“Old wives tales” are beliefs lasting for many generations. For example, most of us remember our parents’ telling us to eat more of certain foods or not to do certain things. Is there any truth in these teachings? Some of them agree with present medical thinking, but others have not passed the test of time.
Did your mother ever tell you to eat your carrots because they are good for your eyes? Scientists now report that eating carrots can help prevent a serious eye disease called macular degeneration. Eating just one carrot a day can reduce the possibility of getting this disease by 40%. Garlic is good for you, too. It can kill the type of virus that causes colds.
Unfortunately, not all of Mom’ s advice passed the test of medical studies. For example, generations of children have been told not to go swimming within an hour after eating. But research suggests that there is no danger in doing so. Do sweets cause tooth problems? Well, yes. However, sticky sweets made with grains tend to cause more problems than sweets made with simple sugars.
Even though science can tell us that some of our traditional beliefs don’t hold water, there is still a lot of truth in the old wives’ tales. After all, much of this knowledge has been accumulated from thousands of years of experience in family health care. We should respect this body of knowledge even as we search for clear scientific support to prove it true or false.
Which of the following is TRUE according to the test?
A. Eating garlic is good for our eyes.
B. Sticky sweets are damaging our teeth.
C. Swimming after a meal is dangerous.
D. Carrots prevent people from catching colds.
The phrase “hold water” in the last paragraph most probably means”_____”.
A. to be believable B. to be valuable
C. to be admirable D. to be suitable
What is the author’s attitude toward “old wives tales” in the text?
A. Subjective B. Objective C. Dissatisfied D. Curious