Section II Reading Comprehension
Part A
Directions: Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET.
Text 3
The placebo effect, in which a patient’s subjective belief can affect the efficacy of treatment, was once maligned as dubious and unscientific, but is now recognised as a genuine, albeit poorly understood, therapeutic tool. In a study published this week in Nature Medicine, researchers have begun to lift the lid on its inner workings by demonstrating that positive expectations can boost the immune system’s response to vaccination.
Nitzan Lubianiker and Tamar Koren, a pair of neuroscientists at Tel Aviv University, wanted to understand the brain’s role in regulating immune health. They chose to focus their attention on the mesolimbic network, a brain region associated with reward-related behaviour and also known as an area linked to immune function in mice. To this end, they recruited 85 volunteers to undergo an advanced form of brain training, allowing each of them to exert some influence over neural processes usually outside conscious control.
Participants were shown representations in real time of their brain’s activity, converted into simple indicators such as changing numbers or a moving graph. Their goal, as explained by the experimenters, was to develop mental strategies, such as picturing an image or recalling a trip, which consciously directed neural activity to different brain regions. Each participant was encouraged to develop his or her own personalised approach. Over repeated sessions participants learnt, by trial and error, which strategies lit up which parts of the brain.
The researchers divided their volunteers into three groups. One trained to activate the brain’s reward system. A second trained to activate an unrelated brain network. The third received no target or training. Each group completed four sessions, in which those in training groups developed and refined their individual strategies to shift activity to the assigned region. Immediately after the final session, everyone received a hepatitis B vaccination as a standardised challenge to the immune system.
Blood samples taken before and after vaccination revealed a striking link between brain activity and immune response. Several parts of the mesolimbic network were activated during training, even in those not trying to do so. However, in all participants, activity in one particular region—the ventral tegmental area—displayed a positive correlation with levels of vaccine-induced antibodies. Following an analysis to rule out alternative explanations, the researchers suggest that this is the first direct evidence of a brain-immune regulatory system in humans.
To understand the psychology behind this, Dr Lubianiker, Dr Koren and their colleagues compared and categorised the various strategies adopted by participants. This analysis found that sustained activity in the ventral tegmental area was specifically linked to positive expectations—hopeful thoughts about the future—and that this connection strengthened through the training procedure. In contrast, general positive emotions, such as pleasure or love, did not display such a relationship.
The team’s research provides compelling evidence for the brain’s influence on physiology. A deeper understanding of this mind-body connection, they hope, could pave the way for new non-invasive procedures that boost immune health, with possible applications in cancer immunotherapy and against chronic inflammation.
This work may also help understanding of the biological mechanism of the placebo effect itself. Positive expectations have long been associated with placebo responses. Only now, though, have researchers observed the specific role of such emotions in activating the reward centre of the brain, and their downstream influence on immune response. More extensive trials are needed to establish the full implications of that for the placebo effect. But this demonstration of such a clear example of the link between brain and body means a potentially underused clinical tool is gaining a firmer scientific footing.
31. The author mentions the "placebo effect" in the first paragraph to ______.
[A] criticize it as a dubious and unscientific medical practice
[B] introduce a study that explains its underlying biological mechanism
[C] argue that subjective beliefs are more important than medical treatment
[D] highlight the dangers of relying on poorly understood therapies
32. The primary purpose of the brain training sessions was to enable participants to ______.
[A] master a complex video game involving moving graphs
[B] consciously regulate specific neural activities
[C] cure themselves of chronic immune diseases
[D] test the side effects of a new Hepatitis B vaccine
33. What did the blood sample analysis reveal about the ventral tegmental area (VTA)?
[A] Its activity was negatively correlated with the brain's reward system.
[B] It remained inactive in participants who received no training.
[C] Its activity level predicted the strength of the immune response.
[D] It was only activated by strategies involving general positive emotions.
34. According to the psychological analysis in Paragraph 6, which factor was crucial for sustaining VTA activity?
[A] Memories of past travel experiences.
[B] General feelings of love and pleasure.
[C] Intense concentration on the training task.
[D] A hopeful outlook regarding the future.
35. Which of the following is a potential application of the research findings mentioned in the text?
[A] Developing non-invasive therapies to enhance immunity.
[B] Replacing traditional vaccines with psychological counseling.
[C] Eliminating the need for cancer immunotherapy drugs.
[D] Disproving the scientific validity of the placebo effect.
附注：根据历年考研英语真题阅读题源外刊等，摘选最新文章，模拟仿真出题。
参考答案见以下。
Quick look: BBCDA
31. 【答案】B
【解析】题型：修辞目的题
定位： 第一段 "In a study published this week... researchers have begun to lift the lid on its inner workings..."
分析： 第一段首先提到安慰剂效应曾被认为是伪科学，但现在被视为一种治疗工具。接着指出，本周发表的研究通过展示积极期望如何增强免疫反应，开始揭示其“内部运作机制”（lift the lid on its inner workings）。因此，提及安慰剂效应是为了引入这项能够解释其生物学机制的研究。
干扰项：[A] 这是一个过去的观点（was once maligned），不是作者的目的。 [C] 原文未比较主观信念与治疗的重要性。 [D] 原文说是 "therapeutic tool"，并未强调 dangers。
32. 【答案】B
【解析】题型：细节题
定位： 第二段最后一句 "...allowing each of them to exert some influence over neural processes usually outside conscious control."
分析： 训练的目的是让志愿者能够对通常不受意识控制的神经过程施加影响（exert influence over neural processes）。这与选项 B "consciously regulate specific neural activities" 含义一致。
干扰项：[A] 移动的图表是反馈形式，不是训练目的。 [C] 参与者是志愿者（volunteers），并未提及他们患有慢性病需要治愈。 [D] 疫苗是在训练后作为挑战给予的，不是训练的目的。
33. 【答案】C
【解析】题型：细节题
定位： 第五段第三句 "...activity in one particular region—the ventral tegmental area—displayed a positive correlation with levels of vaccine-induced antibodies."
分析： 研究发现，腹侧被盖区（VTA）的活动与疫苗诱导的抗体水平呈正相关（positive correlation）。这意味着 VTA 的活动水平可以预测免疫反应的强度。
干扰项：[A] 文中未提及与奖赏系统的负相关。 [B] 文中提到 "Several parts... were activated... even in those not trying to do so"，暗示并非完全不活跃，且本题考点在于 VTA 与抗体的关系。 [D] 第六段明确指出 "general positive emotions... did not display such a relationship"。
34. 【答案】D
【解析】题型：细节题
定位： 第六段第二句 "...sustained activity in the ventral tegmental area was specifically linked to positive expectations—hopeful thoughts about the future..."
分析： 分析发现，VTA 的持续活动 specifically linked to（专门通过）积极期望——即对未来的充满希望的想法（hopeful thoughts about the future）——来维持。
干扰项：[A] 回忆旅行是第三段提到的策略示例，不是第六段分析出的关键心理因素。 [B] 原文明确排除了 "general positive emotions, such as pleasure or love"。 [C] 文中未提及专注度是关键因素。
35. 【答案】A
【解析】题型：推断/细节题
定位： 第七段第二句 "...could pave the way for new non-invasive procedures that boost immune health..."
分析： 研究人员希望通过理解这种身心联系，为增强免疫健康的“新型非侵入性疗法”（new non-invasive procedures）铺平道路。
干扰项：[B] 原文未提及替代传统疫苗。 [C] 原文说是 "applications in cancer immunotherapy"（在癌症免疫疗法中的应用），是辅助而非消除需求。 [D] 恰恰相反，研究是为了给安慰剂效应提供 "firmer scientific footing"（更坚实的科学基础）。
【参考译文】
安慰剂效应，即患者的主观信念能够影响治疗效果的现象，曾一度被诟病为可疑且不科学的，但如今已被公认为一种真实存在、虽尚不完全被理解的治疗工具。在本周发表于《自然·医学》（Nature Medicine）的一项研究中，研究人员证明了积极的期望可以增强免疫系统对疫苗接种的反应，从而开始揭示其内部运作机制。
来自特拉维夫大学的两位神经科学家尼赞·卢比尼克（Nitzan Lubianiker）和塔玛·科伦（Tamar Koren）想要了解大脑在调节免疫健康中的作用。他们选择将注意力集中在中脑边缘网络（mesolimbic network）上，这是一个与奖赏相关行为有关的大脑区域，也被认为与小鼠的免疫功能有关。为此，他们招募了 85 名志愿者接受一种高级形式的大脑训练，使每个人都能对通常不受意识控制的神经过程施加一定的影响。
参与者会实时看到自己大脑活动的表征，这些活动被转化为简单的指标，如变化的数字或移动的图表。正如实验者所解释的那样，他们的目标是开发心理策略，例如想象一幅画面或回忆一次旅行，从而有意识地引导神经活动流向不同的大脑区域。每位参与者都被鼓励开发个性化的方法。经过反复的疗程，参与者通过反复试验，学会了哪种策略能点亮大脑的哪个部分。
研究人员将志愿者分为三组。第一组训练激活大脑的奖赏系统。第二组训练激活一个不相关的大脑网络。第三组不接受目标或训练。每组完成了四个疗程，训练组在疗程中开发并完善各自的策略，以将活动转移到指定区域。在最后一次疗程结束后，所有人立即接受了乙型肝炎疫苗接种，作为对免疫系统的标准化挑战。
接种前后采集的血液样本显示，大脑活动与免疫反应之间存在惊人的联系。中脑边缘网络的几个部分在训练期间被激活，即使在那些并未试图激活该区域的人中也是如此。然而，在所有参与者中，一个特定区域——腹侧被盖区（ventral tegmental area, VTA）——的活动与疫苗诱导的抗体水平呈正相关。经过排除其他解释的分析后，研究人员提出，这是人类大脑-免疫调节系统存在的首个直接证据。
为了理解这背后的心理学机制，卢比尼克博士、科伦博士及其同事比较并归类了参与者采用的各种策略。分析发现，腹侧被盖区的持续活动与积极期望——即对未来的充满希望的想法——有专门的联系，并且这种联系通过训练过程得到了加强。相比之下，一般的积极情绪，如快乐或爱，并没有显示出这种关系。
该团队的研究为大脑对生理的影响提供了令人信服的证据。他们希望，对这种身心联系的更深入理解，可能为增强免疫健康的新型非侵入性疗法铺平道路，并在癌症免疫疗法和对抗慢性炎症方面具有潜在应用。
这项工作也可能有助于理解安慰剂效应本身的生物学机制。积极期望长期以来一直与安慰剂反应联系在一起。但直到现在，研究人员才观察到此类情绪在激活大脑奖赏中心方面的具体作用，及其对免疫反应的下游影响。还需要更广泛的试验来确定这对安慰剂效应的全部意义。但这展示了一个如此清晰的大脑与身体联系的例子，意味着这一潜在未被充分利用的临床工具正在获得更坚实的科学立足点。
附注：
本篇 Flesch–Kincaid 可读性指标（估算英文文章纯语言阅读难度，数值越大代表难度越大，十分制）评分为 7.8。参考：2026年英语（一）真题四篇评分分别为 6.5、7.0、7.9、7.6，英语（二）为5.2、6.2、6.8、5.8 。在话题熟悉度，逻辑复杂度、段落结构线索丰富度方面综合指标（数值越大代表难度越大，十分制）评分为7.2。参考：2026年英语（一）真题四篇评分分别为5.8、6.5、8.2、8.0，英语（二）为4.5、6.0、6.5、5.2 。原文阅读链接为：https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2026/01/21/a-new-study-highlights-the-brains-role-in-immune-health ©图源水印/网络
