Scientists have discovered that living to the age of 100 may have nothing to do with the lifestyle you lead and everything to do with the type of genes you have.
For the lucky carriers of “Methuselah” genes， worries over smoking， eating unhealthily and not getting enough exercise may not be as necessary as to those of us without the special gene pattern. The “Methuselah” genes could give extra protection against the diseases of old age such as cancer and heart disease. They could also protect people against the effects of the unhealthy lifestyles that we believe will lead us to an early death， scientists say. However， the genes are very rare.
The genes include ADIPOQ， which is found in about 10 percent of young people but in nearly 30 percent of people living past 100. They also include the CETP and the ApoC3 genes， which are found in 10 percent of young people， but in about 20 percent of people over 100 years old.
Some of those genes were discovered by a research group at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York， led by Professor Nir Barzilai. The team studied the genes of over 500 people over 100 years old， and their children.
The studies show that tiny mutations (变异) in the make-up of some genes can greatly increase a person’s lifespan. Barzilai told a Royal Society conference that the discovery of such genes gave scientists clear targets for developing drugs that could prevent age-related diseases， allow people to live longer and stay healthy.
David Gems， a researcher at University College London， believes that drugs to slow ageing will become widespread.
“If we know which genes control longevity (长寿) then we can... target them with drugs. That makes it possible to slow down ageing，” he told The Times.
“Much of the pain and suffering in the world are caused by ageing. If we can find a way to reduce that， then we are obliged to take it.”
小题1:Which genes could give extra protection against the diseases
of old age？ (No more than 3 words) (2 marks)
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小题2: Whom did Barzilai’s team study？ (No more than 10 words) (2 marks)
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小题3: What can greatly increase a person’s lifespan？ (No more than 10 words) (3 marks)
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小题4:What can scientists do if they are aware which genes control longevity？(No more than 6 words) (3 marks)
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