​For the Love of Lavender|紫色迷情熏衣草

This little purple flower has left its scent on the world.

这小小的紫色花朵散发出独特的香味，让全世界一起共享。

We most commonly associate lavender with its bath-time purposes, using the scent as a fragrant ingredient in soap, shampoo, or lotion. In fact, many believe the word lavender comes from the Latin "lavare," _(1)_ means to wash. In ancient times, Romans sprinkled the pale purple flowers into their bath water to give it a glorious scent and as a way to refresh the skin. Romans also crushed the leaves and burned them during religious rituals and offerings.

However, _(2)_ the time of the Greek Empire, lavender has been used not only for its aromatic smell but also for its medicinal powers. The Greek physician Dioscorides _(3)_ lavender as a treatment for heart problems. When the plague swept across Europe, glove makers added lavender to their gloves in order to ward off the disease. Doctors have recently confirmed that lavender indeed repelled the bugs which helped spread the disease that _(4)_ millions of people. In Victorian England, women would fill their pillows with lavender to help them relax and fall asleep. During the two World Wars, lavender oil _(5)_ from the flower petals was used on the battlefield to protect wounds from infection and as a pain reliever. Many even used it as an ingredient in cooking. Queen Elizabeth I, for example, _(6)_ that lavender jam be present at every meal.

Today, lavender is used to treat a number of medical ailments, including insomnia, depression, and hair loss. The oil is also often used in massage therapy due to the relaxing effects it has _(7)_ people. Apparently, there's more to lavender than meets the nose.

1.  (A) that    (B) what    (C) it  (D) which

2.  (A) when    (B) since   (C) unless  (D) while

3.  (A) prescribed  (B) referred    (C) encouraged  (D) suspected

4.  (A) applied to  (B) catered to (C) ruled out   (D) wiped out

5.  (A) extracting  (B) to extract  (C) extracted   (D) be extracted

6.  (A) resisted    (B) insisted    (C) consisted   (D) assisted

7.  (A) on  (B) at  (C) in  (D) to

一想到熏衣草，我们最常会想到它的沐浴功能，利用它的香味作为肥皂、洗发精或乳液的芳香成分。事实上，许多人相信熏衣草（lavender）这个字来自拉丁文的 lavare，意指洗涤。古时候，罗马人将淡紫色的花朵撒在洗澡水中，使其散发出愉悦的香味，并当作恢复肌肤光采之用。罗马人也会在宗教仪式或是供奉中，将熏衣草压碎然后焚烧。

　　然而，自希腊帝国起，熏衣草不只因香味受到青睐，它的疗效也受到重用。一名希腊医师迪奥斯柯立兹将熏衣草作为治疗心脏疾病的处方。而当瘟疫横行欧洲时，手套制造业者将熏衣草加到手套里以防范疾病。医生最近证实熏衣草的确有助驱赶散播瘟疫的害虫，这场瘟疫在当时夺走了数百万条人命。在英国的维多利亚时代，仕女们会将熏衣草装入枕头中帮助放松和入睡。在两次世界大战中，从花瓣中提炼出的熏衣草油被用在战场上，保护伤口避免感染，同时也当作止痛剂用。许多人甚至把它用来当作烹饪的食材。举例来说，伊丽莎白一世女王就坚持每餐都要有熏衣草酱。

　　今日，熏衣草被用来治疗一些疾病，包括失眠、忧郁和掉发。熏衣草油也因具有令人放松的功效而被用在按摩疗程上。熏衣草的功能显然比我们闻到的多更多。

标准答案: 1. (D)2. (B)3. (A)4. (D)5. (C)
 6. (B)7. (A)

For Your Information

法国的普罗旺斯是世界上最著名的熏衣草产地之一。每年 5 月至 10 月熏衣草花开时节，普罗旺斯就成了熏衣草王国，满山遍野迎风摇曳的熏衣草，映衬着普罗旺斯的乡村风景和灿烂阳光，交织出紫色的梦境。通常在这段时间，当地人都会举办『熏衣草节』，镇上的男女老少穿着上个世纪淑女乡绅的布衫绸服，骑坐着 100 年前的脚踏车和马车，牵着他们的牛羊鸡鸭，带上他们用熏衣草作的肥皂香水，塞满熏衣草的药枕头和陶器泥塑到村外的树林里摆摊子，贩卖各种熏衣草以庆祝节日。

而在盛产熏衣草的欧洲大陆，普遍流传着这样一个故事：一位牧羊女邂逅了一个英俊少年，两人坠入爱河，天天约会。一天少年突然提出要带她远走高飞，牧羊女回到家把这事告诉了父母，父母心生疑问，于是交给她一束紫色的熏衣草，她把熏衣草撒在少年身上，立刻化为一股紫色的烟雾，而少年也现出了魔鬼的原形逃走了。因此熏衣草自古以来也被认为是具有魔力的一种神圣药草。