As we get older, most of us worry about grey hair, wrinkles and maintaining a youthful body. But people often don’t realize the voice needs looking after. Here, Mr. Rubin, a voice expert, reveals how to keep your voice youthful.
Drink more fluid and avoid spicy food
You need water for the vocal cords(声带) to vibrate(振动) well. The body must be kept hydrated enough to make the vocal cords operate well. Drinking 1.5 liters of water a day at intervals of 15 minutes is very important. Mr. Rubin advises avoiding foods with an annoying effect on the stomach, such as onions, chili, fizzy drinks and chocolate.
Rest the throat and talk regularly
The vocal cords can be scared if you use your voice during a bad cough. If you have a case of laryngitis(喉炎) with a cold, you should rest your voice for a day or two, and seek medical advice.
Simply staying sociable and using your voice is very important. “As older people get less mobile, they can become socially isolated and speak less.” says Mr. Rubin. “The elderly need to communicate with people more. By using the vocal cords, they enable the ageing process to slow down. ”
Improve your posture
Good posture is essential to keeping the voice young, so we’d better stand properly. Exercise helps you take deeper breaths as it means there is better airflow through the voice box, producing a stronger tone.
Sing in the shower
This is one of the best ways to preserve your voice, as it keeps the larynx muscles strong while the steam lubricates(使润滑) the voice box. “Singing is gymnastics for the voice,” says Mr. Rubin. Joining a choir is one of the best ways to preserve a youthful tone.
小题1:Mr. Rubin gives us advice on ________.
A．ways to keep us from aging
B．ways to talk with other people
C．ways to keep our voice youthful
D．prevention of diseases caused by talking too much小题2:Which of the following statements is TRUE in the opinion of Mr. Rubin?
A．We should stand properly to keep our voice youthful.
B．Professional singers’ voices tend to age quickly.
C．The steam can do great harm to the voice.
D．Taking more onions can keep us healthy.小题3:To protect the voice, the old people should .
A．get less mobile
B．communicate with others more
C．avoid using the voice
D．lie in bed more小题4:What can we learn from the text?
A．Most people have realized the importance of protecting voice.
B．It’s hard to keep the vocal cords strong through exercise.
C．Singing in the shower is among the best ways to keep our voice youthful.
D．Shouting now and then benefits our vocal cords.