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. 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. |
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 |
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 |
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 |
The news report that night was about a famine(饥荒) in Ethiopia. The pictures were of people who were so thin that they looked like beings from another planet. The camera(摄像机) focused(聚焦 ) on one man so that he looked directly at me, sitting in my comfortable living room. All around was the sound of death.
It was clear that the world had not noticed this until now. You could hear the sadness in the voice of the reporter, Michael Buerk. At the end of the report he was silent. Paula started crying, and then rushed upstairs to check our baby, Fifi, who was sleeping peacefully.
I kept the news' pictures in my mind. What could I do? I was only a pop singer and by now not a very successful pop singer. All I could do was to make records which no one bought. But I would do that. I
would give all the profits(利润) of the next Rats(the name of the music group he was in) record to Oxfam, an organization in Britain which helps poor people around the world. What good would that do? It would only be a little money but it was more than I could give just from my bank account. Maybe some people would buy it because the profits were for Oxfam. And I would be protesting about this disaster(灾难). But that was not enough. What do we Learn about the writer from the text?
| A．He felt really bad because the news report made him think of his own hard life. |
| B．After he saw a news report on TV about the famine in Ethiopia, he decided that he had to do something about the problem. |
| C．His ideas on how to collect money for the people in Ethiopia were very successful. |
| D．He wanted to do nothing but be a famous singer. |
Which paragraph describes(描写) what he thought about after watching the news?
| A．Paragraph l. |
| B．Paragraph 2. |
| C．Paragraph 3. |
| D．None. |
The writer wished that ____ .
| A．he would be a very successful pop singer if he could have sold all his records |
| B．he would rather give all his money from his bank account than the little money made by making new records |
| C．perhaps people would be interested in his records because they knew that the money they paid for them would go to Oxfam. |
| D．he would make records which no one bought |
Do American children still learn handwriting in school? In the age of the keyboard, some people seem to think handwriting lessons are on the way out. 90% of teachers say they are required to teach handwriting. But studies have yet to answer the question of how well they are teaching it. One study published this year found that about three out of every four teachers say they are not prepared to teach handwriting. Some teachers are teaching handwriting by providing instruction for 10 to 15 minutes a day, and then other teachers who basically teach it for 60 to 70 minutes a day—which really for handwriting is pretty much.
Many adults remember learning that way—by copying letters over and over again. Today’s thinking is that short periods of practice are better. Many experts also think handwriting should not be taught by itself. Instead, they say it should be used as a way to get students to express ideas. After all, that is why we write.
Handwriting involves two skills. One is legibility, which means forming the letters so they can be read. The other is fluency—writing without having to think about it. Fluency continues to develop up until high school.
But not everyone masters these skills. Teachers commonly report that about one fourth of their kids have poor handwriting. Some people might think handwriting is not important any more because of computers and voice recognition programs.
But Steve Graham at Vanderbilt says word processing is rarely done in elementary school, especially in the early years. American children traditionally first learn to print, and then to write in cursive, which connects the letters. But guess what we learned from a spokeswoman for the College Board, which administers the SAT college admission test. More than 75 percent of students choose to print their essay on the test rather than write in cursive.Which of the following is WRONG for traditional handwriting in the USA?
| A．The students are taught by practicing a long period. |
| B．The letters are repeated many times. |
| C．Handwriting includes two skills. |
| D．To write in cursive is taught first. |
The underlined word “legibility” in Paragraph 3 means _____.
| A．easy to read |
| B．complex |
| C．unexpected |
| D．unreadable |
The best title for the passage is _____.
| A．How to improve handwriting in school |
| B．Right or wrong: the death of handwriting |
| C．Handwriting involves two skills |
| D．Handwriting lessons are on the way out |
The author’s attitude towards whether still to learn handwriting in school is _____.
| A．negative |
| B．objective |
| C．critical |
| D．optimistic |
If you’re wondering what the top things people do on their Hawaii vacations (besides enjoy the magnificent Hawaii beaches), look on further.
Whether you’re here to see an incredible Hawaii volcano or you want to laze on a beach at a top resort in Kona, Hawaii, knowing ahead of time what you want to do will help you make the most of your trip to Hawaii.
Volcanoes National Park
Most visitors to Hawaii want to see lava from an active Hawaii volcano, and the big island does not disappoint when it comes to this. Spread out over 333,000 acres, the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park takes up a large portion on the southern part of the Big Island. Mauna Loa, rising at 13,667 feet, is easily the largest dormant volcano in the world. Kilauea volcano is where you can see the lava floes(熔岩块) and terrible volcanic landscapes. You can spend days hiking and camping in the Hawaii volcano park, since over half of it is set aside as wilderness.
Kona Coast
The Kona Coast, on the west side of the Big Island, is home to the top resorts on the Big Island and the popular Kona vacation rentals. The Kona area enjoys great weather all year round, in addition to other activities like deep-sea fishing and snorkeling(潜水), making it a popular place for Hawaii beaches. You can also take a tour of the coffee farms that produce the world famous Kona coffee, which is organic and all natural. Kona vacation rentals are popular because many of these look out over the Pacific Ocean, and are close to excellent beaches. Whether you Hawaii vacation includes Hawaii beaches, staying at a resort or booking one of the Kona vacation rentals, this area is one of the best of all islands to stay.
Iao Valley
Iao Valley beauty has inspired Hawaiians to gather here to honour the agriculture god, Lono, during an annual festival called the Makahiki Festival. For over a hundred years visitors have been coming to the valley to enjoy the scenic beauty of this lush(青葱的) valley. There are trails in the park, so you can see the best scenery of the cloud-covered valley. These clouds have a lot to do with the shape of the valley, since these feed the streams that carved the shape of the Iao Valley.The best title for this passage is _____.
| A．Things to do in Hawaii |
| B．Rich tourism resources in Hawaii |
| C．Hawaii’s charming beauty |
| D．Wondering in Hawaii |
This passage is meant for _____.
American students
potential travelers
local residents
geographerWe can guess the meaning of “organic” is _____.
| A．man-made |
| B．green |
| C．chemical |
| D．animal |
We can read this passage from _____ in a newspaper.
| A．a tour edition |
| B．a sport edition |
| C．a social life edition |
| D．a science and technology edition |
Without proper planning, tourism can cause problems. For example, too many tourists can crowd public places that are also enjoyed by the inhabitants of the country. If tourists create too much traffic, the inhabitants become annoyed and unhappy. They begin to dislike tourists and to treat them impolitely. They forget how much tourism can help the country’s economy. It is important to think about the people of a destination(旅游目的地) country and how tourism affects them. Tourism should help a country keep the customs and beauty that attract tourists. Tourism should also advance the wealth and happiness of local inhabitants.
Too much tourism can be a problem. If tourism grows too quickly, people must leave other jobs to work in the tourism industry. This means that other parts of the country’s economy can suffer.
On the other hand, if there is not enough tourism. People can lose jobs. Businesses can also lose money. It casts a great deal of money to build large hotels, airports, first-class roads, and other support facilities(配套设施) needed by tourist attractions. For example, a major international class tourism hotel can cost as much as 50 thousand dollars per room to build. If this room is not used most of the time, the owners of the hotel will lose money.
Building a hotel is just a beginning. There must be many other support facilities as well, including roads to get to the hotel, electricity, sewers(下水道)to handle waste, and water. All of these support facilities cost money. If they are not used because there are not enough tourists, jobs and money are lost.Which of the following do you think has been discussed in the part before this selection?
| A．It is extremely important to develop tourism. |
| B．Building roads and hotels is important. |
| C．Support facilities are highly necessary. |
| D．Planning is of great importance to tourism. |
The underlined word “inhabitants” (in Paragraph 1) probably means “_____”.
| A．tourists |
| B．passengers |
| C．population |
| D．natives |
Too much tourism can cause all these problems EXCEPT _____.
| A．a bad effect on other industries |
| B．a change of tourists’ customs |
| C．over-crowdedness of places of interest |
| D．pressure on traffic |
It can be inferred from the text that _____.
| A．the author doesn’t like tourism developing so fast |
| B．local people will benefit from tourist attractions |
| C．other parts of a country’s economy won’t benefit from tourism much |
| D．we can’t build too many support facilities |
Why Melbourne? Having long lived in the shadow of Sydney, Melbourne has become a wonderful place for fashion and design and the cultural center of Australia, with an enjoyable program of festival.
What to see? The city center’s grid(格子)system of streets hides a maze(迷宫) of lanes and turn-of-the-century shopping malls where you will find the best cafes, bars and shops. The Hidden Secrets Tour (00 613 9329 9665, hiddensecretstours. com) guides will make sure you find what you’re after, whether it’s fashion, art and design or wine. £34 per person.
Where to eat? Melbourne is a paradise for those who enjoy eating delicious food, and its top chefs use fresh produce and have talent for the experimental. But for something different, enjoy yourself with an Australian Wine Tour Company trip. Departing from the city center daily, you’ll taste wines at four of the region’s best vineyards(葡萄园). It costs £48 per person, including all wine tasting, lunch and a visit to Domaine Chandon (00-613-9419-4444, austwinetourco. Com. au)
Where to stay? The Nunnery is an old convent(修道院)on the edge of the city. It has double rooms with breakfast costing £ 54 per night (00-613-9419-8637, nunnery. com. au)
How to get there? Qantas (0845-7747-767, qantas. com. au) flies from Heathrow to Melbourne twice a day £766, including taxes.
More information: Contact the official tourism site for Melbourne at visitmelbourne. com/uk
Use the links below for more on
Destination guide: Melbourne
Click here for our Melbourne page
ours in Melbourne Why is Melbourne a popular destination for Australians?
| A．Because it’s the most important city. |
| B．Because it’s well-known for festivals. |
| C．Because it is a cultural center in Australia. |
| D．Because it attracts lots of religious followers. |
To get more information about Hidden Secret Tour, you should call _____.
| A．00-613-9329-9665 |
| B．00-613-9419-4444 |
| C．00-613-9419-8637 |
| D．0845-7747-767 |
If you are interested in tasting Australian wines, you have to pay _____.
| A．£34 |
| B．£48 |
| C．£54 |
| D．£76 |