Scientists don’t have all the answers to the question “How to Strengthen Your Immune System?”, but exercise, proper diet, and stress management can make you more recoverable at any age.
One aspect of the COVID-19 pandemic that has kept us guessing since the early days is why some people who get the virus don’t suffer much and others become desperately ill. All the more, while the elderly have been particularly hard hit, some— even centenarians(百岁老人)— survive, whereas countless younger people, whose immune systems are supposed to be stronger, have succumbed to it. So what factors give some people a stronger immune system than others, regardless of age? What does it mean if, for example, your partner or child gets sick and you don’t, or vice versa?
We know that our immune systems slowly decline as we age. Doctors call it immunosenescence. It’s slow and insidious (在不知不觉之间加剧的). Think of a photo of yourself from ten years ago versus one taken this afternoon. “You see changes in your face, skin, and hair color,” says Insoo Kang, MD, director of allergy and immunology at the Yale School of Medicine. “It takes time. Same process with your immune system.”
The difference in rate of decline between individuals is one of science’s big mysteries. The immune system is complex, but most of us understand the basics: Our bodies detect an intrude— a virus, bacterium, parasite, or foreign object— and produce white blood cells to fight against the problem. How many of these cells you produce when you’re, say, 73 versus when you were 45 is the million-dollar question. And it’s at the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fortunately, we won’t always be in a pandemic. But we can use this one to gain an understanding of how the immune system changes with age and how we might slow the decline and stay stronger in the future.
28. What is the purpose of the first paragraph?
A.To state a fact in life. | B.To solve a problem. |
C.To introduce a topic. | D.To voice an opinion. |
29. What does the underlined part “succumbed to” mean in the second paragraph?
A.Fought against. | B.dealt with. | C.Succeeded in. | D.Died of. |
30. How does the author explain the phenomenon of the immunosenescence?
A.By listing lots of numbers about it. | B.By comparing photos of different ages. |
C.By doing some physical research. | D.By making a comparison questionnaire. |
31. What is the best title for this passage?
A.Immune System Declines with Age | B.Immune system and COVID-19 |
C.Slow the decline of Immune System | D.Stay stronger in the future |