Is there a limit to the number of years that a person can expect to live? Can changes in life-style add years to one’s life? Throughout history people have sought answers to these questions and others.

Various myths offer the hope of great longevity. In the imaginary land of Shangri-La, for example, people are said to lead a charmed existence for a thousand years. The Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon was convinced that he would find the Foundation of Youth in what is now the state of Florida. According to the Bible, Methuselah lived to be more than 900 years old.

The subject of longevity is fascinating, and scientists study individuals such as Jeanne Calment to learn about the aging process. Calment died in 1997 in Arles, France, at the age of 122. She never married, and she lived in her own apartment until moving to a retirement community when she was 109.

Most scientists agree that bodies will last, at best, about 125 years. This potential has changed little since modern human beings appeared more than 100 thousand years age. Recent improvements in medicine and the environment have extended life expectancy, especially for those from poorer parts of the world. It is not clear, however, whether such improvements will lengthen life expectancy beyond a certain point.

Life expectancy is the number of years an infant can be expected to live, given the conditions into which it is born. Life expectancy, therefore, is affected by nutrition, medical care, and social and political circumstances. An individual’s genetic makeup is also an important factor. Children from long-lived families can hope to enjoy long lives themselves. According to recent data, the average life expectancy worldwide in 1998 was 67 years. This can be compared with an average life expectancy of 77 in the United States.

In 1970 the average life expectancy worldwide was 61 years, or 6 years less than it was in 1998. This same period saw a drop in infant mortality -— the death of a child before the first birthday-—from 80 births out of 1,000 to 54 births out of 1,000. According to some researchers, the rise in the average life expectancy is due primarily to the drop in infant mortality. It is not so much that adults are living to an older age. It is, rather, that more people are living into adulthood because more children are surviving beyond their first birthdays.

1.Infant mortality is defined as ________ .

A. the number of children born alive

B. the kinds of behavior typical of very young children

C. the number of children, out of 1,000 births, who die before their first birthday

D. the typical and obvious thoughts of very young children

2.Although it may be possible to improve the life expectancy of a particular group of people, ________ .

A. it is more difficult to affect the rate of infant mortality

B. it is unlikely that one will be able to extend the potential life span of human beings in general

C. the process of evolution is extending the potential life span beyond 125 years

D. the potential that bodies will last, at best, about 125 years has changed much since modern human beings appeared

3.One can infer that people have at times imagined that ________ .

A. people live longer in the state of Florida

B. a long life is a burden rather than a blessing

C. it is possible to find a way to live for centuries

D. life expectancy is affected by a couple of factors

4.One can conclude that  ________ .

A. the aging process can be stopped.

B. the aging process is inevitable.

C. life expectancy in the United States will soon reach 125 years.

D. the average life expectancy worldwide is decreasing

Is there a limit to the number of years that a person can expect to live? Can changes in life-style add years to one’s life? Throughout history people have sought answers to these questions and others.
Various myths offer the hope of great longevity. In the imaginary land of Shangri-La, for example, people are said to lead a charmed existence for a thousand years. The Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon was convinced that he would find the Foundation of Youth in what is now the state of Florida. According to the Bible, Methuselah lived to be more than 900 years old.
The subject of longevity is fascinating, and scientists study individuals such as Jeanne Calment to learn about the aging process. Calment died in 1997 in Arles, France, at the age of 122. She never married, and she lived in her own apartment until moving to a retirement community when she was 109.
Most scientists agree that bodies will last, at best, about 125 years. This potential has changed little since modern human beings appeared more than 100 thousand years age. Recent improvements in medicine and the environment have extended life expectancy, especially for those from poorer parts of the world. It is not clear, however, whether such improvements will lengthen life expectancy beyond a certain point.
Life expectancy is the number of years an infant can be expected to live, given the conditions into which it is born. Life expectancy, therefore, is affected by nutrition, medical care, and social and political circumstances. An individual’s genetic makeup is also an important factor. Children from long-lived families can hope to enjoy long lives themselves. According to recent data, the average life expectancy worldwide in 1998 was 67 years. This can be compared with an average life expectancy of 77 in the United States.
In 1970 the average life expectancy worldwide was 61 years, or 6 years less than it was in 1998. This same period saw a drop in infant mortality -— the death of a child before the first birthday-—from 80 births out of 1,000 to 54 births out of 1,000. According to some researchers, the rise in the average life expectancy is due primarily to the drop in infant mortality. It is not so much that adults are living to an older age. It is, rather, that more people are living into adulthood because more children are surviving beyond their first birthdays

1. 1.

   Infant mortality is defined as ________

   1. A.
      the number of children born alive
   2. B.
      the kinds of behavior typical of very young children
   3. C.
      the number of children, out of 1,000 births, who die before their first birthday
   4. D.
      the typical and obvious thoughts of very young children
2. 2.

   Although it may be possible to improve the life expectancy of a particular group of people, ________

   1. A.
      it is more difficult to affect the rate of infant mortality
   2. B.
      it is unlikely that one will be able to extend the potential life span of human beings in general
   3. C.
      the process of evolution is extending the potential life span beyond 125 years
   4. D.
      the potential that bodies will last, at best, about 125 years has changed much since modern human beings appeared
3. 3.

   One can infer that people have at times imagined that ________

   1. A.
      people live longer in the state of Florida
   2. B.
      a long life is a burden rather than a blessing
   3. C.
      it is possible to find a way to live for centuries
   4. D.
      life expectancy is affected by a couple of factors
4. 4.

   One can conclude that  ________

   1. A.
      the aging process can be stopped
   2. B.
      the aging process is inevitable
   3. C.
      life expectancy in the United States will soon reach 125 years
   4. D.
      the average life expectancy worldwide is decreasing

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文中共有10处语言错误，要求你在错误的地方增加、删除或修改某个单词。
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It would be difficult to imagine modern life with the telephone. It has become an useful instrument of communication, save much time and travel by enabling people to talk one another over great distances. Nowadays it is so easy to talk cross a continent or even overseas as it is to talk to one's next-door neighbor. Therefore, it is in emergencies which the telephone really proves its usefulness. When there is a fire , and when someone is suddenly ill , the first thing one thinks of it is " Where is the nearest telephone?"

Lots of people are unhappy with their present weight, but most aren't sure how to change it. You may want to look like the models or actors in magazines and on TV, but those goals might not be healthy or realistic (现实的) for you. Being healthy is really about being at a weight that is right for you. The best way to find out if you are at a healthy weight or if you need to lose or gain weight is to talk to a doctor or dietitian（营养学家）. If it turns out that you can benefit from weight loss, then you can follow a few of the simple suggestions listed below to get started.

_______________________. Ask your mom or dad to lend help and support and to make lifestyle changes that will benefit the whole family, if possible. Those who have the support of their families tend to have better results with their weight-management programs.

Watch your drinks. It’s amazing how many extra calories can be in the sodas, juices and other drinks that you take in every day. Simply cutting out a can of soda or one sports drink can save you 150 calories or more each day. Slake yourself with water or other sugar-free drinks when you’re thirsty and stay away from sugary juices and sodas.

Stop eating when you’re full. Lots of people eat when they’re full. Try to pay attention as you eat and stop when you are full.

Avoid diet pills. They can be dangerous to your health; besides, there’s no evidence that they help keep weight off over the long term.

Get moving. You don’t have to play a team sport or go to the gym. Try different kinds of activities from hiking to cycling, or to dancing until you find what you like.

1.According to the passage, before you decide to lose or gain weight you must know _________.

A．how you will do it

B．how long it should last

C．whether you have a healthy weight

D．what your realistic goal is

2.Which of the following would be the best to be put in the blank in the second paragraph?

A．Find a partner.

B．Make weight loss a family behavior.

C．Don’t give up easily.

D．Small changes make a difference.

3.The underlined part ‘Slake yourself’ in the third paragraph means “__________”

A．Stop yourself feeling thirsty.

B．Make yourself feel less tired.

C．Make yourself feel comfortable.

D．Stop yourself feeling less hungry.

4.We can learn from the passage that __________.

A. exercising is harmful to one’s health

B. diet pills may not help one lose weight in the long term

C. having eating trouble is the No.1 cause of being overweight

D. all models or actors in magazines and on TV have weight problems