37. What can we learn from the first two paragraphs?

A Men’s lifespan remains almost unchanged.

B Researchers have found the cause of the age gap/

C The more advanced a society, the greater the age gap.

D The age gap was noticed only recently.

38. As is suggested in Paragraph 2, the two factors relevant to women’s longer lifespan are ____.

A diseases and road accidents

B industrialization and work strains

C their immunity to heart disease and refusal of alcohol

D their endurance of work strains and reluctance for adventure

39. According to Paragraph3, which of the following statements is true?

A The great number of male smokers contributes to the age gap.

B The growing number of smoking women will narrow the age gap.

C Female workers are more likely to smoke than make workers.

D Smoking does not seem to affect women’s longevity.

40. Which of the following phenomena makes researchers puzzled?

A Men’s health is more closely related to their emotions.

B Through more liable to illnesses, women still live longer.

C Men show worse symptoms than women when they fall ill.

D Quite a number of men die soon after their retirement.

41. The word”edge” in Paragraph 6 means “_____”.

A margin

B side

C advantage

D quality

42. What is the main idea of the passage?

A The greater longevity of women remains a mystery.

B That women are healthier than men well explains their longevity.

C People are living longer as a result of industrialization.

D Women are less emotionally affected by difficulties in life.

Passage Three

Many are aware of the tremendous waste of energy in our environment, but fail to take advantage of straightforward opportunities to conserve that energy. For example, everyone knows that lights should be switched off when no one is in an office. Similarly, when employees are not using a meeting room, there is no need to regulate temperature.

Fortunately, one need not rely on human intervention to conserve energy. With the help of smart sensing and network technology, energy conservation processes such as turning off lights and adjusting temperature can be readily automated. Ultimately, this technology will enable consumers and plant managers to better identify wasteful energy use and institute procedures that lead to smarter and more efficient homes, buildings and industrial plants.

Until now, wires and cables for power and connectivity have limited the widespread adoption of sensor (传感器) networks by making them difficult and expensive to install and maintain. Battery-powered wireless networks can simplify installation and reduce cost. But their high power consumption and the corresponding need for regular battery replacement has made wireless networks difficult and costly to maintain. Nobody wants to replace hundreds or thousands of window sensor batteries in a large building on a regular basis.