E

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.

When 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(寿命)? 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(有弹性的), 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(物种), one that ages at a slower speed, that would be a different story, he adds.

Does Martin really believe that humans could evolve(进化) 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.

 

第二卷(共35分)

四、书面表达(共两节，满分35分)

第一节  情景作文(满分20分)

某学校对中学生课余活动进行了调查，结果如下。请根据图表1提供的信息描述学生每天的课余活动，并针对图表2中任何一个数据中反映的情况写出你的一个看法。词数不少于60。

生词：图表chart

 

第二节  开放作文(满分15分)

请根据下面提示，写一篇短文。词数不少于50。

                        （补图）

 

Xiao Ming tells you that he had 100 yuan yesterday morning, which he put into the pocket of his jacket. He spent 40 yuan yesterday afternoon. But now when he reaches into the pocket of his jacket, he finds only 10 yuan.

He is wondering what has happened to the rest of the money. As his friend, you suggest to him three or four different possibilities concerning the missing money.

 

【参考答案】

1~5 CAAB C                           6~10 B       BA CB

11~15 CCB AB                        16~20 ACAAC

21~25 AB DDB                       26~30 DCACA

31~35 CBABD                         36~40 CABDB

41~45 ACDA D                       46~50  DCABC

51~55 ADBCD                        56~60 DCBAC

61~65 DAD CA                       66~70 BBC AB

71~75 DADCB

 

One possible version:

Chart 1 shows the daily average amount of time the students of the school spend on different after-class activities. The students put the most time—93 minutes—into their homework, and next in line is watching TV, which takes up 46 minutes. They put in about the same amount of time listening to music and working on the computer, 34 minutes and 30 minutes each. While 25 minutes is spent on sports, only 12 minutes goes into housework.

As is shown on Chart 2, only 10% of the time is taken up with sports activities. I think the school should encourage the students to do more exercise after class. This way, they may be healthier and more energetic.

 

One possible version:

Maybe you forgot you had spent the money on something else yesterday afternoon. It’s also possible a pickpocket stole your money while you were shopping. Or maybe you lost it on your way home. And one last possibility is you haven’t lost it at all—you put on a different jacket this morning, and you happened to leave 10 yuan in the jacket earlier. So the missing money still must be in the other jacket, the one you were wearing yesterday!