A
Crossing your legs is an extremely common habit; most people don’t even notice that they’re doing it when they sit down. While you may find it comfortable to sit with one knee crossed over the other, it might be causing health problems that you are not aware of.
A study published in Blood Pressure Monitoring stated that sitting with your legs crossed can increase your blood pressure. The reason this happens is because the blood in your legs has to work against gravity to be pumped back to your heart, crossing one leg over the other increases resistance, making it even harder for the blood to circulate. This causes your body to increase your blood pressure to push the blood back to the heart. You won’t feel any immediate effects, but if you sit for long periods of time it’s important that you take note of how long you have your legs crossed for. You shouldn’t have your legs crossed for more than 15 minutes, and it’s important that you get up and walk around at least once every hour.
Crossing your legs can also lead to neck and back pain. Ideally, it’s best for our bodies to sit with our feet planted flat, hip width apart, on the floor, but it’s not easy to maintain perfect posture all day at the office. When you sit with your legs crossed your hips are in a twisted position, which can cause one of your pelvic bones to rotate. Since your pelvic bone supports your neck and spine, this can cause pressure on your lower and middle back and neck.
You also might notice that when you sit with your legs crossed for long periods of time your feet and legs get tingly or have the feeling of being asleep. This is because when one leg sits on top of the other it causes pressure on the veins and nerves in your legs and feet. It can cause numbness and/or temporary paralysis in the legs, ankles, or feet. While the feeling of discomfort may only last a minute or two, repeatedly crossing your legs until they feel numb can cause permanent nerve damage.
So next time you sit down, try to get yourself in the habit of sitting with both of your feet on the floor. Not only will it help your posture and stability, but it will also save your health in the long run.
1. Why can sitting with your legs crossed increase your blood pressure?
A. Because it stops the blood circulating
B. Because it press the nerves in our legs.
C. Because we will be in a twisted position when we sit legs crossed.
D. Because it prevents the blood in your legs from pumping back to heart.
2. Which kind of health problems will we have if we cross the legs for a long time?
A. our blood pressure will increase.
B. Our neck and back will pain.
C. Our feet and legs may get tingly or have the feeling of being asleep.
D. Both A, B and C.
3. What does the author suggest us do when we sit down?
A. We should walk outside at least once every hour.
B. We need put one leg on the top of the other.
C. We’d better sit with our feet planted flat, hip width apart, on the floor.
D. We should choose the most comfortable way to sit.
【答案】1. D 2. D 3. C
【解析】
【分析】
本文是一篇说明文，介绍了跷二郎腿对身体的危害，同时建议我们坐着的时候把双脚平放在地面上。
【1题详解】
细节理解题。根据第二段中的“The reason this happens is because the blood in your legs has to work against gravity to be pumped back to your heart, crossing one leg over the other increases resistance, making it even harder for the blood to circulate. This causes your body to increase your blood pressure to push the blood back to the heart.”可知，跷二郎腿会使血液很难从腿部流到心脏，从而引起血压升高，故D项正确。
【2题详解】
细节理解题。根据第二段中的“The reason this happens is because the blood in your legs has to work against gravity to be pumped back to your heart, crossing one leg over the other increases resistance, making it even harder for the blood to circulate. This causes your body to increase your blood pressure to push the blood back to the heart.”可知，跷二郎腿会使血液很难从腿部流到心脏，从而引起血压升高；根据第三段中的“Crossing your legs can also lead to neck and back pain.”可知，跷二郎腿会导致颈部和背部疼痛；根据第四段中的“You also might notice that when you sit with your legs crossed for long periods of time your feet and legs get tingly or have the feeling of being asleep.”可知，长时间跷二郎腿会导致腿和脚疼痛或者让人感到睡意，故D项正确。
【3题详解】
细节理解题。根据最后一段中的“So next time you sit down, try to get yourself in the habit of sitting with both of your feet on the floor.”可知，作者建议我们坐着的时候把双脚平放在地面上,故C项正确。
【点睛】建议类说明文的结构一般是第一段引出现象，然后接下来的几段介绍这种现象的危害，最后给出建议。通常每段的第一句话就是每段的中心句，解答这类阅读的细节理解题时，应根据题干，结合段落中心句迅速定位答案所在的位置，这样既提高了准确性又节省了时间，比如本篇第1题根据题干中的关键词“blood pressure”和第二段的中心句迅速定位答案是第二段中的第二、三句。
