负能量之人会使身边人加速衰老
How Toxic People Make Us Age Faster
常速 | 六级 | 570词 | 4min25s
刘立军供稿
Part I. QUESTIONS
Listen to the passage and choose the best answer to each question you hear.
Q1. In which scientific journal was the new study on toxic social ties published?
A. The Lancet.
B. Nature.
C. Journal of the American Medical Association.
D. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Q2. What advanced method was used in the study to measure the volunteers’ biological age?
A. Blood pressure monitoring.
B. Genetic sequencing analysis.
C. Hormone level testing.
D. DNA methylation-based aging clocks.
Q3. What percentage of the volunteers reported having at least one toxic person in their social network?
A. 8.1%.
B. 10%.
C. 28.8%.
D. 38.8%.
Q4. Why might a toxic spouse have a weaker effect on aging than toxic friends or family members?
A. Because people usually spend less time with their spouses than with friends.
B. Because the positive aspects of marriage may reduce some negative effects.
C. Because toxic friends are generally more aggressive than toxic spouses.
D. Because spouses are more likely to receive professional help for their issues.
Q5. What is the main message that the passage intends to convey?
A. Toxic people accelerate aging and should be avoided to promote healthier aging.
B. The biological aging process is determined by a person’s social network.
C. Marriage can offer total protection against the negative effects of toxic people.
D. Women are more likely than men to have toxic people in their social network.
Part II. TRANSCRIPT
How Toxic People Make Us Age Faster
How bad are toxic people for physical health?
Supportive and positive social relationships with friends and family members can have many positive effects on health and mental well-being. In contrast, toxic friends or family members that are overly hostile, permanently passive-aggressive, or purposefully difficult can become huge stressors. Chronic stress has all sorts of negative effects on both mental and physical health. For example, stress research has shown that chronic stress can accelerate ageing and increase inflammation.
inflammation n. 炎症
This implies an intriguing research question: Do toxic people not only worsen our mental health, but do they maybe also have a very real effect on biological age and accelerate the ageing process due to all the stress they cause?
A new study on toxic social ties, accelerated aging, and inflammation
(Q1) A new study, just published in the prestigious scientific journal “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America” (or in short: PNAS), was focused on finding out whether toxic people accelerate biological aging (Lee and co-workers, 2026). In the study entitled “Negative social ties as emerging risk factors for accelerated aging, inflammation, and multimorbidity”, (Q2) the research team led by scientist Byungkyu Lee from New York University used an advanced biological method called DNA methylation-based biological aging clocks. This method allowed them to determine the biological age of the volunteers in their study. Overall, data from more than 2,300 volunteers from Indiana were analyzed in the study. For each volunteer, the scientists determined their social networks and whether they had one or more “hasslers” in their social network. “Hasslers” were people who caused the person too much stress and difficulty. Moreover, saliva samples were collected from the volunteers to perform the advanced DNA methylation-based determination of their biological age. Moreover, the volunteers filled out further questionnaires on health and mental health.
multimorbidity n. 多病症
methylation-based adj. 基于甲基化的
hassler n. 困难，麻烦
saliva n. 唾液
questionnaire n. 问卷；调查表
Results of the study: Toxic people accelerate aging
Overall, the volunteers identified 8.1 percent of the overall number of people in their social networks as toxic “hasslers.” (Q3) Overall, 28.8 percent of volunteers reported having one or more toxic people in their social networks. 10 percent of volunteers had two or more toxic people in their social network. Women were more likely than men to have at least one toxic person in their social network. Moreover, people who felt like others depended on them a lot were more likely to have toxic people in their network.
The analysis showed that each toxic person led to a 1.5 percent faster ageing process. On average, the biological age of volunteers with toxic people in their social networks was 9 months higher than that of people of the same birth age without toxic friends or family members. (Q4) Interestingly, toxic family members or toxic friends had stronger effects on ageing than toxic spouses. This may be the case because the positive effects of marriage, such as reduced loneliness, may buffer some of the negative effects of toxic social contacts. Last but not least, having a toxic person in the social network also affected multiple further biological parameters beyond biological ageing, such as inflammation levels.
buffer v. 减缓，减少
Take-Away: Stay away from toxic people
The study clearly showed that toxic friends or family members have very real biological effects. They not only cause reduced mental well-being and frustration but also accelerate ageing and increase inflammation in the body. (Q5) This suggests that for healthy ageing and general well-being, reducing contact with toxic people is highly important.
Part III. KEY
Q1. D.【解析】细节题。题目出处为：“A new study, just published in the prestigious scientific journal ‘Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America’ (or in short: PNAS).”。 该句明确指出了期刊名称，即著名的科学杂志《美国国家科学院院刊》（简称PNAS），因此，正确答案为D。
Q2. D.【解析】细节题。题目出处为：“The research team used an advanced biological method called DNA methylation-based biological aging clocks. This method allowed them to determine the biological age of the volunteers.”。 意为：“研究团队使用了一种先进的生物学方法，叫做‘基于DNA甲基化的生物年龄时钟’。这种方法使他们能够确定志愿者的生物学年龄。” 因此，正确答案为D。
Q3. C.【解析】细节题。题目出处为：“Overall, 28.8 percent of volunteers reported having one or more toxic people in the social network.”。 意为：“总体而言，28.8%的志愿者称其社交网络中有一个或多个‘带有负能量的’的人。” 因此，正确答案为C。
Q4. B.【解析】推理题。题目出处为：“Interestingly, toxic family members or toxic friends had stronger effects on ageing than toxic spouses. This may be the case because the positive effects of marriage, such as reduced loneliness, may buffer some of the negative effects of toxic social contacts.”。 意为：“有趣的是，带有负能量的家人或朋友比负能量配偶对衰老的影响更大。这或许是因为婚姻带来的积极影响如减少孤独感等，在一定程度上缓冲了带有负能量的社交关系所带来的部分负面影响。”由此正确答案为B。
Q5. A.【解析】主旨题。结合全文，文章的核心观点是远离带有负能量之人以促进健康，减缓衰老，因此，正确答案为A。
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