It is a question people have been asking for ages. Is there a way to turn back the aging process in people? For centuries, people have been looking for a “fountain of youth.” The idea is that if you find a magical fountain, and drink from its waters, you will not age.
Researchers in New York did not find an actual fountain of youth, but they may have found a way to turn back the aging process. It appears the answer may be hidden right between your eyes, in an area called the hypothalamus（下丘脑）. The hypothalamus is part of your brain. It controls important activities within the body. They include growth, reproduction and the way we process food.
Researchers at New York’s Albert Einstein College of Medicine found that hypothalamus neural stem cells also influence how fast aging takes place in the body.
What are stem cells? They are simple cells that can develop into specialized cells, like blood or skin cells. Stem cells can also repair damaged tissues and organs.
Dongsheng Cai is a professor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He was the lead researcher in a study on aging in mice. He and his team reported their findings in the journal Nature.
“Aging speed is controlled, can be controlled by a particular place in the body, which is the hypothalamus. And it can be controlled by a particular type of cells, which are hypothalamus stem cells.” He adds that when the hypothalamus starts aging, so does the body. “So when hypothalamus function is in decline, particularly the loss of hypothalamus stem cells, and this protection against the aging development is lost, it eventually leads to aging.”
Using this information, the researchers began trying to activate, or energize, the hypothalamus in laboratory mice. They did this by injecting the animals with stem cells. Later, the researchers examined tissues and tested for changes in behavior. They looked for changes in the strength and coordination of the animals’ muscles. They also studied the social behavior and cognitive （认知的）ability of the mice. The researchers say the results show that the treatment slowed aging in the animals.
“When we injected the hypothalamus stem cells, which were derived from young mice, we injected them to the middle-aged mice and that was, in fact, to slow down aging. So the mouse aged slowly and they also have increased their lifespan, which is longevity.”
But these results were just from studying mice in a laboratory. If the mice can live longer, does that mean people could have longer lives? The next step is to see if the anti-aging effects also work in human beings. “If we can translate what we have seen in animals to humans, I think humans, they can function better during later ages, later stage of aging.”
Cai and his team say their studies may have other benefits. They say the findings could lead to new ways to help doctors identify and treat any number of age-related health issues.
1. What do we know about the hypothalamus?| A．It’s located in the eyes. | B．It starts aging due to the increase of its stem cells. |
| C．It plays a key role in controlling the aging process. | D．It functions well when the body starts aging. |
| A．They strengthened the muscles of the mice. |
| B．They examined tissues and tested the behavior of mice. |
| C．They injected the stem cells into the younger mice. |
| D．They changed the social behavior and cognitive ability of the mice. |
| A．They have found a way to turn back the aging process. |
| B．The brain controls growth, reproduction and the way we process food. |
| C．The decrease of hypothalamus stem cells can lead to aging. |
| D．The finding has been applied to human being. |
| A．Inject stem cells of young mice into humans. | B．Research on the cognitive psychology. |
| C．Help human beings live longer. | D．Do similar experiments on human beings. |
| A．How human being age | B．A new discovery about cells |
| C．The ways of slowing down aging | D．Researchers use brain cells to control aging in mice |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Every kid has his or her own favorites. Dolls, dinosaurs, remote controls and cellphones—they might have a toy box with all kinds of playthings to keep them excited, but there’s a favorite they always reach for first—cars. Although the sex difference in the toy world remains, it’s not only little boys who are drawn to all things with wheels. That my 20-month-old daughter dotes on the red bus toy proves this.
From age 0 to 2, children are in the sensorimotor (感觉运动的) stage of development, explains Alyssa Wilkins. “They are learning by taking in everything through their senses — sight, touch, taste, smell and hearing,” Wilkins says. “Toys and real-life objects like cars are very sensorially engaging. Kids can interact with toy cars, trucks and so on through spinning (旋转) their wheels, watching them move in different directions, or hearing the sounds they make.”
Also, kids are just naturally drawn to loud and moving objects. “They see the lights on the cars and the rolling wheels, and hear the sound of the running engine. It’s very attractive.” Wilkins says. “Kids will always be drawn to attractive and loud things because that is what engages (吸引……的注 意) their brain and sensory systems.”
Another attraction of toy vehicles is that they’re typically small enough to fit in a child’s hand. Cars become the favorite of both boys and girls because they can put their cars in their pockets or carry them around. A car is also a cause-and-effect toy—it teaches children that their actions can make something happen. “It’s super interesting and exciting for kids to learn that they can change something in their environment and they may feel proud of what they have done.” Capanna-Hodge says.
Every child is unique in how they play with toys, and the reasons for their play style may be different and complex. Finally, how your kids play with their toy vehicles could be a little window into what controls or excites them.
1. What does the underlined phase “dotes on” in Paragraph 1 mean?| A．turns down | B．is crazy about |
| C．runs into | D．stays away from |
| A．The influence from parents. | B．The shape of toy vehicles, |
| C．The exciting sensory input | D．The peaceful learning environment. |
| A．The smaller the toy vehicles are, the more the kids like them. |
| B．Boys perform better than girls while playing with toy vehicles. |
| C．The more toy vehicles the kids have, the more benefits the kids get. |
| D．Kids can have a sense of achievement from playing with toy vehicles. |
| A．Why toy vehicles are kids’ favorites? |
| B．How toy vehicles can increase kids’ five sense? |
| C．Why parents choose toy vehicles for their kids? |
| D．How parents can encourage kids to play with toy vehicles? |
A． | B． | C． | D． |
The blood-type character theory(理论)started in Japan in 1927, when Furukawa Takeji noticed character similarities and differences among persons.The idea soon went out of fashion, but was brought back by a Japanese television host named Toshiitaka Nomi in the 1970s. The belief is still strong in Japan and is popular in neighboring countries. Some young Koreans have taken to the theory. A recent study showed 76 percent of Koreans aged 13 and 64 believing in the blood-type character connection.
Though most Asians might believe in it, for many it seems harmless and not something to be taken seriously. It is also possible that people are easy to change their characters to match the blood-type theory. Is the belief true? In the 1980s, the scientists in Asia largely negated the belief as a superstition(迷信). Most studies have failed to find any strong connection between blood and character. Generally, scientists are against making important decisions based on this theory.
1. What does the underlined word “predicted ” in the passage mean Chinese?
| A．预测 | B．提醒 | C．预告 |
| A．In western countries | B．In China | C．In Japan |
| A．A person with blood type A can have many friends. |
| B．A student with blood type A may usually get good marks. |
| C．A person with blood type A is fond of talking with others. |
| A．The blood-type character theory(理论)was started by a scientist named Toshiitaka Nomi. |
| B．After about 10 years,scientists in Asia proved the blood-type theory was wrong. |
| C．After some young Koreans took to the theory, 76 percent of Korean teenagers believed in it. |
| A．Information about different blood types. |
| B．The connection between blood-types and characters. |
| C．The development of the character theory. |
【推荐3】It is a question people have been asking for ages—is there a way to turn back the aging process in people? For centuries, people have been looking for a “fountain of youth.” The idea is that if you find a magical fountain, and drink from its waters, you will not age.
Researchers in New York did not find an actual fountain of youth, but they may have found a way to turn back the aging process. It appears the answer may be hidden right between your eyes, in an area called the hypothalamus (下丘脑). The hypothalamus is part of your brain. It controls important activities within the body. They include growth, reproduction and the way we process food.
Researchers at New York’s Albert Einstein College of Medicine found that hypothalamus neural stem cells also influence how fast aging takes place in the body.
What are stem cells? They are simple cells that can develop into specialized cells, like blood or skin cells. Stem cells can also repair damaged tissues and organs.
Dongsheng Cai is a professor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He was the lead researcher in a study on aging in mice. He and his team reported their findings in the journal Nature.
“Aging speed is controlled, can be controlled by a particular place in the body, which is the hypothalamus. And it can be controlled by a particular type of cells, which are hypothalamus stem cells.” He adds that when the hypothalamus starts aging, so does the body. “So when hypothalamus function is in decline, particularly the loss of hypothalamus stem cells, and this protection against the aging development is lost, it eventually leads to aging.”
Using this information, the researchers began trying to activate, or energize, the hypothalamus in laboratory mice. They did this by injecting the animals with stem cells. Later, the researchers examined tissues and tested for changes in behavior. They looked for changes in the strength and coordination of the animals’ muscles. They also studied the social behavior and cognitive (认知的) ability of the mice. The researchers say the results show that the treatment slowed aging in the animals.
“When we injected the hypothalamus stem cells, which were derived from young mice, we injected them to the middle-aged mice and that was, in fact, to slow down aging. So the mouse aged slowly and they also have increased their lifespan, which is longevity.”
But these results were just from studying mice in a laboratory. If the mice can live longer, does that mean people could have longer lives? The next step is to see if the anti-aging effects also work in human beings. “If we can translate what we have seen in animals to humans, I think humans, they can function better during later ages, later stage of aging.”
Cai and his team say their studies may have other benefits. They say the findings could lead to new ways to help doctors identify and treat any number of age-related health issues.
1. What do we know about the hypothalamus?| A．It’s located in the eyes. |
| B．It starts aging due to the increase of its stem cells. |
| C．It plays key role in controlling the aging process. |
| D．It functions well when the body starts aging. |
| A．They strengthened the muscles of the mice. |
| B．They examined tissues and tested the behavior of mice. |
| C．They injected the stem cells into the younger mice. |
| D．They changed the social behavior and cognitive ability of the mice. |
| A．The decrease of hypothalamus stem cells can lead to aging. |
| B．They have found a way to turn back the aging process. |
| C．The finding has been applied to human being. |
| D．The brain controls growth, reproduction and the way we process food. |
| A．Inject stem cells of young mice into humans. |
| B．Research on the cognitive psychology. |
| C．Help human beings live longer. |
| D．Do similar experiments on human beings. |
| A．How human being age |
| B．A new discovery about cells |
| C．Hypothalamus—the fountain of youth |
| D．The ways of slowing down aging |
Chinese space exploration made great achievements in 2020, with the most important event being the Chang’e 5 mission (任务).
The Chang’e 5 was China’s first sample (样本) return mission. It travelled in space for 23 days and and brought back 1.7 kg of lunar rock and soil samples to Earth. This was the world's first lunar return mission since 1976 and made China the third country to complete a lunar return mission after the United States and the former Soviet Union.
As the country’s most difficult mission yet, Change’s 5 marked a major step forward for China’s space exploration. The lunar samples have been sent to laboratories for research that will improve understanding of the state, temperature, and material content of the moon.
Some of the samples will be put on display in the science and technology museum to encourage scientific interest. “This will greatly encourage people, especially young people, to study and explore the worlds beyond Earth,” a planetary scientist at the China University of Geosciences in Wuhan said.
China also views the mission as part of mankind’s exploration of the moon as a whole.
The Change’5 landing area was very deliberately chosen. The Mons Rumker area, which had never been sampled before, is geologically (地质学上) younger than the sampling areas of the US and Soviet missions. Scientists believe the new samples could help fill a gap (空白) in understanding the moon’s volcanic (火山的) activity and evolution (演变).
China has promised to share its sample with scientists from other countries. Some foreign scientists have shown interest. Lunar exploration is not for business purposes, but for the purpose of international scientific research. Mankind will explore the moon together, as large exploration projects will require international cooperation (合作) in the future. China will play a leadship role in the international scientific community.
1. What does the underlined word in Paragraph 6 mean?| A．easily | B．carefully | C．rapidly | D．completely |
| A．research in the laboratories | B．share with scientists from other countries |
| C．do business with foreign countries | D．display in science and technology museums |
| A．It was the world’s first lunar return mission. |
| B．It made a contribution to mankind’s space exploration. |
| C．It was completed with the help of some other countries. |
| D．Its landing area was not as good as the USA’s and Soviet’s. |
| A．Space exploration is the most important scientific field. |
| B．We are sure to make achievements if we work together. |
| C．The new samples could help scientists understand the earth better. |
| D．The successful event might encourage more people to study science. |
【推荐2】High-speed trains, Alipay ( 支付宝), shared bikes and online payment are seen as the new Four Great Achievements of China by young foreigners, according to a video survey by the Silk Road Research Institute of Beijing Foreign Studies University. In the video, young people from 20 countries along Belt and Road Routes were asked to name great inventions that had influenced their lives in China. The following is what they said from 4 young people of them.
“I’m Yala. I'm Nepal. I always go out by bike. Bicycle-sharing system allows people to borrow a bike from point “A” and return it at point “B”. It’s not only cheap but also a low-carbon and healthy way of life. I like it very much.”
“I’m Justin. I’m from Romania. China is really a great country and it’s high-speed railways are very fast, convenient and tidy. It takes me only about 6 hours from Beijing to Shanghai by train. It serves a lot of time and it’s cheaper than airplane. I wish we would have high-speed railways in our country someday.”
“I’m Archana. My life in Beijing is quite different from that in India. Here in China, I seldom take money with me when I go out. I can pay for almost everything by Zhi Fu Bao. Oh, it's amazing. However, in India, if you don't take a wallet with you, you'll be in a tough spot. ”
“I am Bond. You can find many wonderful things that we don’t have in Thailand. We don’t have Alipay or other online payment Apps with which I can go shopping without stepping out of the doors. If only I could bring them back to my country.”
1. What does Yala think of the bicycle-sharing system in China according to his words?| A．Convenient and relaxing. | B．Healthy and amazing |
| C．Fast and tidy. | D．Cheap and low-carbon |
| A．迷路 | B．陷入困境 | C．保持沉默 | D．付账单 |
| A．Bicycle- sharing system provides bikes for free. |
| B．Zhi Fu Bao is the only way of paying for things. |
| C．There is no Alipay in Thailand now. |
| D．There are high-speed railways in Romania. |
| A．They are the signs that China is improving rapidly. |
| B．They were created by young foreign people. |
| C．They were brought to the countries along Belt and Road Routes. |
| D．They are great inventions outside China. |
| A．introduce some wonderful things in China |
| B．teach us how to use the new great inventions |
| C．tell us the differences among the new Four Great Achievements |
| D．show the new Four Great Achievements that influence people’s lives |
【推荐3】Many years ago, people relied on the sun, the moon and stars to find their way around. Later, the compass (指南针) was introduced. And now, we have satnav (卫星导航) systems to guide us. A satnav system uses groups of satellites to show the user’s location. They send information to a receiver, such as a smart phone, to show us where we are.
The earliest built satnav system is the Global Positioning System, which belongs to the US. Then there is Russia’s Global Navigation (导航) Satellite System, the European Union’s Galileo and China’s own satellite navigation system, BeiDou.
On October 14, 2017, an ARJ21-700 plane, which was the first domestically-produced jet (国产喷气式飞机) equipped with the BeiDou navigation system, successfully completed a test flight. The results showed the performance of the system developed by China matches that of similar systems produced aboard, according to the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China.
Since its introduction in 2000, the Beidou navigation system has seen increasing numbers of applications linked to everyday life, from shared bikes to farming.
When it comes to shared bikes, smart locks that support BeiDou chips offer more accurate positioning than others, making it easier to find a bike.
Farmers can use BeiDou-enabled tractors to plow (犁) the soil and use unmanned aircraft with BeiDou to sow seeds, which can improve efficiency and make better use of resources. BeiDou’s farming applications have spread from Heilongjiang province to Beijing, Liaoning, Shanxi, Hubei and other regions across China.
With its many uses, the Beidou navigation system is even playing a big role in the Belt and Road Initiative (一带一路). “To date, the BeiDou system has covered most parts of the Asia-Pacific region (地区), as well as countries along the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21stCentury Maritime Silk Road” said Yang Changfeng, Chief designer of the BeiDou system.
Today, there are more than 20 BeiDou satellites above our heads, and China plans to launch even more this year to expand the BeiDou network to better serve the Belt and Road Initiative.
“As BeiDou expands its overseas reach, it will be increasingly popular in the logistics (物流) industry,” said Miao Qianjun, secretary-general of the navigation services association. “Ships, for example, can use it to position themselves while sailing across oceans to European countries, no longer limited to Southeast Asian regions in the near future.”
1. What is the purpose of the first two paragraphs?| A．To compare some modern satnav systems. |
| B．To describe the benefits of satnav systems. |
| C．To tell us how satnav systems were created. |
| D．To introduce some satnav systems and how they work. |
| A．It was used successfully in a new jet plane. |
| B．It is more powerful than other satnav systems. |
| C．It was introduced into China on October 14, 2017. |
| D．It wasn’t used in our everyday life until recently. |
| A．plowing the soil and sowing seeds |
| B．improving the efficiency of networks |
| C．producing more smart locks for shared bikes |
| D．navigating ships across oceans to European countries |
| A．worried | B．uncertain | C．positive | D．doubtful |
| A．A government report. | B．A science magazine. |
| C．A storybook. | D．A science fiction. |
【推荐1】If you wish to become a better reader, here are four important things to remember about reading rate:
● Knowing why you are reading or what you are reading to find out will often help you to know whether to read fast or slowly.
● Some things should be read slowly throughout. Examples are directions for making or doing something, arithmetic problems, science and history books, which are full of important information. You must read such things slowly to remember each important step and understand each important ideas.
● Some things should be read quickly throughout. Examples are simple stories meant for enjoyment, news letters from friends, pieces of news from local, or home-town, papers, telling what is happening to friends and neighbors.
● In some of your reading, you must change your speed from fast to slow and slow to fast, as you go along. You will need to read certain pages quickly and then slow down and do more careful reading when you come to important ideas which must be remembered.
1. The underlined word "rate" in the first sentence means _______.| A．fast | B．slow | C．speed | D．skill |
| A．Stories for enjoyment | B．Arithmetic problems |
| C．Letters from friends | D．News from hometown newspapers |
| A．The faster, the better. | B．The more slowly, the better. |
| C．Neither too fast nor too slow. | D．It depends on what we are reading. |
| A．Read slowly when you are reading something important to you. |
| B．Read fast when you are reading something unimportant to you. |
| C．Read the materials that you are interested in slowly. |
| D．Read the materials that you are interested in fast. |
| Steps in the Design Process Identify (设定) a problem The first step in the design process is to set a problem. Suppose your pet’s toy is behind a big piece of furniture. It’s too heavy to move, and you can’t reach. You’ve just identified a problem. You need to get the toy back.  You could use a long set of tongs to pick up the object. Propose a solution The next step is to think of possible solutions. Solutions are ideas to solve the problem. What are some ideas that could help solve your problem? Pick the best one to try. Talk to people, watch, and do research. What materials are needed? Are they at hand? Are there any risks? | Build a model Build a model to test your ideas. A model helps you understand how your solution works. How much would it cost to make?  You could put something sticky at the end of a meter stick and try to get the object  You could use a meter stick with a magnet on a string to attract the object. | Test the design Inventors test their design by asking questions. Does the invention do what it was designed to do? Why? Why not? A smart inventor also asks others to test the invention and then listens to them. If the invention does not work, the inventor would have to revise (修改) it until he is satisfied. Explain the design Finally you communicate how you solve the problem. Communication can be like a show and tell. You can also use group discussions, written reports, and pictures. If you’ve made a product you want to sell, you name it and advertise it.  |
| A．tourists’ guide | B．students’ book | C．daily newspaper | D．science magazine |
| A．To get something you can’t reach. | B．To make it easier to drop litter into the bin. |
| C．To attract the long metre stick. | D．To play a trick on your favourite pet. |
A． | B． | C． | D． |
【推荐3】The kind of music you like says something about your personality. So does the way you dance to certain kinds of music. These findings come from two different research projects. They used surveys to find out what kinds of personalities people had. Then researchers looked at either how personality types matched with people’s favorite kinds of music or how people danced.
Dr. Adrian North and his team from a Scotland university had the personality study that also looked at people’s taste in music. They surveyed over 36,000 people from six different countries. Dr. North and his team first asked people questions to find out if they were outgoing, creative, hard-working or confident among many other personality types. He also asked them to rate how much they like different kinds of music.
It turns out that people who like the same kind of music seem to have similar personalities. And this is true even if the people are from different countries. For example, people who like jazz are usually confident and creative but are often not outgoing. People who like rock music are not hard-working and not confident, but they are creative. People who like country are hard-working but not outgoing. These findings didn’t match everyone exactly, but in general, people’s personality types and taste in music matched surprisingly well.
Dr. Geoffrey Luck from a Finland university studied the connection between personality and how people danced. Like Dr. North, Dr. Luck also used a survey to determine（判定）the personality types of 900 people. Then he asked 60 people with strong personality types to dance to different kinds of music. While they danced, Dr. Luck recorded them on video. He then used a computer program to analyze the way people moved their bodies.
Dr. Luck found outgoing people move around a lot while dancing. Hard-working people tend to move around a lot as well, but they also use their hands more. People with easy-going personalities tend to dance from side to side and move around more smoothly. Shy or nervous people don’t move smoothly and they move from one foot to another.
The next time you dance, watch the people around you and ask them what kind of music they like, you can learn a lot about them.
1. What did Dr. North study?| A．The music of six countries. | B．Old and young people’s taste in music. |
| C．Music preference and personality. | D．Surveys of music lovers from past research. |
| A．They are confident. | B．They are creative. |
| C．They are easy-going. | D．They are hard-working. |
| A．They studied the same people. | B．They used the method of surveys. |
| C．They asked people to listen to music. | D．They worked for the same university. |
| A．He uses his hands less. | B．He moves from one foot to another. |
| C．He moves around smoothly. | D．He dances without moving much. |
| A．Where different kinds of music and dance started. |
| B．Why people dance different ways to popular music. |
| C．How music and dance show people’s personalities. |
| D．What researchers learned about professional dancers. |
