CET-4 Listening Practice: Why a Walk in Nature Helps

For many university students, a typical day is spent almost entirely indoors.

对很多大学生来说，平常的一天几乎都是在室内度过的。

They move from the dormitory to the classroom, and then on to the library.

他们从宿舍到教室，然后再去图书馆。

In the evening, most of their free time is spent looking at screens.

到了晚上，他们大部分空闲时间都花在看屏幕上。

At the same time, a growing number of students say they feel anxious and under pressure.

与此同时，越来越多的学生表示自己感到焦虑、压力很大。

Many of them go over the same worries again and again, especially before exams.

很多人一遍又一遍地想着同样的烦恼，考试前尤其如此。

So, can a simple walk in nature really make a difference?

那么，在大自然中简单地散散步，真的能带来改变吗？

A study carried out at Stanford University in twenty fifteen suggests that it can.

2015年 Stanford 大学的一项研究表明，答案是肯定的。

Researchers asked thirty-eight healthy adults from the city to go for a ninety-minute walk.

研究人员请38名住在城市里的健康成年人散步90分钟。

Half of the participants walked through a quiet green area near the campus.

一半参与者走过校园附近一片安静的绿地。

The other half walked along a busy road with heavy traffic.

另一半人则沿着一条车流密集的繁忙马路走。

Before and after the walk, each person answered questions about their negative thinking.

散步前后，每个人都回答了关于自己负面想法的问题。

They also had their brains scanned.

他们还接受了脑部扫描。

According to the results, the nature group spent less time on negative thoughts.

根据结果，自然组花在负面想法上的时间变少了。

In addition, an area of the brain linked to this kind of thinking became less active.

此外，大脑中与这类思维有关的一个区域活跃度也降低了。

However, the people who walked beside the traffic showed no such change.

然而，在车流旁边散步的人却没有出现这种变化。

In other words, time in nature seems to give a busy mind a rest.

换句话说，待在大自然中似乎能让忙碌的大脑休息一下。

The researchers pointed out that people living in cities face a higher risk of mental health problems.

研究人员指出，住在城市里的人出现心理健康问题的风险更高。

For this reason, green spaces may play an important role in protecting our mental health.

因此，绿地可能在保护我们的心理健康方面发挥着重要作用。

Worrying too much makes it hard to concentrate, and as a result, our studies suffer.

担心太多会让人难以集中注意力，结果学习也会受到影响。

The good news is that you don't need to climb a mountain to benefit.

好消息是，你不需要去爬山也能从中受益。

Even a short walk in a park or along a river can help.

哪怕只是在公园里或河边走一小会儿，也会有帮助。

Try to leave your phone in your bag and cut down on screen time.

试着把手机放在包里，减少看屏幕的时间。

Some students feel that a walk before an exam is a waste of time.

有些学生觉得考试前去散步是浪费时间。

In fact, a break outdoors may help you return to your books with a clearer mind.

其实，到户外休息一下，可能会让你带着更清醒的头脑回到书本前。

So why not make a habit of walking outside two or three times a week?

那么，何不养成每周到户外散步两三次的习惯呢？

In the long run, your mind and your grades may thank you for it.

从长远来看，你的头脑和成绩也许都会因此感谢你。