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More than just clothes 衣服不只是衣服
Friday, Apr 07, 2006,Page 21
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A woman demonstrates how to use her new bio-function clothing.
一名婦女示範如何使用新的生化功能服。 (照片：德通社)
PHOTO: DPA
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Underwear that smells like vanilla, T-shirts with vitamin C and stockings with moisturizer are all examples of a new kind of clothing that does more than just cover you and keep you warm.
These "bio-function" clothes either smell nice, as in the case of the vanilla underwear, provide some kind of personal care product, as in the vitamin C T-shirts, or absorb a bad smell.
A Japanese company has developed a fabric with a substance that turns into vitamin C when it comes in contact with skin. Another kind of clothing releases minerals, proteins and vitamins when it is worn. "It's been demonstrated that the substances can be absorbed through the skin," said Uta-Christina Hipler, a scientist at the University of Jena in Germany.
Some clothes not only release smells and vitamins, but also can absorb unpleasant odors, such as odors caused by sweat or cigarette smoke. This means that you can still wear clothes even after a night out at a bar.
All of these features are produced by tiny capsules in the fabric that open and release their contents when rubbed, pressed or warmed by body heat. However, wearing the clothing and washing it reduces the number of capsules, and the clothing loses its extra functions.
Because of this, clothing makers recently began selling packets with a new supply of capsules that can be sprayed on the clothing after it has been washed. (DPA)
香草味的內衣、含維他命 C 的 T 恤和具潤膚乳成份的絲襪，這些衣服除了能蔽體保暖外，尚有其他功用。
這些具「生化功用」的服裝，有的如香草內衣能散發好氣味、含維他命 C 的 T-shirts 可提供個人保健產品，甚至能吸收異味。
日本一家公司研發出一種纖維，其內的物質一旦接觸皮膚便會轉化成維他命 C。還有一種衣服，若受溫將釋放礦物質、蛋白質和維他命。德國耶那大學科學家克麗絲蒂娜．希普勒指出：「這些物質已被證實能透過皮膚被吸收。」
有些衣服不但能釋出氣味和維他命，還能吸收諸如汗味和煙味等惱人氣味，就算你穿著它在酒吧待上一晚也不必更衣。
上述功能都得靠纖維裡的微小膠囊，這些膠囊經磨擦、擠壓或受溫於體熱時，就會釋放物質。然而穿用或清洗都會減少膠囊數目，使衣服喪失附加功能。
因此成衣商最近也開始銷售新的膠囊補充包，以供噴灑在洗淨後的衣物上。 （德通社／翻譯：鄭湘儀）
| Today's words 今日單字 |
1. absorb v.t.
吸收 (xi1 shou1)
例：It rained so hard that the ground couldn't absorb all the water. （雨下得太大，地面無法吸收所有雨水。）
2. substance n.
物質 (wu4 zhi2)
例：Ellen left her ice cream out on the table all day, so when she came back home it had turned into a warm, liquid substance.
（艾倫把冰淇淋放在桌上一整天，所以她回家後冰淇淋就變成溫溫的液狀物。）
3. odor n.
氣味 (qi4 wei4)
例：My apartment has a bad odor because my roomate won't take out his garbage.
（我的公寓因室友不倒垃圾而有異味。）
4. capsule n.
膠囊 (jiao1 nang2)
例：Some medicine comes in small capsules to be swallowed.
（若干藥品有小膠囊包裝以便吞服。） |
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Reading Comprehension
閱讀測驗 |
1. According to the article, it is ___ that vitamin C can be absorbed through the skin.
a. possible
b. proven
c. unlikely
2. What turns the substance on the Japanese company's fabric into vitamin C?
a. Heat.
b. Water.
c. Skin.
3. Bio-function clothing will lose its special functions if ...
a. it is not washed regularly.
b. the capsules are pressed too hard by the body.
c. the number of capsules is reduced.
4. Some bio-function clothes get rid of bad smells by ...
a. absorbing them.
b. covering them with good smells.
c. destroying them. |
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