文字稿

懷孕會(huì)減少女性大腦特定區(qū)域中灰質(zhì)的總體積，然而這不僅能加強(qiáng)孕婦與其嬰兒之間的聯(lián)系，還可以幫助產(chǎn)婦適應(yīng)母親這個(gè)新身份?？茖W(xué)家們對(duì) 25 名初孕女性進(jìn)行了腦部掃描，結(jié)果顯示她們的大腦在懷孕期間發(fā)生了結(jié)構(gòu)性的改變，且這一變化會(huì)在產(chǎn)后至少持續(xù)兩年。請(qǐng)聽(tīng) Robert Pigott 的報(bào)道。

When the brains of 25 first-time mothers were scanned soon after they had become pregnant and again after they had given birth, “substantial” reductions in the volume of grey matter were revealed.

Pregnant women have often complained of brain fog and poor memory, but researchers at Leiden University in the Netherlands and the Autonomous University of Barcelona say that rather than indicating a simple loss of mental capacity or intelligence, the changes represent a pruning and refinement of brain circuits. They say the changes largely affect areas of the brain associated with the ability to attribute thoughts and feelings to oneself and other people, and could help women adapt to motherhood by recognising threats to their baby or anticipating the child’s needs.

Parts of the brain where grey matter had been pruned lit up on MRI scans when mothers saw pictures of their own babies. The brains of first-time fathers did not show such changes in structure.

詞匯表

first-time 首次的，初次的
substantial 大量的
volume 體積，總量
grey matter （大腦）灰質(zhì)
brain fog “腦霧”，指思維不清，反應(yīng)遲鈍的癥狀
mental capacity 心智，思維能力
pruning 刪減、精簡(jiǎn)的過(guò)程
brain circuits 腦回路
attribute 將（品質(zhì)、特征）歸屬于
motherhood 母性，母親身份
recognising 辨識(shí)，識(shí)別
anticipating 預(yù)料

測(cè)驗(yàn)

請(qǐng)聽(tīng)報(bào)道并回答下列問(wèn)題。

1. What did the scans of 25 first-time mothers' brains show?

2. According to researchers, what do these changes represent?

3. True or false? There were no obvious changes in first-time fathers' grey matter.

4. Which word in the text means 'the process of polishing and improving something'?

答案

1. What did the scans of 25 first-time mothers' brains show?
The scans of 25 first-time mothers showed "substantial" reductions in the volume of grey matter.

2. According to researchers, what do these changes represent?
According to researchers, rather than indicating a simple loss of mental capacity or intelligence, the changes represent a pruning and refinement of brain circuits.

3. True or false? There were no obvious changes in first-time fathers' grey matter.
True. The brains of first-time fathers did not show such changes in structure.

4. Which word in the text means 'the process of polishing and improving something'?
Refinement.