Do your spirits soar (猛增) on a sunny day? Do you relax at the sound of flowing water?
Some scientists suggest that these contacts with nature are good for your health. In one study, hospital patients with a view of trees had shorter hospital stays and less need for pain medications. Another study indicated that prisoners with a view of the outdoors had fewer doctor visits.
“Why do we desire nature? Maybe we’re programmed to need it, since our ancestors’ survival was so dependent on their connection with nature,” suggests biologist E.O. Wilson.
Want to find out if contact with nature improves your outlook on life? Try a few of these ideas.
Hang out a bird feeder and watch the birds that visit it.
Sit down in the backyard or a nearby park. Close your eyes. What do you hear? Birds singing? The wind in the trees? Crickets (蟋蟀) chirping?
Find an anthill. Sit down and watch the ants work.
Take a walk right after a rainstorm. What looks different? Smells different?
Go barefoot on a sandy beach.
Open the curtains and the window, if the weather allows it.
On a windy day, watch the trees.
Go to a creek, river or park fountain. Listen to the sound of water in motion.
Camp out in the backyard or at a nearby state park. Use a tent or sleep on the ground.
Find a wide-open space to study the stars. Learn about the different constellations (星座).
Raise a garden. Or plant some seeds in a flowerpot.
Go hiking with your family. Talk about all of the colors you see in nature.
Take a camera and capture your nature experience.
小题1:From Paragraph 2 we can learn that ______.
| A．prisoners don’t like to go to the doctor when ill | B．trees can be used as pain medications |
| C．prisoners should often get out of prison to come into contact with nature |
| D．contacts with nature are very helpful for hospital patients |
小题2:According to E.O. Wilson, we desire nature probably because ______.
| A．it can help us feel relaxed |
| B．we have inherited (继承) from our ancestors who were dependent on nature |
| C．people have lived with nature for thousands of years |
| D．contacts with nature can improve a person’s outlook on life |
小题3:The author gives us many ideas in order to let us ______.
| A．find out if contacts with nature improve our outlook on life |
| B．hear birds sing and watch ants work |
| C．talk about the colors we see in nature | D．capture our experience in nature |
小题4:From the passage, we can learn that ______.
| A．studying the constellations is important to everyone |
| B．you can know all the colors only by going hiking |
| C．nature is quite important to us | D．walking in a rainstorm can be very helpful |
小题5:What is the best title of the passage?
| A．Go hiking with your family. | B．Let nature nurture you. |
| C．Visit your doctor less. | D．Watch the trees more often. |
