Have you thanked your grandma today? You might want to consider it. A recent study found that kids live longer when a grandmother takes part in their daily lives.
Most animals die soon after their childbearing years are over. Women, however, often live for many years after they stop having kids.
To try to understand why, researchers from Finland looked at birth and death records of two munities from the 18th and 19th centuries, one in Finland and one in Canada. In these munities, 537 Finnish women and 3,290 Canadian women were grandmothers who had lived past the age of 50.
For every decade they lived beyond 50, the researchers found that the women ended up with an average of two extra grandkids. It didn’t matter what the differences in health or living conditions were between the two munities or from family to family.
Grandchildren were also more likely to live into adulthood if their grandmothers were alive when they were born. If their grandmothers were younger than 60 at the time, that was even better. The study also found that women had children 2 to 3 years earlier if their own mothers were still alive at that time than those whose mothers had died.
The researchers suggested that grandmothers have provided important assistance in raising their grandchildren for at least the past 200,000 years. As a result, they helped extend everyone’s lifespan.
So, don’t take your grandma for granted!
【小题1】How many women in the survey in the two munities were grandmothers who had lived past the age of 50?A．537.B．3,290.C．3,827.D．2,753.【小题2】According to the passage, what influence did it have on a woman if her mother was still alive?A．She was also more likely to live into adulthood.B．She had children 2 to 3 years earlier.C．She ended up with an average of two extra grandkids.D．It had no influence on her.【小题3】How did grandmothers help extend everyone’s lifespan?A．They provided them with better living conditions.B．They provided assistance in raising their grandchildren.C．They helped with housework.D．They made everyone happy.【小题4】According to the passage, we don’t know that .A．kids live longer when grandmothers take part in their daily livesB．most animals die soon after their childbearing years are overC．women often live for many years after they stop having kidsD．grandchildren are less likely to live into adulthood if their grandmothers are aliveC
网友回答
(答案→)C
解析：本文通过社会调查，例举了一些数字说明了在抚养孩子这方面，祖母所做的贡献。
【小题1】这是数字计算题。根据In these munities, 537 Finnish women and 3,290 Canadian women were grandmothers who had lived past the age of 50.被调查的两个地区中，芬兰有537位女性，加拿大有3290位女性，是50岁以上的祖母或外婆，共计537 + 3290 = 3827（人）。故选C。
【小题2】这是细节理解题。根据The study also found that women had children 2 to 3 years earlier if their own mothers were still alive at that time than those whose mothers had died.故选B。
【小题3】这是细节理解题。根据最后一段“…grandmothers have provided important assistance in raising their grandchildren for at least the past 200,000 years. As a result, they helped extend everyone’s lifespan.”可知应选B。
【小题4】这是细节理解题。根据Grandchildren were also more likely to live into adulthood if their grandmothers were alive when they were born.可知D是不成立的。故选D。