair
of riding boots,a leather-bound edition of the Complete Works of Mark Twain, and a sewing machine.
I was very excited that I had found such a good little shop.I promised Mr. Hopkins that l would
come back soon. “I will tell all my friends about your lovely place,”I told the shopkeeper.
“Please do not do that, sir" , said Mr. Hopkins.“This is a special place for special people.You must
keep this shop a secret.” Then he took my photograph and handed me the picture straight away.
“That was quick!”I exclaimed.I looked at the photograph.In the picture I looked proud and excited holding the presents I had bought in Mr. Hopkins’dusty shop.
On Christmas Day, my friends and relatives were delighted with the presents I had bought for them.
For weeks.my brother begged me to show him where to find this wonderful little shop.I finally agreed to take him to London to show him.   
When we arrived in London,we walked along Oxford Street,past the department store and
Found nothing.The little shop was no longer there.In its place was an empty space being used as a car
park.I checked the area again。There was the music shop,and there was the department store.In between
should have been Hopkins and Son, but it wasn’t there.
As l was staring at the place where the shop should have been, a old policeman came along.“Are
you looking for something sir?”he asked.
I turned and said“I am looking for a little shop called Hopkins and Son.I thought it was here.”
“Oh yes,”said the policeman.“There was a shop here once called Hopkins and Son.It sold all
sorts of things,but it was knocked down over 30 years ago.”
I looked again at the place where the shop had been.Then I reached into my pocket and took out
the photograph that Mr. Hopkins had taken of me holding my presents in the little shop.   
    “How strange”I exclaimed.
41.The photos in the back of the shop showed
A. the items that Mr. Hopkins had sold          B.Mr. Hopkins’family members
C.Mr. Hopkins’former customers           D.the antique paintings
42.How did the writer like the shop?
A.He found it a modem big shop.
B.He thought it a wonderful shop for all Christmas presents.
C.He thought it a good shop with an ancient camera.
D.He found it a dusty, old but friendly and lovely little shop.
43.Which of the following is true about the shop?
A.It was a well-known little shop in London。
B.It was a special shop selling special presents.
C.It was between a music shop and a department store.
D.It was knocked down a few weeks ago.
44.The word “the commodities’in the 4th paragraph means         .
A.the goods in the shop                    B. the writer’s works
C.Mr. Hopkins' photographs                D.Some presents left by other customers
45.Which of the following is the best title of this passage?
A.Christmas Shopping                    B.Hopkins and His Son
C.The Strange Experience                 D.The Strange Little Shop 

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:山東省淄博市2010屆高三下學(xué)期第一次模擬考試 題型:閱讀理解


笫三部分:閱讀理解(共20小題;每小題2分,滿分40分)
閱讀下列短文,從每題所給的四個選項(A、B、C、D)中選出最佳選項。
A
My parents influenced us with the concepts of family, faith and patriotism when l was  young.Even though we struggled to make ends meet, they stressed how fortunate we were to - live in a great country with limitless opporturuties.
I got my first real job when l was ten. My dad, Benjamin, injured his back working in a  cardboard - box factory and was retrained as a hairstylist. He rented space in a little mall and gave his shop the fancy name of Mr. Ben's Coiffure.
The owner of the shopping center gave Dad a discount on his rent for cleaning the parking. lot three nights a week, which meant getting up at 3 a.m.To pick up trash,  Dad used a little machine that looked like a lawn mower. Mom and I emptied garbage cans and picked up litterby hand.It took two to three hours to clean the lot. I'd  s1eep in the car on-the way home.I did this for two years, but the lessons I leacmed have lasted a lifetime,I acquired' disci-pline and a strong work morality, and leamed at an early age the impmtance of balancing life's competing interests-----in my case, school, homework and a job.This really'helped during my senior year of high school, when l worked 40 hours  a  week flipping hamburgers,at a fast – food  joint while taking afull load of college - prep courses.  The hard work paid off .I attended the U.S.Milttary Academy and went on to reaceive graduate degree  in law and business from Harvard. Later,I joined a big Los Angetes law firm and was elected to the California state assembly. In these jobs and in everything else I’ve  done,I have never forgotten those nights in the parking lot.The experience taught me that there is dignitty in all work and that if people are workmg to provide for thems elves ahd their families ,that is something we should honor.
56.According to the text,  the author thinks          
A.he is lucky to have many chances to get a job
B.it is difficult to find a job to make ends meet
C.his parents are full of complaint about their life
D.it is not acceptable to live in such bad conditions
57. In order to get a discount on rent,          
A.his father had to work as a hairstylist
B.his father had to work in a cardboard - box factory
C.they had to clean the-parking lot three nights a week
D.his father had to pick up litter by hand three hours a day
58.Which of the following is NOT true of the author?
A.He got the graduate degrees from Harvard.
B.He took a college - prep courses at high school.
C.He took a part - time job during his senior year.
D.He regretted having worked in the parking lot.
59.What does the underlined sentence "The hard work paid off" mean?
A.The author got a high pay by working hard.
B.The author compkuned of the hard work.
C.The effort wluch he made had no effection.
D.The hard work was worthwhile for the author.
60.We can leam from'the text that ________   
A.it is urrimaginable for a child to help his family
B. it is honored to work for one's family as a member
C. it is unnecessary to keep work rules-of behaviour
D.the harder the work is, the more interest one shows

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:2010年高考預(yù)測試題英語(六) 題型:閱讀理解


第二部分閱讀理解(共25小題。第一節(jié)每小題2分,第二節(jié)每小題l分,i滿分45分)
第一節(jié)閱湊下列短文,從每題所給的四個選項(A、B、C和D)中,選出最佳選項,并在
答題卡上將該項涂黑。
A
WASHINGTON(Reuters)-People who drink two or more sweetened soft drinks a week have a much higher risk of pancreatic cancer(胰腺癌),an unusual but deadly cancer,researchers reported on Monday.
People who drank mostly fruit juice instead of sodas did not have the same risk,the study
of 60,000 people in Singapore found.
Sugar may be to blame but people who drink sweetened sodas regularly often have other
poor health habits,said Mark Pereira of the University of Minnesota,who led the study.
“The high levels of sugar in soft drinks may be increasing the level of insulin(胰島素)in The body,which we think contributes to pancreatic cancer cell growth,”Pereira said in a statement.
Writing in the joumal Cancer Epidemiology,Biomarkers & Prevention,Pereira and colleagues
said they followed 60,524 men and women in the Singapore Chinese Health Study for l4 years.
Over that time,140 of the volunteers developed pancreatic cancer.Those who drank two or
more sweetened soft drinks a week had an 87 percent higher risk of being among those who got
pancreatic cancer.
Pereira said he believed the fndings would apply elsewhere。
“Singapore is a wcahhy country with excellent heahhcare.Favorite pastimes(消遣)are
eating and shopping,so the findings should apply to other western countries,”he said.
But Susan Mayne of the Yale Cancer Center at Yale University in Connecticut was cautious.
“Although this study found a risk,the finding was based on a relatively small number of
cases and it remains unclear whether it is a causal(因果的)connection or not。”said Mayne.
who serves on the board of the journal,which is published by the American Association for
Cancer Research.
Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest forms of cancer,with 230,000 cases globally.In
the United States,37,680 people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in a year and 34,290 die
of it.
4 1.According to the text,who is in control of the health study?
A.Mark Pereira.               B.Scientists from Singapore.
C.Researchers in Yale.         D.Susan Mayne.
42.We can infer from Pereira,s words that__.
A.the heahhcare in Singapore should be greatly improved
B.2 soft drinks a day are considered harmful to health
C.87 out of l40 volunteers developed pancreatic cancer
D.sugar might not be the only cause of pancreatic cancer
43.How does Susan seem to feel about the findings of the study?
A.Satisfied.     B.Doubtful.     C.Worried.   D.Hopeful.
44.The best title of the text might be________.
A.The Deadliest Forms of Cancer          B.Drink Fruit Juice Instead of Sodas
C.A Study in University of Minnesota      D.Sugary Soft Drinks Lead to Cancer

查看答案和解析>>

同步練習(xí)冊答案