阅读理解

阅读下列短文，从文中所给的四个选项(A，B，C和D)中，选出最佳选项。

　　How old is “old”? The answer has changed over these years. Two hundred years ago, you were old at 35. That was the average life expectancy then. At the turn of this century, as medical knowledge advanced, the average life span increased to 45. In 1950, 70 - year- olds were really old. Today, a healthy 70 - year- old is looking forward to many more active years.

　　So, how old is “old?” The answer is one you've heard many times, from all sorts of people. “You are as old (or young) as you feel.” The calendar simply tells you how many years you've lived. Your body tells how well you've lived.

　　“Youth,” wrote an author with name not made known, “is not a time of life - it is a state of mind. Nobody grows old by living a number of years; people grow old by deserting their ideals.”

　　Old is a point of view. Alice Brophy, when she was with the New York City Commission for Aging, said, “It bothers me when people say ‘Gee, you look young at your age’. What does that mean? Is there some model that you're supposed to look a certain way at 65 and 75 and 85? You know you can die old at 30 and live young at 80.”

　　There are many myths about aging. These myths stereotype people on the basis of age. Here are some of the more common myths and the facts.

　　Myth: Most old people are in poor health.

　　Fact: Not so. There are neither biological nor physiological reasons to connect poor health with growing older. Older people are more likely to be affected with illness and physical disabilities than you are, but old age itself is not disease. It is possible to remain physically fit throughout your life.

　　Myth: When you get old, you become senile.

　　Fact: Older people can be bright as young minds. Senility is a sign of disease; it is not part of normal aging process. In a 1985 study of men aging 20, 40, 60 and 80 years, one proof was found to indicate that aging was connected with an avoidable drop in intellectual performance, in generally healthy people.

　　Myth: Older people are rigid.

　　Fact: Older people are as different in their life-styles and action as are young and middle aged people. In spite of the large pressure they deal with death of loved ones or job, financial, and family problem - they deal with very well. Older people give up smoking and break other bad habits just as successfully as younger people.

1．From the text we can see that a person is really old ________.

[　　]

A．until he or she is in his or her eighties

B．when he or she is in poor health

C．because he or she has given up her ambitions, aims, jobs and so on

D．if he or she looks old for his or her age

2．The underlined word “rigid” in this passage probably means ________.

[　　]

A．more careless than young men

B．unable to change

C．suffering bad habits

D．thoughtful in making a decision

3．Which of the following is true according to the passage?

[　　]

A．Old people have long formed the bad habits of smoking than the young.

B．Senility has much to do with the change of the power mind to seek and gain knowledge.

C．Most people can stay young at the end of the 21^st century.

D．Many old people are in poor health because they have to deal with a lot of problems in and out of the family.

4．The best title of the passage is ________.

[　　]

A．Standards about Old Age

B．Facts and Myths about Old Age

C．Differences between Old Age

D．Signs of Old Body and Mind

第三部分：阅读理解（共20小题，每题2分，满分40分）

       阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。

Life in 2060

　　Let us suppose it is now about A.D. 2060. Let’s make believe (假装；虚构) it is about sixty years from now. Of course, things have changed and life is very different.

　　Voyages to the moon are being made every day. It is as easy to take a holiday on the moon today as it was for the people in 1960 to take a holiday in Europe. At a number of scenic spots on the moon, many hotels have been built. The hotels are air-conditioned, naturally. In order that everyone can enjoy the beautiful scenery on the moon, every room has at least one picture window. Everything imaginable is provided for entertainment (娱乐) of young and old.

　　What are people eating now? People are still eating food. They haven’t yet started to take on heir (继承) supply of energy directly as electrical current or as nuclear power. They may some day. But many foods now come in pill form, and the food that goes into the pill continues to come mainly from green plants.

　　Since there are several times as many people in the world today as there were a hundred years ago, most of our planet’s surface has to be filled. The deserts are irrigated with water and crops are no longer destroyed by pests. The harvest is always good.

　　Farming, of course, is very highly developed. Very few people have to work on the farm. It is possible to run the farm by just pushing a few buttons now and then.

　　People are now largely vegetarians (素食者). You see, as the number of people increases, the number of animal decreases. Therefore, the people have to be vegetarians and we are healthier both in our bodies and in our minds, and we know the causes and cure of disease and pain, and it is possible to get rid of diseases. No one has to be ill any more.

　　Such would be our life in 2060.

1. When was the passage written?

　　A. In about A.D. 2060.   B. In about 1960.　　C. In about 2000.       D. In about 2004.

2. According to the passage, what will be on the moon in about A.D. 2060?

　　A. Many tourists.    B. Many other animals.　　C. Many plants.     D. A sea.

3. What will people eat then according to the passage?

　　A. Biscuits in pill form.   B. Foods in pill form.

　　C. Foods in water form.   D. Foods in gas form.

4. The passage tells us that in 2060, ____ on the earth than now.

　　A. there are fewer population   B. there are more pests

　　C. there is less water       D. the crops are getting better

What will man be like in the future — in 5,000 or even 50,000 years from now? We can only make guesses, of course, but we can be sure that he will be different from what he is today, for man is slowly changing all the time.
Let us take an obvious example. Man, even five hundred years ago, was shorter than he is today. Now, on average, men are about three inches taller. Five hundred years is a relatively short period of time, so we may assume that man will continue to grow taller. Again in the modern world we use our brains a great deal. Even so, we still make use of only about 20% of the brain’s capacity (容量). As time goes on, however, we shall have to use our brains more and more, and eventually we shall need larger ones! This is likely to bring about a physical change too: the head, in particular the forehead, will grow larger.
Nowadays our eyes are in constant use. In fact, we use them so much that very often they become weaker and we have to wear glasses. But over a very long period of time it is likely that man’s eyes will grow stronger.
On the other hand, we tend to make less use of our arms and legs. These, as a result, are likely to grow weaker. At the same time, however, our fingers will grow more sensitive because they are used a great deal in modern life.
But what about hair? This will probably disappear from the body altogether in course of time because it does not serve a useful purpose any longer. In the future, then, both sexes are likely to be bald.
Perhaps all this gives the impression that future man will not be a very attractive creature to look at! This may well be true. All the same, in spite of all these changes, future man will still have a lot in common with us. He will still be a human being, with thoughts and emotions similar to our own.
56. The size of man’s forehead will probably grow bigger because _______.
A. he will use his brain more and more as time goes on
B. he makes use only 20% of the brain’s capacity
C. his brain has grown larger over the past centuries
D. the other 80% of his brain will grow in due time    
57. What serves as the evidence that man is changing?
A. Man has got stronger eyes now than he ever had.
B. Man has been growing taller over the past 500 years.
C. Man’s hair is getting thinner and thinner.
D. Man’s arms and legs have become lighter and weaker.
58. What will be true about a human being in the future?
A. He will be hairless because hair is no longer useful.
B. He will have smaller eyes and will wear better glasses.
C. His fingers will grow weaker because he won’t have to make use of them.
D. He will think and feel in a different way.
59. It is implied that __________________.
A. human beings will become more attractive in the future
B. body organs will become poorer if they are not used often
C. human beings hope for a change in the future life
D. future life is always predictable
60. The passage mainly tells us that _______________.
A. man’s life will be different in the future  B. man is growing taller and uglier as time passes
C. future man will look quite different from us
D. human beings’ organs will function weaker

What will man be like in the future — in 5,000 or even 50,000 years from now? We can only make guesses, of course, but we can be sure that he will be different from what he is today, for man is slowly changing all the time.

Let us take an obvious example. Man, even five hundred years ago, was shorter than he is today. Now, on average, men are about three inches taller. Five hundred years is relatively a short period of time, so we may suppose that man will continue to grow taller. Again, in the modern world we use our brains a great deal. Even so, we still make use of only about 20% of the brain’s capacity(容量). As time goes on, however, we shall have to use our brains more and more, and finally we shall need our brains more and more, and finally we shall need larger ones! This is likely to bring a physical change too: the head, in particular the forehead, will grow larger.

Nowadays our eyes are in constant use. In fact, we use them so much that very often they become weaker and we have to wear glasses. But over long period of time it is likely that man’s eyes will grow stronger.

On the other hand, we tend to make less use of our arms and legs. These, as a result, are likely to grow weaker. At the same time, however, our fingers will grow more sensitive because they are used a great deal in modern life.

But what about hair? This will probably disappear from the body altogether in course of time because it does not serve a useful purpose any longer. In the future, then, both sexes are likely to be bald.

Perhaps all this gives the impression that future man will not be a very attractive creature to look at! This may well be true. All the same, in spite of all these changes, future man will still have a lot in common with us. He will still be a human being, with thoughts and motions similar to our own.

1.The passage mainly tells us that __________.

A．Man’s life will be different in the future

B．Future man will look quite different from us

C．Man is growing taller and uglier as time passes

D．Man’s organs’ functions will change

2.What serves as the evidence that man is changing?

A．Man has got stronger eyes now than he ever had.

B．Man’s hair is getting thinner and thinner.

C．Man’s arms and legs have become lighter and weaker.

D．Man has been growing taller over the past 500 years.

3.The change in man’s size of the forehead is probably because __________.

A．he makes use of only 20% of the brain’s capacity

B．his brain has grown larger over the past centuries

C．he will use his brain more and more as time goes on

D．the other 80% of his brain will grow in due time

4.Which of the following is TRUE about a human being in the future?

A．He is hairless because hair is no longer useful.

B．He has smaller eyes and wears better glasses.

C．His fingers grow weaker because he doesn’t have to make use of them.

D．He thinks and feels in a different way.

5.It is implied that __________.

A．human beings will become less attractive in the future

B．body organs will become poorer if they are not used often

C．human beings hope for a change in the future life

D．future life is always predictable