The Process of Ageing At the age of twelve years, the human body is at its most vigorous. It has yet to reach its full size and strength, and its owner his or her full intelligence; but at this age the possibility of death is least. Earlier, we were infants and young children, and consequently more vulnerable ; later, we shall undergo a progressive loss of our vigour and resistance which, though vague at first, will finally become so steep that we can live no longer, however well we look after ourselves, and however well society, and our doctors, look after us. This decline in vigour with the passing of time is called ageing. It is one of the most unpleasant discoveries which we all make that we must decline in this way, that if we escape wars, accidents and disease we shall eventually "die of old age", and that this happens at a rate which differs little from person to person, so that there are heavy odds in favor of our dying between the ages of sixty-five and eighty. Some of us will die sooner, a few will live longer -- on into a ninth or tenth decade. But the chances are against it, and there is a virtual limit on how long we can hope to remain alive, however lucky and physically strong we are. Normal people tend to forget this process unless and until they are reminded of it. We are so familiar with the fact that man ages, that people have for years assumed that the process of losing vigour with time, of becoming more likely to die the older we get, was something self-evident, like the cooling of a hot kettle or the wearing-out of a pair of shoes. They have also assumed that all animals, and probably other organisms such as trees, or even the universe itself, must in the nature of things "wear out". Most animals we commonly observe do in fact age as we do, if given the chance to live long enough; and mechanical systems like a wound watch, or the sun, do in fact ran out of energy in accordance with the second law of thermodynamics . But these are not similar or equivalent to what happens when man... What does "ageing" mean according to the passage? A) It is a fact that people cannot live any longer. B) It refers to a gradual loss of vigor and resistance. C) It is usually a phenomenon of dying at an old age. D) It is a period when people are easily attacked by illness.
B
Over the years, Americans have become used to salt.Most people have no idea how much salt they consume-on average, about 9 to 12 gram per person per day, according to the American Heart Association.That's twice the amount recommended by the government. A new study last week showed eating even a little less salt could greatly help the heart.The scientists said the results would be thirteen percent fewer heart attacks, eight percent fewer strokes , four percent fewer deaths and eleven percent fewer new cases of heart disease. Researchers also found that the benefits would be greatest for African Americans and women.As a group, African Americans tend to have higher blood pressure than the general population, and "many studies suggest that they may be more sensitive to salt," says Dr.Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, an epidemiologist at the University of California, San Francisco.Her analysis found that a reduction of 3 gram of salt per day would reduce heart attacks 8% on average; among African Americans, that rate would drop 10%.A similar result was found in women, whose stroke risk dropped 8% with a 3-g reduction in salt intake; in men, the risk fell 5%. They and public health professionals in the United States are interested in a national campaign to persuade people to eat less salt. However, other scientists say such a campaign is an experiment with the health of millions of people. Michael Alderman, a high blood pressure expert and professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, says that eating less salt results in lower blood pressure.But he says studies have not clearly shown that lowering salt means fewer heart attacks or strokes. "Salt has other biological effects. Calling for reductions in the national diet could have good effects, as well as harmful results. There is not enough evidence either way,"said Michael Alderman. Eating too much salt may lead to the following EXCEPT _ . A) stroke B) heart disease C) high blood pressure D) lung cancer
D
(Q).
It's a Friday night. Your girl friends are out at a bar and your boyfriend is playing soccer with his mates. Two text messages later, you're eating pizza and watching action movies with three guy friends. Perfect. "Guy friends" have the potential to enrich your life in ways that female friends and boyfriends just can't. For starters, they provide an insider's perspective on how men think, feel and behave. When dealing with male relatives, coworkers and even boyfriends, another man's point of view can be incredibly useful. Three hours spent analyzing a situation in a cafe with your girlfriends can't compete with a quick chat to a guy friend. Many women find that time spent with male friends can be a liberating and somewhat refreshing break from spending time with the girls. Without the judgmental gaze of other females, there is less pressure to dress up and compete for attention. Traditionally, girl-guy friendships are seen as hard to maintain. Most relationships between males and females that we come across in our day-to-day lives, whether in movies or books, are romantic by nature. These cultural images make girl-guy friendships seem impossible. Yet in reality, as gender roles loosen and equality becomes a norm in the workplace, it has become much more common for platonic friendships to blossom. "The belief that men and women can't be friends comes from another era in which women were at home and men were in the workplace, and the only way they could get together was for romance," explains psychologist Linda Sapadin to Psychology Today magazine. "Now they work together and share sports interests and socialize together." "My boyfriend has met all of my guy friends so he's quite accepting of me hanging out with them," says Nellie. "Because we've been dating so long, there's a level of trust where he knows I will make the right decision when choosing who to be friends with. "He understands that the kind of time that I spend differs between guys and girls. When I'm out with the girls, we're gossiping or talking... According to what Nellie said, _ A) Her boyfriend enjoys she and her guy friend stay together. B) When I'm out with the boys, we're not gossiping or talking about clothes. C) Sometimes whatmy guy friends giveisjustwhatI need. D) My boyfriend trusts me so heaccepts my decision.
(A).
C