In the Caucasus region of Russia, nearly 50 out of every 100,000 people live to celebrate their 100th birthday, and many don’t stop at 100! By comparison, in America only 3 people in 100,000 reach 100. But these Russian old people aren’t alone. The Pakistanis, who live high in the Himalaya Mountains, and the Ecuadorans of the Andes Mountains seem to share the secret of long life, too.
These people remain healthy in body and spirit despite the passage of time. While many older persons in industrial societies become weak and ill in their 60s and 70s, some Caucasians aged 100 to 140, work in the fields beside their great-great-grandchildren. Even the idea of aging is foreign to them. When asked “at what age does youth end?”most of these old people had no answer. Several replied, “Well, perhaps at age 80.”
What accounts for this ability to survive to such old age, and to survive so well?First of all, hard physical work is a way of life for all of these long-lived people. They begin their long days of physical labor as children and never seem to stop. For example, Mr . Rustam Mamedov is 142 years of age. His wife is 116 years old. They have been married for 90 years. Mr. Mamedov has no intention of retiring from his life as a farmer. “Why?What else would I do?”he asks. All these people get healthful rewards from the environment in which they work. They all come from mountainous regions. They live and work at elevations of 1,660 to 1,000 meters above sea level. The air has less oxygen and is pollution-free. This reduced-oxygen environment makes the heart and blood vessel(血管) system stronger.
Another factor that may contribute to the good health of these people is their isolation. To a great extent, they are separated from the pressures and worries of industrial society. Inherited factors also play some role. Most of the longest-lived people had parents and grandparents who also reached very old ages. Good family genes may, therefore, be one factor in living longer.The example of Mr. and Mrs. Mamedov implies that some Caucasians aged 100 to 140 ____.
A.become weak and hopeless |
B.are too old to work in the fields |
C.benefit from physical work |
D.are still working in the fields |
What is the main way of life for all of these long-lived people?
A.Retiring from their lives as farmers. |
B.Having been married for 90 years. |
C.Hard physical work. |
D.Having no intentions. |
Which of the following factors isn’t helpful to people’s health and long life?
A.Clean mountain air. |
B.Daily hard work. |
C.Good genes |
D.Stress and pressure. |
The World Health Organization (WHO) planned to study the relationship between the eating habits of the people and the disease. Two doctors were chosen to make the study. They flew to Africa south of the Sahara and during the next two months visited ten countries. They found that serious diseases of poor eating, often mistaken for other diseases, existed in all parts of Africa. The diseases were similar and could therefore all be named kwashiorkor. The diseased children are usually from one to four years old. As the illness progresses, the child’s stomach becomes swollen by liquid collecting in the body. The skin changes color and may break out in open sores(疼痛). The hair changes color and starts to fall out. The patient loses all interest in his surroundings and even in food, and becomes so weak that he wants to lie down all the time. Stomach liquids are no longer produced.
The doctors reasoned that kwashiorkor was found in the young children of this age in many parts of Africa because of lack of milk or meat. Their mothers, after stopping their breastfeeding, gave them foods full of starches(淀粉)instead of greatly needed proteins. They found that the addition of milk to the food of the children suffering from kwashiorkor saved many lives.
The unbelievable thing about kwashiorkor is that the very existence of the disease—which has been killing thousands of children for centuries—was not even recognized in Latin America as recently as ten years ago. The deaths of those children were mistakenly listed as due to other diseases. It was the WHO’s work in Africa that led to the discovery of the problem in Central America.From the passage we learn that kwashiorkor is a disease caused by __________ .
A.poor living conditions | B.lack of proteins in food |
C.breastfeeding | D.lack of food |
It is difficult to discover kwashiorkor because ____________________ .
A.it has no symptoms at all |
B.it is hard to identify signs of it |
C.it doesn’t last long enough for careful observation |
D.it is hardly different from other diseases |
What is mentioned as a simple but reasonable way of curing this disease?
A.Taking a special medicine. |
B.Avoiding any food containing starch. |
C.Having more meat or milk. |
D.Taking medicine full of proteins. |
What’s the best title for the article?
A.Milk and Meat Are Daily Necessities |
B.Kwashiorkor and Improper Eating Habits |
C.A New Form of Illness in Africa and Latin America |
D.A Case of Eating Habits |
What do you want to be when you grow up? A teacher? A doctor? How about an ice-cream taster?
Yes, there really is a job where you can get paid to taste ice cream. Just ask John Harrison an “Official Taste Tester” for the past 21 years. Testing helps manufacturers (制造商) to be sure of a product’s quality. During his career Harrison has been responsible for approving large quantities of the sweet ice cream—as well as for developing over 75 flavors (口味).
Some people think that it would be easy to do this job; after all, you just have to like ice cream, right? No—there’s more to the job than that, says Harrison, who has a degree in chemistry. He points out that a dairy or food-science degree would be very useful to someone wanting a career in this “cool” field.
In a typical morning on the job, Harrison tastes and assesses 60 ice cream samples. He lets the ice cream warm up to about 12℉. Harrison explains: “You get more flavor from warmer ice cream, which is why some kids like to stir (搅拌) it, creating ice-cream soup.”
While the ice cream warms up, Harrison looks over the samples and grades each one its appearance. “Tasting begins with the eyes,” he explains. He checks to see if the ice cream is attractive and asks himself, “Dose the product have the color expected from that flavor?” Next it’s time to taste!
Continuing to think up new ideas, try out new flavors, and test samples from so many kinds of ice cream each day keeps Harrison busy but happy---working at one cool job. What is John Harrison’s job?
A.An official. | B.An ice-cream taster. |
C.A chemist. | D.An ice-cream manufacturer. |
According to John Harrison, to be qualified(合格的) in the “cool field”, it is helpful to ________.
A.keep a diary of work |
B.have a degree in related subjects |
C.have new ideas every day |
D.find out new flavor each day |
What does Harrison do first when testing ice cream?
A.He stirs the ice cream. |
B.He examines the color of the ice cream. |
C.He tastes the flavor of the ice cream. |
D.He lets the ice cream warm up. |
Which of the following is probably the best title of the passage?
A.Tasting with Eyes | B.Flavors of Ice Cream |
C.John Harrison’s Life | D.One Cool Job |
“Get your hands off me, I have been stolen,” the laptop, a portable(便携式的)computer, shouted. That is a new solution to laptop computer theft: a program that lets owners give their property a voice when it has been taken.
The program allows users to display alerts(警报)on the missing computer’s screen and even to set a spoken message. Tracking software for stolen laptops has been on the market for some time, but this is thought to be the first that allows owners to give the thief a piece of their mind.
Owners must report their laptop missing by visiting to a website, which sends a message to the model: a red and yellow “lost or stolen” sign appears on its screen when it is started. Under the latest version(版本) of the software, users can also send a spoken message.
The message can be set to reappear every 30 seconds, no matter how many times the thief closes it. “One customer sent a message saying, ‘You are being tracked. I am right at your door’,” said Carrie Hafeman, chief executive (主管) of the company which produces the program, Retriever.
In the latest version, people can add a spoken message. For example, the laptop’s speakers will say: “Help, this laptop is reported lost or stolen. If you are not my owner, please report me now.”
The Retriever software package(软件包), which costs $29.95 (£21) but has a free trial period, has the functions of many security software programs. Owners can remotely switch to an alternative password if they fear that the thief has also got hold of the access details.
If a thief accesses the internet with the stolen laptop, Retriever will collect information on the internet service provider in use, so that the police can be alerted to its location.
Thousands of laptops are stolen every year from homes and offices, but with the use of laptops increasing, the number stolen while their owners are out and about has been rising sharply.
Other security software allows users to erase(删除)data remotely or lock down the computer.The expression “to give the thief a piece of their mind” can be understood as “_______”.
A.to give the thief an alert mind |
B.to express the owners’ anger to the thief |
C.to remind the thief of his conscience |
D.to make the thief give up his mind |
Different from other security software, Retriever can ______.
A.record the stealing process |
B.help recognize the lost laptop |
C.lock down the computer remotely |
D.send a spoken message |
One function of the program is that it allows the owner to ______ at a distance.
A.change some access details for switching on the laptop |
B.turn on the laptop by using the original password |
C.operate the laptop by means of an alternative password |
D.erase the information kept in the stolen laptop |
Which of the following can best summarize the main idea of the passage?
A.With no Retriever, thousands of laptops are stolen every year. |
B.A new software provides a means to reduce laptop theft. |
C.Retriever has helped to find thieves and lost computers. |
D.A new program offers a communication platform with the thief. |
Attractions in Wisconsin
Wisconsin Historical Museum
30 N.Carroll Street on Madison’s Capitol Square
Discover Wisconsin’s history and culture(文化)on four floors of exhibits.Open for public programs.Admission is free.
Open Tuesday through Saturday,9∶00 am—4∶00 pm.
(608)264-6555 www.wisconsinhistory.org/museum
Swiss Historical Village
612 Seventh Ave.,New Glarus
The Swiss Historical Village offers a delightful look at pioneer life in Ameri-
ca’s heartland.14 buildings in the village give a full picture of everyday life in the nine-teenth-century Midwest.
Tue.—Fri.,May 1st—October 31st,10∶00 am—4∶00 pm.Admission is $20.
(608)527-2317 www.swisshistoricalvillage.com
Artisan Gallery & Creamery Café
6858 Paoli Rd.,Paoli,WI
One of the largest collections of fine arts and crafts(手工艺品) in Wisconsin.Over
5000 sq.ft. of exhibition space in a historic creamery.While visiting enjoy a wonderfully prepared lunch at our café overlooking the Sugar River.Just minutes from Madison!
Gallery open Tue.—Sun.,10∶00 am—5∶00 pm.
Café open Wed.—Sat.,11∶00 am—3∶00 pm.
Sun.brunch with wine,10∶00 am—3∶00 pm.
(608)845-6600 www.artisangal.com
Christopher Columbus Museum
239 Whitney St.,Columbus
World-class exhibit—2 000 quality souvenirs(纪念品) marking Chicago’s 1893 World Columbian Exhibition.Tour buses are always welcome.
Open daily,8∶15 am—4∶00 pm.
(920)623-1992 www.columbusantiquemall.comWhich of the following is on Capitol Square?
A.Wisconsin Historical Museum. |
B.Swiss Historical Village. |
C.Artisan Gallery & Creamery Café. |
D.Christopher Columbus Museum. |
Where can you go for a visit on Monday?
A.Wisconsin Historical Museum. |
B.Swiss Historical Village. |
C.Artisan Gallery & Creamery Café. |
D.Christopher Columbus Museum. |
Where can visitors have lunch?
A.At Wisconsin Historical Museum. |
B.At Swiss Historical Village. |
C.At Artisan Gallery & Creamery Café. |
D.At Christopher Columbus Museum. |
For many parents , raising a teenager is like fighting a long war, but years go by without any clear winner. Like a border conflict between neighboring countries, the parent-teen war is about boundaries: Where is the line between what I control and what you do?
Both sides want peace, but neither feels it has any power to stop the conflict. In part, this is because neither is willing to admit any responsibility for starting it. From the parents’ point of view, the only cause of their fight is their adolescents’ complete unreasonableness. And of course, the teens see it in exactly the same way, except oppositely. Both feel trapped.
In this article, I’ll describe three no-win situations that commonly arise between teens and parents and then suggest some ways out of the trap. The first no-win situation is quarrels over unimportant things. Examples include the color of the teen’s hair, the cleanliness of the bedroom, the preferred style of clothing, the child’s failure to eat a good breakfast before school, or his tendency to sleep until noon on the weekends. Second, blaming, the goal of a blaming battle is to make the other admit that his bad attitude is the reason why everything goes wrong. Third, needing to be right, it doesn’t matter what the topic is----politics, the laws of physics, or the proper way to break an egg ----the point of these arguments is to prove that you are right and the other person is wrong, for both wish to be considered an authority ---- someone who actually knows something ---- and therefore to command respect. Unfortunately, as long as parents and teens continue to assume that they know more than the other, they’ll continue to fight these battles forever and never make any real progress. Why does the author compare the parent-teen war to a border conflict?
A.both can continue for generations. |
B.both are about where to draw the line. |
C.Neither has any clear winner. |
D.Neither can be put to an end. |
What does the underlined part in Paragraph 2 mean?
A.The teens blame their parents for starting the conflict. |
B.The teens agree with their parents on the cause of the conflict. |
C.The teens accuse their parents of misleading them. |
D.The teens tend to have a full understanding of their parents. |
Parents and teens want to be right because they want to ________.
A.give orders to the other |
B.know more than the other |
C.gain respect from the other |
D.get the other to behave properly |
What will the author most probably discuss in the paragraph that follows?
A.Causes for the parent-teen conflicts. |
B.Examples of the parent-teen war. |
C.Solutions for the parent-teen problems. |
D.Future of the parent-teen relationship. |