大学一年级下学期-Unit2-passage-english-b.docVIP

PAGE P1Just as exercise 2strengthens/2 the heart and lungs, bones and muscles, it may also power up the brain. A 3succession/3 of scientific studies of animals 4implies/4 that physical activity has a positive effect on mental functioning. Its clear that the brain benefits from exercise, says brain scientist William Greenough of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His studies with rats have demonstrated two 5primary/5 effects of activity: 6Vigorous/6 physical exercise provides the brain with more fuel, and skill-based exercise increases the 7formation/7 of connections in the brain, which, according to the 8proposals/8 of some scientists, may make the brain better able to process information. In one experiment, 9laboratory/9 rats were separated into three groups. One group was exercised by running inside an automatic wheel, a second group improved their skills in a 10plicated/10 11obstacle/11 course, and a third group was inactive. The animals that learned to go through the obstacle course 12exhibited/12 a greater number of brain connections than the animals in the exercised or inactive groups, Greenough said. In contrast, the animals that exercised inside the automatic wheel 13possessed/13 a greater 14density/14 of blood vessels in the brain than did either of the other two groups of animals. P2Learning a new dance step may 15boost/15 the brain in the same way that learning a language can, he says. And if the dance is a good physical exercise as well, the benefits 16multiply/16. P3Young brains may be especially able to boost brain power through exercise, suggested another of Greenoughs experiments that showed the most significant changes in the brain occurred among rats that had been exercised when very young. And while animals arent people, he says it is 17logical/17 to make the 18inference/18 that an effect found in rats may also apply to humans. Human studies have focused 19primarily/19 on older adults and suggest that regular exercise can impr