When Joe Bates was twelve years old, he lost interest in school．He stopped listening in his classes．Some of his teachers began to consider him a problem．
But a few of Joe’s teachers thought that Joe might have lost interest in schoolwork because he already understood it．They proposed that Joe try taking a university class in computer science．Joe did．He was the best student in the class．Later tests showed that his intelligence and knowledge were far greater than most children of his age．He entered university when he was thirteen, about four years earlier than most children．And by the time he was in his early twenties, Joe was teaching computer science at a university．
Joe’s story shows what can happen when a child’s unusual ability is recognized．Sadly, however, not all gifted children get this recognition．And educational experts say unusually gifted children may waste their abilities if they do not get help to develop them．
Studies show that almost twenty percent of students who fail to complete high school in the United States are gifted children．
This is because gifted children can have special problems as well as special abilities．Teachers may not recognize their abilities or may not know how to keep them interested．Or they may consider such students to be troublemakers or rebels．
Gifted children may feel lonely or different because they do not know other children who share their interests．
Educators say there are more than two million gifted children in the United States today．But they say fewer than half are taking part in special education programs designed for them．
One of the most successful programs is held every summer at John Hopkins University in the state of Maryland, where Joe Bates went to school．It started in 1980 when educators saw that there must be many children like Joe．
At first, only 100 children took part in it, and now more than 1,000 children between the ages of nine and sixteen are students in the summer program．
The John Hopkins program provides studies in math and science．It also has classes for children with unusual ability in language and writing．The children study the same subject every day for several weeks．It could be biology, or history, or English literature．In those few weeks, they learn as much as in a normal nine-month school year．
William Durden, the director says the program succeeds because it permits children to make progress more quickly than in a traditional program．And the children get to meet others like themselves．
(1)
Joe Bates stopped listening in his classes because ________．
[ ]
A．
he lost interest in school
B．
he hated those teachers who considered him a problem
C．
he had already understood what he was taught
D．
he wanted to take a university class
(2)
When a child’s unusual ability is recognized, ________．
[ ]
A．
he can do whatever he likes
B．
he will no longer be considered to be a troublemaker or rebel
C．
he may have more success than most children of his age
D．
he will certainly take part in a special education program
(3)
According to the passage, the most important thing is to ________．
[ ]
A．
recognize and develop gifted children’s unusual abilities
B．
design and support special education programs for gifted children
C．
help gifted children get to meet others who share their interests
D．
encourage gifted children instead of treating them as a problem when they lost interest in school
(4)
Quite a lot of gifted students fail to complete high school in the United States because ________．
[ ]
A．
they take part in traditional education programs
B．
their unusual abilities are not recognized
C．
their teachers don’t know how to keep them interested in schoolwork
D．
they have special problems as well as special abilities．
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．
