Whatever their chosen method, Americans bathe zealously. A study conducted found that we take an average of 4.5 baths and 7.5 showers each week and in the ranks of non-edible items purchased by store customers, bar soap ranks second, right after toilet paper. We spend more than $700 million annually on soaps, but all work the same way. Soap is composed of molecules that at one end attract water and at the other end attract oil and dirt, while repelling water. With a kind of pushing and pulling action, the soap loosens the bonds holding dirt to the skin.
Unless you're using a germicidal soap, it usually doesn't kill the bacteria — soap simply removes bacteria along with dirt and oil. Neither baths nor showers are all that necessary and unless you're in a Third World country where infectious diseases are common, or you have open sores on your skin, the dirt and bacteria aren't going to hurt. The only reason for showering or bathing is to feel clean and refreshed. There is a physiological basis for this relaxed feeling. Your limbs become slightly buoyant in bathwater, which takes a load off muscles and tension. Moreover, if the water is hotter than normal body temperature, the body attempts to shed heat by expanding the blood vessels near the surface of the skin, lessening the circulatory system's resistance to blood flow, and dropping blood pressure gently. A bath is also the most effective way to hydrate the skin. The longer you soak, the more water gets into the skin and because soap lowers the surface tension of the water, it helps you hydrate rapidly and remove dry skin flakes.
However, in a bath, all the dirt and grime and the soap in which it's suspended float on the surface. So when you stand up, it covers your body like a film. The real solution is to take a bath and then rinse off with a shower, however, after leaving a tub or freshly exposed skin becomes a playground for microbes. In two hours, you probably have as many bacteria on certain parts of the body, such as the armpits, as before the bath.
1.The statement "Americans bathe zealously" (Line 1, Para. 1) is closest to saying_______.
A.Americans bathe wastefully B.Americans are rather ambivalent to bathing
C.Americans bathe with intense enthusiasm D.Americans bathe too much
2.Which of the following is mentioned as one of the benefits of bathing?
A.Dry skins flakes will disappear from the body once you get out of the bathtub.
B.It kills bacteria better than showering.
C.It reduces your blood circulation if it is nice and warm.
D.The floating action can reduce the stress on your muscles.
3.According to the passage, bathing removes dry skin flakes because_______.
A.the soap draw it off the body
B.the skin hydrates
C.the circulation of blood expands skin particles
D.the change in blood pressure releases the film
4.A bath will not kill the bacteria from your body even if_______.
A.you use a germicidal soap B.use an anti-bacterial soap
C.you use soap to scrub it vigorously D.you are under special treatment for it
5.We can infer from this passage that the author believes_______.
A.the real benefits of bathing are psychological not hygienic
B.bathing is superior to taking shower
C.buying soap is a waste of money
D.we do not need to bathe as much as we do currently
長難例句分析
［長難例句］Moreover, if the water is hotter than normal body temperature, the body attempts to shed heat by expanding the blood vessels near the surface of the skin, lessening the circulatory system's resistance to blood flow, and dropping blood pressure gently.
［結(jié)構(gòu)分析］本句中，主干是the body attempts to shed heat by expanding the blood vessels near the surface of the skin，前面if引導的是條件從句。lessening the circulatory system's resistance to blood flow和dropping blood pressure gently是并列現(xiàn)在分詞短語作狀語。
［參考譯文］而且，如果水溫高于正常體溫，身體會舒張皮下血管來散熱，從而減少循環(huán)系統(tǒng)對血流的阻力，慢慢地降低血壓。
全文參考譯文
不論選擇何種方式，美國人對洗澡有種狂熱。一項研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，我們每周平均洗澡4.5次，淋浴7.5次，并且在商店顧客購買的非食物商品中，條形肥皂位居第二，僅次于衛(wèi)生紙。我們每年買肥皂的花費超過7億美元，但是用途都一樣。肥皂的分子一端吸水，一端吸油、吸塵，排斥水分。由于斥力和引力的雙重作用，肥皂緩釋了污垢在皮膚上的附著。
除非使用除菌皂，否則肥皂通常不能殺死細菌，只是讓細菌和污垢、油漬一起洗掉。洗澡和淋浴都沒有那么必要，如果你不是在傳染病流行的第三世界國家，或者皮膚上沒有外露的瘡口，污垢和細菌不會傷人。淋浴或洗澡的唯一理由是感覺清爽。這種放松的感覺有生理基礎。在洗澡水中四肢微微浮起，使肌肉和身體的緊張狀態(tài)得到松弛。而且，如果水溫高于正常體溫，身體會舒張皮下血管來散熱，從而減少循環(huán)系統(tǒng)對血流的阻力，慢慢地降低血壓。洗澡也是讓皮膚吸水的最為有效的方式。在水中浸泡時間越長，進入皮膚的水分就越多。因為肥皂能減輕水的表面張力，所以有助于皮膚迅速水合，從而去除干燥的皮屑。
但是，在洗澡時，所有污垢和懸浮著污垢的肥皂都浮于水面。所以當你起身時，這些東西像一層薄膜一樣覆蓋全身。真正的解決方法是，先洗澡，但出浴缸后用淋浴沖洗，否則出浴的皮膚就成了微生物的活動場所。兩小時后，在身體的某些部位，如腋窩處細菌數(shù)量可能和洗澡前一樣多了。
題目答案與解析
1.與句子“Americans bathe zealously”（第一段第一行）最接近的意思是_________。
A.美國人洗澡不經(jīng)濟 B.美國人對洗澡相當矛盾
C.美國人對洗澡極其狂熱 D.美國人洗澡太頻繁
【答案】C
【解析】從第一段可知，美國人洗澡頻繁，對肥皂的消費巨大，因此題中該詞應理解為“狂熱地”。
2.以下提及的項目中，哪項是洗澡的益處？
A.當你出浴缸時干燥的皮屑會從身上消失?！ .比起沐浴來，洗澡更能殺菌。
C.如果水溫良好，洗澡可減少血液循環(huán)?！ .漂浮動作能夠減少肌肉的壓力。
【答案】D
【解析】A項的說法不正確，第三段開頭講到：“在洗澡時，所有污垢和懸浮著污垢的肥皂都浮于水面。所以當你起身時，這些東西像一層薄膜一樣覆蓋全身。”B項不正確，第二段指出：“除非使用除菌皂，否則肥皂通常不殺菌，只是讓細菌和污垢、油漬一起洗掉。”可見，洗澡和淋浴都不殺菌。C項不正確，第二段同時指出：洗澡“減少循環(huán)系統(tǒng)對血流的阻力，慢慢地降低血壓，”說明洗澡可增加血液循環(huán)。只有D項正確，因為第二段指出：“在洗澡水中四肢微微浮起，使肌肉和身體的緊張狀態(tài)得到松弛?！?/p>
3.根據(jù)本文，洗澡能夠去掉皮屑的原因是_________。
A.肥皂把它從身體上去掉 B.皮膚吸水
C.血液循環(huán)使皮膚粒子擴張 D.血液壓力的改變?nèi)サ袅吮∧?/p>
【答案】B
【解析】從第二段末尾一句可知，因為肥皂能減輕水的表面張力，所以有助于皮膚迅速吸水，從而去除干燥的皮屑。因此B項為正確答案。
4.洗澡不能殺死人體上的細菌，即使_________。
A.你用了殺菌肥皂 B.你用了抗菌肥皂
C.你用力地用肥皂擦身體 D.你處于特殊的治療之下
【答案】C
【解析】從第二段可知，肥皂通常不殺菌。因此C項為正確答案。
5.我們從文中可以推斷出，作者認為_________。
A.洗澡的益處不在于衛(wèi)生方面而在于心理方面
B.洗澡比淋浴好
C.購買肥皂浪費錢
D.我們洗澡并不需要像現(xiàn)在這樣頻繁
【答案】A
【解析】從第二段可知，洗澡不能殺菌，而且污垢和細菌一般情況下不會傷人。同時又談到：“淋浴或洗澡的唯一理由是感覺清爽?！彼?，作者認為洗澡的真正好處不在衛(wèi)生方面，而在心理方面。因此A項為正確答案。
