Getting rid of dirt, in the opinion of most people, is a good thing. However, the attitudes to dirt are always changing.
In the early 16th century, people thought that dirt on the skin was a means to block out disease, and 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. The king of England did something similar in 1546. Thus began a long time when the rich and the poor in Europe lived with dirt in a friendly way. France’s Henry IV 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 above was long-lived, dirt has no longer been regarded as a nice neighbour ever since the 18th 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.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________3 . In February 1970, a group of activists gathered in Vancouver, Canada to discuss a planned nuclear test on the Alaskan island of Amchitka. They eventually agreed to sail to the test site and
Over the last 50 years, the
The human species, which emerged in the green forests and grasslands of Africa about 300, 000 years ago, has a special
With the rise of farming, we started to use green as a(n)
The ancient Egyptians, who were farming the banks of the Nile from about 8000 B.C.,
A.bump | B.protest | C.compete | D.insure |
A.objected | B.announced | C.responded | D.highlighted |
A.curious about | B.familiar with | C.shocked at | D.fascinated by |
A.environmental | B.revolutionary | C.multicultural | D.deliberate |
A.results | B.origins | C.extremes | D.streams |
A.identified | B.recognized | C.combined | D.illustrated |
A.physical | B.artificial | C.biological | D.physiological |
A.engaged | B.evolved | C.dominated | D.exchanged |
A.pioneers | B.seniors | C.ancestors | D.inspectors |
A.sensitive | B.available | C.equivalent | D.appropriate |
A.approach | B.symbol | C.alternative | D.signal |
A.crossing over | B.counting for | C.according to | D.dating back |
A.described | B.reflected | C.interpreted | D.resembled |
A.eventually | B.similarly | C.consequently | D.definitely |
A.agriculture | B.vegetation | C.cultivation | D.generation |
A. structured B. treasures C. revolution D. accessible E. professions F. responsive G. promises H. formalized I. popularized J. declared K. creation |
How the Victorians Invented the “ Staycation ”
Holidays feel like an important refreshment after such a tough year. While international travel is possible, it’s not exactly easy, so many are choosing to stay closer to home, taking a “staycation ”. This year holidaymakers are discovering the
Domestic tourism as we know it began in the 19th century when the idea of the holiday was just becoming
This gave way to the
The great summer holiday as we know it was designed by the Victorians. The 19th century saw the industrial
There was more
In 1871 the Bank Holidays Act was passed. This appointed certain days as holidays on which banks closed, though, over the years, more businesses began observing these days off work. Before 1830, banks closed only on the 40 saints’ days of the year, though by 1834 this was just four days, including Christmas day. From 1871, any day could be
A.Invest in the old model. | B.Have the old washing machine fixed. |
C.Buy a new washing machine. | D.Design a new style model. |
A. unwilling B. aggression C. necessarily D. felt E. outweigh F. expectation G. involved H. substantial I. range J. addict K. relatively |
An addiction is an activity or substance we are eager to experience repeatedly, and for which we are willing, if necessary, to pay a price. Common addictions involve alcohol, cigarettes, food, drugs, gambling, etc. This article discusses the concepts which can help cope with addictive behavior.
Usually,
Negative addictions
You may be surprised to learn that addictions can also be considered positive. Positive addictions are those in which the benefits
What is common to both positive and negative addictions is the urge to engage in the addictive behavior, and the satisfaction that is