讓你一個月滴酒不沾，你能做到嗎？英國的一個慈善機構發起了一項活動，邀請在圣誕節期間飲酒過度的人們在節日后戒酒一段時間，試圖幫助他們改變長期飲酒習慣。《隨身英語》帶你了解這項活動：

課文內容

詞匯: Drink 喝酒

In Britain, it's bottoms up from the week before Christmas till the last firework explodes in the sky announcing the new year. The last Friday before Christmas - popularly known as 'Mad Friday' - is one of the busiest periods for the country's pubs and clubs.

But it's not just the bars that get busy. Ambulances and A&E departments around Britain get packed out too. Head injuries, cuts, falls… it's easy to end up hurting yourself or others when inhibitions and composure disappear and your head is spinning due to alcohol. Revellers have been warned by the health authorities about the dangers of excessive drinking but indulgence seems to be part of the festivities for some.

The charity Alcohol Concern is running a campaign of abstinence by encouraging people to have a dry January.

Jackie Ballard, the charity's Chief Executive, believes the initiative has been successful in recent years. She says: "More than two-thirds of people even six months later are drinking at reduced levels having had a month off booze. But also a study has shown the impact it has on people's health reducing their blood pressure and blood sugar levels."

The study by the University of Sussex followed up nearly 900 participants in Alcohol Concern's Dry January campaign and found out that 72% of them had kept harmful drinking sessions down and 4% were still not drinking. Fears that a booze-free month would cause people to binge drink the next month didn't materialise.

Moderationseems to be the key to everything. The official recommendation for women is not to regularly drink more than more than 2 to 3 units of alcohol a day. That's no more than a 175ml glass of 13% ABV wine. The limit for men is 3 to 4 units of alcohol - no more than a pint of 5.2% ABV lager, beer or cider.

詞匯表

bottoms up    干杯，一口氣喝完
pub    酒吧
A&E department    急救中心
inhibitions    抑制、壓抑
composure    頭腦鎮定或沉著的狀態
alcohol    酒精
reveller    狂歡者
indulgence    沉溺、放縱
abstinence    節制
booze    （俗語）酒
blood pressure    血壓
binge    狂飲
moderation    適度，自我節制
ABV (alcohol by volume)    含酒精量
pint    （測量單位）品脫

測驗與練習

1. 閱讀課文并回答問題。

1. What is 'Mad Friday'?
2. What do doctors and nurses in the UK end up having to deal with over Christmas?
3. How can people's health improve if they give up drinking, according to Alcohol Concern?
4. True or false? Most people who took part in the campaign gave alcohol for 30 days and then drank a lot in February to compensate.
5.Who says men shouldn't regularly drink the equivalent of no more than a pint of 5.2% ABV lager, beer or cider a day?

2. 請你在不參考課文的情況下完成下列練習。從每個表格中選擇一個意思合適的單詞填入句子的空格處。

1. I'm not going to the pub tonight. Monday is my day __________.

of abstinence         to binge on drink         for booze         of indulgence

2. I know you like booze, but you should drink __________ if you don't want to harm your health.

with inhibition         alcohol         in moderation         bottoms up

3. I like this drink made from apple. What's it called? Ah, it's __________.

beer         lager         wine         cider

4. Janice, stop dragging strangers to dance with you. Where is your __________?

moderation         composure         abstinence         inhibition

5. I'm not giving you an order. You do it if you want to. This is just __________.

a recommendation         an initiative         a warning         a saying

答案

1. 閱讀課文并回答問題。

1. What is "Mad Friday"?
It's what the last Friday before Christmas is called in the UK because that's when people go out and drink a lot.

2. What do doctors and nurses in the UK end up having to deal with over Christmas?
If they work in the A&E departments they are busy treating people with head injuries, cuts and other injuries resulting of falls caused by excessive drinking.

3. How can people's health improve if they give up drinking, according to Alcohol Concern?
If people drink less alcohol their blood pressure and blood sugar are likely to be reduced, improving their health.

4. True or false? Most people who took part in the campaign gave alcohol for 30 days and then drank a lot in February to compensate.
False.  Seventy two percent of the participants of a study by the University of Sussex had kept harmful drinking sessions down and 4% were still not drinking.

5.Who says men shouldn't regularly drink the equivalent of no more than a pint of 5.2% ABV lager, beer or cider a day?
This recommendation is given by the British health authorities.

2. 請你在不參考課文的情況下完成下列練習。從每個表格中選擇一個意思合適的單詞填入句子的空格處。

1. I'm not going to the pub tonight. Monday is my day of abstinence.

2. I know you like booze, but you should drink in moderation if you don't want to harm your health.

3. I like this drink made from apple. What's it called? Ah, it's cider.

4. Janice, stop dragging strangers to dance with you. Where is your composure?

5. I'm not giving you an order. You do it if you want to. This is just a recommendation.