1 . Owing to the effect of Traditional Chinese medicine and treatment, it becomes more and more popular now in the world. Traditional Chinese medicine originated in ancient and developed for
TCM is an important part of Chinese culture. Great
2 . We can stay young forever. That is the message Dr. Shen Ziyin wants to give the world. And the Chinese doctor claims that he has found an answer to the problems of aging.
His solution is a herbal medicine to slow the process of aging.
Dr. Shen Ziyin has been trained in Western medicine. At the same time he studied traditional Chinese medicine. And, he has been working for the past forty years to put together the best of both and find a cure for aging. He has taken a hint from the ancient Chinese medicine system called “shen”.
According to Shen, it is the kidney which adjusts the functioning of the body as well as its aging process. It is responsible for the level of activity that the human bodies go through. Studies conducted by Dr. Shen show that herbal medicine based on the shen system slow the aging process, says a report in The Telegraph newspaper.
We notice that when people grow old, they have reduced strength, loss of hair, backache, weakness in general, and wrinkles, among others. This happens because when people grow old, their bodies produce T-cells. These T-cells contain a particular substance called Fas. Fas makes the cells in the body destruct themselves.
So the only way to slow down aging is to slow the production of T-cells in the body. This can happen if people eat low calorie food. Then the body is not active enough to produce extra T-cells. But, is going hungry all the time a good price to pay for staying young?
This is where Dr. Shen’s herbal medicine comes in. But how effective it will be, only time can tell.
1. How did Dr. Shen find the solution to the problem of aging?| A．By studying Western medicine. |
| B．By learning traditional Chinese medicine. |
| C．By doing research on both Western and Chinese people. |
| D．By combining both Western and Chinese medicine. |
| A．Medical treatment. | B．People’s good kidney. |
| C．Level of people’s activity. | D．Positive life attitude. |
| A．their bodies are unable to fight diseases | B．their bodies produce T-cells |
| C．they have reduced strength, loss of hair | D．they become weaker and weaker |
| A．people should try to quicken the production of T-cells in the body |
| B．the more Chinese herbal medicine people drink, the better for health |
| C．it remains unknown how effective Dr. Shen’s herbal medicine is |
| D．producing more low calorie food allows people to keep young |
3 . One in five people carry a “smart gene” variant (变体) linked to long lifespan, bigger forebrains and enhanced mental ability, researchers have found.
“We’ve known for a long time that people lose cognitive (认知) abilities as they age, but now we’re beginning to understand that factors like KLOTHO can give people a boost in aging. Genetic variation in KLOTHO could help us predict brain health and find ways to protect people from the diseases that happen to us as we grow old, like Alzheimer’s disease (老年痴呆症),” said senior author, Dena Dubal of University of California.
The KLOTHO gene affects a protein found in the kidneys and the brain that regulates many different body processes. About one in five people carry a single copy of the variant, known as KL-VS, which boosts levels of the protein and is associated with a longer lifespan and improved heart and kidney function. A small minority, 3% of the population, has two copies, which is linked to a shorter lifespan.
In the new study scientists scanned the brains of 422 men and women aged 53 and over who were also tested for the KLOTHO gene. They found that participants with a single copy of the gene variant also had a larger brain region known as RDLPFC, which is especially likely to shrink with age. Loss of neurons in this area may be one reason why older people are sometimes easily distracted and find it difficult to do more than one task at the same time.
Researcher Dr Jennifer Yokoyama said, “The brain region enhanced by genetic variation in KLOTHO is vulnerable (脆弱的) in aging and some mental disease. In this case, bigger size means better function. It will be important to determine whether the structure increase associated with carrying one copy of KL-VS can offset the cognitive shortage caused by disease.”
People who have one copy of a variant KL-VS tend to live longer and have lower chances of suffering a stroke (中风),whereas people who have two copies may live shorter lives and have a higher risk of stroke.
1. What can we learn from the second paragraph?| A．People’s cognitive abilities do not decline if people have KLOTHO. |
| B．With the clear understanding of KLOTHO, Alzheimer’s disease can be cured now. |
| C．Genetic variation in KLOTHO could be helpful in treating mental disease in elderly people. |
| D．Genetic variation in KLOTHO could lead people to suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. |
| A．have better kidney funtciton |
| B．have a shorter lifespan |
| C．have a higher level of the protein in his/her body |
| D．suffer from some cognitive disease |
| A．they have fewer neurons in the RDLPEC |
| B．their brain region is too large |
| C．they have two copies of the gene variant |
| D．they have more neurons in the RDLPEC |
| A．Prevent. |
| B．Balance. |
| C．Keep. |
| D．Promote. |
Then a visitor showed up. “Do you want to write a song?” asked Anita Kruse, 49, rolling a cart equipped with an electronic keyboard, a microphone and speakers. Simran stared. “Have you ever written a poem?” Anita Kruse continued. “Well, yes,” Simran said.
Within minutes, Simran was reading her poem into the microphone. “Some bird soaring through the sky,” she said softly. “Imagination in its head…” Anita Kruse added piano music, a few warbling (鸣, 唱) birds, and finally the girl’s voice. Thirty minutes later, she presented Simran with a CD of her first recorded song.
That was the beginning of Anita Kruse’s project, Purple Songs Can Fly, one that has helped more than 125 young patients write and record songs. As a composer and pianist who had performed at the hospital, Kruse said that the idea of how she could help “came in one flash”.
The effect on the kids has been great. One teenage girl, curling (蜷缩) in pain in her wheelchair, stood unaided to dance to a hip-hop song she had written. A 12-year-old boy with Hodgkin’s disease who rarely spoke surprised his doctors with a song he called I Can Make It.
“My time with the kids is heartbreaking because of the severity of their illnesses,” says Anita Kruse. “But they also make you happy, when the children are smiling, excited to share their CD with their families.”
Simran is now an active sixth grader and cancer-free. From time to time, she and her mother listen to her song, Always Remembering, and they always remember the “really sweet and nice and loving” lady who gave them a shining moment in the dark hour.
1. Simran Jatar lay in bed in hospital because ________.
| A．most of her hair had fallen out |
| B．she was receiving treatment for cancer |
| C．she felt depressed and quit from school |
| D．she was suffering from a pain in her back |
| A．It helps young patients record songs. |
| B．It is supported by singers and patients. |
| C．It aims to replace the medical treatment. |
| D．It offers patients chances to realize their dreams. |
| A．Most children are naturally fond of music. |
| B．He was brave enough to put up performance. |
| C．The project has positive effect on young patients. |
| D．Singing is the best way to treat some illnesses. |
| A．Purple Songs Can Fly |
| B．Singing Can Improve Health |
| C．A Shining Moment in Life |
| D．A Kind Woman—Anita Kruse |
