科学家发现，人的大脑会在一生中经历五个不同的阶段，而九岁、32 岁、66 岁和 83 岁是这些不同阶段的转折点。

4,000 brain scans of people up to the age of 90 have revealed our brains go through five distinct eras. The first is childhood. This is when the brain is rapidly growing but getting less efficient over time.

对 4000 名最大年龄为 90 岁的人的脑部扫描显示出我们的大脑会经历五个不同的阶段。首先是童年期。在这个阶段中，大脑会快速地生长，但效率会逐渐降低。

Then, a surprisingly long period of adolescence kicks in, starting at the age of nine and lasting until you're 32 when the brain peaks. You then get the longest stage, adulthood, which lasts three decades.

在这之后，一段漫长到令人有些惊讶的青春期就会开始，这段时期从九岁开始一直持续到 32 岁，那时你的大脑会达到最佳状态。然后你会迎来最长的成年期阶段，持续约三十年。

Then comes 66 and early ageing. The effects are subtle, but the brain is beginning to fragment as smaller regions work tightly together – it's like a band starting their own solo projects. At 83, this accelerates as we enter the final phase.

然后在 66 岁时进入早期衰老阶段。这个阶段的影响并不明显，但大脑会开始逐渐碎片化，更小的区域会开始紧密合作，就像一个乐队中的成员开始推出他们的个人作品一样。到 83 岁时，这个现象会开始加速，大脑进入最后的晚期阶段。

词汇表

scans 扫描
eras 时期
adolescence 青春期
kicks in 开始生效
peaks 达到顶峰，达到最佳状态
ageing 衰老
subtle 不明显的
fragment 碎片
tightly 紧密地
solo projects 个人创作

听力练习

一、听第一遍音频，回答问题。

1. How many phases does our brain go through in our lifetime?
a. four
b. five
c. six

二、用一分钟阅读下列问题，然后听第二遍音频并回答问题。

1. Whose brains were scanned in the study?
a. people aged 95 and below
b. people under the age of 90
c. people between five and 90

2. In childhood, the brain becomes more efficient as it ages.
a. True
b. False
c. Not given

3. The researchers were _______ to find that adolescence lasts from nine to 32.
a. shocked
b. disheartened
c. confused

4. Which phase does the brain stay in the longest?
a. adolescence
b. adulthood
c. early ageing

5. Why does the brain start to fragment in early ageing?
a. because bands that hold it together start to break
b. because it is preparing for late ageing
c. because smaller areas start to work together more tightly

三、听第三遍音频，将句子补充完整。（提示：可以反复听，直到听清楚每一个词）

1. 4,000 brain scans of people ________________ 90 have revealed our brains go through five distinct eras.

2. Then, a surprisingly ________________ adolescence kicks in.

答案

一、听第一遍音频，回答问题。

1. b. 4,000 brain scans of people up to the age of 90 have revealed our brains go through five distinct eras.

二、用一分钟阅读下列问题，然后听第二遍音频并回答问题。

1. b. 4,000 brain scans of people up to the age of 90 have revealed our brains go through five distinct eras.

2. b. False. The first is childhood. This is when the brain is rapidly growing but getting less efficient over time.

3. a. Then, a surprisingly long period of adolescence kicks in.

4. b. When the brain peaks, you then get the longest stage, adulthood, which lasts three decades.

5. c. The effects are subtle, but the brain is beginning to fragment as smaller regions work tightly together.

三、听第三遍音频，将句子补充完整。（提示：可以反复听，直到听清楚每一个词）

1. 4,000 brain scans of people up to the age of 90 have revealed our brains go through five distinct eras.

2. Then, a surprisingly long period of adolescence kicks in.