A new(ish) and alternative form of greeting and showing respect has been found to be more hygienic than shaking hands. We have all seen it on TV. Basketball and baseball players do it after a teammate scores. Rock stars and actors do it onstage at awards ceremonies. Even U.S. President Barack Obama does it. What is it? Well, it's fist bumping. It's kind of like a high five, except the hand is clenched into a ball and the other person's fist is given a gentle nudge, knuckles to knuckles. Researchers at the University of Aberystwyth in Wales have discovered that this twenty-first-century greeting spreads one-twentieth of the germs than a traditional handshake does and around one-tenth of the germs in a high five.

An article on Wikipedia explains that the fist bump originated with American motorcycle gangs in the 1940s. It was easier and safer to fist bump another rider than to shake hands when two bikes were side by side at traffic lights. It achieved global exposure 70 years later when in 2008, President Obama and his wife Michelle fist bumped during a televised presidential campaign speech. There is less skin-to-skin contact during a fist bump so the chance of spreading germs is lower. A researcher said: "People rarely think about the health implications of shaking hands, but if the general public could be encouraged to fist bump, there is a genuine potential to reduce the spread of infectious diseases.

1. TRUE / FALSE:Read the headline. Guess if a-h below are true (T) or false (F).

a.Fist bumps are used as a greeting and a show of respect.T / F

b.Barack Obama fist bumps.T / F

c.The article says fist bumping is for people who don't like high fives.T / F

d.There are 20 times fewer germs from a fist bump than a handshake.T / F

e.Fist bumps first started with hippies in the late 1960s.T / F

f.Barack Obama fist bumped his wife live on TV in 2008.T / F

g.There is more skin contact in a fist bump than with a handshake.T / F

h.A researcher said fist bumps could increase infectious diseases.T / F

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1.Why do people fist bump besides using it for greetings?

2.When do basketball players fist bump?

3.What did the article say fist bumping was similar to?

4.What shape does the hand make in a fist bump?

5.How many fewer germs does fist bumping spread than handshaking?

6.When did fist bumping first start?

7.When did Barack and Michelle Obama fist bump on television?

8.What kind of contact is less prevalent with fist bumping?

9.What does the article say people rarely think about with handshakes?

10.What could fist bumps reduce the spread of?

答案

TRUE / FALSE

a T b T c F d T e F f T g F h F

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1.To show respect

2.After a teammate scores

3.A high five

4.A ball

5.One-twentieth

6.In the 1940s

7.2008

8.Skin to skin contact

9.Health implications

10.Infectious diseases