D
Around half of all teenagers in the UK are putting themselves at risk of food poisoning because they don't wash their hands before eating or after visiting the toilet, a new survey indicates, To coincide with National Food Safety Week, researchers from the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) conducted a survey of over 500 people aged between 11 and 19 about their hygiene and eating habits. Their survey showed that 57 percent of teenagers admitted to not always washing their hands after visiting the toilet or before lunch at school. Of these, over two-thirds ate lunch, such as sandwiches or a burger, with their hands.
Furthermore, 40 percent of those who do wash their hands do not always use soap. And 75 percent said they dry their hands on their clothes when in a hurry—damp hands spread around 1,000 times more germs (病菌) than dry ones. Excuses that teenagers gave for not washing their hands ranged from not having enough time (24 percent) to dirty and unhygienic facilities (26 percent) and forgetfulness (22 percent).
Food safety expert Hugh Pennington, professor of Microbiology at Aberdeen University, said, "The best news about food safety is that one doesn't have to be a rocket scientist to do it properly. The had news is that even a simple and obvious thing like hand washing—which protects incredibly well—is seen by many people as good health theory, but not actually put into practice."
Martin Paterson, deputy director general of the FDF, said that teens' hygiene habits before eating were a recipe for disaster, adding that although most know how food poisoning could occur, the majority do not take simple measures to prevent it. "Of course teenagers don't want to be overprotected," he said, "but with up to 5.5 million cases of food poisoning a year, we clearly need to keep informing people of simple food hygiene messages in fun and imaginative ways, to remind people of all ages how they can continue to enjoy their food safely."
53．The author implies that it is important to dry hands because .
A．some students dry their hands on their clothes
B．wet hands can cause students to catch cold
C．damp hands are more likely to spread germs
D．damp hands take 1,000 times longer to dry
54．By saying "one doesn't have to be a rocket scientist to do it properly" (Para. 3), Hugh Pennington means "____".
A．it isn't necessary to go to outer space to practice food safety
B．practicing food safety isn't as important as space exploration
C．it's not a must to practice food safety
D．practicing food safety isn't terribly difficult
55．Educated about food poisoning, most teenagers .
A．still get food poisoning at least once a year
B．still fail to take simple measures to avoid it
C．are able to avoid food poisoning
D．are concerned about their food safety
56．What is the main message conveyed in the text?
A．Many UK teenagers are at risk of food poisoning.
B．Food poisoning in the UK is on the rise.
C．Drying hands after washing is important.
D．British schools need to improve their sanitation levels.
