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World's oldest man dies at 112
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Breath
Joke
Tiny
Secret
He was born in the year the Eiffel Tower was completed and Adolf Hitler took his first breath.
No less than 112 years later, Antonio Todde, the world's oldest man, has died on the Italian island of Sardinia.
"He was bright to the very end," relative Mariolina Todde told Reuters. "He was always joking that he was going to live to 130. When some friends visited us, everyone was made to drink to his health. Red wine, of course."
Todde died quietly in his sleep after asking to go to bed early. Todde's 112th birthday last year saw him entered into the Guinness Book of Records.
He said his life-promoting recipe was a glass of locally-produced red wine, made by his grandson on the same rocky hills around the Sardinian town of Nuoro.
Todde, born in a tiny mountain village in 1889, spent almost all his life in the region working as a shepherd.
He lived in the same house with his wife of 78 years, Maria-Antonia, all his life.
"His life was very simple but those 100 years, he lived them to the full," said Mariolina, saying he liked to play cards with his friends and go for long walks.
A scientific project called Akea is examining the life of Todde and his fellow islanders as part of a study into aging and longevity. Some 135 Sardinians per million live to see their 100th birthday while the western average is nearer 75.
Of Todde's own family, his two daughters are 78 and 81 respectively and his sister is 98.
"To discover why Sardinians live so long we are researching the genetic long-life markers," says Luca Deiana, head of the project. "We have already taken DNA samples from 337 Sardinian communities so we can look into the genetic and dietary factors that affect long life," he added.
Todde, who was known as "little Antonio" had a simple diet based on pasta, vegetable soup, red meat and cheese.
When asked about the secret of his long life last year, Todde said: "Just love your brother and drink a good glass of red wine every day. You take one day after the other, you just go on."
Questions
What do the following phrases mean?
- "A study into aging and longevity" means:
- "Working as a shepherd" means:
- "He was bright to the very end" means:
- "Life-promoting recipe" means:
- "He lived his life to the full" means:
Are the following statements about the text correct?
1. Mr. Todde drank heavily.
2. Mr Todde is in the Guinness Book of Records.
3. Mr. Todde traveled a lot when he was younger
4. Mr. Todde was born on the same day as Adolf Hitler.
5. Mr. Todde was a bit lazy when he got older.