Aging happens to all of us ,and is generally thought of as a natural part of life. It would seem silly to call such a thing a "disease".On the other hand,scientists are increasingly learning that aging and biological age are two different things,and that the former is a key risk factor for conditions such as heart disease,cancer and many more. In that light,aging itself might be seen as something treatable, the way you would treat high blood pressure or a vitamin deficiency.Biophysicist Alex Zhavoronkov believes that aging should be considered a disease. He said that describing aging as a disease creates incentives to develop treatments."It unties the hands of the pharmaceutical(制药的)industry so that they can begin treating the disease and not just the side effects, "he said."Right now, people think of aging as natural and something you can't control "he said. "in academic circles, people take aging research as just an interest area where they can try to develop interventions. The medical community also takes aging for granted, and can do nothing about it except keep people within a certain health range."But if aging were recognized as a disease, he said, "it would attract funding and change the way we do health care. What matters is understanding that aging is curable. ""It was always known that the body accumulates damage," he added. "The only way to cure aging is to find ways to repair that damage. I think of it as preventive medicine for age—related conditions."Leonard Hayflick, a professor at the university of CalifoNia, San Francisco, said the idea that aging can be cured implies the human lifespan can be increased, which some researchers suggest is possible. Hayflick is not among them." There 're many people who recover from cancer, stroke or heart disease. But they continue to age, because aging is separate from their disease, " Hayflick said."Even if those causes of death were eliminated, life expectancy would still not go much beyond 92 years."What do people generally believe about aging?A.It should cause no alarm whatsoever.B.They just cannot do anything about it.C.It should be regarded as a kind of disease.D.They can delay it with advances in scienceHow do many scientists view aging now?A.It might be prevented and treated.B.It results from a vitamin deficiency.C.It can be as risky as heart disease.D.It is an irreversible biological process.What does Alex Zhavoronkov think of "describing aging as a disease" ?A.It will prompt people to take aging more seriously.B.It will greatly help reduce the side effects of aging.C.It will free pharmacists from the conventional beliefs about aging.D.It will motivate doctors and pharmacists to find ways to treat aging.What do we learn about the medical community?A.They now have a strong interest in research or aging.B.They differ from the academic circles in their view on aging.C.They can contribute to people's health only to a limited extent.D.They have ways to intervene in people's aging process.What does Professor Leonard Hayflick believe?A.The human lifespan cannot be prolonged.B.Aging is hardly separable from disease.C.Few people live up to the age of 92.D.Heart disease is the major cause of aging.
Aging happens to all of us ,and is generally thought of as a natural part of life. It would seem silly to call such a thing a "disease".
On the other hand,scientists are increasingly learning that aging and biological age are two different things,and that the former is a key risk factor for conditions such as heart disease,cancer and many more. In that light,aging itself might be seen as something treatable, the way you would treat high blood pressure or a vitamin deficiency.
Biophysicist Alex Zhavoronkov believes that aging should be considered a disease. He said that describing aging as a disease creates incentives to develop treatments.
"It unties the hands of the pharmaceutical(制药的)industry so that they can begin treating the disease and not just the side effects, "he said.
"Right now, people think of aging as natural and something you can't control "he said. "in academic circles, people take aging research as just an interest area where they can try to develop interventions. The medical community also takes aging for granted, and can do nothing about it except keep people within a certain health range."
But if aging were recognized as a disease, he said, "it would attract funding and change the way we do health care. What matters is understanding that aging is curable. "
"It was always known that the body accumulates damage," he added. "The only way to cure aging is to find ways to repair that damage. I think of it as preventive medicine for age—related conditions."
Leonard Hayflick, a professor at the university of CalifoNia, San Francisco, said the idea that aging can be cured implies the human lifespan can be increased, which some researchers suggest is possible. Hayflick is not among them.
" There 're many people who recover from cancer, stroke or heart disease. But they continue to age, because aging is separate from their disease, " Hayflick said."Even if those causes of death were eliminated, life expectancy would still not go much beyond 92 years."
What do people generally believe about aging?
A.It should cause no alarm whatsoever.
B.They just cannot do anything about it.
C.It should be regarded as a kind of disease.
D.They can delay it with advances in science
How do many scientists view aging now?
A.It might be prevented and treated.
B.It results from a vitamin deficiency.
C.It can be as risky as heart disease.
D.It is an irreversible biological process.
What does Alex Zhavoronkov think of "describing aging as a disease" ?
A.It will prompt people to take aging more seriously.
B.It will greatly help reduce the side effects of aging.
C.It will free pharmacists from the conventional beliefs about aging.
D.It will motivate doctors and pharmacists to find ways to treat aging.
What do we learn about the medical community?
A.They now have a strong interest in research or aging.
B.They differ from the academic circles in their view on aging.
C.They can contribute to people's health only to a limited extent.
D.They have ways to intervene in people's aging process.
What does Professor Leonard Hayflick believe?
A.The human lifespan cannot be prolonged.
B.Aging is hardly separable from disease.
C.Few people live up to the age of 92.
D.Heart disease is the major cause of aging.
题目解答
答案
- (1)B
- (2)A
- (3)D
- (4)C
- (5)A
解析
- 考查要点：本题主要考查学生对文章主旨的理解，以及根据上下文推断作者观点的能力。需要准确识别不同人物对“衰老是否是疾病”的不同态度，并提取关键信息。
- 解题核心：通过定位关键句，对比选项与原文的一致性。注意区分科学家（Alex Zhavoronkov）与反对者（Leonard Hayflick）的观点差异。
- 破题关键：抓住人物观点前的信号词（如“believes”“said”），以及表示因果关系的短语（如“in that light”“if...would”）。
第（1）题
关键句：
- “people think of aging as natural and something you can't control”（第3段）
选项分析： - B选项“They just cannot do anything about it”直接对应文中“can't control”，体现普通人的无能为力感。
第（2）题
关键句：
- 科学家认为“aging itself might be seen as something treatable”（第2段），且“aging is curable”（第4段）。
选项分析： - A选项“It might be prevented and treated”最接近“treatable”和“curable”的含义，体现科学家的积极态度。
第（3）题
关键句：
- Alex Zhavoronkov认为“describing aging as a disease creates incentives to develop treatments”（第4段）。
选项分析： - D选项“motivate doctors and pharmacists to find ways to treat aging”直接对应“incentives to develop treatments”，强调激励作用。
第（4）题
关键句：
- 医疗界现状：“can do nothing about it except keep people within a certain health range”（第3段）。
选项分析： - C选项“They can contribute to people's health only to a limited extent”准确反映医疗界的局限性。
第（5）题
关键句：
- Hayflick认为“life expectancy would still not go much beyond 92 years”（第6段），暗示寿命无法显著延长。
选项分析： - A选项“The human lifespan cannot be prolonged”与Hayflick的核心观点一致。