Level 3 Reading 6B

Ch.12 Reading 6B

第12章 阅读6B

ADDICTED TO DISTRACTION David Strayer never texts or talks on a phone when he is driving. Strayer is a cognitive psychologist at the University of Utah who specializes in attention. His research shows that, when driving, using a phone can be as dangerous as drinking alcohol. Strayer and other scientists warn against multitasking. When we do many things at the same time, Strayer says, our brain becomes tired easily. We make mistakes and lose focus. Yet multitasking is increasingly common, especially on a phone or computer. Dr. Gloria Mark, a digital media researcher, has found that people in the United States switch tasks on their computers 566 times a day. This type of multitasking is especially common among teenagers. On average, a teenager spends between 7 and 11 hours a day in front of a screen— doing homework, texting, watching videos—often all at the same time. Phones, tablets, and laptops are all useful tools, and we may feel more productive when we use them. However, when we spend hours on digital devices constantly switching between activities—our overall productivity decreases. Why? Many digital activities require high levels of concentration. When we text or email someone, for example, or even play games, we have to focus. When we do this, our brain uses energy. When we multitask—which is hard for the brain to do—we use even more energy. Excessive multitasking reduces our ability to think clearly and creatively, and to remember information. This, in turn, can result in stress. What is the best cure for our overstressed minds? David Strayer says the answer is simple: Spend some time in nature. A Natural Remedy Strayer and other scientists are studying nature's effect on our brains and bodies. When we are in natural environments, the prefrontal cortex (the brain's control center) relaxes. Studies show that when people can see trees and grass, they are calmer and do better in school. Indeed, people even relax when they look at photos of nature. Consequently, they do better on different cognitive tasks. Other psychologists are also studying "nature therapy." In a study at Chiba University in Japan, 84 subjects went for a 15-minute walk in seven different forests. The same number of people walked around different city centers. Researchers then took blood from each person. The forest walkers had a 16 percent decrease in the stress hormone cortisol. In addition, they had a 2 percent drop in blood pressure and a 4 percent drop in heart rate.

沉迷于分心 大卫·斯特雷耶开车时从不发短信或打电话。 斯特雷耶是犹他大学专门研究注意力的认知心理学家。 他的研究表明，开车时使用手机和喝酒一样危险。 斯特雷耶和其他科学家警告不要同时处理多项任务。 斯特雷耶说，当我们同时做很多事情时，我们的大脑很容易疲劳。 我们犯错误，失去焦点。 然而，多任务处理越来越普遍，尤其是在手机或电脑上。 数字媒体研究员格洛丽亚·马克博士发现，美国人 每天在电脑上切换任务566次。 这种类型的多任务处理在青少年中尤其常见。 平均而言，青少年每天在屏幕前花费7到11个小时-- 做作业、发短信、看视频——通常都是同时进行的。 手机、平板电脑和笔记本电脑都是有用的工具，当我们使用它们时，我们可能会感觉更有效率。 然而，当我们花几个小时在数字设备上不断切换活动时，我们的整体生产力就会下降。为什么？ 许多数字活动需要高度的专注。 例如，当我们给某人发短信或电子邮件，甚至玩游戏时，我们必须集中注意力。 当我们这样做时，我们的大脑会消耗能量。 当我们同时处理多项任务时——这对大脑来说很难做到——我们会消耗更多的能量。 过度的多任务处理会降低我们清晰、创造性地思考和记忆信息的能力。 这反过来又会导致压力。 对于我们过度紧张的头脑，最好的治疗方法是什么？ 大卫·斯特雷耶说，答案很简单：花点时间在大自然中。 自然疗法 斯特雷耶和其他科学家正在研究大自然对我们大脑和身体的影响。 当我们在自然环境中时，前额叶皮层（大脑的控制中心）会放松。 研究表明，当人们看到树木和草地时，他们会更平静，在学校表现更好。 事实上，人们在看自然照片时甚至会放松。 因此，他们在不同的认知任务上表现更好。 其他心理学家也在研究“自然疗法” 在日本千叶大学的一项研究中，84名受试者在七个不同的森林中步行了15分钟。 同样数量的人在不同的城市中心散步。 研究人员随后从每个人身上采集了血液。 森林徒步者的压力荷尔蒙皮质醇下降了16%。 此外，他们的血压下降了2%，心率下降了4%。

All did better than the city walkers. Lead researcher Yoshifumi Miyazaki has an explanation for these results. Our bodies relax in pleasant, natural surroundings, he says. Humans evolved in that environment, not in places with tall buildings and lots of traffic. Psychologist Stephen Kaplan and his colleagues have done similar research. In one study, people took a 50-minute walk in a public garden. In a test conducted afterwards, their short-term memory improved. When the same people walked on a city street, it did not. Kaplan says it is the visual details in nature— sunsets, streams, butterflies—that reduce stress and mental fatigue. We enjoy them without having to concentrate on them. This allows our brains to rest and recover from the stresses of modern life. "Imagine a therapy that was readily available, and could improve your cognitive functioning at zero cost," Kaplan says. "It exists: it's called interacting with nature."

所有人都比城市步行者做得更好。 首席研究员Yoshifumi Miyazaki对这些结果做出了解释。 他说，我们的身体在宜人的自然环境中放松。 人类是在那种环境中进化的，而不是在高楼大厦和交通繁忙的地方。 心理学家Stephen Kaplan和他的同事也做过类似的研究。 在一项研究中，人们在公共花园里散步了50分钟。 在随后进行的测试中，他们的短期记忆有所改善。 当同样的人走在城市街道上时，情况并非如此。 卡普兰说，正是大自然中的视觉细节——日落、溪流、蝴蝶——减轻了压力和精神疲劳。 我们享受它们，而不必专注于它们。 这使我们的大脑能够休息，并从现代生活的压力中恢复过来。 卡普兰说：“想象一下，一种现成的疗法，可以零成本改善你的认知功能。”。 “它存在：它被称为与自然的互动。”

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