Secrets of an indoor fountain

題材體裁 篇幅 建議用時338 6分鐘生活家居 說明文

You may have wondered why many doctors' offices have fish tanks. While fish are fun, it's most likely that the medical professionals are aiming to keep their waiting areas low-stress, so their patients walk into their appointments with less anxiety. And that's down to the soft bubbling of the fish tank's water pump.

Just like the sound of ocean waves lapping at the shore, the sound of running water is almost universally soothing. Waterfalls are often considered to be a place for reflection and meditation (冥想)for this reason.

Unlike sharper sounds, repetitive natural noises subconsciously remind us that everything is OK.“These slow, whooshing (嘩嘩地流) noises are the sounds of non-threats, which is why they work to calm people,” said Orfeu Buxton, a bio-behavioral health professor at Pennsylvania State University.“It's like they're saying ‘Don't worry； don't worry； don't worry'.”

In addition to bringing a sense of peace to your indoor space, a fountain can also gently block outside noise. So I recently created a small indoor fountain for my workspace, and I've not only noticed stress-reduction benefits, but my cat also enjoys sipping from it. I have a home office, so I enjoy the fountain even when I'm not working.

If you work in an office away from home, a fountain could make your workday less stressful.Wherever you want to experiment with an indoor fountain, there're many pre-made home versions that will sit on a tabletop and simply need to be plugged in and filled with water before they're ready to go.But you can also make one yourself, using some basic and relatively inexpensive materials, like I did.

If you have the space, you could also get a larger fountain, and move it indoors. Whatever size works for you, consider experimenting with putting some stones into your fountain, which will add visual interest and also change the sound the water makes. Surrounding the fountain with plants will benefit your greenery and add moisture to your indoor air.

閱讀檢測

1. Which word can best explain the underlined word “soothing” in paragraph 2?

A. Exciting. B. Relaxing. C. Beautiful. D. Frightening.

2. Why is Orfeu Buxton mentioned in the third paragraph?

A. To suggest an effective way to reduce stress.

B. To introduce a study related to natural noises.

C. To confirm positive effects of natural noises.

D. To give a reason for the existence of fountains.

3. What may be the author's opinion about indoor fountains?

A. They are popular.

B. They are convenient.

C. They are expensive.

D. They are easily available.

4. What is the author's purpose of writing the text?

A. To call on people to protect natural fountains.

B. To encourage people to have an indoor fountain.

C. To teach people how to create an indoor fountain.

D. To convince people of the importance of fountains.

語言學習

難句分析

Wherever you want to experiment with an indoor fountain, there're many pre-made home versions that will sit on a tabletop and simply need to be plugged in and filled with water before they're ready to go. 無論你想在哪里試用室內噴泉，都有許多現成的家庭版本供你放在桌上使用，只需要插上電源，裝滿水即可。

本句為主從復合句，句中wherever引導狀語從句，that引導的定語從句修飾home versions，在該定語從句中，又有一個before引導的時間狀語從句。