Though the belief in the merit of dirt was longlived, dirt has no longer been regarded as a nice neighbor 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 si
nce 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 firsttime 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.
本文介绍了人们对灰尘的不同态度和看法。16世纪早期，人们认为灰尘能阻挡疾病。人们不能洗澡。18世纪时人们认为洗掉灰尘对身体有好处，能阻止疾病。而现在，人们对灰尘有不同看法，有人认为不能碰灰尘，而有人认为灰尘能增强免疫力。
1．The kings of France and England in the 16th century closed bath houses because ________.
A．they lived healthily in a dirty environment
B．they thought bath houses were too dirty to stay in
C．they believed disease could be spread in public baths
D．they considered bathing as the cause of skin disease
答案：C。细节理解题。根据短文第二段第二、三句话可知。人们认为公共浴池是特别危险的，法国和英国的国王都关闭了他们的浴池，由此可知C项正确。
