There’s no such thing as showering too much, right? Wrong. Despite the practice that many people shower once or twice a day, we’re only meant to shower once or twice a week. As experts say, human daily showering is mainly for the love for beauty.
Speaking to TIME, Dr. Elaine Larson, an expert from Columbia University School of Nursing argues, “People think they’re showering to keep clean, but that’s not the case. Bathing will remove smells if you have unpleasant smell on your body or you are back from the gym. But in terms of protecting you from illness, washing your hands regularly is probably adequate.” Larson’s research turns out, antibacterial soaps and cleaning products are not any better than a regular bar of soap when it comes to lowering your risk of getting diseases, so the fancy soaps you bought are probably a waste of money.
The more you bathe, the thinner and less hydrated(含水的) your skin becomes. Dry skin opens up gaps for infection(感染) and causes bacteria to slip through. Washing can also clear away your skin of its natural oils and may destroy the bacteria that support the immune(免疫的) system on your skin, according to Dr. C. Brandon Mitchell, assistant professor of dermatology at the George Washington University. Both Mitchell and Larson recommend that you shouldn’t use antibacterial soaps that are particularly bad for removing essential oils. Mitchell adds, “Your body is naturally a welloiled machine. A daily shower isn’t necessary. The rest of your body doesn’t need much soaping.”
So, in terms of your health, you should probably only shower once or twice a week, in terms of how you look and smell might be a different story. A recent study shows that smelling bad is the biggest relationship dealmaker.
【解题导语】 本文通过介绍研究人员的研究结果说明：从健康角度看，一个人一周只需要洗一到两次澡就够了。
1．What’s the main reason why people bathe frequently according to experts?
A．For a relaxed feeling.
B．For a good appearance.
C．To keep in good health.
D．To attract others’ attention.
B 解析：细节理解题。根据第一段中的As experts say, ...for beauty.可知，人们每天洗澡主要是因为爱美。
2．What is Dr. Elaine Larson’s attitude towards antibacterial soap?
A．Doubtful. B．Supportive.
C．Negative. D．Uncaring.
C 解析：观点态度题。根据第二段的Larson’s research... waste of money.可知，Larson认为抑菌香皂并不比普通香皂好，说明他对抑菌香皂持消极态度。
3．What can we infer from the third paragraph?
A．Wet skin is easier to be infected.
B．Too much bathing is harmful to our skin.
C．Many people have a wrong way of bathing.
D．Washing without soaps can cause diseases.
B 解析：推理判断题。根据第三段的第一句和第二句话可知，澡洗得越多，皮肤会越干燥，甚至会滋生细菌。可见频繁洗澡对皮肤是有害的。
4．The purpose of the passage is to ________．
A．introduce some ways of bathing
B．prove the disadvantages of bathing
C．give us advice on how to choose a soap
D．tell us how often we should take a bath
D 解析：写作意图题。根据全文内容可知，文章的主要目的是告诉我们应该多久洗一次澡。
