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 2
Modern smart watches can measure all sorts of health indicators. Step counts and heart rates sit at the simpler end of the array, whereas VO2max and blood-oxygen levels are of more interest to committed health nuts. But a category currently attracting particular attention is heart-rate variability (HRV).
As its name suggests, HRV measures not how quickly the heart beats, but how regularly spaced those beats are. With heart rate a lower score is usually better, other things being equal, since it suggests a high level of cardiovascular fitness. When it comes to HRV, though, a higher number—that is, a more irregular pattern—is generally what you want.
HRV arises from the way the body regulates the heart. Left to its own devices, the heart will chug along at 100 beats per minute or so. That default rate is nudged up or down by the opposing halves of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), which acts unconsciously to control things like body temperature, breathing and digestion.
One half is the sympathetic nervous system, often known as the “fight-or-flight” system. This revs up the heart in response to things like exercise or fear or excitement. Its control is mostly exerted through hormones in the blood and neurotransmitters in the brain. That makes it a blunt instrument, and as the heart rate rises, so the time between beats becomes steadier.
The other half of the ANS is the parasympathetic, or “rest-and-digest” system. This slows the heart down when it is time to relax. It communicates with electrical signals sent via the vagus nerve. That allows precise control from moment to moment, which makes the time between heartbeats more variable. (Your heart rate speeds up slightly when you breathe in, for instance, and slows down as you breathe out.)
All else being equal, stress on the body boosts the sympathetic nervous system, decreasing HRV. All sorts of stress count, whether psychological or physical. A hard workout will cause HRV to fall for hours (or sometimes days) as your system recovers. So will lack of sleep, a cold, a failing marriage or worries about money.
At a population level, higher HRV is a sign of an ANS that is in good nick, and a body that can adapt itself to the stresses of life. It is associated with a lower risk of heart attacks, and a higher chance of survival if you do have one. (It was in cardiology wards that HRV first proved its usefulness.) It is also associated with slower progression of dementia, less inflammation, a lower chance of suffering depression, and more.
Most people will be more interested in what HRV can tell them about their personal lives. The best way to think of it is as an “accumulated stress” score. For sporty types a low HRV may be a signal that the body is struggling with too much training, and a hint to go easier in the gym for a while. But the numbers need careful interpretation. A big day out on the bike will cause a low HRV in the morning. But so will beers at the pub afterwards (alcohol suppresses HRV), or an unexpected tax bill waiting at home.
Those nerdy enough to track HRV may therefore want to keep a journal to refer to alongside the charts. Knowing what the numbers are telling you, after all, is the difference between mere data and its much more valuable cousin—useful information.
26. According to Paragraph 2, a "good" HRV score is characterized by ______.
[A] a consistently lower heart rate
[B] a regular and steady spacing between beats
[C] a high level of irregularity in heartbeat intervals
[D] a rapid response to cardiovascular exercise
27. The author describes the sympathetic nervous system as a "blunt instrument" (Para. 4) because it ______.
[A] relies on slow-acting hormones rather than precise electrical signals
[B] causes the heart to stop beating rhythmically during emergencies
[C] is only activated during intense physical workouts
[D] cannot effectively control body temperature or digestion
28. Why does the activation of the parasympathetic nervous system increase HRV?
[A] It forces the heart to beat at a default rate of 100 bpm.
[B] It uses the vagus nerve to exert precise, moment-to-moment control.
[C] It suppresses the brain's neurotransmitters to relax the body.
[D] It revs up the heart rate to match the breathing rhythm.
29. In Paragraph 8, the author suggests that a low HRV score ______.
[A] is a definitive sign of overtraining in athletes
[B] specifically indicates psychological rather than physical stress
[C] can result from various factors ranging from exercise to alcohol
[D] proves that the body has successfully recovered from stress
30. The author concludes by advising HRV trackers to ______.
[A] trust the raw data over their own subjective feelings
[B] focus primarily on long-term population trends
[C] avoid alcohol and financial worries to improve scores
[D] use personal context to turn data into meaningful information
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: CABCD
26. 【答案】C
【解析】题型：细节题
定位： 第二段最后一句 "When it comes to HRV, though, a higher number—that is, a more irregular pattern—is generally what you want."
分析： 文中明确指出，对于 HRV 来说，数值越高越好，而这代表着更不规则（irregular）的模式。这与选项 C "a high level of irregularity..." 完全一致。
干扰项：[A] 这是针对 Heart Rate (心率) 的标准，不是 HRV。 [B] Regular spacing (间隔规律) 意味着低 HRV，通常是不好的。 [D] 这是一个干扰项，文中未提及反应速度是好分数的标准。
27. 【答案】A
【解析】题型：因果/词义理解题
定位： 第四段第三、四句 "Its control is mostly exerted through hormones... That makes it a blunt instrument..."
分析： 交感神经系统被称为“钝器”（blunt instrument），是因为它的控制主要通过血液中的激素和脑内的神经递质来实现，这种方式不如电信号精确。选项 A "relies on slow-acting hormones rather than precise electrical signals" 准确概括了这一点（并在下文与副交感神经的电信号控制形成对比）。
干扰项：[B] 这种系统会让心跳变稳（steadier），而不是停止节律。 [C] 它也会因恐惧或兴奋激活，不仅是锻炼。 [D] 第三段提到 ANS 控制体温和消化，并没有说交感神经不能控制。
28. 【答案】B
【解析】题型：因果细节题
定位： 第五段第三、四句 "It communicates with electrical signals sent via the vagus nerve. That allows precise control... which makes the time between heartbeats more variable."
分析： 副交感神经系统通过迷走神经（vagus nerve）发送电信号，这允许精确的时刻控制，从而导致心跳间隔变化更大（即高 HRV）。这对应选项 B。
干扰项：[A] 100 bpm 是心脏“不受干扰”（Left to its own devices）时的默认速率。 [C] 抑制神经递质是交感神经相关的内容，且文中未提及“抑制”一说。 [D] 副交感神经是让心脏慢下来（slows down），而不是加速（revs up）。
29. 【答案】C
【解析】题型：细节/推理题
定位： 第八段最后两句 "A big day out on the bike... But so will beers at the pub afterwards... or an unexpected tax bill..."
分析： 作者列举了骑行（锻炼）、喝酒（酒精）和税单（心理压力）作为导致低 HRV 的原因，说明低分可能源于多种因素。这对应选项 C。
干扰项：[A] 文中说 "may be a signal"，但也可能是其他原因，因此 "definitive sign"（确定的迹象）过于绝对。 [B] 第六段明确说 "All sorts of stress count, whether psychological or physical"。 [D] 低 HRV 是恢复期或压力大的表现，不是“成功恢复”的证明。
30. 【答案】D
【解析】题型：主旨/建议题
定位： 最后一段 "Those nerdy enough to track HRV may therefore want to keep a journal... difference between mere data and its much more valuable cousin—useful information."
分析： 作者建议记录日志（journal）以参考图表，目的是为了知道数字在告诉你什么（结合语境），从而将单纯的数据转化为有用的信息。选项 D "use personal context to turn data into meaningful information" 完美复述了这一观点。
干扰项：[A] 作者建议结合日志解读，而非盲目信任原始数据。 [B] 这是第七段的内容，不是给个人的建议。 [C] 虽然提到了酒精和担忧会降低分数，但作者的最终建议是“记录和解读”，而不是单纯的“避免”。
【参考译文】
现代智能手表可以测量各种各样的健康指标。步数和心率处于该阵列中较简单的一端，而最大摄氧量（VO2 max）和血氧水平则更受那些坚定的健康狂热者关注。但目前引起特别关注的一个类别是心率变异性（HRV）。
顾名思义，HRV 测量的不是心脏跳动的快慢，而是这些跳动间隔的规律性。对于心率来说，在其他条件相同的情况下，数值越低通常越好，因为它表明心血管健康水平较高。然而，说到 HRV，通常你想要的是一个较高的数值——即一个更不规则的模式。
HRV 源于身体调节心脏的方式。如果任由心脏自己跳动，它会以每分钟 100 次左右的速度突突前行。这个默认频率会被自主神经系统（ANS）的两个对立半部分推高或拉低，ANS 无意识地控制着体温、呼吸和消化等功能。
其中一半是交感神经系统，常被称为“战斗或逃跑”系统。它会因运动、恐惧或兴奋等因素加速心脏跳动。它的控制主要通过血液中的激素和大脑中的神经递质施加。这使它成为一种缺乏精细的手段（钝器），随着心率上升，心跳之间的间隔也变得更加稳定。
ANS 的另一半是副交感神经系统，即“休息和消化”系统。当需要放松时，它会减慢心脏跳动。它通过迷走神经发送的电信号进行交流。这允许从瞬间到瞬间的精确控制，从而使心跳之间的时间更具可变性。（例如，当你吸气时心率会略微加快，呼气时会减慢。）
在其他条件相同的情况下，身体受到的压力会增强交感神经系统，从而降低 HRV。各种压力都算数，无论是心理上的还是生理上的。剧烈运动会导致 HRV 在数小时（有时是数天）内下降，因为你的系统正在恢复。睡眠不足、感冒、婚姻破裂或对金钱的担忧也会如此。
在人口层面上，较高的 HRV 是 ANS 状态良好以及身体能够适应生活压力的标志。它与较低的心脏病发作风险以及发作后较高的存活率有关。（HRV 正是在心脏病病房中首次证明了其有用性。）它还与痴呆症进展较慢、炎症较少、患抑郁症几率较低等有关。
大多数人会更感兴趣的是 HRV 能告诉他们关于个人生活的什么信息。最好的思考方式是将其视为一个“累积压力”评分。对于运动型的人来说，低 HRV 可能是身体正在因过量训练而挣扎的信号，也是在健身房稍微放松一下的暗示。但这些数字需要仔细解读。白天骑车大干一场会导致第二天早上的 HRV 偏低。但之后在酒吧喝啤酒（酒精会抑制 HRV），或者家里等着一张意想不到的税单，也会导致同样的结果。
因此，那些书呆子气到去追踪 HRV 的人可能想要记日记，以便对照图表参考。毕竟，知道数字在告诉你什么，是将单纯的数据与其更有价值的表亲——有用的信息——区分开来的关键。
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 6.9。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6.5。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/2026/01/16/the-most-useful-indicator-of-your-overall-health ©图源水印/网络
