How Long Can People Live?

    She took up skating at age 85, made her first movie appearance at age 114, and held a concert in the neighborhood on her 121 ^st 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.

72. 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.

73. 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

74. 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

75. 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

Earlier this year, the Environmental Protection Agency proposed a stricter nationwide health standard for smog-causing pollutants that would bring substantial benefits to millions of Americans. With a final rule expected by the end of this month, some opponents, mainly from industrial and oil-producing states, are pushing back. They say investments required to produce cleaner air are too expensive and not scientifically justified.

Lisa Jackson, the E.P.A. administrator, needs to stick to her guns. This is only the first of several political tests to come this fall, as she also seeks to tighten rules governing individual pollutants like mercury and global warming gases like carbon dioxide.

The health standard she is proposing covers ground-level ozone, commonly known as smog, which is formed when sunlight mixes with pollutants from factories, refineries, power plants and automobiles. Ozone is a major health threat, contributing to heart disease and various respiratory (呼吸道的) problems.

Ms. Jackson’s proposal—to reduce the permitted level of smog in the air from the current 75 parts per billion to between 60 parts per billion and 70 parts per billion—is sensible, no matter what industry’s defenders may claim. It had been recommended by the agency’s independent scientific panel but rejected by the Bush administration, which proposed a weaker standard.

Industry will have to make investments in cleaner power plants, and new technologies may be required. As it is, about half the counties that monitor ozone levels are not yet in compliance with current standards, let alone the proposed standard.

Fears about burdening industry raised by critics like George Voinovich, a Republican of Ohio, and Mary Landrieu, a Democrat of Louisiana, cannot be dismissed out of hand, especially in the middle of a recession (萧条). But the health benefits, E.P.A. says, far outweigh the costs, and the time frame for compliance (服从) is generous.

1.Why are some people strongly against a stricter limitation of smog-caused pollutants?

A．Because they have to live a poorer life.

B．Because they think they have to spend more money.

C．Because they hold different political view.

D．Because they want to make more money.

2. What does Ms Jackson propose to do?

A．To reduce the permitted smog level as much as possible.

B．To raise the permitted smog level as much as possible.

C．To keep the permitted smog level from 60 to 70 to 75 parts per billion.

D．To lower the permitted smog level from 75 to 60 to 70 parts per billion.

3.What is the attitude of the author to the smog-controlling issue?

A．Objective.         B．Subjective.         C．Critical.           D．Unknown.

4.Which of the following can serve as the best title of the whole passage?

A．Cleaner power plant on the way.

B．Say no to smog pollutants.

C．Lower smog pollutant, better our life.

D．Debate on smog pollutants.

“You'll have to take care of the baby today,” a woman told her husband. "I'm not feeling well."

"Then you must stay in bed and rest, dear" her husband said. "I'll be pleased to look after our baby." "By the way, shall I do the shopping for you as well?” her husband asked.

The woman was very glad and said, "That will help me very much. I'll give you a list of things to buy"

She wrote out the list and gave it to him.

The man took the baby to the supermarket and put him in the shopping cart. Then he pushed the shopping cart along the rows of things and looked for those that were on his list.

At first everything was OK, but then the baby began to cry.

Then he started to scream.

And scream!

And SCREAM!

“Keep calm, George,” the man said. “Don’t get excited. Don’t shout, George. Don’t lose your temper, George.”

A woman in the supermarket heard him saying so. She walked up to him.

“I think you are wonderful,” she said. “You are so patient with your little George.”

“Madam,” the man said, “I’m George. He’s Edward.”

1.The man took care of the baby instead because his wife was      .

2.The baby cried so hard       .

3.When the baby was crying, the father kept taking to      for relaxing.

4.The underlined sentence “Don’t lose your temper.” in this passage means“   ”.

It's not the flashiest car in the world. Not even close. But the 1971 Volkswagen named Helios can do something most cars can't: nm on solar energy - energy from the sun's light and heat!

    Joshua Bechtold, 14, and the other students at the Riverside School in Lyndonville, Vermont, worked many months to get Helios ready for the 1999  American Tour de Sol ( "Sol" is the Latin word for "sun"). They named their car after Helios, the sun god in Greek mythology(神话).

    The 4-year-old Tour de Sol encourages the use of "green", or environmentally friendly, cars to help reduce pollution and save energy. It' s not a race. Cars are  judged on fuel efficiency(耗油量) rather than speed. In the week-long event, 44 cars took the 350-mile tour from Waterbury, Connecticut, to Lake George, New York. Of the 23 student cars, Helios was the only one built by middle school students.

    A teacher drove Helios, but the children talked with people wherever they stopped along the mad. "That was my favorite part," says Anna Browne, 15. "We explained how the car runs.”

    Due in part to old, inefficient batteries(电池), Helios finished fourth - out of four - in its kind, the sun-powered class. "We were there for the fun of it," Anna says. "We're proud of Helios," says Ariel Gleicher, 14. "It's a car that's good for the environment."

64. What is special about the car Helios in the text?       

              A. It was built by middle school students.

              B. It has an' attractive design.

              C. It was made in 1971.

             D. It won the fourth prize.

65. How many sun-powered cars took part in the race?      

              A. 1.                  B. 4.                      C. 23.                       D. 44.

66. What would be the best title for the text.'?       

             A. The Making of Helios

             B. 1999 American Tour de Sol

             C. Sun-powered Cars on the Road

             D. Use of Green Cars in Connecticut

67. The students felt proud of Helios because______.

             A. it could run as far as 350 miles          B. it was favored by many children

            C. it had high-quality batteries                 D. it was driven by clean energy

Online education is becoming a popular learning choice to traditional colleges. Most colleges offer online programs in various fields and levels, which allows students to go on with their education over the Internet. Students must keep in mind that the college they wish to apply to must be approved by a related recognized organization.

So who can really benefit from an online program? Well, anybody, and everybody! Online programs can turn out to be a pocket-friendly choice to a traditional college for many people. Here’s a list of people who usually consider joining in an online degree program;

l Stay-at-home parents. Online education is perfect choice for stay-at-home parents and those who have very young kids. Online classes give them the flexibility to complete or further their education while looking after home and family and without worrying about childcare.

l Working professionals who want to further their education but travel a lot or have extremely busy schedules, as well as those who want to make a career change but do not have the time to enroll in a full-time degree program.

l People who cannot commute(乘车上下班)to a college campus.

l Shy students who might feel embarrassed among a group of people and prefer to study by themselves and at their own pace.

l People who want to save money. Online programs can turn out to be more cost-effective than attending a physical classroom.

l People who do not get distracted (分心的)easily — something many people overlook when considering online education. If you are someone who can easily ignore the ringing of a phone, stay away from TV, and resist all other things that may draw your attention, online programs are for you.

So do you think online education is for you? If you feel you belong to any of the above listed categories, then online education could work out very well for you.

1.What should students consider when they apply to an online program?

A．They are interested in its course.

B．The college should be approved by authority.

C．Their homes are not far from the college.

D．Teachers in the college must be top-ranking.

2.Why is online education a perfect choice for a young stay-at-home mother?

A．She can learn while taking care of her family.

B．She should learn more to teach her baby.

C．There is no such school for both mothers and babies.

D．She will feel less embarrassed by learning online.

3.According to the author, who is fit for online education?

A．Emily, an easy-going girl who dislikes doing things on her own.

B．Mrs. Clark, far from campus, who is hoping to learn at any price.

C．Jack, a busy engineer who wants to further education.

D．George, a single father who has difficulty in concentration.

4. Which of the following is the best title for the text?

A．Less Money, More Resources

B．Try to Be Attentive Students

C．Online Educaiton— Everyone’s Perfect Choice

D．Who Can Benefit from an Online Program