When couples get married, they usually plan to have children．Sometimes, however, a couple can not have a child of their own．In this case, they may decide to adopt a child．In fact, adoption is very common today．There are about 60 thousand adoptions each year in the United States alone．Some people prefer to adopt infants, others adopt older children, some couples adopt children from their own countries, and others adopt children from foreign countries．In any case, they all adopt children for the same reason-they care about children and want to give their adopted child a happy life．
Most adopted children know that they are adopted．Psychologists and child-care experts generally think this is a good idea．However, many adopted children or adoptees have very little information about their biological parents．As a matter of fact, it is often very difficult for adoptees to find out about their birth parents because the birth records of most adoptees are usually sealed．The information is secret so no one can see it．Naturally, adopted children have different feelings about their birth parents．Many adoptees want to search for them, but others do not．The decision to search for birth parents is a difficult one to make．Most adoptees have mixed feelings about finding their biological parents．Even though adoptees do not know about their natural parents, they do know that their adopted parents want them, love them and will care for them．
(1)
According to the passage, some couples adopt children because ________
[ ]
A．
They care a lot about children．
B．
They need looking after in their old age．
C．
They want to enrich their life experience．
D．
They want children to keep them company．
(2)
Why is it difficult for adoptees to find out about their birth parents?
[ ]
A．
They are usually adopted from distant places．
B．
Their birth parents often try to conceal their birth information．
C．
Their birth information is usually kept secret．
D．
Their adoptive parents don't want them to know their birth parents．
(3)
Adoptees find it hard to make the decision to search for their birth parents, because ________
[ ]
A．
They generally hold bad feelings towards their birth parents．
B．
They do not want to hurt the feelings of their adoptive parents．
C．
They are fully aware of the expenses involved in the search．
D．
They have mixed feelings about finding their natural parents．
(4)
What does the underlined word “infants” in Paragraph 1 most probably mean?
[ ]
A．
teenagers
B．
babies over 2-year old
C．
new babies
D．
persons under the age of 18
(5)
What can we infer from the passage?
[ ]
A．
Early adoption makes for closer parent-child relationship．
B．
Most people prefer to adopt children from overseas．
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．
Whe n 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 it,”he says with a smile．
(1)
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．
(2)
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
(3)
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
(4)
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．
