# Nature's positive effects on well-being - 科目：雅思阅读真题（Part 2） - 最近考试：2026.8.8 - 题目数：13 - 来源页：https://www.yaquan.site/paper/c25bc3d7-84cf-4231-86c7-77f743710d3c（在线机考练习与音频请访问该页面） - 数据更新：2026-10-29 ## 题目原文 Contact with nature, whether at untouched wilderness or a backyard tree, alleviates stress and improves health A Throughout history, nature has been associated with improving people's health and well-being, and some have been designated for this purpose. Cyrus the Great, the successful Persian Emperor, built gardens for relaxation in the busy capital of Persepolis some 2 500 years ago. The 16th-century German-Swiss physician, Paracelsus, wrote, 'The art of healing comes from nature, not from the physician.' Later, in 1865, the great landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted had already designed Central Park in New York City; he was convinced that beautiful green spaces should exist for all people to enjoy. As well as creating the world's first national parks, he claimed that nature had healing powers. There wasn't much scientific evidence then for these powers but there is now with the advancement of epidemiological, psychological and brain-based research. B David Strayer is a cognitive psychologist at the University of Utah who specialises in the human capacity to maintain attention. One area of his research in the US has shown that using a cell phone impairs our brain as much as drinking alcohol does. Human brains are prone to mistakes, especially when multitasking. Strayer is in a unique position to understand what modern life does to us and has researched how camping trips in nature can be used as an antidote. Strayer has demonstrated a phenomenon he calls the 'three-day effect', in which subjects after three days of walking and backpacking through the wilderness. He explains that brains are easily fatigued, when we slow down, stop the busy work, and take in beautiful natural surroundings, not only do we feel physically refreshed, but our mental performance improves too. Strayer has found support for his hypothesis that being in nature allows the prefrontal cortex, the brain's command centre, to dial down and rest, like an over-used muscle. C In England, researchers from the University of Exeter Medical School recently analysed mental health data from 10 000 city dwellers over a period of 18 years and used high-resolution mapping to track where the subjects had lived. They found that people living near more green space reported less mental distress, even after adjusting for income, education, and employment (all of which are also correlated with health). In 2009 a team of Dutch researchers found a lower incidence of 15 diseases — including depression, anxiety, heart disease, diabetes, asthma, and migraines — in people who lived within about a half-mile of green space. Lower mortality and fewer stress hormones circulating in the blood have also been connected to living close to green space. Richard Mitchell, an epidemiologist at the University of Glasgow in Scotland, carried out a large study and found less disease in people who lived near parks or other green space — even if they didn't use these green spaces. This was particularly true amongst people with lower incomes. D Mitchell and other researchers theorize that nature works primarily by lowering stress. Compared to people without window views, those who can see trees and grass have been shown to recover faster in hospitals, perform better in school, and even display less violent behaviour. Such results are in accordance with experimental studies of the central nervous system and brain-wave patterns. Measurements of stress hormones, respiration, heart rate, and sweating suggest that short doses of nature — or even pictures of the natural world — can calm people down and sharpen their performance. For example, in Sweden, physician Matilda van den Bosch found that after a stressful math test, subjects' heart rate variability — which decreases with stress — returned to normal more quickly when they sat through 15 minutes of nature scenes and birdsong in a 3-D virtual-reality room than when in a plain room. E A 15-minute stroll in the woods has been shown to cause measurable changes in physiology. Japanese researchers led by Yoshifumi Miyazaki at Chiba University sent 84 subjects to stroll in seven different forests, while the same number of volunteers walked around city centres. Overall the forest walkers showed a 16 percent decrease in the stress-hormone cortisol, a 2 percent drop in blood pressure, and a 4 percent drop in heart rate. These results were not mirrored in the other group. Miyazaki believes our bodies and brains relax in pleasant, natural surroundings because our senses have evolved to interpret information about plants and streams, not traffic and high-rise buildings. F In some countries, governments are promoting nature experiences as a public-health policy. Professor Liisa Tyrväinen and her team at the Natural Resources Institute Finland recommend a minimum nature dose of five hours a month — several short visits to the countryside — to prevent mental illness. 'A 40- to 50-minute walk seems to be enough for physiological changes and mood changes and probably for attention,' says Kalevi Korpela, a professor of psychology at the University of Tampere, Finland. G Perhaps no nation has embraced the medicalization of nature with more enthusiasm than the South Koreans. Many suffer from work stress and intense academic pressures. More than 70 percent say their jobs, which require notoriously long hours, cause depression, according to a survey by electronics giant Samsung. Forest minister, Shin Won Sop is a social scientist who has studied the positive effects of forest therapy. Official healing forests, where people relax in nature, are now popular in South Korea and many more are planned so that people in nearly all major towns will be close to one. In these healing forests, school children can take part in forest meditations, walking tours, woodcrafts, and many more. Shin has data suggesting that forest healing reduces medical costs and benefits local economies. Time will tell if other countries will follow suit. ## 题目与答案 ### 14. a comparison of people walking in busy urban areas and people walking in nature a comparison of people walking in busy urban areas and people walking in nature - A - B - C - D - E - F **答案**：E 原文定位：Japanese researchers led by Yoshifumi Miyazaki at Chiba University sent 84 subjects to stroll in seven different forests, while the same number of volunteers walked around city centres 同义替换：「comparison」↔「while」；「people walking in busy urban areas」↔「volunteers walked around city centres」；「people walking in nature」↔「subjects to stroll in seven different forests」 ### 15. an outline of ideas from the past about the health benefits of nature an outline of ideas from the past about the health benefits of nature - A - B - C - D - E - F **答案**：A 原文定位：Throughout history, nature has been associated with improving people's health and well-being, and some have been designated for this purpose. Cyrus the Great, the successful Persian Emperor, built gardens for relaxation in the busy capital of Persepolis some 2 500 years ago. The 16th-century German-Swiss physician, Paracelsus, wrote, 'The art of healing comes from nature, not from the physician.' Later, in 1865, the great landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted had already designed Central Park in New York City; he was convinced that beautiful green spaces should exist for all people to enjoy. As well as creating the world's first national parks, he claimed that nature had healing powers 同义替换：「from the past」↔「Throughout history」；「health benefits of nature」↔「nature had healing powers」 ### 16. details of research where subjects looked at images of nature accompanied by recordings details of research where subjects looked at images of nature accompanied by recordings - A - B - C - D - E - F **答案**：D 原文定位：For example, in Sweden, physician Matilda van den Bosch found that after a stressful math test, subjects' heart rate variability — which decreases with stress — returned to normal more quickly when they sat through 15 minutes of nature scenes and birdsong in a 3-D virtual-reality room than when in a plain room 同义替换：「images of nature」↔「nature scenes」；「accompanied by recordings」↔「birdsong」 ### 17. a description of how a specific part of the brain responds to nature a description of how a specific part of the brain responds to nature - A - B - C - D - E - F **答案**：B 原文定位：Strayer has found support for his hypothesis that being in nature allows the prefrontal cortex, the brain's command centre, to dial down and rest, like an over-used muscle 同义替换：「a specific part of the brain」↔「the prefrontal cortex」 ### 18. Simply having your home near nature improves your health outcomes. Simply having your home near nature improves your health outcomes. - Paracelsus - David Strayer - Richard Mitchell - Matilda van den Bosch - Yoshifumi Miyazaki - Shin Won Sop **答案**：Richard Mitchell 原文定位：Richard Mitchell, an epidemiologist at the University of Glasgow in Scotland, carried out a large study and found less disease in people who lived near parks or other green space — even if they didn't use these green spaces 同义替换：「nature」↔「green space」；「improves your health outcomes」↔「found less disease」 ### 19. Being in nature improves energy levels and helps us think better. Being in nature improves energy levels and helps us think better. - Paracelsus - David Strayer - Richard Mitchell - Matilda van den Bosch - Yoshifumi Miyazaki - Shin Won Sop **答案**：David Strayer 原文定位：When we slow down, stop the busy work, and take in beautiful natural surroundings, not only do we feel physically refreshed, but our mental performance improves too 同义替换：「Being in nature」↔「take in beautiful natural surroundings」；「improves energy levels」↔「feel physically refreshed」；「helps us think better」↔「mental performance improves」 ### 20. A feature of human development is to respond to input from nature. A feature of human development is to respond to input from nature. - Paracelsus - David Strayer - Richard Mitchell - Matilda van den Bosch - Yoshifumi Miyazaki - Shin Won Sop **答案**：Yoshifumi Miyazaki 原文定位：Miyazaki believes our bodies and brains relax in pleasant, natural surroundings because our senses have evolved to interpret information about plants and streams, not traffic and high-rise buildings 同义替换：「A feature of human development」↔「our senses have evolved」；「respond to input from nature」↔「interpret information about plants and streams」 ### 21. Doing more than one thing at a time causes errors. Doing more than one thing at a time causes errors. - A - B - C - D - E - F **答案**：B 原文定位：Human brains are prone to mistakes, especially when multitasking 同义替换：「Doing more than one thing at a time」↔「multitasking」；「causes errors」↔「are prone to mistakes」 ### 22. Nature and Public Health in Finland and South Korea As part of their 22_____ for public health, some governments encourage more contact with nature. Nature and Public Health in Finland and South Korea As part of their 22_____ for public health, some governments encourage more contact with nature. **答案**：policy 原文定位：In some countries, governments are promoting nature experiences as a public-health policy 同义替换：「encourage more contact with nature」↔「are promoting nature experiences」 ### 23. In Finland, for example, the recommendation is that each 23_____ people should spend at least five hours in nature. In Finland, for example, the recommendation is that each 23_____ people should spend at least five hours in nature. **答案**：month 原文定位：Professor Liisa Tyrväinen and her team at the Natural Resources Institute Finland recommend a minimum nature dose of five hours a month — several short visits to the countryside — to prevent mental illness 同义替换：「at least」↔「a minimum nature dose of」 ### 24. South Koreans in particular have demonstrated a great deal of 24_____ in their promotion of the health benefits of nature. South Koreans in particular have demonstrated a great deal of 24_____ in their promotion of the health benefits of nature. **答案**：enthusiasm 原文定位：Perhaps no nation has embraced the medicalization of nature with more enthusiasm than the South Koreans 同义替换：「a great deal of」↔「more」；「promotion of the health benefits of nature」↔「embraced the medicalization of nature」 ### 25. A survey by Samsung has linked the very long South Korean work hours with depression. The South Korean government is promoting healing forests, and aims soon to have one near most large 25_____ . A survey by Samsung has linked the very long South Korean work hours with depression. The South Korean government is promoting healing forests, and aims soon to have one near most large 25_____ . **答案**：towns 原文定位：Official healing forests, where people relax in nature, are now popular in South Korea and many more are planned so that people in nearly all major towns will be close to one 同义替换：「most large」↔「nearly all major」 ### 26. There is evidence that these healing forests contribute to the 26_____ of the surrounding areas and also keep medical costs down. There is evidence that these healing forests contribute to the 26_____ of the surrounding areas and also keep medical costs down. **答案**：economies 原文定位：Shin has data suggesting that forest healing reduces medical costs and benefits local economies 同义替换：「contribute to」↔「benefits」；「surrounding areas」↔「local」；「keep medical costs down」↔「reduces medical costs」 --- 以上内容由鸭圈雅思真题库（www.yaquan.site）提供，收录近期雅思考试真题回忆，支持在线机考模式免费练习。