研究表明，在光禿禿的前花園種上幾株植物可以幫助減輕人們的壓力，讓人們感覺更快樂。

Scientists gave 38 households in an economically deprived part of Salford in the north of England a tree, a shrub, and some other flowering plants. More than half said the plants made them feel happier. But the scientists also measured cortisol levels in their saliva, which indicate how stressed they are.

科學家們給位于英格蘭北部索爾福德一個經濟貧困地區的 38 個家庭提供了一棵樹、一個灌木和其它一些開花植物。超過一半的人說這些植物讓他們感覺更快樂。與此同時，科學家們也測量了他們唾液中的皮質醇水平，皮質醇水平可以表明他們的壓力有多大。

Before the experiment, only a quarter of those involved had healthy cortisol levels. Afterwards, half did so. Lauriane Suyin Chalmin-Pui from the Royal Horticultural Society is the lead author of the study. She says it has major implications for public policy.

在進行實驗之前，只有四分之一參與者的皮質醇水平處于正常水平。但后來，有一半人的皮質醇水平處于正常水平。來自皇家園藝學會的勞莉雅娜·蘇因·查明-普伊（Lauriane Suyin Chalmin-Pui）是這項研究的第一作者。她說，這項研究對公共政策有重大影響。

The research has also found that the effects of the plants on people’s perceptions of stress were similar to a previous study in which participants were given mindfulness and meditation sessions once a week for eight weeks.

研究還發現，這些植物對人們對壓力感知的影響與之前的一項研究相似。在那項研究中，參與者每周參加一次正念和冥想的課程，持續八周。

詞匯表

deprived 貧困的
shrub 灌木
flowering 開花的
plants 植物
cortisol levels 皮質醇水平
stressed 緊張的，感到有壓力的
public policy 公共政策
perceptions 感知，認識
mindfulness 正念
meditation 冥想

閱讀理解：請在讀完上文后，回答下列問題。

1. How does the reporter describe the area of Salford where the participants in this survey lived?

2. What proportion of people who took part in the study found plants made them happier?

3. What can scientists find out from the amount of cortisol in someone’s saliva?

4. What two practices does the report say were found to affect people’s perceptions of stress in the same way as caring for plants?

答案

1. How does the reporter describe the area of Salford where the participants in this survey lived?
It was described as an economically deprived.

2. What proportion of people who took part in the study found plants made them happier?
More than half of the people said the plants made them feel happier.

3. What can scientists find out from the amount of cortisol in someone’s saliva?
Scientists can find out how stressed people are.

4. What two practices does the report say were found to affect people’s perceptions of stress in the same way as caring for plants?
The effects of plants on people’s perceptions of stress was similar to a previous study in which participants were given mindfulness and meditation sessions once a week for eight weeks.