The countdown goes something like this: 3) IRS auditor, 2) ex-husband's new 20-year-old girlfriend, 1) dentist. The top three people we most hate to see.

　　"Let's face it," says Dr. Lorin Berland, a dentist in Dallas. "Dentistry can suck." A third of Americans, according to the National Center for Health Statistics, haven't even set foot in the dentist's office in the past year. Berland, along with an increasing number of dentists all over the country, is trying to change that. He wants dental appointments to be less about pain and drilling and more about relaxation, foot massage and soothing aromatherapy.

　　Spa dentistry, as it's called, means you can enjoy a hot paraffin-wax hand treatment while getting your teeth cleaned. Or you can slip on some virtual-reality glasses and watch your favorite movie. Or you might just lie back and let the scent of lavender and the sound of falling water quiet your anxiety, while a licensed massage therapist eases the crick in your neck. Most vacations aren't this good. In response to spa dentistry's growing popularity, the Chicago Dental Society will teach its first course on the practice at its annual midwinter meeting in February, expected to attract 35,000 industry professionals.

　　"Some people are born to cater to people, and others have to be taught," says Dr. Grace Sun, a dentist in Los Angeles who, without benefit of a lecture, offers massage, fruit smoothies and movies. In addition, she provides luxury hotel-style concierge services: while you're in the (vibrating, of course) chair, her staff makes dinner reservations, takes your cell-phone calls, baby-sits, dog-sits, orders in food or does just about anything else you ask.

　　Dr. Debra Gray King of the Atlanta Center for Cosmetic Dentistry calls her practice "the Ritz-Carlton of dentistry" and in fact sends her "dental concierges" to the Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center for training in client relations. They're taught to squire each patient as he or she navigates the various rooms of the center's luxe 8,400-sq.-ft. Twelve Oaks--esque mansion. Once in the dentist's chair, King's patients can use the attached flat-panel monitor to watch TV, play a DVD or surf the Web. Can't see the screen? No worries, there's one wired to the ceiling too. Noise-reduction headphones block the screech of the drill and play a CD of your choice, and the specially constructed dental chair channels the sound waves from the music into a full-body massage. "The more relaxed the patient is," says King, "the easier our job."

　　Patients are responding. Martha Dickey, a magazine publisher in Atlanta, says a hot paraffin-wax treatment can "change your whole feeling about going to the dentist. You feel like you're there to get nurtured and pampered. It's fabulous. Every one of your senses is taken care of." If only the offices of the IRS were as pleasant.

1.How do Dr. Berland and some other American dentists try to change the image of dentistry?
　　[A] They try to change it by facing it bravely.
　　[B] They try to change it by teaching patients how to take good care of their teeth.
　　[C] They try to change it by providing new services to help patients feel relaxed and at home.
　　[D] They try to change it by relieving patients’ pain with new pills.

2.Which of the following is not a service provided by spa dentistry?
　　[A] a vacation
　　[B] spa
　　[C] massage
　　[D] dental treatment

3.The expression “cater to” (Line 1, Paragraph 4) most probably means _______.
　　[A] meet the requirements of sb.
　　[B] be to sb’s liking
　　[C] take sb. seriously
　　[D] serve sb. well

4.Why does Dr. Debra Gray King call her practice “the Ritz-Carlton of dentistry”?
　　[A] Because her “dental concierges” are trained at the Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center.
　　[B] Because her cosmetic dentistry center provides the kind of concierge services luxury hotels like Ritz-Carlton provide.
　　[C] Because her Center is located in a mansion as large as Ritz-Carlton.
　　[D] Because her patients are also guests at Ritz-Carlton.

5.Which of the following is true according to the text?
　　[A] Dr. Grace Sun learned her new practice from the course offered by the Chicago Dental Society.
　　[B] The author hopes that dentist’s offices can be as comfortable the offices of the IRS.
　　[C] The patients like the new services provided by the dentists mentioned in the text very much.
　　[D] Dental appointments are often associated with relaxation.

　　答案：C A D B C

　　篇章剖析

　　本篇文章从怕牙医入手，介绍牙医诊所改变牙医可怕形象的一些做法以及患者的反馈意见。第一段作者罗列人们最怕见的三个人，牙医排在第一位。第二段引出博兰德等医生努力改变牙医形象。第三段介绍了温泉保健牙科，并指出这种牙科日渐流行的趋势。第四段介绍了格蕾斯·桑大夫自己摸索出来的一些改善牙科诊所服务的办法。第六段介绍了亚特兰大美容牙科中心金箔是位患者提供的服务项目。第六段指出患者肯定牙医们的做法。

　　词汇注释

　　root canal 牙根部开槽治疗

　　foot massage n. 足底按摩

　　shiatsu: [Fi: 5B:tsu:] n. （日语）指压按摩法

　　IRS abbr. Internal Revenue Service 美国国税局

　　auditor [5C:ditE]: n. 审计员

　　Dallas 达拉斯，美国德克萨斯州东北部城市

　　suck: [sQk]v. [美俚]使人极度不快

　　the National Center for Health Statistics （美国）国家卫生统计中心

　　drilling: [5driliN] n. 钻（牙）

　　soothing: [5su:TiN] adj. 抚慰的

　　aromatherapy: [ErEJmE5WerEpI] n. 用香料按摩

　　spa: [spB:] n. 温泉疗养

　　Spa dentistry n. 温泉保健牙科

　　paraffin-wax n. 石蜡

　　virtual-reality n.虚拟现实

　　lavender: [5lAvindE] n. 熏衣草

　　therapist: [5WerEpIst] n. 临床医师

　　crick: [krik] n. 肌肉痉挛

　　cater to 提供服务

　　smoothie: [5smu:TI] n. 果沙（一种用水果，果汁，偶尔加冰在搅拌机里混合而成的冷饮）

　　concierge: [7kC:nsi5ZEV] n. 门房

　　dog-sit n. 字面意思是照看小狗，在本篇中只“照看宠物”

　　cosmetic dentistry 美容牙科

　　Ritz-Carlton of dentistry 里兹大饭店式的牙科诊所

　　squire: [5skwaiE] n. 护卫，随侍

　　luxe: [luks] n. 豪美，奢华

　　esque ······式样的

　　screech: [skri:tF] n. 尖锐的声音

　　pamper: [5pAmpE] v. 纵容

　　难句突破

　　1． He wants dental appointments to be less about pain and drilling and more about relaxation, foot massage and soothing aromatherapy. （line 4-5, paragraph 2）

　　主体句式：he wants dental appointments to … 阅读(628) （责任编辑：城市网）