The Search For The Anti-aging Pill — IELTS Reading Answers

Studies show drugs available today can delay the process of growing old.

“As researchers on aging noted recently, no treatment on the market today has been proved to slow human aging – the build-up of molecular and cellular damage that increases vulnerability to infirmity as we grow older”

The passage states 'no treatment on the market today has been proved to slow human aging', directly contradicting the claim that available drugs delay ageing.

There is scientific evidence that eating fewer calories may extend human life.

“Those findings suggest that caloric restriction could delay aging and increase longevity in humans, too”

Findings in animals 'suggest that caloric restriction could delay aging and increase longevity in humans, too' — scientific evidence supporting the possibility.

Not many people are likely to find a caloric-restricted diet attractive.

“Few mortals could stick to that harsh a regimen, especially for years on end”

'Few mortals could stick to that harsh a regimen, especially for years on end', confirming that few would find the diet attractive.

Diet-related diseases are common in older people.

“postponing age-related disorders (such as diabetes, arteriosclerosis, heart disease and cancer) until very late in life”

Age-related disorders such as diabetes and heart disease are mentioned, but the passage never says diet-related diseases are common in older people.

In experiments, rats who ate what they wanted led shorter lives than rats on a low-calorie diet.

“Scientists first recognized the value of the practice more than 60 years ago, when they found that rats fed a low-calorie diet lived longer on average than free-feeding rats and also had a reduced incidence of conditions that become increasingly common in old age”

Rats 'fed a low-calorie diet lived longer on average than free-feeding rats', so rats eating freely had shorter lives.

Monkeys were less likely to become diabetic.

“The caloric-restricted animals also look better on indicators of risk for age-related diseases. For example, they have lower blood pressure and triglyceride levels (signifying a decreased likelihood of heart disease), and they have more normal blood glucose levels (pointing to a reduced risk for diabetes,”

Caloric-restricted animals had 'more normal blood glucose levels (pointing to a reduced risk for diabetes)', so only they were less likely to become diabetic.

Monkeys experienced more chronic disease.

“Further, it has recently been shown that rhesus monkeys kept on caloric-restricted diets for an extended time (nearly 15 years) have less chronic disease”

The evidence says caloric-restricted monkeys 'have less chronic disease', so the opposite claim — more chronic disease — applies to the control monkeys.

Monkeys have been shown to experience a longer than average life span.

“They and the other monkeys must be followed still longer, however, to know whether low-calorie intake can increase both average and maximum lifespans in monkeys”

The passage says monkeys 'must be followed still longer' to know whether lifespan increases, so neither group has shown a longer lifespan.

Monkeys enjoyed a reduced chance of heart disease.

“The caloric-restricted animals also look better on indicators of risk for age-related diseases. For example, they have lower blood pressure and triglyceride levels (signifying a decreased likelihood of heart disease), and they have more normal blood glucose levels (pointing to a reduced risk for diabetes,”

Caloric-restricted animals had 'lower blood pressure and triglyceride levels (signifying a decreased likelihood of heart disease)', a reduced chance.

Monkeys produced greater quantities of insulin.

“The monkey projects demonstrate that, compared with control animals that eat normally, caloric-restricted monkeys have lower body temperatures and levels of the pancreatic hormone insulin, and they retain more youthful levels of certain hormones that tend to fall with age”

Compared with controls, 'caloric-restricted monkeys have lower ... levels of the pancreatic hormone insulin', so control monkeys produced more insulin.

“When 2DG is administered to animals that eat normally, glucose reaches cells in abundance but the drug prevents most of it from being processed and thus reduces ATP synthesis”

The flow chart needs what reaches cells in abundance: 'glucose reaches cells in abundance but the drug prevents most of it from being processed'.

“One possibility relates to the ATP-making machinery’s emission of free radicals, which are thought to contribute to aging and to such age-related diseases as cancer by damaging cells. Reduced operation of the machinery should limit their production and thereby constrain the damage”

The chart needs what the ATP-making machinery emits: its 'emission of free radicals, which are thought to contribute to aging', is limited when operation is reduced.

“Another hypothesis suggests that decreased processing of glucose could indicate to cells that food is scarce (even if it isn't) and induce them to shift into an anti-aging mode that emphasizes preservation of the organism over such ‘luxuries’ as growth and reproduction”

The chart needs what the anti-aging mode emphasises: it prioritises 'preservation of the organism over such luxuries as growth and reproduction'.