She took up skating at age 85, made her first movie appearance at age 114, and held a concert in the neighborhood on her 121st 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. 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. |
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 |
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 |
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 |
请认真阅读下列短文,并根据所读内容在文章后表格中的空格里填入一个最恰当的单
词。注意：每个空格只填1个单词。请将答案写在答题卡上相应题号的横线上。
Have you heard or read stories about people who are sick and have been healed by listening to music? Is it a miracle or a successful form of medicine? Can listening to music relieve pain?
Around the world，music therapy(疗法) is being used to treat different medical conditions and illnesses. Some of the ways people use music therapy are to reduce pain，such as in childbirth or during cancer treatments，or to stimulate brain activity after an injury or money loss. Music therapy has also been successful in aiding children to overcome disabilities. Children can move their bodies with the music and stamp along to the beat.
Why is music a useful therapy? Music is soothing and relaxing．but it also stimulates our brains. Emotionally and physically, we respond to the sounds of music. But the complexity of music(the different tempos，rhythms，melodies and harmonies) provokes(激发)the biggest response. Thus，classical music is most typically used for therapies due to complex sounds and patterns. Although rap or hip hop might be fun to listen to，it’s unlikely that such styles of music would produce the same kind of therapeutic effect Playing a musical instrument rather than simply listening to music can also be therapeutic for some people，helping relieve stress and anxiety
Have scientists been able to prove that music can heal disease? Music has been shown to reduce pain in cancer patients by increasing the release endorphins(内啡肽). Endorphins are the body’s natural painkillers，and when we listen to music，our brains respond by releasing these natural painkillers. It has also been known to contribute to the brain development of the babies who have just been born and even babies still in the mother’s womb. Certain types of music have also been found to lower blood pressure and slow a person’s heart rate. Many people are hopeful that music could replace the need for some medications(药物)that are normally used to treat certain illnesses. At present，music therapy is used in a variety of settings such as hospitals，rehabilitation centers，nursing homes，day cares，and schools.
Although music therapy is not yet considered a mainstream treatment，it is recognized more and more as a useful addition to traditional treatment. So next time you are feeling low or stressed out，put on some relaxing music and let the music heal you.
| Title : Music That (1)__________ |
||
| The (2) _______ of music therapy |
to treat different medical conditions and illnesses |
to reduce pain |
| to (5) _______ brain activity |
||
| to overcome(6) ________ . |
||
| How does music therapy (3) ___? |
Music is soothing and relaxing; it stimulates our brains; classical music is a(7) _____due to its complex sounds and patterns. Playing a musical instrument is also useful in (8) ______ stress and anxiety. |
|
| Scientific proofs |
Music has been shown to reduce pain in cancer patients by increasing the release of endorphins. It has also been known to contribute to the brain development of the (9) ____ babies. Certain types of music have also been found to lower blood pressure and slow a person’s heart rate. |
|
| (4) ______ |
Music therapy is recognized as a useful (10) ___to traditional treatment. |
It is pretty much a one-way street. While it may be common for university researchers to try their luck in the commercial world, there is very little traffic in the opposite direction. Pay has always been the biggest deterrent, as people with families often feel they cannot afford the drop in salary when moving to a university job. For some industrial scientists, however, the attractions of academia (学术界) outweigh any financial considerations.
Helen Lee took a 70% cut in salary when she moved from a senior post in Abbott Laboratories to a medical department at the University of Cambridge. Her main reason for returning to academia mid-career was to take advantage of the greater freedom to choose research questions. Some areas of inquiry have few prospects of a commercial return, and Lee’s is one of them.
The impact of a salary cut is probably less severe for a scientist in the early stages of a career. Guy Grant, now a research associate at the Unilever Centre for Molecular Informatics at the University of Cambridge, spent two years working for a pharmaceutical (制药的) company before returning to university as a post-doctoral researcher. He took a 30% salary cut but felt it worthwhile for the greater intellectual opportunities.
Higher up the ladder, where a pay cut is usually more significant, the demand for scientists with a wealth of experience in industry is forcing universities to make the transition to academia more attractive, according to Lee. Industrial scientists tend to receive training that academics do not, such as how to build a multidisciplinary team, manage budgets and negotiate contracts. They are also well placed to bring something extra to the teaching side of an academic role that will help students get a job when they graduate, says Lee, perhaps experience in manufacturing practice or product development. “Only a small number of undergraduates will continue in an academic career. So someone leaving university who already has the skills needed to work in an industrial lab has far more potential in the job market than someone who has spent all their time on a narrow research project.”By “a one-way street” (Line 1, Para. 1), the author means ________.
| A．university researchers know little about the commercial world |
| B．there is little exchange between industry and academia |
| C．few industrial scientists would quit to work in a university |
| D．few university professors are willing to do industrial research |
What was Helen Lee’s major consideration when she changed her job in the middle of her career?
| A．Flexible work hours. |
| B．Her research interests. |
| C．Her preference for the lifestyle on campus. |
| D．Prospects of academic accomplishments. |
Guy Grant chose to work as a researcher at Cambridge in order to ________.
| A．do financially more rewarding work |
| B．raise his status in the academic world |
| C．enrich his experience in medical research |
| D．exploit better intellectual opportunities |
What contribution can industrial scientists make when they come to teach in a university?
| A．Increase its graduates’ competitiveness in the job market. |
| B．Develop its students’ potential in research. |
| C．Help it to obtain financial support from industry. |
| D．Gear its research towards practical applications. |
People being tested for radiation exposure
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 BrookeThe passage mainly tells us __________.
| A．What measures the Japan Government takes to solve the nuclear crisis . |
| B．Worries and influences caused by the nuclear crisis . |
| C．With great efforts of scientists , the Japan Government has put the nuclear crisis under control . |
| D．To explain that the nuclear crisis has less effect on its neighboring countries. |
Which of the following is NOT the influences caused by the leak of Fukushima Dai-Ichi Nuclear Power Station?
| A．Workers at the nuclear station are suffering the risk of death . |
| B．People can get cancer from low doses of ionizing radiation, the kind released in a nuclear accident. |
| C．The radioactive material may be blown over the area causing the pollution to water . |
| D．The concentration of radioactivity in the seawater can not be diluted. |
What’s the meaning of the underlined word “dilution”?
| A．chemical | B．salt | C．dissolution | D．elimination |
According to the passage which of the following is not TRUE ?
| A．Water people drink ,food and vegetables people eat may be polluted by nuclear radiation . |
| B．Japan is the only country to have had atomic bombs dropped on it. |
| C．You can go to www.unsv.com. to get the latest news . |
| D．The nuclear accident in Japan is the worst in the nuclear power industry. |
| 1. Six Hours Free Parking If you spend $ 100 or more in our stores you will receive six hours of free parking. When you have spent $100 or more, just take this coupon and your receipt to the customer service desk on level 4. They will stamp your parking ticket to allow 6 hours of free parking. Offer here until November 14. |
| 2. Win a $1000 CD Collection Win your choice of $1000 worth of CDs from JB Music Store. Just buy any two CDs and your name will go into the competition. Select your own prize from our wide variety of rock, pop, jazz and classical music. Competition ends November 14. Prize drawn on November 21. Check store for more information. |
| 3. Buy One, Get One Free Buy one shirt or tie at Daniel’s Menswear, and get another shirt or tie of the same value free. Choose from any of our dress shirts and we will give you another one at no cost. Hurry! Offer ends November 14. Offer limited to one per customer. |
| 4. 10% Off Present this coupon at The Book Store to get a 10% discount on any books you buy. We have lots of books to choose from, including children’s books, novels, travel guides, and science works. You are sure to find something that you will enjoy. Shop now for Christmas, we have a large quantity of toys as gifts for you and avoid the rush! Offer here until November 14. |
| 5. Half-price Movie Tickets Buy any full-price movie ticket on Tuesdays or Wednesdays, and you can buy a second tickets for a friend for only half price. The latest movies are here, being shown in one of our five theaters at Bayfield Shopping Center. Offer here through December 1, Limit on per customer. |
| 6. Free Soft Drink Buy any meal for at least $6 at Mike’s Café, and receive a free soft drink. We serve the best food in the Shopping Center. Come in and try our delicious meals and our excellent service. You won’t be disappointed! Free soft drink offer ends November 14. |
What are these ads for?
| A．Food you can order for delivery. |
| B．Places to go on vacation. |
| C．Special offers at a shopping center. |
| D．Things on sale in a big store. |
Which of the following is true according to the ads?
| A．Spending $50 means 3 hours of free parking. |
| B．One person can buy 5 tickets for the price of three. |
| C．After buying two CDs, you can get another two CDs for free. |
| D．At Mike’s Café, people can get a free drink after spending $6. |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned at this mall?
| A．Clothes store. | B．Music store. | C．Restaurant. | D．Toy store. |
We can know from this passage ________.
| A．there is more than one theater in the center. |
| B．if you buy a book there, you may pay less than half the price. |
| C．you may get a free one if you buy a shirt, or a tie, or a pair of shoes. |
| D．you won’t get a free soft drink unless you spend more than 10 dollars on the meal. |
You need to be of a certain age to understand why so many people in Hollywood are caring about the possible closing down of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (米高梅电影公司)．For the past 40 years, its output has been good, but now it is on the ropes, with debts of $ 3.7 billion and will have to sell off its most valuable assets.
In its golden time, MGM stood for something．If Warner Brothers meant social dramas and gangster movies, and Disney meant cartoon films, then MGM was healthy fantasy．This business model found its most glorious expression in its musicals of the post-war era．It also featured such many famous stars as Fred Astaire, Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly and Judy Garland.
But MGM had always put its hopes on the quality of stars it could attract．From the time MGM became a company in 1924, the studio and his associate proved themselves good at creating big names.
For 35 years, this worked well enough, but the growing power of television disturbed Hollywood．MGM continued to throw money into making gorgeous-looking musicals, but despite some big successes audiences gradually started to drift away．Throughout the sixties, MGM's decline set in．Things went from bad to worse．In 1973, MGM stopped distributing its own films．Since then, the Lion's roar has been reduced to a whimper (呜咽).
How far MGM has fallen can be shown by its recent releases．This was a studio that for years offered a reliable supply of first-class films．Yet last year its total output was three．To make it worse, all were co-produced with other studios．And this year? Only one so far, and maybe the last.
What now? MGM will probably be sold, though recent buyers have been cautious about a price thought to be around $ 2 billion.MGM is becoming the focus in Hollywood because it _______．
| A．has more supporters | B．has produced good films |
| C．might be closed down | D．has lost all its assets |
What can we learn about MGM from the text?
| A．It has been sold out for around $ 2 billion. |
| B．The Internet was a factor causing its decline. |
| C．It only produced three films by itself last year. |
| D．It made a wrong decision for its development. |
What's the main idea of the text?
| A．The past glories of MGM． | B．The musicals made by MGM. |
| C．The decline of MGM． | D．A historical decision by MGM |
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