Question

The way you stand can identify whether you will suffer from aches and pains in the back or neck in later life, the British Chiropractic Association has said. Whether you are a “spoon”, “bridge”, “leaning tower” or “flat-back” will determine your risk of having problems later.

A quarter of women suffer pain lasting between one and three days starting at the relatively young age of 34, the survey found. While previous indicators have focused on body shapes, with larger-breasted women and “apple” shapes being seen as a warning sign, this new research shows posture (姿势) could be key in preventing back pain.

“Leaning tower” —women whose heads lean forward — are most likely to report pain, with almost six in ten with this posture already suffering. Being a “bridge” with an arched back was the second worse posture, followed by a “spoon” position with rounded shoulders but a flat back. And a change in posture can be far less demanding than a crash diet or an exercise programme.

“Flat back” ladies, who keep their backs flat are the most likely to avoid pain with a fifth reporting they have never suffered back or neck aches in their lives. Tim Hutchful, a member of the British Chiropractic Association said, “Rather than worrying about being an ‘apple’ or an ‘hourglass’ , we want people to think about what they look like from the side. The perfect posture should give you a side-on appearance with your ears, shoulders, hips, knees and ankles in line. ” People who want to improve their back and neck pain symptoms through a better posture should try imagining they have a plumb line (铅垂线) hanging straight from their ears to ankles —with everything in the middle sitting on the same line. One way to do this is to try standing in a relaxed way and then gently pressing together the abdominal muscles (腹肌).

1.Which posture holds the greatest risk of back pain?

A. “Spoon”.    B. “Bridge”.    C. “Leaning tower”.    D. “Flat back”.

2.What should people care about if they want to avoid back pain?

A. Their exercise.    B. Their body shape.

C. Their daily diet.    D. Their side-on appearance.

3.What does Tim Hutchful recommend?

A. Having an “hourglass” shape.    B. Keeping a “flat back” posture.

C. Building abdominal muscles.    D. Hanging a plumb line from one’s ear.

4.From the text we can infer that ________.

A. previously people blame body shape for back pain

B. we should lean slightly forward to avoid back pain

C. a “bridge” holds less risk of back pain than a “spoon”

D. your side-on appearance determines your body shape

Answer

1.C

2.D

3.B

4.A

【解析】本文为科技说明文。文章讲述了英国脊椎按摩协会通过调查发现人们几种不良的姿势会给人们带来一些疼痛尤其是背痛，该协会的一个会员呼吁人们改变自己的姿势避免疼痛，改变姿势要远比饮食或锻炼计划有效得多。

1.细节理解题。根据第三段第一句“Leaning tower” —women whose heads lean forward — are most likely to report pain, with almost six in ten with this posture already suffering.可知，Leaning tower的姿势造成背痛的风险最大。故选C。

2.细节理解题。根据最后一段中的“Rather than worrying about…we want people to think about what they look like from the side. The perfect posture should give you a side-on appearance...可知，如果人们想要避免背痛，那么他们就需要注意自己的姿势在侧面看上去是怎么样的。故选D。

3.推理判断题。根据最后一段中的“Flat back” ladies, who keep their backs flat are the most likely to avoid pain with a fifth reporting they have never suffered back or neck aches in their lives.及Tim Hutchful对如何做到“Flat back”的描述可知，Tim Hutchful给人们推荐Flat back posture。故选B。

4.推理判断题。根据第二段中的While previous indicators have focused on body shapes, with larger-breasted women and “apple” shapes being seen as a warning sign…可推知，以前的时候，人们把背痛归因于体形。故选A。