IN THE THIRD PARAGRAPH, WHAT DOES THE TERM “WILD CARD” MEAN

60. In the third paragraph, what does the term “wild card” mean?

A. an unknown card in the card game B. an unknown item in the scientists’ calculation

C. a large amount of acid dust D. none of the above

VI/. Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct answer.

Aging is the process of growing old. It occurs eventually in every living thing provided, of

course, that an illness or accident does not kill it prematurely. The most familiar outward signs

of aging may be seen in old people, such as the graying of the hair and the wrinkling of the skin.

Signs of aging in a pet dog or cat include loss of playfulness and energy, a decline in hearing and

eyesight, or even a slight graying of the coat. Plants age too, but the signs are much harder to detect.

Most body parts grow bigger and stronger, and function more efficiently during childhood.

They reach their peak at the time of maturity, or early adulthood. After that, they begin to decline.

Bones, for example, gradually become lighter and more brittle. In the aged, the joints between the

bones also become rigid and more inflexible. This can make moving very painful.

All the major organs of the body show signs of aging. The brain, for example, works less

efficiently, and even gets smaller in size. Thinking processes of all sorts are slowed down. Old

people often have trouble in remembering recent events.

One of the most serious changes of old age occurs in the arteries, the blood vessels that

lead from the heart. They become thickened and constricted, allowing less blood to flow to the

rest of body. This condition accounts, directly or indirectly, for many of the diseases of the aged.

It may, for example, result in heart attack.

Aging is not a uniform process. Different parts of the body wear out at different rates.

There are great differences among people in their rate of aging. Even the cells of the body differ in

the way they age. The majority of cells are capable of reproducing themselves many times during

the course of a lifetime. Nerve cells and muscle fibers can never be replaced once they wear out.

Gerontologists - scientists who study the process of aging-believe this wearing out of the

body is controlled by a built-in biological time-clock. They are trying to discover how this clock

works so that they can slow down the process. This could give man a longer life and a great number

of productive years.