Reading comprehension

1 What two factors for long life do scientists usually investigate?

• where people live and what their lifestyles are

• genetic factors and environmental factors

• people’s diet and activity when they were young

Diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure…

• are common illnesses in elderly people.

• teach scientists a lot about old age and long life.

• are never found among a group of people in Ecuador.

What do some people from Calabria and Okinawa have in common?

• They suffer from diabetes.

• They have an unusual genetic illness.

• They live long and healthy lives.

According to the article, …

• scientists are investigating people who are 120 years old.

• scientific advances mean we will all live to at least 100 years.

• scientists have found genes that might influence how long we live.

The “wellderly” …

• need medicine for typical illnesses of old age.

• are over 80 years old and in good health.

• are elderly people with health problems.

According to the article, …

• people who live in small villages have healthier lifestyles.

• in parts of Italy and Japan, most people live to be a hundred.

• some communities in Italy and Japan have been studied by scientists.

Healthy elderly people …

• often say that their diet is the most important thing.

• don’t usually know what the secret to long life is.

• give many different reasons for their old age.

Laron syndrome …

• affects people’s height.

• affects only men in Hawaii.

• often leads to diabetes.

Laron syndrome is interesting to scientists because …

• it might help people with growth problems.

• it shows that there is a genetic reason for old age

• there are different versions of the syndrome.

Scientist think that healthy

old age …

• is the result of the interaction of different factors.

• is a genetic condition in European women.

• was more common in the 19th century than it is today.