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 121 st birthday.
When it comes to long life, Jeanne Calment is the world’s record holder. 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(jìn)化）their way to longer life? “It’s pretty cool to think about,” he says with a smile.
72. 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.
73. 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
74. 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
75. 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

72--75   ADCB  

72.A 點(diǎn)評(píng)：細(xì)節(jié)題。文章第二段中的“She lived to the ripe old age of 122...”說(shuō)明人們可以活到122歲，應(yīng)選A。
73.D 點(diǎn)評(píng)：細(xì)節(jié)題。文章第四段中的“People can live much longer than we think...”說(shuō)明人類(lèi)能活多長(zhǎng)仍是未知數(shù)，故選D。
74.C 點(diǎn)評(píng)：細(xì)節(jié)題。文章第五段中的“Usually the scientists who...in time magazine”，說(shuō)明Rich Miller認(rèn)為科學(xué)家們，只要瘋狂的想法找機(jī)會(huì)成名，因此選C。
75.B 點(diǎn)評(píng)：整體理解題。文章最后三段說(shuō)明科學(xué)家通過(guò)試驗(yàn)證實(shí)人類(lèi)平均壽命的跨度不能翻倍，故應(yīng)選B。
練習(xí)冊(cè)系列答案
相關(guān)習(xí)題

科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解


Students are being forced to take additional exams to get into leading universities because good A-levels do not always indicate the brightest candidates.
Sixth-formers applying to courses such as medicine and law are being asked to sit American-style aptitude（智能）tests, which are designed to assess（評(píng)價(jià)）thinking skills, among fears that too many A-level candidates are getting top grades. Last year, almost one in six students applying to universities such as Oxford and Cambridge from independent schools had to sit additional test to secure a place.
Head teachers criticized the move, which they said would pile more pressure on schools and students. But universities insisted that the reforms were unavoidable, because A-level exams were no longer an accurate barometer（標(biāo)準(zhǔn)）of ability.
In 1986, 40 percent of students starting at Oxford achieved straight. As at A-level, Mike Nicholson, its admissions director, said that this year almost every candidate offered a place would get perfect grades. It meant the university had to stage additional test to identify the most able candidates. “The ability to achieve three A grades is no longer the end-point in the admissions process,” he said. “The potential to achieved three A grades will allow them to enter the race for a place.”
Oxford is not the only university turning to aptitude tests. At Cambridge, the number of students taking the university’s Thinking Skills Assessment shot up 26 percent to more than 3,000. A survey of 16,830 sixth formers applying to higher education from private schools last year showed that 2,860 had to sit at least one exam.
Earlier this year, the National Foundation for Educational Research recommended that most sixth formers should sit SAT tests — a standard reasoning exam widely used in American colleges —to make it easier to pick out the best candidates.
5．What is the attitude of head teachers to the reform?
A. Approving.               B. Doubtful.          C. Opposed.           D. Neutral（中立的）
6．Which British university first started to use aptitude tests to pick out the best candidates?
A. Harvard.                  B. Oxford.             C. Cambridge.              D. Washington D.C.
7．What can we know about the A-level system?
A. It can indicate the brightest candidates.
B. It was designed to assess students’ thinking abilities.
C. It is longer an accurate way to assess students’ abilities.
D. It was recommended by the National Foundation for Educational Research.
8．What can we infer from the passage?
A. The reform is more popular in American colleges than in British ones.
B. The reform will be applied by all universities in the future.
C. Universities used to depend on the A-level system to choose the best students.
D. Passing additional tests will allow the student to enter Oxford, regardless of whether he or she gets As.
9．What is the passage mainly about?
A. How to get into leading universities.
B. The disadvantages of the A-level system.
C. Different ways to identify students’ abilities.
D. Universities using extra exams to choose students.

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解


McGill Comedy Club
Important meeting today. Discussions on putting on Blazing Saddles. Union room 302, 3-4 pm. New members (both actors and non?actors, living and dead) are welcome.
History Students' Association
Prof. Michael Cross of Dalhousie University will be speaking on “Unskilled Labours on Rivers and Canals in Upper Canada, 1820-1850: The Beginnings of Class Struggle,"at 10 am in Leacock 230.
Design Mirror Sale
All types and sizes of design mirrors priced to please. Sale today in Union room 108.
McGill Teaching Assistants' Association
A general meeting, for all the TAs, will be held at 4 pm in Leacock 116.
Women's Union
Important. General Meeting at 6 pm, Union room 423. Speaker on “Importance of d
eciding basic goals of the Women's Union".Everyone, old, new and those ?intere
sted,? please attend.
Film Society
Last meeting of the term for all members.All managers are required to be present. 6:00 sharp, Union room 434.
Canadian University Students Overseas
CUSO presents “Guess Who's Coming to Breakfast" at 7 pm. Newman Centre, 3484 Peel. Find out about CUSO here and overseas. Everyone welcome.
1.Where can you probably find this text?
A. In a school magazine.          B. In a national paper.
C. In a guide book.              D. In a university daily newspaper. 
2.If you are interested in arts, where would you go for a visit?
A. Leacock 116.                   B. Union room 423.
C. Union room 108.                D. Newman Centre, 3484 Peel. 
3.Which of the following is the name of a play?
A. Blazing Saddles.
B. Guess Who's Coming to Breakfast.
C. Importance of deciding basic goals of the Women's Union.
D. Unskilled Labours on Rivers and Canals in Upper Canada, 1820-1850. 

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解


It's not the flashiest car in the world. Not even close. But the 1971 Volkswagen named Helioscan do something most cars can't: nm on solar energy – energy from the sun's light and heat!
Joshua Bechtold, 14, and the other students at the Riverside School in Lyndonville, Vermont, worked many months to get Helios ready for the 1999  American Tour de Sol （"Sol" is the Latin word for "sun"）. They named their car after Helios, the sun god in Greek mythology（神話(huà)）.
The 4-year-old Tour de Sol encourages the use of "green", or environmentally friendly, cars to help reduce pollution and save energy. It’s not a race. Cars are  judged on fuel efficiency（耗油量） rather than speed. In the week-long event, 44 cars took the 350-mile tour from Waterbury, Connecticut, to Lake George, New York. Of the 23 student cars, Helios was the only one built by middle school students.
A teacher drove Helios, but the children talked with people wherever they stopped along the mad. "That was my favorite part," says Anna Browne, 15. "We explained how the car runs.”
Due in part to old, inefficient batteries（電池）, Helios finished fourth - out of four - in its kind, the sun-powered class. "We were there for the fun of it," Anna says. "We're proud of Helios," says Ariel Gleicher, 14. "It's a car that's good for the environment."
64. What is special about the car Helios in the text?       
A. It was built by middle school students.
B. It has an attractive design.
C. It was made in 1971.
D. It won the fourth prize.
65. How many sun-powered cars took part in the race?      
A. 1.       B. 4.     C. 23.    D. 44.
66. What would be the best title for the text.'?       
A. The Making of Helios
B. 1999 American Tour de Sol
C. Sun-powered Cars on the Road
D. Use of Green Cars in Connecticut
67. The students felt proud of Helios because______.
A. it could run as far as 350 miles     B. it was favored by many children
C. it had high-quality batteries         D. it was driven by clean energy

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：完形填空


You've just finished you’re a-levels and you've got a place at university, but you'd really like a break from the academic world. Why not think about taking a year out? While most students go__61from school to university, more and more young people today are choosing to spend a year at“the university? of life” __62 . There are lots of things to choose from. You could work in a bank or do community work. You might even do something challenging ,such as__63 an expedition(探險(xiǎn)) to the Amazon rainforest. The experience will__64  your horizons and teach you new skills. It may also give you the chance to earn some money ,which will be very helpful when you__65 start your studies. If you're interested in taking a year out, you must make sure that the university will__66 your place for you till next year. Most are quite happy to do this,__67they find that year?out students are__68 experienced, confident and independent. But don't forget: it's a year out not a year__69 . Your university will want to know what you're going to do. They won't be very pleased if you just
want to do__70 for a year. So what would you do with a year out?
61.  A. easily          B. simply        C. fast        D. straight 
62.  A. last            B. first         C. at last     D. at first
63.  A. participating     B. joining       C. attending   D. expecting
64.  A. broaden         B. spread        C. improve     D. raise 
65.  A. hopefully      B. willingly     C. eventually  D. happily 
66.  A. hold            B. leave         C. occupy      D. remain 
67.  A. however         B. though        C. as          D. when 
68.  A. less            B. much         C. even        D. more 
69.  A. in              B. off           C. away        D. through
70.  A. nothing         B. something     C. anything         D. everything 

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解


Annealing
Annealing is a way of making metal softer by heating it and then letting it cool very slowly, if metal is heated and then cooled very quickly, for example by dipping(浸) it in water, it will be very hard but also very brittle(脆)—that is, it will break easily. Metal that has been annealed is soft but does not breaks as easily. It is possible to make metal as hard or as soft as is wished, by annealing it. The metal is heated, and allowed to cool slowly for a certain length of time. The longer the heated metal takes to cool slowly, the softer it becomes. Annealing can also be used on other material, such as glass.
1. Annealing can make metal ____
　　A. hard and tough(韌)　B. hard but brittle　　C. soft but tough　　D. soft and brittle
2. Why do people put hot metal in water?
　　A. To make it hard.　　B. To make it soft.　C. To make it cool.　D. To make it brittle
3. In annealing, the required hardness of a metal depends on 　______
　　A. the quantity of water used　B. the temperature of the metal
　　C. the softness of the metal　  D. the timing of the operation
4. As suggested by the text, how can glass be made less brittle?
　　A. It can be heated and then cooled quickly.
　　B. It can be cooled and then heated slowly.
　　C. It can be heated and then cooled slowly.
D. It can be cooled and then heated quickly.

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

A rainforest is an area covered by tall trees with the total high rainfall spreading quite equally through the year and the temperature rarely dipping below l6℃. Rainforests have a great effect on the world environment because they can take in heat from the sun and adjust the climate. Without the forest cover，these areas would reflect more heat into the atmosphere，warming the rest of the world. Losing the rainforests may also influence wind and rainfall patterns，potentially causing certain natural disasters all over the world.
In the past hundred years，humans have begun destroying rainforests in search of three major resources（資源）：land for crops，wood for paper and other products，land for raising farm animals. This action affects the environment as a whole. For example，a lot of carbon dioxide（二氧化碳）in the air comes from burning the rainforests. People obviously have a need for the resources we gain from cutting trees but we will suffer much more than we will benefit.There are two main reasons for this. Firstly，when people cut down trees，generally they can only use the land for a year or two. Secondly，cutting large sections of rainforests may provide a good supply of wood right now，but in the long run it actually reduces the world’s wood supply.
Rainforests are often called the world’s drug store. More than 25％ of the medicines we use today come from plants in rainforests. However，fewer than l％of rainforest plants have been examined for their medical value. It is extremely likely that our best chance to cure diseases lies somewhere in the world’s shrinking rainforests.
小題1:Rainforests can help to adjust the climate because they      
A．reflect more heat into the atmosphere
B．bring about high rainfall throughout the world
C．rarely cause the temperature to drop lower than l6℃
D．reduce the effect of heat from the sun on the earth
小題2:What does the word “this” underlined in the third paragraph refer to?
A．We will lose much more than we can gain.
B．Humans have begun destroying rainforests.
C．People have a strong desire for resources.
D．Much carbon dioxide comes from burning rainforests.
小題3:It can be inferred from the text that
A．we can get enough resources without rainforests
B．there is great medicine potential in rainforests
C．we will grow fewer kinds of crops in the gained land
D．the level of annual rainfall affects wind patterns
小題4:What might be the best title for the text?
A．How to Save Rainforests
B．How to Protect Nature
C．Rainforests and the Environment
D．Rainforests and Medical Development

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Six Americans are working on a new highway. But this highway won't have any traffic．It's an "ice highway" to the South Pole.
The team has just finished a second year of work on the 1,020-mile highway. "The road is the greatest single footprint of activity we've seen in the Antarctic (南極洲)," said Alan Hemmings, an Australian environmentalist.
The highway will provide a new way for supplies to be trekked (拉, 搬) across the earth on tractor-pulled sleds (雪橇). This method will use a lot less fuel than an aircraft, the current (當(dāng)前的) way that scientists and supplies reach the Amundsen-Scott Base, a U.S. research station in the South Pole. The highway will also allow for equipment that is too big for planes to carry to be brought to Antarctica．Even with these benefits, there is one disadvantage—a round trip on the road will be 30 days, compared to a few hours by plane.
Making this 20-foot-wide road isn't easy, and it takes a lot of time. The crew (工作隊(duì)) has been working on the road for two summers, when it's warmer and easier to work with the ice. It probably won't be completed until 2006.
Crevasses (裂縫), or cracks, in the land often make the construction difficult. Crevasses are kind of like pot holes that form when surface ice is stretched．This can be very dangerous, especially when the crevasses are hidden under a layer (層) of snow and can't be seen.
"Last year it took us three months to go three miles across a crevasse field, full of dangerous, hidden crevasses," said the project's manager, John Wright. Each year, more crevasses appear and they have to be filled with snow and ice so the road is safe for travel. The road will also be lined with green flags so travelers know where the safe surface is.
小題1: It will probably take ______ years to complete the ice highway.
A．2B．4 C．6 D．8
小題2:When it is finished, the highway will not be used for ______.
A．giving supplies to the research station in the South Pole
B．taking scientists to the South Pole
C．taking travelers to a tour of Antarctic
D．bringing huge equipment to Antarctic
小題3:How many miles can be covered at most each day if you take the ice highway to the South
Pole?
A．30.B．34.C．68.D．88.
小題4:Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A．Other crevasses won’t appear if a crevasse has been filled.
B．Many new crevasses will form after a crevasse has been filled.
C．Travelers can drive their sleds on the ice highway freely.
D．There will be less danger if the crevasses are covered by snow.

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解


D
Many disease researchers have warned that rising global temperatures could lead to more diseases. for example by allowing tropical diseases to expand their ranges into what are now mild regions. This is a particular fear for the diseases carried by insects such as malariac(瘧疾） and
sleeping sickness.
But the reality is more complex, argues Kevin Lafferty. a disease ecologist. He argues that a warming climate could favour some diseases in certain regions while controlling them in others.
Lafferty does not deny that climate change might allow malarial mosquitoes to spread to new areas. However he believes that hotter and drier conditions may also get rid of mosquitoes from areas where they currently exist. If this were the case, he says. there would be little. if any, net
increase (凈增長(zhǎng)） in the risk of disease.
In addition, many mild regions such as southern Europe or the southern U.S. have good sanitation（衛(wèi)生設(shè)備） and insect control programmes which, Lafferty says, would prevent diseases from becoming common even if climatic conditions were suitable.
Finally, he argues, climate change could wipe many species off the plant. Infectious pathogens（病原體） depend on their hosts for survival so they too may become endangered-especially if they,like malaria, rely on more than one host.
But Mercedes Pascual of the University of Michigan points out that there are large human populations in the east African highlands, just outside of the existing range of malarial mosquitoes.She said as temperatures rise, the mosquitoes will reach these areas. So the disadvantages will
outweigh the advantages of decreased risk elsewhere.
Most of the ecologists do, however, seem to agree on one point: predicting where a disease is going to go next involves far more than just considering climate. No matter what the results of the debate are, they all agree that health concerns should continue to play a critical role in climate policy and the debate shouldn't be regarded as weakening the case for action against global warming.
53. According to Kevin Lafferty, climate change__________
A. will not increase the spread of insect-bome diseases
B. may not significantly increase the risk of disease in the whole world
C. will not affect the dry regions where sanitation is good
D. may not affect viruses that depend on more than one host
54. What does Mercedes Pascual think of Lafferty 's conclusion?
A. She disagrees with it.   B. She supports it.
C. She is not sure ofit.    D. She thinks it needs proving.
55. We may infer from the passage that ___________
A. climate is the only factor in the predictior of the spread of diseases
B. when making a climate policy one should take health into account
C. the debate mentioned in the passage furthers the debate on global warming
D. a policy should be made immediately to try to stop climate change
56. We can learn from the passage that ___________
A. all the disease researchers agree that climate change will spread disease
B. nothing can be done to stop the present global warming
C. scientists have found ways to stop the wild spread of disease
D. ecologists have different views on whether the global warming will spread diseases further

查看答案和解析>>

同步練習(xí)冊(cè)答案