Is there a limit to the number of years that a person can expect to live? Can changes in life-style add years to one’s life? Throughout history people have sought answers to these questions and others.
Various myths offer the hope of great longevity. In the imaginary land of Shangri-La, for example, people are said to lead a charmed existence for a thousand years. The Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon was convinced that he would find the Foundation of Youth in what is now the state of Florida. According to the Bible, Methuselah lived to be more than 900 years old.
The subject of longevity is fascinating, and scientists study individuals such as Jeanne Calment to learn about the aging process. Calment died in 1997 in Arles, France, at the age of 122. She never married, and she lived in her own apartment until moving to a retirement community when she was 109.
Most scientists agree that bodies will last, at best, about 125 years. This potential has changed little since modern human beings appeared more than 100 thousand years age. Recent improvements in medicine and the environment have extended life expectancy, especially for those from poorer parts of the world. It is not clear, however, whether such improvements will lengthen life expectancy beyond a certain point.
Life expectancy is the number of years an infant can be expected to live, given the conditions into which it is born. Life expectancy, therefore, is affected by nutrition, medical care, and social and political circumstances. An individual’s genetic makeup is also an important factor. Children from long-lived families can hope to enjoy long lives themselves. According to recent data, the average life expectancy worldwide in 1998 was 67 years. This can be compared with an average life expectancy of 77 in the United States.
In 1970 the average life expectancy worldwide was 61 years, or 6 years less than it was in 1998. This same period saw a drop in infant mortality -— the death of a child before the first birthday-—from 80 births out of 1,000 to 54 births out of 1,000. According to some researchers, the rise in the average life expectancy is due primarily to the drop in infant mortality. It is not so much that adults are living to an older age. It is, rather, that more people are living into adulthood because more children are surviving beyond their first birthdays.Infant mortality is defined as ________ .
| A．the number of children born alive |
| B．the kinds of behavior typical of very young children |
| C．the number of children, out of 1,000 births, who die before their first birthday |
| D．the typical and obvious thoughts of very young children |
Although it may be possible to improve the life expectancy of a particular group of people, ________ .
| A．it is more difficult to affect the rate of infant mortality |
| B．it is unlikely that one will be able to extend the potential life span of human beings in general |
| C．the process of evolution is extending the potential life span beyond 125 years |
| D．the potential that bodies will last, at best, about 125 years has changed much since modern human beings appeared |
One can infer that people have at times imagined that ________ .
| A．people live longer in the state of Florida |
| B．a long life is a burden rather than a blessing |
| C．it is possible to find a way to live for centuries |
| D．life expectancy is affected by a couple of factors |
One can conclude that ________ .
| A．the aging process can be stopped. |
| B．the aging process is inevitable. |
| C．life expectancy in the United States will soon reach 125 years. |
| D．the average life expectancy worldwide is decreasing |
A machine which makes water out of air could become the greatest household invention since the microwave． Using the same technology as a dehumidifier (除湿器)， the Water Mill is able to create a ready supply of drinking water by getting it from a limitless source－the air． The company behind the machine says not only does it offer all alterative to bottled water in developed countries，but it is a solution for the millions who face a daily water shortage．
The machine works by drawing in damp air through a filter(过滤器) and over a cooling element which changes it into water droplets．It can produce up to 12 liters a day．The Water Mill will also produce more water when storms pass over, as the humidity（湿度）in the air increases．In keeping with its ecodevelopment，the machine uses the same amount of electricity as three light bulbs．
Inventor Jonathan Ritchey said：“The demand for water is off the chart．People are looking for freedom from water distribution systems that are shaky and unreliable”．
The machine，which is about 3 feet wide，is likely to cost￡800 when it goes on sale here in the spring．Its maker, Canadian firm Element Four, estimates that a liter of water will cost around 20 pence to produce．
Environmentalists claim half the world’s population will face water shortage because of climate change by 2080．One in five humans is said to lack access to safe drinking water．
The Water Mill is not effective in areas with below about 30 percent relative humidity, but with average relative humidity in England of more than 70 percent that won’t be much of an issue here.According to the author, the biggest advantage of the machine is its ______．
| A．little power use | B．unlimited source | C．proper size | D．high production |
We can conclude from the passage that the machine________．
| A．can be used everywhere |
| B．has not been on sale |
| C．will replace the water distribution system |
| D．will solve the problem of water shortage |
The underlined phrase “off the chart” in the passage means ________
| A．record-breaking． | B．urgent． | C．unbelievable． | D．amazing． |
What would be the best title for this passage?________
| A．Microwave for Household Use | B．Filter to Draw in Damp Air |
| C．Mode Dehumidifier on Sale | D．Machine to Make Water out of Air |
Dear Daughter,
As we drove off from Columbia, I wanted to write to tell you all that is on my mind.
First, I want to tell you how proud we are. Getting into Columbia is a real testament(证明) of what a great well-rounded student you are. You should be as proud of yourself as we are.
Your college years will be the most important of your life. It is in college that you will discover what learning is about. This will be the period when you go from teacher taught to master inspired, after which you must become a self-learner. So do take each subject seriously, and even if what you learn is of no practical use in real life, the learning skills you get will be something you will value forever.
Follow your passion in college. Take courses you think you will enjoy. Don’t be bothered by what others think or say, but make up your own mind. Most importantly, make true friends and be happy. Don’t worry abut their hobbies, grades, looks, or even personalities.
Start planning early what you’d like to do. Where would you like to live? What would you like to learn? I think your plan to study fashion is good, and you should decide where you want to be, and get onto the right courses. I will always be there for you, but the time has come for you to be in the driver’s seat--this is your life, and you need to be in control. Being in control feels great. Try it, and you’ll love it!
So please treasure your college years--make the best use of your free time, become an independent thinker in control of your destiny, and learn through your successes and challenges.
May your years at Columbia be the happiest of your life, and may you grow into just what you dream to be.
Love
Dad & MomWe can read between the lines that________.
| A．Dad is very strict with his daughter |
| B．Dad has a strong love for his daughter |
| C．Dad always worries about his daughter |
| D．Dad is much concerned about his daughter's health |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Plan things before you do them. |
| B．Self-learning is very important in college. |
| C．Follow your passion and what other people say. |
| D．Leading a life is just like driving a car. |
The underlined word “destiny” in the passage is the closest in meaning to____________.
| A．weight | B．Time | C．position | D．life |
The purpose of the author in writing the letter is to tell his daughter to____________.
| A．make the most of her college | B．fight till she succeeds |
| C．be confident and happy | D．smile to her trouble in 1ife |
Hank Viscardi was born without legs. He had—not legs but stumps(残肢) that could be fitted with a kind of special boots, People stared at him with cruel interest. Children laughed at him and called him ‘Ape Man’ (猿人) because his arms practically dragged on the ground.
Hank went to school like other boys. His grades were good and he needed only eight years to finish his schooling instead of the usual twelve. After graduating from school, he worked his way through college. He swept floors, waited on table, or worked in one of the college offices. During all this busy life, he had been moving around on his stumps. But one day the doctor told him even the stumps were not going to last much longer. He would soon have to use a wheel chair.
Hank felt himself get cold all over. However, the doctor said there was a chance that he could be fitted with artificial legs(假腿). Finally a leg maker was found and the day came when Hank stood up before the mirror. For the first time he saw himself as he has always wanted to be—a full five feet eight inches tall. By this time he was already 26 years old.
Hank had to learn to use his new legs. Again and again he marched the length of the room , and marched back again. There were times when he fell down on the floor, but he pulled himself up and went back to the endless marching. He went out on the street. He climbed stairs and learned to dance. He built a boat and learned to sail it.
When World War II came , he talked the Red Cross into giving him a job. He took the regular training. He marched and drilled along with the other soldiers. Few knew that he was legless. This was the true story of Hank Viscardi, a man without legs.Children laughed at Hank and called him ‘Ape Man’ because ______.
| A．he didn’t talk to them |
| B．he kept away from them |
| C．his arms touched the ground when he moved |
| D．he couldn’t use his arms |
It can be inferred from the story that five feet eight inches tall is ______.
| A．an average height for a fully grown person |
| B．too tall for an average person |
| C．too short for an average person |
| D．none of the above |
When Hank marched and drilled along with the other soldiers, he ______.
| A．did everything the other soldiers did |
| B．did nothing the other soldiers did |
| C．did some of the things the other soldiers did |
| D．took some special training |
The writer suggests that Hank Viscardi _______.
| A．had no friends |
| B．never saw himself as different from others |
| C．was very shy |
| D．was too proud to accept help from others |
Today, when a fire breaks out, you can be sure a citizen with a cell-phone camera has posted it to Facebook or Twitter, or sent it to the media. But up to now, that citizen has not been able to easily send images and details of what is happening to the people who need it most: police, firefighters and building-security people who must respond, and whose ability to help is often measured in minutes, if not seconds.
That's about to change. A one-year old company called Elerts has developed a system that's designed to mobile and social technologies to speed the flow of information between citizens and emergency workers in time of danger. The system involves free mobile applications—iPhone and iPad app（应用软件）is available now—that eyewitnesses can use to report incidents and get public-safety warnings. And Elerts is offering a management console（控制台）for security firms and universities to receive the reports and distribute warnings and instructions, like a map with the best evacuation route（疏散路线）.
The service is the brainchild of Chris Russo, deputy fire chief in the coastal town of Hull, Mass. As mobile communications sped up, he grew increasingly frustrated by his inability to communicate effectively with colleagues and the public, particularly with people who are at the scene and might be able to provide help.
"Remembering situations when communications failed puts a pit in my stomach," Mr. Russo says. Last summer, he was in a search at a beach for a missing boy, who went into a bathhouse but didn't come out. First responders feared an abduction （绑架） on the beach or shark attack. The child's mother, who didn't speak English well, was so sad that she couldn't remember what color shorts he had on. Mr. Russo had no photo of the child, and no ability to turn to beachgoers.
Two long hours later, the boy was spotted by a low-flying helicopter lost and alone on the beach crying—a lucky break. "If 5 percent of beachgoers had an app to receive a message and send in sightings of a lost boy, the happy ending might have come much sooner," Mr. Russo said.What is the passage mainly about?
| A．A moving story of Chris Russo． | B．An app for reporting emergency． |
| C．A cell-phone instant service． | D．An app for firm management． |
What does the underlined part in Paragraph 4 most probably mean?
| A．Makes me feel frustrated． | B．Causes a stomachache． |
| C．Arouses my interest． | D．Leaves a hole in my stomach． |
We can infer from the passage that emergency workers ____．
| A．have to carry out rescue work in minutes |
| B．must send images and details immediately |
| C．need images and detailed information badly |
| D．have to turn to Facebook and Twitter for details |
The author takes Chris Russo's experience as an example to ____．
| A．advertise his creativity in communication |
| B．show readers the working principle of the new system |
| C．make the passage more interesting to read |
| D．inform readers how Russo got the idea of the service |
There are people in Italy who can’t stand soccer. Not all Canadians love hockey. A similar situation exists in America, where there are those individuals you may be one of them who frown when somebody mentions baseball. Baseball to them means boring hours watching grown men in funny tight outfits standing around in a field staring away while very little of anything happens. They tell you it’s a game better suited to the 19th century, slow, quiet, and gentlemanly. These are the same people you may be one of them who love football because there’s the sport that values “the hit”.
By contrast, baseball seems abstract, cool, silent, still.
On TV the game is divided into a dozen perspectives, replays, close-ups. The geometry(几何学) of the game, however, is essential to understanding it. You will view the game from one point as a painter does his subject; you may, of course, project yourself into the game. It is in this projection that the game affords so much space and time for involvement. The TV won’t do it for you.
Take, for example, the third baseman. You sit behind the third base and you watch him watching home plate. His legs are apart, knees flexed(弯曲). His arms hang loose. He does a lot of this. The skeptic(怀疑论者) still cannot think of any other sports so still, so passive. But watch what happens every time the pitcher throws: the third baseman goes up on his toes, flexes his arms or brings the glove to a point in front of him, takes a step right or left, backward or forward, perhaps he glances across the field to check his first baseman’s position. Suppose the pitch is a ball. “Nothing happened,” you say. “I could have had my eyes closed.”
The skeptic and the innocent must play the game. And this involvement in the stands is no more intellectual than listening to music is. Watch the third baseman. Smooth the dirt in front of you with one foot; smooth the pocket in your glove; watch the eyes of the batter, the speed of the bat, the sound of ball on wood. If football is a symphony of movement and theatre, baseball is chamber music, a spacious interlocking(连锁) of notes, chorus（和声）and responses.The passage is mainly concerned with.
| A．the attraction of baseball |
| B．the superiority of football |
| C．the different tastes of people for sports |
| D．the different characteristics of sports |
Those who don’t like baseball may complain that.
| A．it is only to the taste of the old |
| B．it is not exciting enough |
| C．it involves fewer players than football |
| D．it is pretentious and looks funny |
The author admits that.
| A．baseball may seem boring when watched on TV |
| B．football is more attracting than baseball |
| C．baseball is more interesting than football |
| D．baseball is too peaceful for the young |
By stating “I could have had my eyes closed”, the author means (4th paragraph last sentence) .
| A．The consequence was so bad that he could not bear to see it |
| B．The third baseman is so good at baseball that he could finish the game with eyes closed all the time and do his work well |
| C．Even if the third baseman closed his eyes a moment ago, it could make no difference to the result |
| D．The third baseman would rather sleep than play the game |