中文导读 考试压力是很多学生都熟悉的问题。英国伦敦大学城市圣乔治学院（City St George’s, University of London）的研究团队在《科学报告》（Scientific Reports）期刊发表了一项对照试验，评估由健康科技公司Phase Space与学生共同设计的七分钟虚拟现实（VR）减压项目。131名医疗健康专业学生被随机分成两组：67人戴VR头显体验，64人在智能手机上观看完全相同的内容，连续使用五天。结果显示，两组都感觉有所好转，但头显组的即时压力和焦虑下降更明显，平静和快乐感上升更多；两周后，两组报告的压力都低于开始时。89%的VR使用者认为项目“真正带来了改变”，手机组为34%。研究也有局限：参与者来自同一所大学，结果依赖学生自我报告，项目来自私营公司。文章大致按“新发现—背景问题—项目内容—研究方法—主要结果—局限与观点”展开。阅读时可留意 because、while、but、still 如何连接原因、对比和转折，以及 suggests、may、tended to、argues 等词如何区分研究发现、可能性和个人观点。
正文 Exam season can make students feel that there is no time to breathe . A new study from London suggests that a short trip into a virtual world may help . Researchers at City St George’s , University of London found that a seven-minute virtual reality (VR ) programme helped university students feel calmer and less anxious especially when they used a headset instead of a phone .
本段译文 考试季会让学生觉得连喘口气的时间都没有。伦敦的一项新研究表明，到虚拟世界里短暂“走一趟”也许会有帮助。伦敦大学城市圣乔治学院的研究人员发现，一个七分钟的虚拟现实（VR）项目帮助大学生感到更平静、更少焦虑，尤其是在他们使用头戴设备而不是手机的时候。
The question matters because stress among young people is a growing concern in the UK . In a recent survey of more than 5,700 teachers , 56% said they had seen mental health problems linked to exam anxiety among Year 11 pupils , who are usually 15 or 16, this school year . In England , the number of university students with a mental health condition almost quadrupled in the ten years to 2023/24.
本段译文 这个问题之所以重要，是因为年轻人的压力在英国日益受到关注。在最近一项针对5700多名教师的调查中，56%的教师表示，本学年他们在11年级学生（通常为15或16岁）中见到过与考试焦虑有关的心理健康问题。在英格兰，患有心理健康问题的大学生人数在截至2023/24学年的十年间几乎翻了两番。
The programme was made by a health technology company called Phase Space and was designed together with students . It mixes familiar ways of handling stress , such as breathing exercises , imagining calm scenes and positive thinking , with sounds and pictures that surround the user
本段译文 这个项目由一家名为Phase Space的健康科技公司制作，并与学生共同设计。它把呼吸练习、想象平静场景和积极思考等人们熟悉的减压方法，与包围使用者的声音和画面结合在一起。
The team recruited 131 healthcare students and divided them randomly into two groups . Sixty-seven used a VR headset , while 64 watched exactly the same content on a smartphone . Each student used the programme on five days in a row and reported how calm stressed and anxious they felt before and after every session . The researchers also checked stress , wellbeing and signs of depression at the start and again two weeks later .
本段译文 研究团队招募了131名医疗健康专业的学生，并把他们随机分成两组。67人使用VR头戴设备，64人则在智能手机上观看完全相同的内容。每名学生连续五天使用这个项目，并在每次使用前后报告自己感到多平静、多有压力和多焦虑。研究人员还在开始时和两周后检查了他们的压力、幸福感和抑郁迹象。
Both groups felt better , but the headset group showed larger immediate drops in stress and anxiety and bigger rises in calmness and happiness . Students who felt more deeply “inside ” the experience tended to report stronger emotional benefits . Two weeks later , both groups still reported lower stress than at the start . In their feedback , 89% of VR users said the programme had made a real difference compared with 34% of phone users . Some also mentioned better sleep and focus .
本段译文 两组学生都感觉好了一些，但头戴设备组在压力和焦虑上的即时下降更大，平静感和快乐感的上升也更多。越觉得自己深深“置身其中”的学生，往往报告的情绪益处越明显。两周后，两组报告的压力仍低于开始时。在反馈中，89%的VR使用者表示这个项目真正带来了改变，而手机使用者中这一比例为34%。一些学生还提到睡眠和专注力有所改善。
Still , the study has clear limits . All the participants came from one healthcare university , the results were based on students ’ own reports , and the programme comes from a private company . The authors say more research is needed to learn how well VR works over longer periods and how often students should use it . Lead author Aileen O’Brien argues that young people need “ practical evidence based tools “ before pressure becomes overwhelming . Schools cannot remove stress from student life , she says , but they can help students pause and reset .
本段译文 不过，这项研究也有明显的局限。所有参与者都来自同一所医疗健康类大学，结果依据的是学生的自我报告，而且这个项目出自一家私营公司。作者表示，还需要更多研究来了解VR在更长时间内效果如何，以及学生应该多久使用一次。第一作者艾琳·奥布莱恩（Aileen O'Brien）认为，年轻人需要在压力变得难以承受之前就拥有“实用、有证据支持的工具”。她说，学校无法消除学生生活中的压力，但可以帮助学生停一停、重新调整状态。
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