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Is there a way to turn
back the aging process in people? For centuries, people have been looking for a
"fountain
of youth". The
idea is that if you find a magical fountain, and drink its water, you will not
age.
Researchers in New York
did not find an actual fountain of youth, but they may have found a way to turn
back the aging process.
It appears that the answer may be called the hypothalamus(下丘脑), which is part of your brain. It
controls important body activities, including growth, the way we process food
and so on.
Researchers at New York's
Albert Einstein College of Medicine found that hypothalamus neural stem cells(干细胞) also influence how fast aging takes place.
Dongsheng Cai, a
professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, was the leading researcher in
a study on aging in mice.
He and his team reported their findings.
"Aging speed can be controlled
by a particular place in the body, which is the hypothalamus. And it
can be controlled by a particular type of cells, which are hypothalamus stem
cells. "He
added that when the hypothalamus starts aging, so does the body. So when
hypothalamus function is in decline, particularly the loss of hypothalamus stem
cells, and this protection against the aging development is lost, it eventually
leads to aging.
Using this information,
the researchers began trying to activate the hypothalamus in laboratory mice. They
did this by injecting the animals with stem cells.
The researchers said the
results showed that the treatment slowed aging in the animals. "When we
injected the hypothalamus stem cells to the middle-aged mice, the mice aged
slowly and they can also live longer."
But these results were
just from studying mice in a laboratory. If the
mice can live longer, does that mean people could have longer lives? The next
step is to see if the anti-aging effects also work in human beings.
"If we can translate what we
have seen in animals to humans, I think humans can function better during later
ages."
Cai and his team say their study may have other benefits. They
say the findings could lead to new ways to help doctors identify and treat any
number of age-related health issues.
(1)
Why does the author mention the "fountain of youth" in the first paragraph?
A . To explain what the "fountain of youth" is.
B . To introduce the hypothalamus.
C . To show how to find the "fountain of youth".
D . To help people find the "fountain of youth".
(2)
What does the underlined word "It" in Paragraph 2 refer to?
A . The brain.
B . The aging process.
C . Hypothalamus.
D . The stem cell.
(3)
What do we know about the study done by Cai?
A . They have found a way to turn back the aging process.
B . The brain controls growth, reproduction and the way we process food.
C . The decrease of hypothalamus stem cells can lead to aging.
D . The findings have been applied to human beings.
(4)
Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?
A . The Fountain of Youth
B . A New Discovery About Aging
C . The Ways of Slowing Down Aging
D . Hypothalamus—the Fountain of Youth
答案: B
C
C
D