Pillows, remote controls, toys and mobile phones are dirtier (骯髒) than toilet lids, a study has revealed.
Such household items are within easy reach (note 1) of children and should be cleaned more thoroughly, the Hong Kong Childhealth Foundation said.
In August, the foundation joined up with a cleaning company to conduct the study "hunting bacterial black spots in children's households."
The study, testing the bacterial (細菌的) content of domestic items, involved 228 parents and 20 households.
It found more than 90 percent of parents ignore hygienic practices (note 2) on the dining table, which has an average of two million bacteria or 10 times the 200,000 found on a toilet lid.
Nearly 70 percent of 20 household areas and items were found to have up to two million bacteria, including remote controls, fridge doors, toys, mobile phones, pillows, carpets, kitchen and toilet floors, mops (拖把) and bins (垃圾箱).
The study found that the worst spots (note 3) are toilet drains, with 20 million, although these are normally well out of the reach of children.
Among the "cleanest" items are sofas, computer keyboards, shoe shelves, door knobs and school bags, each containing more than 200,000.
Foundation chairman and pediatrician (兒科醫生) Henry Au Yeung Chek-lun said: "At such alarming rates, parents should pay more attention to (note 4) cleaning items that are always in contact with children. It is time to clean the often ignored (忽略) items at home."
He added: "Negligence will only turn one's household into a breeding ground (note 5) for bacteria, boost the risk of cross-infection and transmission of communicable diseases."
Maintaining personal and household hygiene is the key to preventing the spread (兤散) of germs before a community outbreak (note 6), he noted.
From good to better English:
(note 1) within easy reach=容易拿到手。within easy reach的相反是out of reach。Reach=伸手拿；伸手送達，交給，遞給；給予。Your letter reached Julian yesterday=你的信昨日到達Julian哪裡。 Victor is liable to be reached by flattery= Victor容易被諂媚奉承所打動。 As far as the eye can reach=就眼力所及，極目，滿目。 Reach bottom=到底；查明。
(note 2) ignore hygienic practices=忽略衛生習慣。Practice=習慣，慣例。a common practice=風氣；常例。 bureaucratic practices=官僚主義作風。 the old practices=老一套。The doctor has a large practice=這個醫生病人很多。in practice=實際上。Practice makes perfect=熟能生巧。
(note 3) the worst spots=最差的地方。Spot=認出，發現，找到, 弄髒。Lookouts were spotted all along Nathan Road=沿彌敦道一帶都佈置了監視哨。 Julian spotted him at once as an American=Julian一見就看出他是個美國人。This kind of Shenzhen cloth tends to spot in the rain=這種深鎮布容易在雨中弄髒。
(note 4) pay more attention to=給多些注意。Pay=支付, 報答；補償。Pay的同義詞有 compensate, indemnify, recompense, redress, reimburse, remunerate, repay, requite等。pay slip= 薪水單。 pay up= 付清錢款。
(note 5) a breeding ground=溫床。
(note 6) a community outbreak=社區獷散。
Victor’s View: Having good hygienic practices helps protect our health. We should take it seriously.
(Victor Fung Keung, director of HK Baptist University’s M.A. in international journalism program, has published 4 books on English-enhancement [the latest, titled <<學會演說、改變你的人生>>, was published on July 18] and plans to write 6 more by the end of 2012. Write to him: deanfungenglish@gmail.com)
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