A
In summer the extreme heat often makes people sweaty and restless. While people are annoyed by it, experts suggest summer is the best season to discharge(排放) your body’s toxins(毒素) and recover your energy.
One popular option is hot-stone massage(按摩). Therapists use smooth and heated stones, usually river rocks, to massage certain parts of the body, or place them on key points of the body. The warmth of the hot stones will improve blood circulation and also help relax muscles, while sweating is also believed to be good for discharging the body’s toxins.
Another popular option is hot-stone baths. The hot-stone bath will help the body discharge toxins and humidity that accumulated during the last winter. Summer is the best season to build a good body. Rather than use water or steam to heat and wash the body, people simply wear a coat or something comfortable, and then lie on heated stone tablets made of hot stones, which are warmed to around
45 ℃. The body will gradually warm up and blood circulation will also be improved. More sweat will come out quickly. The sweat is smooth and fresh, not smelly like that released after sports activities. Such baths bring a number of health benefits, such as anti-aging, improved blood circulation and stress relief. The slimming effect of dieting can even be promoted.
Using hot stones for healing dates back to ancient times, but the modern renewal of hot-stone massage is generally credited to Mary Nelson, a native of Tucson, Arizona, America, whose trademark is “LaStone Therapy”.
The therapy is gaining wide popularity with many people, especially those who have jobs in cool air-conditioned rooms. The hot-stone therapy can help cure many diseases, including back pain.
【文章大意】本文是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了当下深受人们喜欢的热石按摩和热石浴的保健功能和原理。
1. What do people use to release toxins in their bodies according to the text?
A. Washing the body with cold water.
B. Discharging lots of sweat.
C. Relaxing muscles.
D. Lying on the warm beds.
【解析】选B。细节理解题。根据文章第二段最后一句中的“while sweating is also believed to be good for discharging the body’s toxins”可知, 出汗是排出毒素的一个很好的办法, 故选B。
2. What can we know from the text?
A. Sports have greater effects on the health than hot-stone massage.
B. There are no toxins and humidity in the body in summer.
C. Using water of about 45℃ to wash the body is good for the health.
D. People should take advantage of summer to improve their health.
【解析】选D。推理判断题。根据文章第一段中的“experts suggest summer is the best season to discharge your body’s toxins and recover your energy”及下文中对可在夏天进行的热石按摩及热石浴的保健功能的介绍可推知, 夏季是一个排毒的好季节, 人们应好好利用, 以促进身体健康, 故选D。
3. What can be learned about the hot-stone therapy?
A. It was invented by Mary Nelson, an American.
B. It successfully cured many people of cancer.
C. It is popular with people with its excellent effects.
D. It can help people avoid sweating too much in hot summer.
【解析】选C。细节理解题。根据文章最后一段中的“The therapy is gaining wide popularity with many people . . . The hot-stone therapy can help cure many diseases”可知, 这种疗法因为极好的效果而受到人们的欢迎, 故选C。
4. Which of the following could be the best title for the text?
A. The origin and development of the hot-stone therapy
B. The amazing functions of the hot-stone therapy
C. A healthy and comfortable lifestyle
D. How to live comfortably in summer
【解析】选B。标题归纳题。通读全文可知, 文章主要介绍了热石疗法及其神奇的功效, 故选B。
