The world’s oldest living person Maria Branyas Morera has turned 117 on March 4, 2024. Maria was born in San Francisco before she moved to Spain’s Catalonia when she was eight. She has been in the same nursing home for the past 23 years. Maria won the incredible title of the world’s oldest living person after French nun Lucile Randon died aged 118 in January last year.
The staff of the nursing home says Maria has no physical or mental problems beyond hearing difficulties and challenges related to walking. Maria’s exceptional health at such an age has forced scientists to study her body. Scientist Manel Esteller said: “She has a completely lucid head. She remembers with impressive clarity events from when she was only four years old, and she does not present any cardiovascular (心血管的) disease, common in elderly people. It is clear that there is a genetic component because there are several members of her family who are over 90 years old.”
Maria has agreed to undergo scientific testing by researchers who hope to gain an insight into the secrets to long life. Researchers have collected samples of Maria’s saliva, blood and urine and will compare them with those of her 80-year-old daughter. Scientists hope that studying Maria’s genes will help with the development of drugs which could fight diseases associated with ageing.
Maria has lived through the 1918 pandemic, the two World Wars and Spain’s civil war. She got married in 1931 to a doctor named Joan Moret, with whom she had three children. While her husband passed away in 1976, Maria has lived longer than their only son, August, who died in a tragic tractor accident at the age of 86. She now has two daughters, 11 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
Maria is now the 12th oldest verified (被认证的) person in history — and will climb to take the fifth spot if she reaches her 118th birthday next year. The oldest person ever was Frenchwoman Jeanne Calment, who lived to the age of 122 years and 164 days.
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1.When did Maria Branyas Morera move to Spain?
A In 1907.
B In 1915.
C In 1920.
D In 1930.
解析：选B。B 数字计算题。根据第一段的“Maria Branyas Morera has turned 117 on March 4, 2024”2024年3月4日，玛丽亚·布拉尼亚斯·莫雷拉满117岁，可计算出她出生于1907年；根据后面的“she moved to Spain’s Catalonia when she was eight”她八岁跟随家人搬家到了西班牙的加泰罗尼亚，可知是在1915年。故选B。
2.What does the underlined word “lucid” mean?
A Clear.
B Fast.
C Forgetful.
D Awful.
解析：选A。A 词义猜测题。根据第二段第一句的“Maria has no physical or mental problems beyond hearing difficulties and challenges related to walking.”除了听力障碍和行走困难外，玛丽亚没有身体或精神上的问题；根据划线词所在句的后一句“She remembers with impressive clarity events from when she was only four years old, and she does not present any cardiovascular (心血管的) disease”她清楚地记得她四岁时发生的事情，她没有任何心血管疾病，可知，玛丽亚的头脑很清晰。故选A。
3.Why do scientists study Maria’s body?
A To help her live longer.
B To learn her personal secrets.
C To help to develop new drugs.
D To compare her with her daughter.
解析：选C。C 细节理解题。根据第三段最后一句“Scientists hope that studying Maria’s genes will help with the development of drugs which could fight diseases associated with ageing.”科学家们希望，研究玛丽亚的基因将有助于研发对抗与衰老有关的疾病的药物，即研究玛丽亚的身体是为了帮助研发新药。故选C。
4.What can be learned from the last two paragraphs?
A Maria married Joan Moret at age 18.
B Maria lost her husband when she was 86.
C Maria’s son died of an illness at the age of 69.
D Maria is now in the sixth spot as the oldest verified person.
解析：选D。D 推理判断题。根据最后一段中的“and will climb to take the fifth spot if she reaches her 118th birthday next year”如果她明年能活到年满118岁，她将攀升至第五位，可推断她现在可能处于第六位。故选D。
