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 |
Henry Ford was the first person to build cars which were cheap，strong and fast．He was able to se11 millions of models because be could produce them in large numbers at a time；that is，he made a great many cars of exactly the same kind．Ford’s father hoped that his son would be come a farmer，but the young man did not like the idea and he went to Detroit（底特律）where he worked as a mechanic（机械师）．By the age of 29，in 1892，he had built his first car．However，the car made in this way，the famous “Model T” did not appear until 1908-five years after Ford bad started his great motor car factory．This car showed to be well-known that it remained unchanged for twenty year．Since Ford’s time，this way of producing cars in large numbers has be come common in industry and has reduced the price of many goods which would otherwise be very expensive．Henry Ford was the man to built _____ cars．
| A．cheap and strong | B．cheap and long |
| C．fast and expensive | D．strong and slow |
Ford was able to sell millions of cars，because_____．
| A．he made many greet cars | B．his cars are many |
| C．he made lots of cars of the same kind | D．both A and B |
The young man became a mechanic，_______．
| A．which was his father’s will |
| B．which was against his own will |
| C．which was against his father’s will |
| D．which was the will of both |
The “Model T” was very famous_____．
| A．before 1908 | B．between 1982 and 1908 |
| C．before 1892 | D．after 1908 |
Ford built his own car factory
| A．in 1903 | B．in 1908 | C．in 1913 | D．in 1897 |
People need to relax and enjoy themse1ves．One way they can have a good time is to watch a baseball game or another sports event．Even thousands of years ago，groups of people gathered to watch skilled athletes（运动员）．
Over 2000 years ago in Greece，certain days in the year were festival days．These were holidays when people stopped work and enjoyed themselves．They liked to watch athletes take part in races and other games of skill．
The most important festival was held every four years at the town of Olympia．It was held in honor of the Greek god Zeus（Zus）．For five days，athletes from all parts of the Greek world took part in the Olympic Games．At the Olympic Games，people could watch them box，run，jump and so on．There was a relay race between two teams of men in which a lighted torch（火矩）was passed from runner to runner．The Olympic Games were thought to be so important that cities which were at war with one another had to stop fighting．People were allowed to travel to the games safely．Thousands of people came to Olympia from cities in Greece and from her colonies（殖民地）in Africa，Asia and Italy．They met as friends to cheer their favorite athletes and to enjoy themselves．
What happened in Greece over 2000 years ago？
| A．People stopped work and enjoyed themselves． |
| B．The cities there were often against one another． |
| C．People watched baseball games． |
| D．People didn’t go to any games at all． |
What were those countries in Africa？
| A．Friends． | B．Enemies． |
| C．Colonies． | D．Other cities． |
What did people do at the games？
| A．They fought． | B．They just talked to friends． |
| C．They cheered for good athletes． | D．They tried to find friends． |
Greek cities then were fighting so they_____．
| A．were weak | B．were strong |
| C．couldn’t go to other cities freely | D．could see each other |
The best title for the story is“_____”．
| A．Greece at War | B．Together for the Games |
| C．Stop Fighting | D．Sport |
Tom arrived at the bus station quite early for Paris bus. The bus for Paris would not leave until five to twelve. He saw a lot of people waiting in the station. Some were standing in line(排队), others were walking around. There was a group of schoolgirls. Their teacher was trying to keep them in line. Tom looked around but there was no place for him to sit.
He walked into the station cafe(咖啡馆). he looked up at the clock there. It was only twenty to twelve. He found a seat and sat down before a large mirror(镜子) on the wall. Just then, Mike, one of Tom's workmates came in and sat with Tom.
"What time is your bus " asked Mike.
"There's plenty of time yet," answered Tom.
"Well, I'll get you some more tea then," said Mike.
They talked while drinking. Then Tom looked at the clock again. "Oh! It's going backward(倒行)!" he cried. "A few minutes ago it was twenty to twelve and now it's half past eleven."
"You're looking at the clock in the mirror." said Mike. Tom was so sad(难过). The next bus was not to leave for another hour. Since then Tom has never liked mirrors.Tom went into the station cafe because .
| A．Mike asked him to have a cup of tea |
| B．it was quite early and he could find a seat there |
| C．he didn't like to stay with the schoolgirls |
| D．he wanted to have a drink with his workmate there |
What time was it in fact when Tom looked at the clock in the mirror
| A．Half past twelve | B．Twenty to twelve |
| C．Half past eleven | D．Half past one |
From the story we know that when we look at a clock in a mirror, we will find .
| A．the time is right | B．it's going slower |
| C．it's going backward | D．it's going faster |
Which of the following is true？
| A．Tom arrived in Paris on time |
| B．The next bus would leave in half an hour |
| C．After that Tom didn't like clocks any longer |
| D．Tom looked at the clock in the mirror only once |
Which of the following is the title(题目) of the story
| A．The Mirror of the Station | B．Not A Careful Man |
| C．Missing A Bus | D．The Clock In The Mirror |
On Nov.18th,1908,three men went up in a balloon(气球).They started early in London. The headman was Auguste Gaudron,and the other two men were Tannar and Maitland. They had a big balloon and they were ready for a long way.
Soon they heard the sea. They were carrying the usual rope(绳子),and it was hanging down from the basket of the balloon. At the end of the rope they had tied a metal box. This could hold water, or it could be empty. So they were able to change its weight(重量).It was for use over the sea. They were also carrying some bags of sand.
After the sun rose, the balloon went higher. It went up to 3,000 metes, and the air was very cold. The water in the balloon became ice. Snow fell past the men's basket, and they could see more snow on the ground. The men tried to throw out some more sand; but it was hard. They tried to break the icy sand with their knives, but it was not easy. The work was slow and they were still falling, so they had to drop some whole bags of sand. One of them fell on an icy lake and made a black hole in the ice.
At last they pulled the box into the basket. It was still snowing; so they climbed to get away from the snow. They rose to 5,100 meters! Everything became icy. They were so cold that they decided to land. They came down in Poland heavily but safely. They had traveled 1,797 kilometers from London!Three men flew in balloon ________.
| A．for nearly 1,800 kilometers | B．to another city |
| C．to visit Poland | D．more than a century ago |
The metal box was used for ________.
| A．carrying the bags of sand | B．keeping drinking-water |
| C．carrying ropes of the basket | D．changing weight |
When the balloon went up higher,________.
| A．the temperature of the balloon began to fall |
| B．They saw the sun go down |
| C．They made a hole in the basket with their knives |
| D．They could see a black hole on the ground |
The balloon landed ________.
| A．in London | B．on the sea | C．on a lake | D．in a foreign country |
Which of the following is NOT true ________
A The three men started their journey before the sun rose.
B. The balloon began to go up when they threw bags of sand out of the basket.
C. When they pulled the box into the basket, the balloon began to climb up.
D. The three men had to land because they felt cold.
Edward Wilson is America’s, if not the world’s, leading naturalist. In The Future of Life, he takes us on a tour of the world’s natural resources(资源). How are they used? What has been lost? What remains and is it able to continue with the present speed of use? Wilson also points out the need to understand fully the biodiversity(生物多样性)of our earth.
Wilson begins with an open letter to the pioneer in environment (环境) protection, Henry David Thoreau. He compares today’s Walden Pond with that of Thoreau’s day. Wilson will use such comparisons for the rest of the book. The problem is clear: man has done great damage to his home over the years. Can the earth, with human help, be made to return to biodiversity levels that will be able to support us in the future?
Biodiversity, Wilson argues, is the key to settling many problems the earth faces today. Even our agricultural crops can gain advantages from it. A mere hundred species(物种) are the basis of our food supply, of which but twenty carry the load. Wilson suggests changing this situation by looking into ten thousand species that could be made use of, which will be a way to reduce the clearing of the natural homes of plants and animals to enlarge farming areas.
At the end of the book, Wilson discusses the importance of human values in considering the environment. If you are to continue to live on the earth, you may well read and act on the ideas in this book. We learn form the text that Wilson cares most about ______
| A．the environment for plants | B．the biodiversity of our earth |
| C．the wastes of natural resources | D．the importance of human values |
How many species are most important to our present food supply?
| A．Twenty. | B．Eighty. | C．One hundred | D．Ten thousand. |
Wilson suggests that one way to keep biodiversity is to _______.
| A．learn how to farm scientifically |
| B．build homes for some dying species |
| C．make it clear what to eat |
| D．use more species for food |
We can infer that the text is _______
| A．a description of natural resources |
| B．a research report |
| C．a book review |
| D．an introduction to a scientist. |
Edward Wilson is _______
| A．a pioneer in environment protection |
| B．an American scientist in environment protection |
| C．a world-famous scientist in Asia |
| D．a well-known expert in nature in U.S.A |