生命科学：吃小鱼会让人长寿吗
同源话题 2022 新课标Ⅱ卷 D篇 说明文|难度: 中|约350词|建议用时: 7 分钟
Have scientists discovered the secret to living longer In Japan, researchers believe that eating a specific type of food could extend life expectancy. So, what's the magic food Is it a fruit, vegetable, fermented(发酵的) food, or maybe cod liver oil Surprisingly, it's small fish, eaten whole, that might help prevent early demise.
Scientific studies consistently highlight the importance of a healthy diet in reducing the risk of diseases. While junk food is often criticized, diets like the Mediterranean or Planetary Health Diet are praised for their health benefits. Researchers from Nagoya University's Graduate School of Medicine focused on how certain foods affect health. They found that regularly eating whole small fish—— like whitebait, Atlantic capelin, Japanese smelt, and dried sardines—— could potentially prolong life.
The study involved 80,802 adults aged 35 to 69, tracking their diet habits and health over nine years. They observed that those who ate small fish regularly had lower risks of dying from any cause, including cancer. Interestingly, this effect was more significant in women. The study didn't find a clear link between how often women at e small fish and their death risk reduction, whether it was once a month or multiple times a week. For men, the results showed a similar trend, but it wasn't statistically significant. Researchers suggested that factors like portion( 一份) sizes or other unmeasured variables might influence these findings.
Lead researcher Dr. Chinatsu Kasahara emphasized that small fish are nutrient-rich and can be eaten whole, including their heads, bones, and organs. These unique nutrients and substances might contribute to better health.
Although this study supports the benefits of eating fish, especially small whole fish, more research is needed to confirm these findings across different populations. One challenge is that small fish are more commonly eaten in coastal regions like Japan. Researchers believe that exploring the potential benefits of small fish consumption in other areas could reveal more about its role in longevity. As scientists continue to uncover the mysteries of life expectancy, studies like these cast light on how diet influences health and longevity.
1. What does the underlined word“demise” mean in Paragraph 1
A. Death. B. Maturity. C. Decline. D. Growth.
2. What can we learn from the study
A. Eating small fish doesn't lead to cancer.
B. Males barely benefit from eating small fish.
C. Women often eating small fish have lower death risk.
D. How much small fish eaten each time doesn't affect the result.
3. What's the author's attitude towards eating small fish for longevity
A. Favourable. B. Objective. C. Dismissive. D. Negative.
4. What is a suitable title for the text
A. Tips on Preventing Aging B. Nutrient Benefits of Small Fish
C. Eating Small Fish Prolongs Life D. How to Eat Small Fish Elegantly
参考答案与深度解析
【文前导读】研究表明，常吃小鱼，特别是整条小鱼，能够延长寿命，但是还需要更多的研究在不同人群中证实，需要科学家继续探索。
1.词义猜测题。根据第一段开头一系列的设问“科学家发现了长寿的秘诀吗 在日本，研究人员认为吃一种特定类型的食物可以延长寿命。那么，这种神奇的食物是什么呢 是水果、蔬菜、发酵食品，还是鱼肝油 ”可知，本文探讨的是吃某类食物可以防止早亡，延长寿命。由此可推出画线词所在句的大意为：令人惊讶的是，正是整条吃小鱼可能有助于防止过早死亡。故画线词应与 death含义相似。答案：A
2.细节理解题。根据第三段中的“…… those who ate small fish regularly had lower risks of dying from any cause, including cancer. Interestingly, this effect was more significant in women”可知,经常吃小鱼的人死于任何原因包括癌症的风险都较低，且该现象在女性身上更为明显。答案：C
释疑难 Q：为什么本题不选其他选项呢
A:A 项表述过于绝对,根据原文第三段中的“who ate small fish regularly had lower risks of dying from any cause, including cancer”可知,经常吃小鱼会降低死于癌症的风险。根据第三段中的“For men, the results showed a similar trend”可知,对于男性,结果显示出类似的趋势，故男性吃小鱼也对健康有益，故B项错误。根据第三段最后一句“Researchers suggested that factors like portion(一份) sizes or other unmeasured variables might influence these findings”可知,分量大小有可能会影响结果,故 D 项错误。
3.观点态度题。根据最后一段第一句“Although this study supports the benefits of eating fish, especially small whole fish, more research is needed to confirm these findings across different populations”可知，作者认为该研究给吃鱼有益处提供了证据，尤其是整条吃小鱼，但该发现在不同群体中仍需要更多的研究来证实(吃小鱼能够延长寿命)，这是一种客观的态度。答案：B
●释疑难 Q：为什么本题不选 A项呢
A:文中虽然有提到“These unique nutrients and substances might contribute to better health”“…… exploring the potential benefits of small fish consumption in other areas could reveal more about its role in longevity”,这些都是积极态度的表现,但均为研究人员对本研究的看法，并非题干提及的作者的态度，根据信息句中的关键词“more research is needed”可以确定，作者对于该研究还是十分谨慎客观的。
4.标题归纳题。文章结构如下：
Part 1(Para.1) 利用一系列问题引入话题。
Part 2 (Para.2) 介绍了科学家的具体发现：吃整条小鱼可以延长寿命。
Part 3 (Paras.3-4) 介绍了研究的具体内容。
Part 4(Para.5) 介绍了研究的局限及未来发展。
根据上述分析可知，本文主要介绍了一项研究发现：吃整条小鱼可能能够延长寿命。C项符合题意。 答案：C
反复精读·积累速记
二次精读·词汇速记
核心词
confirm v. 证实 reveal v. 揭示
trend n. 倾向,趋势 substance n. 物质
decline n. 下降 objective adj. 客观的
track v. 跟踪 criticize v. 批评
longevity n. 长寿 barely adv. 几乎不;仅仅
dismissive adj. 轻蔑的 multiple adj. 数量多的,多种多样的
障碍词
expectancy n. 预期,盼望 [ expect 预期,期待+-ancy(表示状况或性质)]
unmeasured adj. 未测定的 [ un-不,未,非,反+ measure 测量+-ed]
prolong v. 延长 [ pro-向外,向前+ long长的]
variable n. 可变因素 adj. 多变的 [ vary变化+-able可……的]
uncover v. 发现,揭露 [ un-不,未,非,反+ cover遮盖,掩蔽]
nutrient-rich adj. 富含营养的 [ nutrient营养物+-rich 富含……的]
contribute to 促成 die from 死于
benefit from 受益于
三次精读·长难句分析
长难句 The study didn't find a clear link between how often women ate small fish and their death risk reduction, whether it was once a month or multiple times a week. ( Para.3)
剖析 本句主干为 The study didn't find a clear link,介词短语“between ... reduction”作定语修饰 link,其中 how often 引导的宾语从句与名词短语“their death risk reduction”用 and连接并列作介词 between 的宾语, whether... or引导让步状语从句。
翻译 该研究没有发现女性吃小鱼的频率与她们死亡风险降低之间的明确联系，无论是每月一次还是每周多次。
参考译文
生命科学：吃小鱼会让人长寿吗
科学家发现长寿的秘密了吗？在日本，研究人员认为，吃一种特定的食物可以延长寿命。那么，这种神奇的食物是什么呢？它是水果、蔬菜、发酵食物，还是鱼肝油 令人惊讶的是，整条吃的小鱼可能有助于防止过早死亡。
科学研究不断强调健康饮食对降低疾病风险的重要性。虽然垃圾食品经常受到批评，但地中海饮食或地球健康饮食等因其对健康的益处而受到称赞。名古屋大学医学研究生院的研究人员专注于某些食物如何影响健康。他们发现，经常吃整条小鱼，比如银鱼、大西洋毛鳞鱼、日本鱼和干沙丁鱼，可能会延长寿命。
这项研究涉及80 802名年龄在35岁至69岁之间的成年人，在9年的时间里追踪他们的饮食习惯和健康状况。他们观察到，经常吃小鱼的人死于包括癌症在内的任何原因的风险都较低。有趣的是，这种影响在女性身上更为显著。该研究没有发现女性吃小鱼的频率与降低死亡风险之间的明确联系，无论是每月一次还是每周多次。对男性来说，结果也显示出类似的趋势，但在统计上并不显著。研究人员认为，分量大小或其他未测量的变量等因素可能会影响这些发现。
首席研究员Kasahara博士强调，小鱼营养丰富，可以整条吃，包括它们的头、骨头和器官。这些独特的营养物质可能有助于增进健康。
虽然这项研究支持吃鱼的好处，特别是整条小鱼，但需要更多的研究在不同的人群中来证实这些发现。其中一个挑战是，在日本等沿海地区，小鱼更常被食用。研究人员认为，探索其他地区食用小鱼的潜在好处，可以更多地揭示它在长寿方面的作用。随着科学家们不断揭开寿命的神秘面纱，这些研究揭示了饮食如何影响健康和长寿。
