9 . Nature Therapy
We need the tonic of wildness... At the same time that we are earnest to explore and learn all things, we require that all things be mysterious and unexplorable, that land and sea be indefinitely wild, unsurveyed and unfathomed by us because unfathomable. We can never have enough of nature.
--Thoreau
One major difference between our current lifestyle and those of our evolutionary past is an increasing ________ from natural settings with increased urbanization. But does this change have a major impact on our mental health? ________, a remedy for ill health or low spirits, if the means were available, would be to send someone to the quiet of the country or seashore and away from the bustle of city. The popularity of vacations to beautiful national parks, camping, outward bound, and even breaks for a picturesque walk in a________ greenspace to clear the mind would speak to some empirical (经验主义) ________ that nature does soothe the savage beast. And recently, scientists have been studying the idea of nature therapy with a bit more seriousness than a dashed-off prescription (处方) for a(n) ________.
We are now far________ from the natural world of our ancestors...more than 50% of people live in urban areas (increasing to > 70% by 2050). Increased urbanization is associated with increased levels of mental illness, particularly anxiety and depression. Growing up in a natural setting is relevant to a less________ stress response, and exposure to greenspace________ relates to a positive effect on well-being in a large two-decade study. Images and sounds of a natural environment can decrease stress in people exposed to negative stimuli. A large survey of mental health and neighborhood greenspace in Wisconsin showed significant correlation between the________ of nature and lower levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. There are many studies showing a similar relationships between nature exposure, relaxation, and well-being. But how does exposure to green space help us________, exactly?
Dr. Gregory Bratman’s group at Stanford has published a couple of paper following a small group of healthy volunteers told to have a 5 kilometers walk in the San Francisco Bay area. Half walked along a busy street while the other half went for a/an________ walk. The nature walk compared to walk along a busy street. Later, the same researchers did MRIs and measured blood flow in brain areas of healthy people who went on a 90 minute walk in the same urban vs. More natural setting. They found that the nature walkers had________ activity in a particular brain region, the subgenual prefrontal cortex. This area of the brain is associated with rumination, or worrying on the same issues over and over, a problem described often in depressive and anxiety disorders.
So there we have it in a world and environment where our brains are working overtime and we think and roll over ideas and worry, ________ to nature seems to get us out of our heads, with likely positive benefits. In the hyper-urban world to come, designing accessible, safe________ may help the mental health of the population, and preserving our natural landscapes to be enjoyed by our descendants will continue to be a national must. ________ , a prescription for a nice weekend hike could have some real measurable brain benefits.
1. A.resistance | B.isolation | C.interruption | D.distance |
2. A.Currently | B.Generally | C.Historically | D.Fortunately |
3. A.local | B.imposing | C.fascinating | D.standard |
4. A.assistance | B.evidence | C.belief | D.approach |
5. A.cycling | B.swimming | C.adventure | D.hike |
6. A.removed | B.rid | C.driven | D.dropped |
7. A.slight | B.severe | C.similar | D.negative |
8. A.dominantly | B.lively | C.merely | D.significantly |
9. A.exposure | B.link | C.availability | D.necessity |
10. A.tolerate | B.unwind | C.swing | D.resolve |
11. A.casual | B.earnest | C.upright | D.scenic |
12. A.reduced | B.increased | C.intensified | D.balanced |
13. A.responses | B.contribution | C.approach | D.exposure |
14. A.communities | B.transportations | C.greenspaces | D.facilities |
15. A.In a word | B.For instance | C.In the meantime | D.In particular |