Reading comprehension:
Read the article and choose the correct option.
1. What two factors for long life do scientists usually investigate?
a) where people live and what their lifestyles are
b) genetic factors and environmental factors
c) people’s diet and activity when they were young
2. Diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure …
a) are common illnesses in elderly people.
b) teach scientists a lot about old age and long life.
c) are never found among a group of people in Ecuador.
3. What do some people from Calabria and Okinawa have in common?
a) They suffer from diabetes.
b) They have an unusual genetic illness.
c) They live long and healthy lives.
d) Read the article again and choose the correct option.
4. According to the article, …
a) scientists are investigating people who are 120 years old.
b) scientific advances mean we will all live to at least 100 years.
c) scientists have found genes that might influence how long we live.
5. The ‘wellderly’ …
a) need medicine for typical illnesses of old age.
b) are over 80 years old and in good health.
c) are elderly people with health problems.
6. According to the article, …
a) people who live in small villages have healthier lifestyles.
b) in parts of Italy and Japan, most people live to be a hundred.
c) some communities in Italy and Japan have been studied by scientists.
7. Healthy elderly people ...
a) often say that their diet is the most important thing.
b) don’t usually know what the secret to long life is.
c) give many different reasons for their old age.
8. Laron syndrome …
a) affects people's height.
b) affects only men in Hawaii.
c) often leads to diabetes.
9. Laron syndrome is interesting to scientists because …
a) it might help people with growth problems.
b) it shows that there is a genetic reason for old age.
c) there are different versions of the syndrome.
10. Scientist think that healthy old age …
a) is the result of the interaction of different factors.
b) is a genetic condition in European women.
c) was more common in the 19th century than it is today.