Vocabulary: Feet词汇：脚

女生谨慎高跟鞋 别为赶时髦脚会受苦

　　Many believe high heels make women look good. It's no surprise that the Cannes Film Festival's organisers seem to favour having stars walking up the red carpet in them. But all this glam comes at a cost: wearing heels over 10cm high can damage your ankles。

　　A study by the Hanseo University in South Korea suggests that continuous wearing exposes women to the risk of strains and makes them prone to losing their balance。

　　A total of 40 women who wear high heels at least three times a week took part in the study. The strength of their ankles was measured regularly and two of the four main muscles became dominant after a period of between one and three years. It created an imbalance in their feet。

　　Dr Yong-Seok Jee from Hanseo University said that the habit of wearing heels can result in deformed feet, back pain and unhealthy walking patterns. He recommends women limit the use of these kinds of shoes and exercise their ankle muscles properly。

　　High heels are considered by some sexy and feminine, but ironically the fashion started with men's feet. These shoes were a form of riding footwear, and would be seen on the feet of 17th Century Persian soldiers. Elizabeth Semmelhack of the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto says: "When the soldier stood up in his stirrups, the heel helped him to secure his stance so that he could shoot his bow and arrow more effectively."

　　Before becoming a staple of modern women's wardrobes, high heels were used by Louis XIV of France. These shoes were status symbols. Let's face it – nothing screams privilege like uncomfortable, luxurious and impractical clothing. They say the wearer doesn't have to work in fields or walk very far。

　　What do you think: are high heels a symbol of women's elevation in society or just something to be booted out of fashion?

　　词汇表请参看答案与词汇部分

　　Today's symbol of femininity started as riding footwear

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　　Quiz 测验

　　阅读短文并回答问题。

　　1. How high are the heels that can cause injury to feet, according to the study?

　　2. What makes high heel wearers prone to losing balance?

　　3. What were high heels used for in the past?

　　4. According to the article, what made high heel wearers look privileged during Louis XIV's rule?

　　5. Which word in the text means 'efficiently'?

　　Exercise 练习

　　请你在不参考课文的情况下完成下列练习。从每个表格中选择一个意思合适的单词填入句子的空格处。

　　1. These trainers are perfect for the gym but they are __________. Maybe I could try a bigger size。

　　impractical uncomfortable imbalanced footwear

　　2. Rice and beans are __________ foods in Brazil. Most people eat them several times a week。

　　privileged habit staple continuous

　　3. I must go to the doctor. I can hardly sit down. I have __________ pain。

　　an unhealthy back ankle strains

　　4. I don't care if nobody uses hair nets anymore. I'm in the __________ of wearing them and it won't change!

　　trend habit fashion regular

　　5. I miss my mother. She has always been the __________ force in my life。

　　strong dominant deformed balanced

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　　Answers and Glossary 答案与词汇

　　Quiz 小测验

　　1. How high are the heels that can cause injury to feet, according to the study? 10cm or more。

　　2. What makes high heel wearers prone to losing balance? Two of the four main muscles on their feet become dominant and it disrupts their walking。

　　3. What were high heels used for in the past? Riding。

　　4. According to the article, what made high heel wearers look privileged during Louis XIV's rule? They are not practical and it shows the wearer doesn't do hard work and doesn't have to walk much。

　　5. Which word in the text means 'efficiently'? Effectively。

　　Exercise 练习

　　1. These trainers are perfect for the gym but they are uncomfortable. Maybe I could try a bigger size。

　　2. Rice and beans are staple foods in Brazil. Most people eat them several times a week。

　　3. I must go to the doctor. I can hardly sit down. I have back pain。

　　4. I don't care if nobody uses hair nets anymore. I'm in the habit of wearing them and it won't change!

　　5. I miss my mother. She has always been the dominant force in my life。

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　　Glossary 词汇表

　　glam

　　(口语)魅力

　　an ankle

　　脚踝

　　a strain

　　扭伤，拉伤

　　to be prone (to something)

　　易于…的

　　balance

　　平衡

　　a muscle

　　肌肉

　　an imbalance

　　不平衡

　　to be deformed

　　变形的，畸形的

　　footwear

　　鞋类(总称)

　　a stirrup

　　马镫

　　impractical

　　不实用的

　　to boot out

　　赶出去，赶走

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