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Listen to an Academic Talk Test #080
Listen to an Academic Talk
1. What is the lecture mainly about?
A) The brain's capacity for lifelong change
B) How juggling affects brain development
C) Differences between the adult and child brain
D) Methods for recovering from brain injuries
2. What was a long-held belief about the adult brain?
A) It was more adaptable than a child's brain.
B) It could not change its basic structure.
C) Its primary function was motor control.
D) It was constantly forming new connections.
3. What can be inferred from the lecture?
A) Any new skill can be learned very quickly.
B) Learning something new can physically alter the brain.
C) The amount of gray matter in the brain is fixed.
D) Most brain reorganization happens after an injury.
4. Why does the lecturer mention the 2004 study on juggling?
A) To challenge the idea of neuroplasticity
B) To show that some skills are too hard to learn
C) To provide evidence for structural brain changes
D) To compare different parts of the brain
Lecturer: For a long time, we thought the adult brain was essentially fixed—that after a certain age, it couldn't change its structure. But we now know this is untrue, thanks to a concept called neuroplasticity.
Neuroplasticity is the brain's remarkable ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life. It's not just something that happens during childhood; it's a continuous process. Think about learning a new, complex skill, like juggling. When you start, it's difficult. But as you practice, your brain adapts.
The motor cortex, the part of your brain that controls movement, actually changes its structure. The neural pathways involved in the juggling motion become stronger and more efficient. One study from 2004 showed that volunteers who learned to juggle had a measurable increase in gray matter in their brains.
This principle is fundamental to all learning and memory, and it also explains how people can sometimes recover functions after a brain injury.
Neuroplasticity is the brain's remarkable ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life. It's not just something that happens during childhood; it's a continuous process. Think about learning a new, complex skill, like juggling. When you start, it's difficult. But as you practice, your brain adapts.
The motor cortex, the part of your brain that controls movement, actually changes its structure. The neural pathways involved in the juggling motion become stronger and more efficient. One study from 2004 showed that volunteers who learned to juggle had a measurable increase in gray matter in their brains.
This principle is fundamental to all learning and memory, and it also explains how people can sometimes recover functions after a brain injury.
Highlights
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