Have you ever wanted to be taller? Perhaps we all have wished for this, whether we’re trying to see over a crowd of people or dreaming of becoming a basketball player. Height is mainly a result of genetics (遗传), though other factors (因素) like nutrition and healthcare can also affect our height.
According to World Data, the average height for Chinese men is 1.71 meters, while for women it’s 1.59 meters. But what stops us from growing to three meters or even taller? The answer is evolution (进化), according to a study from Harvard University.
“Height is not just about height. It’s about the biological growth of an organism,” biologist Terence D. Capellini from Harvard University told Popular Science. Over millions of years, natural selection has affected the way our organs (器官) grow and therefore the way our bodies grow too. In general, the genes (基因) that are responsible for organ growth are quite active in infants (婴儿), causing them to grow quickly. But as children get older, the genes slacken. Eventually, as they enter late adolescence (青春期), the genes turn off and teenagers reach their adult height.
According to the study, about 70 to 80 percent of our height is mainly decided by the growth genes. The other factors are some environmental factors like proper nutrition and modern healthcare. An example of an environmental factor is when a child doesn’t get the nutrition he or she needs, the child is less likely to reach the average height.
Many people would like to be taller than they are, but is that necessarily good for them?
Robert Wadlow from the US was the tallest man in history. He was 2. 71 meters tall. But he suffered from several related health problems. For example, he needed leg braces (支架) to help him walk. He died at the age of 22 from an infection caused by a brace that didn’t fit him properly. Being very tall can cause high blood pressure in the legs. It can also put too much stress on the heart, according to The Guardian.
It seems that beyond having tall parents, the only way to increase your height is to eat a healthy and balanced diet, according to Forbes.
【小题1】According to the passage, which of the following stops humans from growing?| A．healthcare | B．nutrition | C．lifestyle | D．evolution |
| A．turn off | B．slow down | C．give off | D．break down |
| A．reaching the average height may put less stress on our heart |
| B．humans’ organs grow much more slowly than their height |
| C．we have to become stronger if we want to grow much taller |
| D．our height is also affected by our daily food besides genes |
| A．What’s the Secret of Our Height? | B．Is it Good to Be Taller? |
| C．Environmental Factors Affect Height | D．Ways to Increase Height |
