噩梦对健康有害吗？

Are nightmares bad for your health?

考研 | 479词

刘立军供稿

Part I. Passage

Most people have experienced a nightmare at some point in their lives. For centuries, people believed that bad dreams were caused by evil spirits that visited sleepers during the night. Although modern science no longer accepts such explanations, many people still wonder whether nightmares can affect their health. Recent research suggests that they can.

Occasional nightmares are common and usually harmless. However, people who experience them frequently, such as once a week or more, may face a number of health risks. Researchers estimate that between 2% and 6% of people suffer from frequent nightmares, and studies have found that this group is more likely to experience both physical and mental health problems.

Some of these connections are not surprising. Conditions such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder are often accompanied by nightmares. People who live with long-term pain may also experience it more often. More surprisingly, researchers have found links between nightmares and other serious health conditions, including certain brain disorders, heart disease, and immune system problems. In some cases, nightmares may even appear years before other symptoms become obvious.

One researcher, Dr. Abidemi Otaiku, examined data from several long-term studies involving more than 180,000 adults and 2,500 children in Britain and the United States. His findings showed that people who experienced nightmares at least once a week were much more likely to die before the age of 70 than those who rarely had them. In fact, frequent nightmares appeared to be a stronger predictor of early death than some well-known risk factors, including obesity and an unhealthy diet.

Why might this be the case? One possible explanation is stress. Nightmares often trigger strong emotional reactions and increase the production of stress hormones in the body. According to Dr. Otaiku, people who frequently experience nightmares tend to show signs of faster aging at the cellular level, which may be linked to these stress hormones. His research suggests that such biological changes could account for about 40% of the increased risk of premature death among frequent nightmare sufferers. However, researchers still do not know what explains the remaining 60% of the risk. Although more research is needed, these findings suggest that the long-term effects of stress may play an important role in the relationship between nightmares and poor health.

The good news is that nightmares should not simply be accepted as a normal part of life. They may serve as an early warning sign that something is wrong, whether physically or psychologically. Treatments such as counseling, stress-management techniques, and certain medications can help reduce the frequency of nightmares for some people.

Although scientists still have much to learn about why nightmares occur, the growing body of evidence suggests that they deserve more attention. Paying attention to recurring nightmares may not only improve sleep quality but also help people identify and address potential health problems before they become more serious.

【Vocabulary】

1. post-traumatic adj. 创伤后的  

Part II. Questions

Q1. According to the passage, how common are frequent nightmares in the general population?

A. About 10% to 15% of the population.

B. Roughly 2% to 6% of the population.

C. Nearly half of the population.

D. Less than 1% of the population.

Q2. What did Dr. Otaiku find by analyzing some long-term studies?

A. People with frequent nightmares often recover from illness more slowly.

B. Nightmares mainly affect children rather than adults.

C. Frequent nightmares are linked with a higher risk of dying early.

D. Most people who die early suffer from neurological diseases.

Q3. According to the passage, what may partly explain the increased risk of early death among people prone to nightmares?

A. Accelerated aging at the cellular level.

B. Lack of regular physical exercise.

C. Poor sleeping environments.

D. Increased consumption of unhealthy food.

Q4. What does the speaker imply about the link between nightmares and poor health?

A. It is primarily caused by genetic factors.

B. It has been fully explained by current research.

C. Long-term stress may significantly contribute to it.

D. It only affects people with pre-existing mental disorders.

Q5. What does the author suggest about the medical study of nightmares?

A. It has already produced many effective treatments.

B. It focuses mainly on neurological diseases.

C. It is no longer necessary because the causes are clear.

D. It is still insufficient and should receive more attention.

Part III. KEY

Q1. B.【解析】细节题。本题考查文章中关于“经常做噩梦的人群比例”的具体信息。题目出处为：“Researchers estimate that between 2% and 6% of people suffer from frequent nightmares ...”。 意为：“研究员估计大约2%到6%的人经常做噩梦……”因此B项为正确答案。

Q2. C.【解析】细节题。本题考查研究结论。题目出处为：“His findings showed that people who experienced nightmares at least once a week were much more likely to die before the age of 70 than those who rarely had them.”。 意为：“他的研究发现，每周至少做一次噩梦的人，在70岁之前死亡的概率比极少做噩梦的人高得多。”该句直接说明频繁噩梦与更高的早逝风险之间存在明显关联，因此C项正确。

Q3.A.【解析】细节题。本题考查导致早逝风险增加的生物学解释。题目出处为：“According to Dr. Otaiku, people who frequently experience nightmares tend to show signs of faster aging at the cellular level, which may be linked to these stress hormones. His research suggests that such biological changes could account for about 40% of the increased risk of premature death among frequent nightmare sufferers.”。意为：“据Otaiku博士介绍，经常做噩梦的人在细胞层面往往表现出加速衰老的迹象，这可能与应激激素有关。他的研究指出，这类生理变化能够解释频繁受噩梦困扰者早逝风险升高近四成的原因。” 这句话说明容易做噩梦的人在细胞层面会出现加速衰老的迹象，这在某种程度上导致他们早逝的风险增多。因此A项正确。

Q4. C.【解析】推理题。本题要求根据文章信息进行逻辑推断。题目出处为：“Although more research is needed, these findings suggest that the long-term effects of stress may play an important role in the relationship between nightmares and poor health.”。意为：“尽管还需更多研究，但这些发现表明，压力所带来的长期影响可能在噩梦与健康恶化之间扮演着关键角色。”这说明长期压力可能与噩梦和健康不佳之间有强相关的关系，与选项C完全对应。

Q5. D.【解析】主旨观点题。本题考查作者在文章结尾表达的总体态度。题目出处为：“Although scientists still have much to learn about why nightmares occur, the growing body of evidence suggests that they deserve more attention.”。意为：“尽管科学家对噩梦成因仍知之甚少，但越来越多的证据表明，噩梦值得引起更多关注。”这句话表明，作者认为目前医学界对噩梦的研究还不够，需要进一步加强，因此D项正确。

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