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Jeanne Calment 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 (限制) to the human life span (壽命)? 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 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 living until about 120. Researchers are working on treatments that make the life
span of mice longer by 50 percent at most. So, if the average (平均) human life span is about 80 years, says
Miller, " adding another 50 percent would get you to 120."
So what can we leam from this little disagreement among the researchers? That life span is flexible (有彈
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
(物種), one that ages at a slower speed, that would be a different story, he adds.
Does Martin really believe that humans could evolve (進(jìn)化) their way to longer life?"It' s pretty cool to
think about." 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. experts aren't sure how long one can live
3. Who thinks that a scientist will become famous if he makes the wildest guess at longevity?
A. Jerry Shay.
B. Steve Austad.
C. Rich Miller.
D. Ceorge 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.
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