In the Caucasus region of the Soviet Union, nearly 50 out of every 100,000 people live to celebrate their 100^th birthday, and many don’t stop at 100! By comparison, in America only 3 people in 100,000 reach 100. But these Soviet old people aren’t alone. The Pakistani Hunzas, who live high in the Himalaya Mountains, and the Vilacbambans of the Andes Mountains in Ecuador seem to share the secret of long too.
These peoples 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 Soviet Georgians, aged 110 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 has no answer. Several replied, “Well, perhaps at age 80.” The very youngest estimate was age 60.
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 peoples. 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. He remember his life experiences: the Grimean War of 1854; the Turkish War of 1878; the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917. His wife is 116 years old. They have been married for 90 years. Mr. Mamedov has no intentions of retiring from his life as a farmer. “Why? What else would I do?” he asks. Oh, he has slowed down a bit. Now he might quit for the day after 6 hours in the field instead of 10.
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 5,000 to 12,000 feet (1,660 to 4,000 meters) above sea level. The air has less oxygen and is pollutionfree. This reduced-oxygen environment makes the heart and blood vessel 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 worried 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.
Finally, although these three groups don’t eat exactly the same foods, their diets are similar. The Hunzas, Vilacbambans, and Soviets eat little animal meat. Their diets are full of fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, cheese, and milk. They never eat more food than their bodies need.
It is clear that isolation from urban pressures and pollution, clean mountain air, daily hard work, moderate diets, good genes, and a youthful approach to life all contribute to the health and remarkable long life of all these people.
【小题1】 What kinds of things contribute to the remarkable long life of these peoples?

   Sitting on the peaceful coast of Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, watching the sun move quietly into the sea, you shouldn’t forget that Charles Darwin (1809-1882) arrived here in 1835. He stayed on the islands for five weeks, observing various animals. This finally inspired his famous work, On the Origin of Species. You can certainly follow Darwin’s footsteps and enjoy a trip from four to seven days to the islands.

The islands are certainly a paradise (天堂) for wildlife, as there are no natural killers on the islands and the number of boats and visitors is under government control. Though you cannot walk freely as Darwin did about 200 years ago, each day is as impressive as it could be.

    The most well-known animals of the Galapagos is the giant tortoise，which can be seen moving slowly around Santa Cruz, the second largest island in the archipelago(群岛). Some of these creatures are so old that they might have been in their youth by Darwin himself.

    Despite strict control over activities and timing, your stay on the Galapagos will be remembered as a chain of incomparable pictures; diving with sea lions that swim and play within inches of you; feeling small sharks touch your feet as you swim; and most magically, seeing a whale and her baby surface with a great breath of air.

    Travelling between the islands and observing the wildlife that so inspired Darwin, you will feel as though you are getting a special view of an untouched world. At night you will sleep on board the ship, leaving the wildlife in complete occupation of the islands, which are as undisturbed now as they have been since the beginning of time.

What do we know about Darwin’s visit to the islands?

   A. He studied different creatures on the islands

   B. He completed his famous book on the islands

   C. He was touched by the geography of the islands

   D. He was attracted by well-known animals of the islands

Which of the following plays a role in making the islands “a paradise for wildlife”?

   A. Animals on the islands feed on grass.

B. Local government forbids killing wildlife.

C. People cannot visit the islands as they wish.

D. Tourists are not allowed to touch the animals.

Your stay on the islands will be most impressive mainly because of         .

A. the beautiful sea views     B. Darwin’s inspiring trip

C. a closer view of animals    D. various daring activities

How many kinds of animals are mentioned in this passage?

    A. 2    B. 3   C. 4   D. 5

Which of the following would be the best title for the passage ？

A. A Unique Attraction for wildlife Lovers   

B. Calapagos as a Paradise for Adventures

C. Charles Darwin as a symbol of Galapagos

D. A successful Example of wildlife protection

The crisis at the damaged Fukushima Dai-Ichi Nuclear Power Station in northern Japan has raised worries about radiation risks. We spoke Tuesday with Jonathan Links, an expert in radiation health sciences. He is a professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Maryland.
Professor Links says workers within the nuclear plant are the only people at risk of extremely high doses of radiation.
JONATHAN LINKS: "Of course, we don't know what doses they've received, but the only persons at risk of acute radiation effects are the workers."
For other people, he says, there may be a long-term worry. People can get cancer from low doses of ionizing radiation, the kind released in a nuclear accident.
Professor Links says scientists can use computers to quickly model where radioactive material has blown and settled. Then they measure how large an area is contaminated. He says if the situation is serious enough, officials could take steps like telling people not to eat locally grown food or drink the water.
JONATHAN LINKS: "But that would only be the case if there was a significant release and, because of wind direction, the radioactive material was blown over the area, and then settled out of the air into and onto water, plants, fruits and vegetables."
The reactors at Fukushima are on the Pacific coast. But Professor Links says people should not worry about any radioactive material leaking into the ocean.
JONATHAN LINKS: "Even in a worst-case scenario accident, the sea provides a very high degree of dilution. So the concentration of radioactivity in the seawater would still be quite low."
Japan is the only country to have had atomic bombs dropped on it. That memory from World War Two would create a stronger "psychological sensitivity" to radiation exposure, Professors Links says.
Next month is the twenty-fifth anniversary of the explosion and fire that destroyed a reactor at Chernobyl in Ukraine. The nineteen eighty-six event was the world's worst accident in the nuclear power industry.
A new United Nations report says more than six thousand cases of thyroid cancer have been found. These are in people who were children in affected areas of Belarus, Russia and Ukraine. The report says that by two thousand five the cancers had resulted in fifteen deaths.
The cancers were largely caused by drinking contaminated milk. The milk came from cows that ate grass where radioactive material had fallen.
To get the latest updates, go to www.unsv.com.
Contributing: James Brooke
【小题1】The passage mainly tells us __________.

The crisis at the damaged Fukushima Dai-Ichi Nuclear Power Station in northern Japan has raised worries about radiation risks. We spoke Tuesday with Jonathan Links, an expert in radiation health sciences. He is a professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Maryland.

Professor Links says workers within the nuclear plant are the only people at risk of extremely high doses of radiation.

JONATHAN LINKS: "Of course, we don't know what doses they've received, but the only persons at risk of acute radiation effects are the workers."

For other people, he says, there may be a long-term worry. People can get cancer from low doses of ionizing radiation, the kind released in a nuclear accident.

Professor Links says scientists can use computers to quickly model where radioactive material has blown and settled. Then they measure how large an area is contaminated. He says if the situation is serious enough, officials could take steps like telling people not to eat locally grown food or drink the water.

JONATHAN LINKS: "But that would only be the case if there was a significant release and, because of wind direction, the radioactive material was blown over the area, and then settled out of the air into and onto water, plants, fruits and vegetables."

The reactors at Fukushima are on the Pacific coast. But Professor Links says people should not worry about any radioactive material leaking into the ocean.

JONATHAN LINKS: "Even in a worst-case scenario accident, the sea provides a very high degree of dilution. So the concentration of radioactivity in the seawater would still be quite low."

Japan is the only country to have had atomic bombs dropped on it. That memory from World War Two would create a stronger "psychological sensitivity" to radiation exposure, Professors Links says.

Next month is the twenty-fifth anniversary of the explosion and fire that destroyed a reactor at Chernobyl in Ukraine. The nineteen eighty-six event was the world's worst accident in the nuclear power industry.

A new United Nations report says more than six thousand cases of thyroid cancer have been found. These are in people who were children in affected areas of Belarus, Russia and Ukraine. The report says that by two thousand five the cancers had resulted in fifteen deaths.

The cancers were largely caused by drinking contaminated milk. The milk came from cows that ate grass where radioactive material had fallen.

To get the latest updates, go to www.unsv.com.

Contributing: James Brooke

1.The passage mainly tells us __________.

2.Which of the following is NOT the influences caused by the leak of Fukushima Dai-Ichi Nuclear Power Station?

3.What’s the meaning of the underlined word “dilution”?

4.According to the passage which of the following is not TRUE ?

Situated in the South West of England, between Exeter and Plymouth, Torquay is one of the most popular holiday resorts（度假胜地）in Britain. It provides sophisticated（精致）entertainment, sports of every kind and cultural facilities, all set in a position of outstanding natural beauty. Visitors can choose between luxury hotels by the sea, with private suites（套房），swimming pools and saunas, and comfortable but less expensive guest houses. There are camping sites, too, and hundreds of houses displaying“B & B”signs.
As well as a number of small quiet bays, which are ideal for beach barbecues away from the crowds, Torquay has large sandy beaches where you can buy refreshments（饮料）and hire deck chairs, boats and even beach huts. There are large areas of grassland overlooking the sea, and miles of winding cliff paths for walkers who just want to enjoy the scenery and what is often said to be the healthiest air in the country. For the sportsmen and women there are opportunities not only for golf, tennis, squash and bowls, but also for water-skiing, hang-gliding and deep-sea fishing.
After a day in the open air, there’s lots to do in the evenings, too. There are plenty of discos, the occasional opera or ballet, and summer variety shows in the seafront theatres. For the children, there is a beautiful model village with a complicated railway layout which is remarkably realistic-especially when the lights are all on at night.
Of course, there’s no need to spend your whole holidays in Torquay. Only a short drive away is Dartmoor National Park, where you can walk for miles through dramatic, unspoiled countryside, or picnic by beautiful rivers and streams. Or, nearer to home, you can sail across Tor Bay to the lovely old fishing village of Brixham.
Torquay seems to have something for everyone. But don’t take my word for it-come and see for yourself.

1. 1.

   Which of the following best explains what “B & B” means on the signs?
   

   1. A.
      Bed and breakfast          
   2. B.
      Breakfast and bath
   3. C.
      Beach and barbecue    
   4. D.
      Beautiful and British
2. 2.

   According to the text Torquay might be described as     .
   

   1. A.
      comfortable and expensive      
   2. B.
      crowed and lively
   3. C.
      remote and beautiful                
   4. D.
      fresh and healthy
3. 3.

   What is special about the model village?
   

   1. A.
      It opens at night.
   2. B.
      It has something for the children
   3. C.
      It’s in the open air.
   4. D.
      It has a real railway system.
4. 4.

   What is the purpose of writing this text?
   

   1. A.
      To introduce the geography of Torquay to students.
   2. B.
      To make some places known to visitors.
   3. C.
      To show the beauty of resorts.
   4. D.
      To attract more tourists.