Here’s an interesting fact: Birdwatching can be good for people’s mental (心理的) health. For example, it can relieve their stress.

A study came out in 2022. It found that seeing or hearing birds improved people’s mental well-being. The good results lasted up to eight hours. Another study came out in 2020. It showed a link (关联) between happiness and the number of bird groups around a person’s home.

Why is birdwatching so good for us? Andrea Mechelli is a mental health researcher. He works at King’s College. That’s in London, England. Mechelli thinks there are several reasons. One could be that spending time in nature improves concentration (专注力). It keeps your brain from feeling tired.

Birds are everywhere. “They can fly. They can do something that we can never do, outside of a plane,” Tina Phillips says. “That’s why they interest us a lot.” Phillips works at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. It’s in Ithaca, New York. “People can reach them. People seem to really communicate with them. These make them the perfect group of animals for people.”

It’s fun to see birds beyond your own backyard. Visit places near water. You can find birds near lakes, ponds, and rivers. “All birds get thirsty,” Phillips says. “So they are naturally drawn to these places.”

1.Which word can best describe birdwatching?

A Dangerous.

B Boring.

C Helpful.

D Safe.

解析：选C。C 推理判断题。根据第一段的“Birdwatching can be good for people’s mental health.”以及第二段内容可知，观鸟对人们的心理健康有好处，即观鸟是有益的。故选C。

2.Where does Mechelli work?

A In Thailand.

B In Ithaca.

C In London.

D In New York.

解析：选C。C 细节理解题。根据第三段的第二三四句“Andrea Mechelli is a mental health researcher. He works at King’s College. That’s in London, England.”可知，Mechelli在伦敦工作。故选C。

3.What’s the main idea of Paragraph 4?

A Where to see the perfect birds.

B Why people like watching birds.

C How to communicate with birds.

D What makes birds fly out of a plane.

解析：选B。B 段落大意题。根据第四段内容以及关键句“That’s why they interest us a lot.”以及“the perfect group of animals for people”可知，本段描述了人们为什么喜欢观鸟。故选B。

4.Why do birds come to lakes or rivers?

A To get some food.

B To swim there.

C To drink water.

D To have some fun.

解析：选C。C 细节理解题。根据最后一段中的“You can find birds near lakes, ponds, and rivers. ‘All birds get thirsty,’”可知，所有的鸟都会口渴，因此它们到湖边或河边饮水。故选C。

5.Where does the passage probably come from?

A A storybook.

B A textbook.

C A sports magazine.

D A health magazine.

解析：选D。D 推理判断题。本文主要描述了两项科学研究就观鸟这一活动对人们心理健康的有益影响，属于健康方面的内容，因此本文最有可能来自一本健康杂志。故选D。