1 . Do you want to live another 100 years or more? Some experts say that scientific advances will one day enable humans to last tens of years beyond what is now seen as the natural limit of the human life span.
“I think we are knocking at the door of immortality(永生),” said Michael Zey, a Montclair State University business professor and author of two books on the future. “I think by 2075 we will see it and that’s a conservative estimate(保守的估计).”
At the conference in San Francisco, Donald Louria, a professor at New Jersey Medical School in Newark said advances in using genes as well as nanotechnology(纳米技术) make it likely that humans will live in the future beyond what was possible in the past. “There is a great effort so that people can live from 120 to 180 years,” he said. “Some have suggested that there is no limit and that people could live to 200 or 300 or 500 years.”
However, many scientists who specialize in aging are doubtful about it and say the human body is just not designed to last past about 120 years. Even with healthier lifestyles and less disease, they say failure of the brain and organs will finally lead all humans to death.
Scientists also differ on what kind of life the super aged might live. “It remains to be seen if you pass 120, you know; could you be healthy enough to have good quality of life?” said Leonard Poon, director of the University of Georgia Gerontology Centre. “At present people who could get to that point are not in good health at all.”
1. By saying“we are knocking at the door of immortality”,Michael Zey means_________.| A．they have got some ideas about living forever |
| B．they believe that there is no limit of living |
| C．they are able to make people live past the present life span |
| D．they are sure to find the truth about long living |
| A．the human body is designed to last past about 120 years |
| B．it is possible for humans to live longer in the future |
| C．it is still doubtful how long humans can live |
| D．people can live from 120 to 180 |
| A．a great effort |
| B．the conservative estimate |
| C．the idea of living from 200 to 300 years |
| D．the idea of living beyond the present life span |
| A．No Limit for Human Life |
| B．Living Longer or not |
| C．Science,Technology and Long Living |
| D．Healthy Lifestyle and Long Living |
2 . Medicine is not only a human invention. Many other animals, from insects to birds to nonhuman primates (灵长类), have been known to self-medicate with plants and minerals for infections and other conditions. Behavioral ecologist Helen of the Borneo Nature Foundation has spent decades studying the island’ s orangutans (红毛猩猩) and says she has now found evidence they use plants in a previously unseen medicinal way.
During more than 20,000 hours of formal observation, Helen and her colleagues watched 10 orangutans occasionally chew a particular plant (which is not part of their normal diet) into a juice and then rub it into their fur. They spent up to 45 minutes at a time rubbing the mixture onto their upper arms or legs. The researchers believe this behavior is the first known example of a nonhuman animal using an external pain-killer.
Local people use the same plant—Dracaena cantleyi (龙血树), an unremarkable-looking bush with stalked leaves—to treat aches and pains. Helens, co-authors studied its chemistry. They added chemicals from the plant to human cells that had been grown in a dish and had been artificially stimulated to produce cytokines (细胞因子), an immune system response that causes inflammation (炎症) and discomfort. The plant chemical reduced the production of several types of cytokines. The scientists reported the finding in a study published last November in Scientific Reports.
The results suggest that orangutans use the plant to reduce inflammation and treat pain. Such findings could help identify plants and chemicals that might be useful for human medications.
1. What does “They” in Paragraph 2 refer to?| A．Birds. | B．Local people. |
| C．The ten orangutans. | D．The researchers. |
| A．It can produce cytokines. | B．It is effective as a pain-killer. |
| C．It is a special looking bush. | D．It can lead to inflammation and discomfort. |
| A．Orangutans mainly live on the particular plant. |
| B．Orangutans are the first animals to use a pain-killer. |
| C．Helens findings can be of great use for human drugs. |
| D．Helens co-authors added the chemicals from human cells to the plant. |
| A．By analyzing data. | B．By sharing experiences. |
| C．By making comparisons. | D．By giving examples. |
Study Techniques
You should always study in the same place. You shouldn’t sit in a position that you use for another purpose. For example, when you sit on a sofa to study, your brain will think it is time to relax. Don’t watch TV while you are studying. Experts warn that your concentration may be reduced by 50 percent if you attempt to study in this way. Always try to have a white wall in front of you, so there is nothing to distract (make less concentrated) you. Before sitting down to study, gather together all the equipment you need. Apart from your textbooks, pens, pencils and knives, make sure you have a dictionary. If your study desk or table is needed when you are not studying, store all your equipment in a box beside it.
Your eyes will become tired if you try to read a text which is on a flat surface. Position your book at an angle of 30 degrees.
Be realistic and don’t try to complete too much in one study period. Finish one thing before
beginning another. If you need a break, get up and walk around for a few minutes, but try not to telephone a friend or have something to eat.
Test-taking Skills
All your hard work will be for nothing if you are too nervous to take your test. Getting plenty
of rest is very important. This means do not study all night before your test! It is a better idea to have a long-term study plan. Try to make a timetable for your study which lasts for a few months.
Exercise is a great way to reduce pressure. Doing some form of exercise every day will also
improve your concentration. Eat healthy food too.
When you arrive in the examination room, find your seat and sit down. Breathe slowly and
deeply. Check the time on the clock during the test, but not too often. Above all, take no notice of everyone else and give the test paper your undivided attention.
1. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
| A．You should study in a different place every day, so you don’t get bored. |
| B．Your concentration will improve if you study and watch TV at the same time. |
| C．Check the time during the exam at a certain time. |
| D．Staying up all night and studying is tiring, but you will learn a lot using this method. |
| A．Your study desk or table. | B．Your textbook. |
| C．Your dictionary. | D．The equipment you need. |
| A．You shouldn’t look at everyone else during the test. |
| B．You will have enough energy to deal with your study and exams by eating healthy diet. |
| C．You’ll concentrate more if there is nothing to distract you. |
| D．If you feel tired during study, you can walk around for a few minutes. |
I believe a common(普遍的) problem with Chinese students’ learning English is that they were not taught to think in English. They have an idea spoken in English and want to translate the idea into Chinese, then they think in Chinese of the proper reply and translate it into English. After a long period of speaking the language, one begins to think in the foreign language naturally. You will learn faster if you begin to think in English at the very beginning of your study. Many students ask me: What can I do to improve my spoken English?
My reply is: The more English you speak, the better English you will speak. There are many things you can do to improve your spoken English. Of course, the best way is to live where English is spoken as a language of the country.
1. The cries of American and Chinese babies are _______.
| A．different | B．the same |
| C．not like each other | D．like each other |
| A．some teachers didn’t teach students to think in English |
| B．teachers never gave the students the way of learning English |
| C．students didn’t remember the way teachers taught them |
| D．teachers didn’t want their students to think in English |
| A．Chinese students | B．English students |
| C．Chinese teachers | D．English teachers |
| A．You must think in English all the time. |
| B．You should always translate English into Chinese. |
| C．After speaking English for a long time, you may probably think in English naturally(自然地). |
| D．The best way of learning English is to live in America. |
