2019年3月天津高考英语试卷

第二部分

C

Essentially, everyone has two ages: a chronological（按时间计算的）age, how old the calendar says you are, and a biological age, basically the age at which your body functions as it compares to average fitness or health levels.

“Chronological age isn’t how old we really are. It’s merely a number,” said Professor David Sinclair at Harvard University. “It is biological age that determines our health and ultimately our lifespan. We all age biologically at different rates according to our genes, what we eat, how much we exercise, and what environment we live in. Biological age is the number of candles we really should be blowing out. In the future, with advances in our ability to control biological age, we may have even fewer candles on our birthday cake than the previous one.

To calculate biological age, Professor Levine at Yale University identified nine biomarkers（生物标志）that seemed to be the most influential on lifespan by a simple blood test. The numbers of those markers, such as blood sugar and immune（免疫的）measures, can be put into the computer, and the algorithm（算式，算法）does the rest.

Perhaps what’s most important here is that these measures can be changed. Doctors can take this information and help patients make changes to lifestyle, and hopefully take steps to improve their biological conditions. “I think the most exciting thing about this research is that these things aren’t set in stone,” Levine said. “People can be given the information earlier and take steps to improve their health before it’s too late.”

Levine even entered her own numbers into the algorithm. She was surprised by the results. “ I always considered myself a very healthy person. I’m physically active; I eat what I consider a fairly healthy diet. But I did not find my results to be as good as I had hoped they would be. It was a wake-up call,” she said.

Levine is working with a group to provide access to the algorithm online so that anyone can calculate their biological age, identify potential risks and take steps to improve their health in the long run. “No one wants to live an extremely long life with a lot of chronic（慢性的）diseases,” Levine said. “By delaying the development of mental and physical functioning problems, people can still be engaged in society in their senior years. That is the ideal we should be pursuing.”

46. Biological age depends on ______.

A. whether we can adapt ourselves to the environment

B. how well our body works compared with our peers’

C. when we start to take outdoor exercise

D. what the calendar says about our age

47. By saying “ we may have even fewer candles on our birthday cake than the previous one” in Para. 2, the author means ______.

A. we don’t have to celebrate our birthday every year

B. we are chronologically older than last year

C. we might be less happy than the previous year

D. we may be biologically younger than the year before

48. According to Professor Levine, what is the most exciting thing about her research?

A. The measures are not fixed.

B. Health services can be set up.

C. The problems are not that serious.

D. The research results are written in stone.

49. What does the author want to tell us by Levine’s example in Para. 5?

A. It is necessary to change our diet regularly.

B. The test results may give us wrong information.

C. Waking up early in the morning is good for our fitness.

D. The algorithm can reveal our potential health problems.

50. The ultimate goal of Levine’s research is to ______.

A. free people from chronic diseases

B. work out a solution to genetic problems

C. keep people socially active even in old age

D. provide people with access to scientific theory

D

When I graduated from high school, I wanted to major in comparative literature. But, once I found out my friends were going into “real”majors, like marketing, nursing, and engineering, I figured I needed to do the same to ensure a good career. So I changed my mind and choose Business Management as my major. I forced myself to believe that I would enjoy it and succeed in the future, but eventually I exhausted myself understanding the economy and trying new marketing techniques. Coming out of this experience, I realize it is ok to be different from others and to study things like classic art history and other majors offered in the College of Humanities（人文学科）.

The worries most people have about a Humanities degree and finding a career afterwards are that the majors are too abstract, and one will not obtain any applicable skills. Actually ideas discussed in Humanities classes which are occasionally different from what people commonly believe, offer a broad perspective（视角）. How could one effectively be an unbiased（无偏见的） writer with only a knowledge of the popular opinion of society? How could one speak persuasively with closed minds? Only seeing the world through a single perspective leads to missed learning, missed friendships, and missed growth! With a broader perspective, we will be more free, more open-minded, and less limited in what we can become.

STEM(science, technology, engineering and mathematics) graduates learn actual skills in their studies while humanities majors learn “soft skills” like communicating effectively through writing critically and speaking persuasively, synthesizing（综合）ideas through gathering and interpreting information, and developing cultural awareness. Do those soft skills sound useless and inapplicable to you? Think of it. How often do you communicate with others? Produce ideas? Encounter people from other cultures? Every day. Every SECOND of every day. So why not master these skills?

If you choose a major in the College of Humanities, you will be needed. The job market is quietly creating thousands of openings a week for people who can bring a humanist’s grace to our rapidly evolving high-tech future. Your skills will be valuable to any workplace you hope to be in. Chase after your dream major with all your energy, no matter what other people think.

51. Why did the author choose Business Management as his major at first?

A. He was tired of learning comparative literature.

B. He came to enjoy learning marketing techniques.

C. He wanted to go to the same university as his friends.

D. He believed Business Management was more practical.

52. According to the author, what is a possible way to gain a broad perspective?

A. Making more friends and learning from them.

B. Exchanging ideas in a philosophy seminar.

C. Opening your mind to future possibilities.

D. Getting to know the popular opinion of society.

53. In which of the following situations do soft skills play the most important role?

A. Writing a software program.

B. Performing a heart operation.

C. Playing a musical instrument.

D. Negotiating with a business partner.

54. The author believes the job market for Humanities graduates is ______.

A. recovering         B. depressing         C. promising          D. challenging

55. What could be the best title for this passage?

A. Stick to Your Desired Major

B. Broaden Your Perspective

C. How to Acquire Soft Skills

D. Humanities vs. STEM