Question

Getting rid of dirt, in the opinion of most people, is a good thing. However, there is nothing fixed about attitudes to dirt.

In the early 16^th century, people thought that dirt on the skin was a means to block out disease, as medical opinion had it that washing off dirt with hot water could open up the skin and let ills in. A particular danger was thought to lie in public baths. By 1538, the French king had closed the bath houses in his kingdom. So did the king of England in 1546. Thus began a long time when the rich and the poor in Europe lived with dirt in a friendly way. Henry IV, king of France, was famously dirty. Upon learning that a nobleman had taken a bath, the king ordered that, to avoid the attack of disease, the nobleman should not go out.

Though the belief in the merit of dirt was long-lived, dirt has no longer been regarded as a nice neighbor ever since the 18^th century. Scientifically speaking, cleaning away dirt is good to health. Clean water supply and hand washing are practical means of preventing disease. Yet, it seems that standards of cleanliness have moved beyond science since World War II. Advertisements repeatedly sell the idea: clothes need to be whiter than white, cloths ever softer, surfaces to shine. Has the hate for dirt, however, gone too far?

Attitudes to dirt still differ hugely nowadays. Many first-time parents nervously try to warn their children off touching dirt, which might be responsible for the spread of disease. On the contrary, Mary Ruebush, an American immunologist (免疫学家)， encourages children to play in the dirt to build up a strong immune system. And the latter position is gaining some ground.

1.The kings of France and England in the 16^th century closed bath houses because________.

A. they lived healthily in a dirty environment

B. they thought bath houses were too dirty to stay in

C. they believed disease could be spread in public baths

D. they considered bathing as the cause of skin disease

2.Which of the following best describes Henry IV’ s attitude to bathing?

A. Afraid   B. Curious C. Approving     D. Uninterested

3.How does the passage mainly develop?

A. By providing examples.

B. By making comparisons.

C. By following the order of time.

D. By following the order of importance.

4.What is the author’s purpose in writing the passage?

A. To stress the role of dirt.

B. To introduce the history of dirt.

C. To call attention to the danger of dirt.

D. To present the change of views on dirt.

Answer

1.C

2.A

3.C

4.D

【解析】

试题分析：文章大意：本文为议论文。介绍了不同时期人们对污垢的不同理解以及持有的不同态度。过去人们认为污垢有助于保护皮肤抵御疾病，所以拒绝洗澡。而现在免疫学家声称污垢有利于加强人的免疫系统，并且有一定的依据证明此观点。

1.细节理解题。根据第二段的第一、二、三、四句可知当时的人们认为洗净污垢会使疾病侵入，而浴室更是疾病容易传播的地方，所以英法国王下令关闭公共浴室，这样可排除 A、B、D，而 C 项正确。

2.推理判断题。根据第二段的最后两句可知法国国王 Henry Ⅳ 因身体脏而出名，听说有位贵族洗澡后，就下令禁止这位贵族外出以防止疾病的入侵。可以推断他对洗澡的态度是恐惧的。A：恐惧；B：好奇；C：赞同；D：不感兴趣。选A

3.推理判断题。通读全文，从 16 世纪早期人们认为污垢有利于抵御疾病，到 18 世纪人们从科学的角度认为洗净污垢有利身体健康，再到现今人们对污垢的态度又有所不同可以看出文章的写作是以时间为顺序的。选C

4.主旨大意题。根据文章第一段的“there is nothing fixed about attitudes to dirt”和最后一段的第一句“Attitudes to dirt still differ hugely nowadays.”可以看出作者写这篇文章的目的是要呈现不同时期的人们对污垢的不同态度。选D

考点：考查健康类短文