A
What will people die of 100 years from now? If you think that is a simple question, you have not been paying attention to the revolution that is taking place in biotechnology (生物科技). With_the_help_of_new_medicine,_the_human_body_will_last_a_very_long_time. Death will come mainly from accidents, murder and war. Today's leading killers, such as heart disease, cancer, and aging itself, will become distant memories.
In discussion of technological changes, the Internet gets most of attention these days. But the change in medicine can be the real technological event of our times. How long can humans live? Human brains were known to decide the final death. Cells are the basic units of all living things, and until recently, scientists were sure that the life of cells could not go much beyond 120 years because the basic materials of cells, such as those of brain cells, would not last forever. But the upper limits will be broken by new medicine. Sometime between 2050 and 2100, medicine will have advanced to the point at which every 10 years or so, people will be able to take medicine to repair their organs. The medicine, made up of the basic building materials of life, will build new brain cells, heart cells and so on, in much the same way our bodies make new skin cells to take the place of old ones.
It is exciting to imagine that the advance in technology may be changing the most basic condition of human existence, but many technical problems still must be cleared up on the way to this wonderful future.
语篇解读：在未来的100年，人类的生命由于生物科技的发展可以无限期延长的愿望有可能成为现实。
1．According to the passage, human death is now mainly caused by ________.
A．diseases and aging B．accidents and war
C．accidents and aging D．heart disease and war
解析：选A 细节理解题。由文章第一段的最后一句可知，当今生命的主要杀手有心脏病、癌症和衰老。
2．Humans may live longer in the future because ________.
A．heart disease will be far away from us
B．human brains can decide the final death
C．the basic materials of cells will last forever
D．human organs can be repaired by new medicine
解析：选D 推理判断题。由第二段的后半部分可知，在2050～2100年间，每隔10年左右，人们可以通过服药来修复生病或衰老的器官，这是未来生命延长的原因。
3．How long can humans live in the future according to the passage?
A．Over 100 years. B．More than 120 years.
C．About 150 years. D．The passage doesn't tell us.
解析：选D 细节理解题。阅读全文可知，文章没有具体告诉我们人们将来能活多少年。
