炎热天气让人变得迟钝

Heat Might Cloud Your Brain

常速 | 六级（易） | 526词 | 3min31s

刘立军供稿

Part I. QUESTIONS

Listen to the passage and choose the best answer to each question you hear.

Q1. What is one way extreme heat can affect people, according to the passage?

A. It can increase the speed at which people complete tasks.

B. It can improve people’s ability to solve difficult problems.

C. It can help people remember information more easily.

D. It can make it harder to think and make good decisions.

Q2. What did the Boston study find about students without air conditioning?

A. They were more comfortable while studying.

B. They performed less well on the tests.

C. They were better at solving numerical problems.

D. They completed both tests in less time.

Q3. Why does the speaker mention the limitations of the Boston study?

A. To show that its findings should be interpreted with some caution.

B. To suggest that the researchers used the wrong testing methods.

C. To explain why high temperatures affect only university students.

D. To prove that air conditioning has little effect on learning.

Q4. What did the large study in China suggest about long-term exposure to extreme heat?

A. It has little effect unless people suffer heat stroke.

B. It mainly affects people’s physical strength.

C. It may be linked to a decline in cognitive ability.

D. It can improve memory after repeated exposure.

Q5. What does the speaker suggest people do when they have to make an important decision on a very hot day?

A. Avoid asking others for advice about the decision.

B. Make the decision quickly before becoming tired.

C. Trust their first reaction rather than overthink it.

D. Cool down first and consider the decision carefully.

Part II. TRANSCRIPT

How Heat Waves Affect Your Brain

Heat waves are becoming more common in many parts of the world. Most people know that extreme heat can cause health problems, such as heart and breathing difficulties. In serious cases, it can even lead to heat stroke or death. But there is another effect of extreme heat that we may not think about: it can affect the way our brains work.

When the temperature gets too high, our bodies try to keep us cool. More blood and energy are sent to parts of the body that help control our temperature. As a result, the brain may receive less blood than usual. Scientists are still studying exactly how this process affects the brain. (Q1) However, research has already shown that high temperatures can make it harder for people to pay attention, remember information, solve problems, and make good decisions.

One interesting study was carried out during a heat wave in Boston in 2016. Researchers studied university students living in different buildings. Some students had air conditioning, while others did not. The students with air conditioning stayed in rooms with an average temperature of about 21°C. The rooms without air conditioning were much warmer, with an average temperature of about 26°C.

For 12 days, the students completed two simple tests each day. One test involved adding and subtracting numbers. The other was a test of attention. (Q2) The results were clear: students in the warmer rooms performed worse. They answered fewer questions correctly and took longer to complete the attention test.

(Q3) Of course, one study cannot tell us everything. The number of students was relatively small, and they were all university students. However, other studies have found similar results. When people are exposed to high temperatures, they often have more difficulty paying attention and remembering information. They may also be slower at solving problems and making decisions.

There is also evidence that long-term exposure to extreme heat may affect our brains. In one large study, researchers followed more than 53,000 people in China for eight years. (Q4) They found that people who experienced more very hot days tended to perform worse on tests of memory and mathematical ability. The researchers estimated that if the number of extremely hot days increases in the future, average human cognitive ability could decline.

The effects of heat are not the same for everyone. Older people, for example, may be more strongly affected. People with certain physical conditions may also face greater risks. In addition, even a short period of extreme heat may affect our thinking for some time afterward.

So what should we do? The simplest advice is to avoid making important decisions when we are extremely hot. If possible, wait until you are in a cooler environment. (Q5-1) When a decision cannot be delayed, take your time, check your reasoning carefully, and ask someone else for advice.

We often use the expression “in the heat of the moment” to describe a decision made without enough thought. As heat waves become more common, the expression may have a more literal meaning than we realize. (Q5-2) When the weather is extremely hot, cooling your body may be a good way to help your brain work better, too.

Part III. KEY

Q1. D.【解析】理解题。题目出处为：“However, research has already shown that high temperatures can make it harder for people to pay attention, remember information, solve problems, and make good decisions.” 意为：“研究已经表明，高温会使人们更难集中注意力、记忆信息、解决问题和做出正确决定。”因此正确答案为D。

Q2. B.【解析】细节题。题目出处为：“... students in the warmer rooms performed worse. They answered fewer questions correctly and took longer to complete the attention test.” 意为：“……处在较热房间里的学生表现更差，他们答对的问题更少，完成注意力测试所花的时间也更长。”因此正确答案为B。

Q3. A.【解析】推断题。题目出处为：“Of course, one study cannot tell us everything. The number of students was relatively small, and they were all university students.” 意为：“当然，一项研究不能说明所有问题，因为参与者人数较少，而且都是大学生。”由此可以推断，研究样本有限，因此其结果需要谨慎理解，不能简单推广到所有人群。故正确答案为A。

Q4. C.【解析】理解题。题目出处为：“They found that people who experienced more very hot days tended to perform worse on tests of memory and mathematical ability.” 意为：“研究发现，经历更多高温天气的人，在记忆和数学能力测试中的表现往往更差。”由此可知，长期暴露于极端高温可能与认知能力下降有关，因此正确答案为C。

Q5. D.【解析】细节与推断题。题目出处为：“When a decision cannot be delayed, take your time, check your reasoning carefully, and ask someone else for advice.” 以及结尾处“… cooling your body may be a good way to help your brain work better, too.” 意为：“如果一项重要决定无法推迟，反而应当慢慢考虑，仔细检查自己的思路，并向他人寻求建议。”以及“给身体降降温，可能也有助于让大脑更好地运转。”因此可以概括为在高温环境下做重要决定前，应先给自己降降温并认真思考，故正确答案为D。

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