Science & Technology
Select a Level
NEW
27 Aug 2026
Credit: Getty
How Long Can Humans Live? Scientists Find Biological Limit to Ageing
Warm-up → Read & Listen → Check Understanding → Language → Use It
WARM UP
Section: Warm Up
Think Ahead: Which detail do you think appears in this story?
a) People can live up to 1000 years.
b) Humans might be able to live between 146 and 194 years.
c) Brain cells replace themselves every day.
Ask:
(1) How old is the oldest person you know?
(2) What helps our bodies stay healthy as we grow older?
VOCABULARY
body (/ˈbɒd.i/, noun)
Meaning: The physical form of a person or animal.
Example: Exercise helps your body stay strong and healthy.
cell (/sel/, noun)
Meaning: The smallest living part of any human, animal, or plant.
Example: Our body is made of billions of tiny cells.
change (/tʃeɪndʒ/, noun)
Meaning: Something that becomes different over time.
Example: A small change in your diet can make a big difference.
brain (/breɪn/, noun)
Meaning: The organ inside your head that thinks and controls your body.
Example: Reading books is great exercise for your brain.
heart (/hɑːt/, noun)
Meaning: The organ in your chest that pumps blood around your body.
Example: Running makes your heart beat faster.
live (/lɪv/, verb)
Meaning: To stay alive and experience life.
Example: Good food helps people live long lives.
Can humans live for a very long time? Scientists studied this question. They used a smart computer to learn about the human body. Today, many people live to be 80 years old. But how long can we live if we stay healthy?
Inside our body, we have tiny parts called cells. Cells divide to make new cells. When cells divide, small changes can happen. These changes build up over many years.
The scientists found that our cells cannot last forever. Brain cells and heart cells are very special. They do not replace themselves easily. Liver cells can make new cells, but brain cells cannot.
Because of these cell changes, scientists think humans have a limit. They say humans can live between 146 and 194 years. That is about two times longer than people live today!
This study helps us understand how the body works. Scientists want to help people stay healthy as they grow old. It is an exciting new idea for science!
Listen
Most human cells can divide 40 to 60 times before they stop for good - Credit: Getty
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
(1) How do you keep your body healthy every day?
(2) Would you like to live to be 150 years old? Why or why not?
(3) Which organ do you think is most important: the brain or the heart?
(4) What fun things would you do if you had a very long life?
(5) How can science help people live better lives?
FILL IN THE GAPS
FILL THE GAPS
Section 1: Fill in the Gaps
Word Bank: brain, body, live, cells
Can humans _______(1) for a very long time? Scientists studied this question. They used a smart computer to learn about the human _______(2). Today, many people live to be 80 years old. But how long can we live if we stay healthy?
Inside our body, we have tiny parts called _______(3). Cells divide to make new cells. When cells divide, small changes can happen. These changes build up over many years.
The scientists found that our cells cannot last forever. Brain cells and heart cells are very special. They do not replace themselves easily. Liver cells can make new cells, but _______(4) cells cannot.
Because of these cell changes, scientists think humans have a limit. They say humans can live between 146 and 194 years. That is about two times longer than people live today!
This study helps us understand how the body works. Scientists want to help people stay healthy as they grow old. It is an exciting new idea for science!
Section 2: Main Idea
What is the main idea of the article?
a) Computers are better at thinking than human brains.
b) Scientists discovered that cell changes limit human life to about 146-194 years.
c) Liver cells can live forever without changing.
UNDERSTANDING
Section 3: True or False
(1) Most people live to be 150 years old today. T/F
(2) Brain cells replace themselves very easily. T/F
(3) Scientists used a computer model to study human cells. T/F
Section 4: Put Events in Order
Put the following events in order from 1 to 3:
( ) Small changes build up inside human cells over many years.
( ) Scientists use a computer to model how human cells change over time.
( ) Researchers calculate that humans could live between 146 and 194 years.
LANGUAGE
Section 5: Vocab Match
(1) body
(2) cell
(3) change
(4) brain
(5) heart
Section 5: Vocab Match
a) The organ inside your head that thinks and feels.
b) The physical form of a person or animal.
c) The organ in your chest that pumps blood.
d) The smallest living part of any human or plant.
e) To become different or make something different.
USE IT
Section 6: Discussion Builder
(1) Exercise helps our _______ stay strong and healthy.
a) body
b) computer
c) clothes
(2) The human _______ controls everything we do and think.
a) shoe
b) brain
c) book
Section 7: Sentence Unscramble
(1) Unscramble the sentence:
A) cells / B) Tiny / C) our / D) inside / E) live / body.
(2) Unscramble the sentence:
A) Brain / B) replace / C) cells / D) easily / E) cannot.
ANSWER KEY
A1 Answer Key
Warm Up Think Ahead Answer: b
Section 1: (1) live, (2) body, (3) cells, (4) brain
Section 2: b
Section 3: (1) False, (2) False, (3) True
Section 4: 2, 1, 3
Section 5: (1)-b, (2)-d, (3)-e, (4)-a, (5)-c
Section 6: (1) a, (2) b
Section 7: (1) B-A-E-D-C (Tiny cells live inside our body.), (2) A-C-E-B-D (Brain cells cannot replace easily.)
Section 8: Open-ended student discussion answers.
Thank you for your feedback!