第十四篇：Azeri Hills Hold Secret of Long Life

You can see for kilometers from the mountains where Allahverdi Ibadovherds his small flock of sheep amid a sea of yellow, red, and purple wildflowers,The view from Amburdere in southern Azerbaijan toward the Iranian border isspectacular, but Mr: Ibadov barely gives it a second glance.

Why should he? He's been coming here nearly every day for 100 years.

According to his carefully preserved passport, Mr. Ibadov, whose birthwas not registered until he was a toddler,is at least 105 years old. His wife,who died two years ago, was even older. They are among the dozens of people inthis beautiful, isolated region who live extraordinarily long lives.

Mr. Ibadov's eldest son has just turned 70. He lost count long ago ofhow many grandchildren he has. 1,, I'm an old man now I look after the sheep,and I prepare the wood for winter. I still have something to do. "

A lifetime of toil, it seems, takes very few people to an early grave inthis region. Scientists

admit there appears to be something in theAzeri mountains that gives local people a longer,

healthier life than most.

Miri Ismailov's family in the tiny village of Tatoni are convinced thatthey know what it is.

Mr. Ismailov is 110, hisgreat-great-grandson is four. They share one proud boast:Neither has been to adoctor. "There are hundreds of herbs on the mountain, and we use them allin our cooking and for medicines" ;explained Mr. Ismailov's daughter,Elmira. "We know exactly what they can do. We are our own doctors. "

There is one herb for high blood pressure, another for kidney stones,and a third for a hacking cough. They are carefully collected from the slopessurrounding the village. Experts from the Azerbaijan Academy of Science believethe herbs may be part of the answer. They have been

studying longevity in this region foryears. It began as a rare joint Soviet-American project in the

1980s, but these studies are not beingfunded any more.

Azeri scientists have isolated a type of saffron unique to the southernmountains as one thing that seems to increase longevity. Another plant, madeinto a paste, dramatically increases the amount of milk that animals are ableto produce. "Now we have to examine these plants clinically to find outwhich substances have this effect," said Chingiz Gassimov, a scientist atthe academy.

The theory that local people have also developed a geneticpredisposition to long life has been strengthened by the study of a group ofRussian emigres whose ancestors were exiled to the

Caucasus 200 years ago. 2 The Russians'life span is much shorter than that of the indigenous

mountain folk -- though it is appreciablylonger than that of their ancestors left behind in the

Russian heartland.

"Over the decades, I believe local conditions have begun to have apositive effect on the new arrivals", Professor Gassimov said. "It'sbeen slowly transferred down the generations. "

But Mr. Ismailov, gripping his stout wooden cane, has been around fortoo long to get

overexcited. "There's no secret,"he shrugged dismissively. "I look after the cattle and I eat well.

Life goes on. "

注釋：

1.He lostcount long ago of how many grandchildren he has.他很久以前就數(shù)不清他有多少個孫輩孩子。lostcount：弄不清楚，數(shù)不清

2.The theorythat local people have also developed a genetic predisposition to long life hasbeen strengthened by the study of a group of Russian 6migr6s whose ancestorswere exiled to the Caucasus 200 years ago.當(dāng)?shù)厝艘呀?jīng)具備長壽的遺傳素質(zhì)，一組關(guān)于俄羅斯移民的研究證實了這一理論。他們的祖先在兩百年前被流放到高加索地區(qū)。9enetic predisposition：遺傳素質(zhì)

練習(xí)：

1. Amburdere is a city in SouthernAzerbaijan.

A Right

B Wrong

C Not mentioned

2. Allahverdi Ibadov does not know exactlyhow old he is.

A Right

B Wrong

C Not mentioned

3. Mr. Ibadov can't do any kind of workanymore.

A Right

B Wrong

C Not mentioned

4. Miri Ismailov has never been to a doctorbut his great-great-grandson has.

A Right

B Wrong

C Not mentioned

5. People in this region enjoy a easy andrich life.

A Right

B Wrong

C Not mentioned

6. Elmira Ismailov is a doctor who usesherbs as medicines,

A Right

B Wrong

C Not mentioned

7. Scientists think people's s might affect holy.long they live.

A Right

B Wrong

C Not mentioned

答案與題解：

1.A 從第一段的第二句前半句The viewfrom Amburdere in southern Azerbaijan toward the

Iranian border is spectaeular中的Amburderein southern Azerbaijan可以看出，Amburdere在Azerbaijan的南部。

2.A通過第三段的第一句中的Mr.Ibadov，whose birthwas not registered until he was a toddler以及at least l05 yearsold可以斷定，連他自己也不知道他的確切年齡。

3.B從第四段的Mr.Ibadov自己的敘述：“I'm anold man now I look after the sheep.and I

prepare the wood for winter.I still havesomething to do.”可以看出，Ibadov仍舊在勞作。

4.B第六段講的是MiriIsmailov一家人都住在一個小山村里，他ll0歲，他的玄孫4歲，他們有同一個引以為豪的事：都沒有看過醫(yī)生。本句說Ismailov沒有看過醫(yī)生，而他的玄孫看過醫(yī)生。

5.c本句的意思是：這個地區(qū)的人們生活無憂無慮且富足。本文雖然提到這個地區(qū)的人們身體健康且長壽，但沒有提及他們的生活情況。

6.B第六段和第七段雖然講我們是我們自己的醫(yī)生，這是一個比喻，意思是我們不用醫(yī)生，我們吃的東西(山上的植物)具有保健作用。所以Elmira的職業(yè)不是醫(yī)生。

7.A本句的意思是：科學(xué)家們認為，基因可能影響人們的壽命。第九段的第一句所表達的意思與本句相符：當(dāng)?shù)厝司邆淞碎L壽的遺傳素質(zhì)(genetic predisposition)，他們具有長壽基因。

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（責(zé)任編輯：vstara）

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