Scientists have known for some time that the human brain’s ability to stay calm
and focused is limited and can be 6._by the noise and hectic demands of city living,
sometimes 7._a condition informally known as brain fatigue. With brain fatigue,
you are easily distracted, forgetful and mentally 8._.
But a new study from Scotland suggests you can ease brain fatigue by simply
9._through a park.
Researchers have long theorized 10. __green spaces are calming, requiring less
of our directed mental attention than urban streets 11. . Natural settings invoke
“soft fascination,” a term for quiet contemplation, 12. _ the brain can reset
overstretched resources of attention and reduce mental fatigue.
But this theory has been difficult 13._to the test. Previous studies have found
that people who live near trees and parks have lower levels of cortisol, a stress
hormone, in their saliva than those who live primarily 14. _ concrete, and that
children with attention deficits tend to concentrate and perform better on cognitive tests after walking through parks. Scientists have studied volunteers and found that
brain wave 15. _ show that the volunteers are calmer when they view natural
scenes.
【題組】7. (A) resulting in (B) taking on (C) looking for (D) making over