雅思阅读真题（Part 3）
恐惧分析：猴子实验揭示焦虑根源
本篇也叫：恐惧分析、恐惧的研究、猴子恐惧实验、焦虑研究、恐惧与焦虑、恒河猴实验
Part 3 · 考频：中频 · 最近考试：2026.1.2电子科技大学
本篇为雅思阅读真题（Part 3）《The analysis of fear》，共 14 题，2026.1.2电子科技大学雅思考试真题回忆，页面提供完整原文、题目、答案与解析，并支持在线机考模式免费练习。本页同时提供 Markdown 版本 供 AI 助手与搜索引擎直接读取。
文章讲述威斯康星大学麦迪逊分校的Kalin和Shelton通过恒河猴实验研究大脑中产生恐惧的神经过程，试图解释为何有些人会过度恐惧，并希望据此开发治疗人类焦虑症的新方法，尤其强调早期干预的重要性。
Researchers are investigating the processes in the brain that give rise to fear in animals. The results may lead to new ways to treat human anxiety
A
Over the years, the majority of people acquire a range of skills for coping with frightening situations. They will attempt to placate a vexed teacher or boss and will shout and run when chased by a hostile stranger. But some individuals become overwhelmed in circumstances others would consider only minimally stressful: fear of ridicule might cause them to shake uncontrollably when called on to speak in a group, or terror of strangers might lead them to hide at home, unable to work or shop for groceries. Why do certain people fall prey to excessive fear?
B
Ned H. Kalin and Steven E. Shelton at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are addressing this problem by identifying specific brain processes that regulate fear and its associated behaviors. Despite the availability of non-invasive computer imaging techniques, such information is still extremely difficult to obtain in humans. Hence, they have turned their attention to another primate, the rhesus monkey. These animals undergo many of the same physiological and psychological developmental stages that humans do, but in a more compressed time span. As we gain more insight into the nature and operation of neural circuits that modulate fear in monkeys, it should be possible to pinpoint the brain processes that cause inordinate anxiety in people, and to devise new therapies to counteract it Effective interventions wouJd be particularly valuable if they were applied at an early age, as growing evidence suggests overly fearful youngsters are at high risk of later emotional distress.
C
When they began their studies two decades ago, Kalin and Shelton knew that they would first have to find cues that elicit fear and identify behaviors that reflect different types of anxiety. With such information in hand, they could then proceed to determine the age at which monkeys begin to match defensive behaviors selectively to specific cues. Finally, by determining the parts of the brain that reach maturity during the same time span, they could gain clues to the regions that underlie the regulation of fear and fear-related behavior.
D
The experiments were carried out at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Kalin and Shelton discerned varied behaviors by exposing monkeys between six and 12 months old to three related situations. In the alone condition, an animal was separated from its mother and left by itself in a cage for ten minutes. In the no-eye-contact condition, a person stood motionless outside the cage and avoided looking at the solitary infant. In the stare condition, a person was again present and motionless but, assuming a neutral expression, peered directly at the animal. These positions are no more frightening than those that primates encounter frequently in the wild, or those that human infants encounter every time they are left at a day-care center.
E
In the alone condition, most monkeys became very active and emitted frequent gentle 'coo' calls made with pursed lips. More than 40 years ago it was deduced that when an infant monkey is separated from its mother, it yearns to regain the closeness and security provided by nearness to the parent. These responses help to draw the mother's attention. In contrast, in the more frightening no-eye-contact situation, the monkeys reduced their activity greatly and sometimes froze for extended periods of time. When an infant spots a potential predator, its goal shifts from attracting the mother to becoming inconspicuous. Inhibiting motion and freezing are common attempts to achieve this in many species. If the infant perceives that it has been detected, its aim shifts to warding off an attack. So the stare condition evoked a third set of responses. The monkeys made several hostile gestures: barking (forcing air from the abdomen through the vocal cords to emit a harsh, growl-like sound) and staring back. Sometimes the animals mixed the threatening displays with submissive ones, such as fear grimaces, which look something like wary grins, or grinding of teeth.
F
Having identified three categories of defensive behaviors, Kalin and Shelton set about determining when infant monkeys first begin to apply them effectively. Several lines of work had led them to surmise that the ability to make such choices emerges when an infant is around two months old. To establish the critical period of development, they examined four groups of infant monkeys ranging in age up to 12 weeks old. The babies were separated from their mothers, left to acclimatize to a cage, and then exposed to the alone, no-eye-contact and stare conditions. All sessions were videotaped for analysis. They found that the infants in the youngest group (no more than two weeks old) engaged in defensive behaviors. But they lacked some motor control and seemed to act randomly, as if they had not noticed the human beings that were present. Babies in the two intermediate-age groups had good motor control, but their actions seemed unrelated to the test condition. Only animals in the oldest group (nine- to 12-week olds) conducted themselves differently in each situation, and their reactions were both appropriate and identical to those of mature monkeys. This finding meant motor control was not the prime determinant of selective responding and that nine to 12 weeks is the critical age for the appearance of a monkeys ability to adaptively modulate its defensive activity to meet changing demands.
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答案：most humans develop strategies for dealing with fear.
原文定位：Over the years, the majority of people acquire a range of skills for coping with frightening situations
同义替换：「most humans」↔「the majority of people」，「develop strategies」↔「acquire skills」，「dealing with fear」↔「coping with frightening situations」
答案：their mental growth resembles that of humans.
原文定位：These animals undergo many of the same physiological and psychological developmental stages that humans do, but in a more compressed time span
同义替换：「mental growth」↔「psychological developmental stages」，「resembles」↔「the same」
答案：the identification of expressions of anxiety in monkeys
原文定位：These positions are no more frightening than those that primates encounter frequently in the wild, or those that human infants encounter every time they are left at a day-care center
同义替换：「monkeys」↔「primates」，「common experiences」↔「encounter frequently」
答案：reflect common experiences for infant humans and monkeys.
原文定位：These positions are no more frightening than those that primates encounter frequently in the wild, or those that human infants encounter every time they are left at a day;care center;
同义替换：「aggressive」↔「hostile」，「facial expressions」↔「gestures」
答案：the alone condition
原文定位：So the stare condition evoked a third set of responses. The monkeys made several hostile gestures: barking (forcing air from the abdomen through the vocal cords to emit a harsh, growl-like sound) and staring back. Sometimes the animals mixed the threatening displays with submissive ones, such as fear grimaces, which look something like wary grins, or grinding of teeth
同义替换：「aggressive」↔「hostile」，「facial expressions」↔「gestures」
答案：the no-eye-contact condition
原文定位：In contrast, in the more frightening no-eye-contact situation, the monkeys reduced their activity greatly and sometimes froze for extended periods of time
同义替换：「prolonged」↔「for extended periods of time」，「stillness」↔「froze」
答案：the stare condition
原文定位：Sometimes the animals mixed the threatening displays with submissive ones, such as fear grimaces, which look something like wary grins, or grinding of teeth
同义替换：「combination」↔「mixed」，「contradictory signals」↔「threatening displays」
答案：the alone condition
原文定位：In the alone condition, most monkeys became very active and emitted frequent gentle 'coo' calls made with pursed lips. More than 40 years ago it was deduced that when an infant monkey is separated from its mother, it yearns to regain the closeness and security provided by nearness to the parent. These responses help to draw the mother's attention
同义替换：「appeals for」↔「help to draw」，「maternal protection」↔「mother's attention」
答案：the alone condition
原文定位：In the alone condition, most monkeys became very active and emitted frequent gentle 'coo' calls made with pursed lips
同义替换：「production of」↔「emitted」，「soft」↔「gentle」
答案：age
原文定位：To establish the critical period of development, they examined four groups of infant monkeys ranging in age up to 12 weeks old
答案：two weeks old
原文定位：They found that the infants in the youngest group (no more than two weeks old) engaged in defensive behaviors
同义替换：「as young as」↔「no more than」，「haphazard fashion」↔「randomly」
答案：human beings
原文定位：They found that the infants in the youngest group;no more than two weeks old;engaged in defensive behaviors. But they lacked some motor control and seemed to act randomly, as if they had not noticed the human beings that were present
同义替换：「unaware of」↔「had not noticed」，「who were around them」↔「that were present」
答案：good motor control
原文定位：Babies in the two intermediate-age groups had good motor control, but their actions seemed unrelated to the test condition
同义替换：「demonstrating」↔「had」
答案：mature monkeys
原文定位：Only animals in the oldest group (nine- to 12-week olds) conducted themselves differently in each situation, and their reactions were both appropriate and identical to those of mature monkeys
同义替换：「reacted in the same way as」↔「identical to those of」