Question 16 is based on the recording you have just heard.

听力原文

    Psychology research has tended to portray solitude as a negative experience. Studies conducted in the 1970s and 1990s suggested that people felt less happy when alone as compared to being with others. However, a new paper shows an alternative view of solitude, one in which solitude can be positive.

    Let’s start by looking at the earlier research. It had a couple of shortcomings. First, it measured emotion on a scale from positive to negative, overlooking the possibility that the positive and negative emotions can fluctuate independently. (16) [Also, it categorized emotions as simply positive or negative.] It didn’t consider that emotions arouse us to different degrees and that both positive and negative emotions can arouse us a lot or little. That is, whether positive or negative, emotions can be either high arousal or low arousal. High arousal emotions include excitement on the positive side or anger on the negative side, while low arousal ones include feeling calm on the positive side or lonely on the negative.

    This new research attempted to overcome these shortcomings. Researchers began with a simple study: they asked participants to spend fifteen minutes sitting alone without engaging in any activity and measured how this solitude influenced their emotional state. (17) [This experiment specifically aimed to determine the effect of solitude on high arousal emotions.] It looked at positive emotions such as being excited or interested, and negative emotions, including being scared or distressed.

    The results were clear. (17) [After fifteen minutes of solitude, the participants showed reductions in both types of emotion.] A second study measured the effects of solitude on low arousal emotions. These included both positive and negative emotions such as feeling calm, relaxed, sad or lonely. (18) [That experiment found that all of these emotions were increased by time alone.] Thus, it seems past depictions of solitude were wrong. It doesn’t have a simple emotional effect that can be characterized as good or bad. Rather, it changes the intensity of our inner experience. (18) [It amplifies quieter emotions, but it diminishes the intensity of stronger feelings.] It’s worth clarifying that these findings relate to relatively brief periods of solitude. This is distinct from prolonged loneliness. Research has demonstrated that the latter is correlated with an assortment of negative physical and psychological effects.

    How can people benefit from being alone? The findings here suggest that people can use solitude to regulate their emotions. Solitude can help us become quiet after excitement, calm after an angry episode, or simply feel at peace.

16. What is one of the criticisms directed at the early research on solitude?（关于“独处”的早期研究受到了什么批评？）

解析：C。录音前半部分提到，早期对独处的研究有两个缺点，一个是用从积极到消极的等级来测量情绪，另一个是简单地把情绪分为积极和消极两类。C项内容与录音中提到的第二个缺点相符，其中C项的classified是录音中categorized的同义替换，positive or negative为原词复现，故C项正确。

错项排除：录音中提到了情绪波动的可能性（possibility），但没有提到情绪受到控制的可能性，故A项排除。B项中的personal和subjective在录音中没有提及，故排除。录音中提到的早期研究的第一个缺点是把情绪从积极到消极用等级衡量，而忽略了两种情绪各自波动的可能性；并不是把积极情绪和消极情绪分开测量，D项利用录音中的measured、positive and negative emotions和independently进行细节拼凑，故错误。