首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
外语
It looks unlikely that medical science will abolish the process of ageing. But it no longer looks impossible. "In the long r
It looks unlikely that medical science will abolish the process of ageing. But it no longer looks impossible. "In the long r
admin
2010-01-10
67
问题
It looks unlikely that medical science will abolish the process of ageing. But it no longer looks impossible.
"In the long run," as John Maynard Keynes observed, "we are all dead." True. But can the short run be elongatedin a way that makes the long run longer? And if so, how, and at what cost? People have dreamt of immorality since ancient times. Now, with the growth of biological knowledge that has marked the past few decades, a few researchers believe it might be within reach.
To think about the question, it is important to understand why organisms — people included —age in the first place. People are like machines, they wear out. That much is obvious. However, a machine can always be repaired. A good mechanic with a stock of spare parts can keep it going indefinitely. Eventually, no part of the original may remain, but it still carries on, like Lincoln’s famous axe that had three new handles and two new blades.
The question, of course, is whether the machine is worth repairing. It is here that people and nature disagree. Or, to put it slightly differently, two bits of nature disagree with each other. From the individual’s point of view, survival is an imperative. A fear of death is a sensible evolved response and, since ageing is a sure way of dying, it is no surprise that people want to stop it in its tracks. Moreover, even the appearance of ageing can be harmful. It reduces the range of potential sexual partners who find you attractive and thus, again, curbs your reproduction.
The paradox is that the individual’s evolved desire not to age is opposed by another evolutionary force, the disposable soma. The soma is all of a body’s cells apart from the sex cells. The soma’s role is to get those sex cells, and thus the organism’s genes, into the next generation. If the soma is a chicken, then it really is just an egg’s way of making another egg. And if evolutionary logic requires the soma to age and die in order for this to happen, so be it. Which is a pity, for evolutionary logic does, indeed, seem to require that.
The argument is this. All organisms are going to die of something eventually. That something may be an accident, a fight, a disease or an encounter with a hungry predator. There is thus a premium on reproducing early rather than conserving resources for a future that may never come. The reason why repairs are not perfect is that they are costly and resources invested in them might be used for reproduction instead. Often, therefore, the body’s mechanics prefer lash-ups to complete rebuilds — or simply do not bother with the job at all. And if that is so, the place to start looking for longer life is in the repair shop.
What do we know from the passage about people and nature?
选项
A、People and nature exist in harmony and hardly disagree.
B、The evolutionary force in nature helps delay the ageing process.
C、People seem now in a position to harness nature.
D、Death is the reality in nature people should come to terms with.
答案
D
解析
这也是道上下文理解题。这个题目的解题句是倒数第二段和第三段。“It is here that people and nature disagree.Or,to put it slightly differently,two bits of nature disagree with each other”这里人们和自然并不总是和谐的,所以排除了A。“The paradox is that the individual’s evolved desire not to age is opposed by another evolutionary force:the disposable soma.”(自相矛盾的是人们这种进化的不想老的欲望和另外一种进化力量相左,那就是老化的肉体。)故可以看出D便是答案。
转载请注明原文地址:https://kaotiyun.com/show/N70O777K
本试题收录于:
NAETI中级口译笔试题库外语翻译证书(NAETI)分类
0
NAETI中级口译笔试
外语翻译证书(NAETI)
相关试题推荐
Theprogressofcivilizationitselfcanbemeasuredbyitsrangeofmathematics.
Scientistsstudyingtheactivityofthelivingbrainwithwidelyusednewimagingtechniqueshavebeenmissingsomeoftheearli
Forallitsextremes,Venusisa(n)incalculablelaboratoryforresearchersstudyingtheweatherandclimateofearth.
AfederaljudgeonMondaycertifieda$200billionclassactionlawsuitagainstthetobaccoindustryforitsmarketingoflight
Whereveroneworks,asateacher,heorsheshouldbeerudite,patientandhelpful.
Wearenotconsciousoftheextentofwhichworkprovidesthepsychologicalsatisfactionthatcanmakethedifferencebetweena
Thedichotomypostulatedbymanybetweenidealismandrealismisoneofthestandardclichesoftheongoingdebateoverinternat
Oneofthemostinterestinginhabitantsofourworldisthebee,aninsectwhichisindigenoustoallpartsoftheglobeexcept
Hewastoobusytodoanyexerciseatalluntilheturned58.Andheisinmuchbetter________nowthaneverbefore.
国有商业银行在市场化转型中已经取得重大进展。新增贷款质量明显好转,存量信贷结构有所优化,机构、人员得到精简,技术与业务创新能力增强,国际化经营步伐加快,资产质量出现了实质性好转,经营效益连创历史最好水平,与国际商业银行的差距正在不断缩小。//伴随
随机试题
妊娠________周以后,经腹可触及子宫内胎体,妊娠________周以后,触诊时能区分胎头、胎背、胎臀和胎儿肢体。
女性,64岁,车祸后4小时,临床高度怀疑骨盆粉碎性骨折。查体:血压80/54mmHg,脉搏128次/分,呼吸32次/分,经输血、输液等治疗后,病人血压和中心静脉压均升高不明显。考虑可能的原因为
3岁小儿不慎将异物误吸进气管后入院行全麻后支气管镜下取出异物,为避免麻醉后呛咳反应减弱使食物误入气管,护士应告知家长术后应禁食
排土场又称废石场,是指露天矿山采矿排弃物集中排放的场所。排土场作为矿山接纳废石的场所,是露天矿开采的基本工序之一,当排土场受大气降雨或地表水的浸润作用,排土场内堆积体的稳定状态会迅速恶化,引发滑坡和泥石流等灾害。以下不属于排土场滑坡类型为(
施工总承包管理模式与施工总承包模式( )。
S公司采用成本与可变现净值孰低法对存货进行期末计价,成本与可变现净值按单项存货进行比较。2008年2月31日,A、B、C三种存货成本与可变现净值分别为:A存货成本18万元,可变现净值为16万元;B存货成本18万元,可变现净值22万元;C存货成本27万元,可
下列因素中,与固定增长股票内在价值呈反方向变化的有()。
管理评审是为了评审质量管理体系的适宜性、充分性和有效性,其中有效性是指_________。
基克认为,一般性的问题解决大致包括哪些阶段?()
维护个人利益是个人行为的唯一动机。因此,维护个人利益是影响个人行为的主要因素。以下哪项如果为真,最能削弱题干论证?
最新回复
(
0
)