She says she doesn’t feel a day over 70, but the oldest person in Britain celebrated her 112th birthday today. Gladys Hooper said the secret to her longevity is “living a straight life” and keeping active.

She has only just taken the title of Britain’s oldest person after the death of 114-year-old Ethel Lang on Thursday, who was the last person in the UK born during the reign of Queen Victoria.

Mrs Hooper, who has a son, four grandchildren and six-great-grandchildren, said: “I have always been busy, I prefer being busy than being idle. I have always lived a straight life, never done stupid things, I have never gone beyond the limit. I have always been active, and I think always being active keeps you young. I have done what I wanted to do and helped others as much as I could. I do not feel anything like the age I am, I do not feel any different to when I was 70.’

The great-grandmother has certainly achieved a lot in her lifetime. Born in 1903 in Dulwich, south-east London, and brought up in Rottingdean, near Brighton, she became a concert pianist in London and often performed with bands in dance halls.

In the early 1920s, she also started what is thought to have been one of the first car hire firms, Autodrive, and turned down a request from the founder of Hertz to be his managing director. She later ran Kingscliff House School, which is now Brighton College.

The theme of aviation has also run through her lifetime. She was born the same year the Wright brothers built the first successful plane, and was close friends with Amy Johnson, the pioneering pilot who was the first woman to fly from England to Australia by herself. Her husband Leslie, whom she married in 1922, was a pilot in the First World War and in the RAF in the Second World War.  

本时文内容由奇速英语国际教育研究院原创编写，禁止复制和任何商业用途，版权所有，侵权必究！

1.How many descendants does Mrs Hooper have in all?

A One.

B Four.

C Six.

D Eleven.

解析：选D。D 细节理解题。根据第三段第一句的Mrs Hooper, who has a son, four grandchildren and six-great-grandchildren可知她的子孙总共有11个。故该题的正确答案为D。

2.Where did Mrs Hooper grow up?

A In Dulwich.

B In Rottingdean.

C In Ryde.

D In London.

解析：选B。B 细节理解题。根据文章第四段第二句的and brought up in Rottingdean可以得知她是在Rottingdean长大的。

3.What is the main idea of paragraph 6?

A Mrs Hooper lives with her son peacefully.

B Mrs Hooper leads a active and straight life.

C Mrs Hooper has a very successful career.

D Mrs Hooper’s life is closely related with planes.

解析：选D。D 主旨大意题。从该段第一句的The theme of aviation has also run through her lifetime可以得知，该段主要讲述Mrs Hooper和航空之间的关系。

4.Which of the following was started by Mrs Hooper?

A Beginning the Car hire firm.

B Opening the first school.

C Building first successful plane.

D Being the first women pianist.

解析：选A。A 推理判断题。根据第五段第一句的In the early 1920s, she also started what is thought to have been one of the first car hire firms, Autodrive可以推知，她是最先开始汽车租赁业的人之一。

5.How could Mrs Hooper live such a long life?

A She lives an easy life.

B She tries to keep young.

C She ignores her age.

D She goes beyond her limit.

解析：选A。A 推理判断题。根据文章第三段第二句的I have always lived a straight life, never done stupid things, I have never gone beyond the limit.可知她过着简单的生活，不做傻事。故该题的正确答案为A。