今日主題：Brain training 頭腦訓練
凱妃老師&派老師共同推薦：雅思聽力最好的課外教材：BBC 康康精選雅思會考的主題，堅持每天精聽一定會進步的哦!!
建議方法：
1. 先聽兩三遍 (不看文稿)
2. 再一句一句聽寫 (每句都要聽寫數遍，直到寫出85%以上的字)
3. 最後check文稿，看哪聽不出來，單字沒背過，還是發音不熟。
4. 堅持天天聽，就能每天進步哦。
MP3音檔 (按右鍵可下載聽)：喜歡的同學，幫忙推或按讚哦~~
http://static.iyuba.com/sounds/minutes/1034.mp3
只有音檔怎夠，聽不懂地方，不用怕，康康幫你準備好中英文稿了：
中英文稿：
Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English. I’m Sophie…
大家好，歡迎收聽六分鐘英語。我是蘇菲。
Watashi-wa Ni-ru.
我是尼爾（日語）。
What did you say?
你說什麼？
Watashi-wa Ni-ru. ’I’m Neil.’ It’s Japanese, Sophie.
我說的是“我是尼爾”。這是日語，蘇菲。
Very good, Neil!So your Japanese language lessons are going well, then?
不錯嘛！看來你的日語課程很有效果啊？
They are indeed.And did you know, Sophie, that scientists believe learning a second language can boost brainpower?Bilingualism – or speaking two languages equally well – is a form of brain training.
確實。你知道嗎，蘇菲，科學家認為學習第二語言有利於智力增長。雙語，即會說兩種語言，是頭腦訓練的一種方式。
Brain training is where you’re learning ways to increase your memory or intelligence. That’s great Neil – but you’re not exactly… bilingual… are you?
頭腦訓練是學習提高記憶力或智力的方式。這不錯哎，但是尼爾，你還沒達到雙語的程度吧？
Not yet. No.
還沒有。
Well, brain training is the subject of today’s show. And ways to train your brain might be doing a crossword puzzle, playing chess, or studying a new language! Now I have a question for you, Neil.
頭腦訓練就是今天節目的主題。訓練大腦的方法有做縱橫字謎、下棋或學習一門新的語言！現在有一個問題要問你，尼爾。
I hope my brain is up to the challenge.
希望我的大腦能勝任這個挑戰。
I’m sure it is. Can you tell me: How many neurons – or nerve cells – are there in the typical human brain? Is it …a) 8.6 billion b) 86 billion Or c) 860 billion
相信你可以的。你能告訴我，人的大腦中有多少神經元或者說神經細胞嗎？a) 86億個b) 860億個還是c) 8600億個
Hmm. I’m going to say a) 8.6 billion.
恩，我選a) 86億個。
Well, we’ll find out later on in the show whether you got the answer right or not. But now let’s listen to neuropsychologist Dr Catherine Lovedaytalking about why being bilingual may protect your brain from damage if you have a stroke.
好的，節目的最後我們再看你回答的是否正確。現在我們來聽聽神經心理學家Catherine Loveday的談話，他會告訴我們為什麼學會兩種語言有助於在中風時保護大腦。
I think the theory behind why bilingualism might be a protective factor is that[it] involves a lot of switchings – a lot of attentional changes – lots of switching. And that seems to exercise the sort of executive parts of our brain. Those parts of the brain are kind of stronger and fitterwhen it comes to resisting some kind of damage from the stroke.
我認為之所以具備雙語能力有一定的保護作用，是因為使用雙語時，大腦會進行許多轉換，進行許多有意識的轉換變化。這似乎對大腦中的控制部分起到了鍛煉效果。這部分大腦更加強健，就可以抵抗中風對大腦的損傷。
A stroke is a serious illness that occurs when blood flow to an area of the brain is cut off. And executive functions are the mental skills involved in doing things like problem solving and planning.
中風是一種很嚴重的疾病，由腦供血不足引發。大腦的控制作用是指涉及問題處理或規劃的心理技能。
So when a bilingual speaker switches – or changes – from one language to another– this exercises the executive parts of their brain, making it stronger and fitter. And because the brain is stronger, it’s able to resist – or prevent – damage caused by a stroke.
具備雙語能力的人，他的大腦會進行語言轉換，從一種語言轉換為另一種語言。這會鍛煉他們大腦中的控制部分，使之更加強健。因為大腦更加強健，所以可以抵抗中風對大腦的損傷。
But many of us aren’t bilingual are we? So our brains aren’t going to be protected against strokes.
但大多數人並不具備雙語能力，不是嗎？所以我們的大腦不能很好的抵抗中風。
Don’t worry, Neil. There are other things you can do to exercise your brain. If you’re right handed, doing tasks like brushing your teeth with your left hand will stimulate your brain– or getting dressed in the dark with your eyes shut. Or simply memorizing a list of words, for example your shopping list.
不用擔心，尼爾。還有其他方法可以鍛煉大腦。如果你是右撇子，就試著用左手做事，例如用左手刷牙，這樣也會刺激大腦，還可以試著閉著眼睛穿衣服。或者簡單地記一系列單詞，如你的購物清單。
Doing things with the wrong hand sounds hard. But the shopping list thing sounds easier… OK. Let’s see… pizza, doughnuts, crisps, bottle of coke, chocolate cake…
用左手做事情聽起來好難。記購物清單聽起來容易些。的，我們試試，披薩、甜甜圈、薯片、可口可樂、巧克力蛋糕……
That’s not a very healthy list, Neil! A good diet is also important in keeping your brain fit and healthy.
這個清單一點都不健康。合理的食譜對保持大腦健康非常重要。
Maybe I should cut down on the chocolate cake then?
那我是不是要劃掉巧克力蛋糕這一項？
Actually, that’s one thing you could leave on the list. According to research, chocolate may enhance – or improve – cognitive performance, and that is your ability to acquire and utilize knowledge.Now let’s listen to Dr Loveday talking about building up our cognitive reserve – this is the idea of building up extra abilities to help protect the brain against declining memory or thinking.
事實上，你應該留下這一項。據研究顯示，巧克力可以提高認知能力，也就是掌握知識、利用知識的能力。我們聽聽Loveday教授講述如何形成記憶儲存庫，也就是通過學習其他能力保護大腦，防止記憶或思維能力退化。
Continually just stimulating the brain – things like learning a language, learning music, just educating yourself, seems to continue to build up that cognitive reserve. So even if people take up languages or take up other things later in life it will give them a degree of protection.
持續刺激大腦，像學習一門語言、學音樂，只依靠自學，就能逐漸形成記憶儲存庫。所以即便人們上了年紀後才開始學習語言或學習其他事情，在一定程度上也可以保護大腦。
Stimulate means to make something become more active. Hmm. Not sure I’m continually stimulating my brain. What do you think, Sophie?
刺激是指使某物更加活躍。不知道一直以來我有沒有刺激到大腦。你怎麼看呢？
With all our stimulating discussions, Neil, I’m sure we’re both building up our cognitive reserve. And there are your Japanese lessons too.
我們進行了這麼刺激的討論，我相信我們一定形成了自己的記憶儲存庫。你的日語課程也會有幫助的。
Well, so I am doing well as far as my cognitive reserve goes. Sophie you’ve put my mind at rest.
只要我的記憶儲存庫在增加就好。你這樣說我就安心了。
And if you put someone’s mind at rest you stop them worrying. Well, don’t get too relaxed Neil – your brain needs constant stimulation, remember?
讓某人安心，就是讓某人不要擔心。不要太放鬆了尼爾，你的大腦需要持續的刺激，記得吧？
Hmm. I think I might just lie down after the show with a box of chocolates and today’s crossword…or maybe I’ll memorize another shopping list… this time in Japanese.
恩，節目錄完了我要躺下來，吃一盒巧克力，然後做今天的縱橫字謎。也許我要再記憶一下購物清單，這次用日語記。
OK. I think it’s time to hear the answer to today’s quiz question. I asked: How many neurons are there in the typical human brain? Is it … a) 8.6 billion b) 86 billion or c) 860 billion?
好吧，我覺得是時候公佈今天問題的答案了。我問你：人的大腦中有多少神經元？a) 86億個 ，b) 860億個，還是c) 8600億個？
And I said a) 8.6 billion.
我選的是a) 86億個。
I thought you were feeling clever today, Neil. I’m afraid that’s the wrong answer. It’s b) 86 billion. But do you know how scientists calculated that number?
我記得你今天說自己狀態不錯啊，尼爾。但很遺憾你答錯了。正確答案是b) 860億個。但你知道科學家們是怎麼計算出這一數字的嗎？
Did they have a guess, Sophie?
他們也是猜的？
No, not exactly. Apparently, the easiest way is to count how many neurons there are in one part of the brain and then multiply that for the rest of the brain’s volume.
不是。最簡單的方法是計算大腦中某一部分的神經元數量，然後乘以大腦其他部分的體積。
Well, that’s a lot of brain cells. OK, can we hear the words we learned today?
好吧，大腦細胞真的很多啊。好了，我們聽一下今天學到的單詞吧？
They are:
今天聽到的單詞有：
bilingualism
能用兩種語言
brain training
頭腦訓練
neurons
神經元
stroke
中風
executive functions
管控功能
switches
轉換
resist
抵抗
enhance
提高
cognitive reserve
記憶儲存庫
stimulate
刺激
put someone’s mind at rest
讓某人安心
Well, that’s the end of today’s 6 Minute English.Don’t forget to join us again soon!
今天的六分鐘英語就到這裡。別忘了下期再見！
Bye.
再見！
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