2023-12-11 How much water should we drink 我们每天应该喝多少水？

我们都知道 “多喝水有益身体健康” 的说法。确实，水中含有人体必需的营养，水还可以帮助我们的身体排出毒素、促进消化。有些人相信 “8×8” 的 “饮水法则”，即每天分8次喝8大杯水。不过实际上，每个人每天应该喝多少水是由个体的年龄、体重和运动量等多重因素而决定的。本期 “随身英语” 讨论我们是否应该严格定时定量地喝水。

词汇：water 水

In school, kids are told to drink water in class, tannoy announcers encourage us to remember our bottles on public transport, and we’re reminded by experts that water will help us have glowing skin and regulate our weight. But how much should we actually be drinking?

For many years, people have followed the unofficial advice of drinking eight glasses of water, eight times a day, known as the ‘8×8 rule’. According to Jessica Brown, writing for BBC Future, this seems to have partly come from not understanding guidance that was published almost 80 years ago. In 1945, the US Food and Nutrition Board of National Research Council advised drinking one millilitre of liquid for every recommended calorie of food. This is equivalent to around two litres of water a day, or eight glasses per person. But, Jessica says, the reality is that individuals have different needs. Weight, age and activity level all affect how much water someone should drink.

So, should we control our water intake at all? It’s not that important, according to Dr Stanley Goldfarb from the University of Pennsylvania. He told BBC podcast More or Less that our body is very good at hydration control – it tells us when we are dehydrated. First, there is ‘the thirst system, which tells us go drink because your body water content is slightly reduced. And secondly, we have the kidney system which helps to retain any water and kicks in well before we really sense any thirst’.

There are, of course, benefits to drinking water. It helps our bodies regulate temperature, flushes out toxins, aids digestion and acts as a shock absorber for our joints. It also contains essential nutrients like calcium and magnesium, which are important for bone strength.

So, next time you feel thirsty, reach for a glass of water, but otherwise, don’t worry about it! Your body knows what it’s doing.

词汇表

bottle 水瓶
glowing 容光焕发的，水灵的
millilitre 毫升
liquid 液体
calorie （热量单位）卡路里
litre 升
intake 摄入量
hydration control 人体内水分控制
dehydrated 缺水的 ，脱水的
thirst system 口渴感知系统
body water content 人体内水分含量
kidney system 肾脏系统
retain 保持，留存
kick in 开始起作用，见效
flush out 清除，排出
toxin 毒素
digestion 消化
shock absorber 起减震缓冲功能的物体
calcium 钙
magnesium 镁

测验与练习

1. 阅读课文并回答问题。

1. What is the ‘8×8 rule’?

2. Which ‘guidance’ was misinterpreted?

3. List three things which affect how much water someone should drink.

4. Which two systems control hydration in the body?

5. How does water help our bones?

2. 选择意思恰当的单词或词组来完成下列句子。

1. Douglas has a reusable _______. It saves him buying water outside the house.

intake                          bottle                           digestion                  calcium 

2. After her operation, she wasn’t allowed to eat. She could only have _______.

liquids                         calories                        litres                         magnesium

3. My favourite part of the song is when the chorus _______.

kicks in                        flushes out                   hydrates                  retains

4. Simon has been ill. He’s waiting for a _______ transplant.

shock absorber           millilitre                        control                      kidney

5. Are you in love? Your face is _______!

glowing                       dehydrated                   thirsty                       hydrated

答案

1. 阅读课文并回答问题。 

1. What is the ‘8×8 rule’?

Drinking eight glasses of water, eight times a day.

2. Which ‘guidance’ was misinterpreted?

In 1945, the US Food and Nutrition Board of National Research Council advised drinking one millilitre of liquid for every recommended calorie of food.

3. List three things which affect how much water someone should drink.

Weight, age and activity level all affect how much water someone should drink.

4. Which two systems control hydration in the body?

The thirst system and the kidney system.

5. How does water help our bones?

It contains essential nutrients like calcium and magnesium, which are important for bone strength.

2. 选择意思恰当的单词或词组来完成下列句子。

1. Douglas has a reusable bottle. It saves him buying water outside the house.

2. After her operation, she wasn’t allowed to eat. She could only have liquids.

3. My favourite part of the song is when the chorus kicks in.

4. Simon has been ill. He’s waiting for a kidney transplant.

5. Are you in love? Your face is glowing!