4. In reading 5 “We are exposed to very little music or art” probably means:

1. We are not often in concert halls or museums.

2. We are taught a little music and art.

3. Music and art are unconverted.

4. Music and art are not taught much.

5. Answer the questions to the text:

1. What is the function of different parts of the brain?

2. How are human brains different from animal brains?

3. What is the difference between the left and right side of the brain?

4. Which areas of the brain might a person use to compose music? To do some calculations?

5. Why do some people seem to be more creative than others?

Lesson 6

THE HUMAN BRAIN (2)

The teen brain

Parents of teenagers have always known that there is something different about teen years. Some parents claim that their teenage children belong to different species. Until recently, neuroscience did not support this belief. The traditional belief was that by the age of 8 to 12, the brain was completely mature. However, very recent studies provide evidence that the brain of a teenager differs from that of both children and adults. According to Jay Giedd of the National Institute of Mental Health, “Maturation does not stop at age 10, but continuous into the teen years and beyond”. In fact, Giedd and his colleagues found that the corpus callosum “continues growing into your 20s”. Because, it is believed, the corpus callosum is involved in self-awareness and intelligence, the new studies imply that teens may not be as fully self-aware as they will be later. Other researchers have found that teenagers are not able (as adults are) to read emotions on people’s faces.

Differences in male and female brains

Watch a group of children as they play. You’ll probably notice that the boys and girls speak differently, and are interested in different things. When they grow into men and women, the differences do not disappear. Many scientists are now studying the origins of these gender differences. Some are searching for an explanation in the human brain. Some of their findings are interesting. For example, they’ve found that more and more men than women are left-handed; this reflects the dominance of the brain’s hemisphere. By contrast, more women listen equally with both ears while men listen mainly with the right ear. Men are better at reading a map without having to rotate it. Women are better at reading the emotions of people.

One place to look for an explanation of gender differences is in the hypothalamus, just above the brain stem. This controls anger, thirst, hunger, and sexual desire. One recent study shows that there is a region in the hypothalamus that is larger in women than it is in men. Another area of study is the corpus collosum, the thick group of nerves that allows the right and the left hemispheres of the brain to communicate with each other. The corpus collosum is larger in women than in men. This might explain the mystery of “female intuition”.

Vocabulary and comprehension check

1. Give English equivalents of the following words:

підліток, відлічитися, підтримувати, повністю, свідоцтво, продовжуватись, самосвідомість, замічати, походження, пояснення, ствол мозку, таємниця.

2. Give Russian/ Ukrainian equivalents of the following words:

claim, species, neuroscience, belief, believe, mature, adult, provide, colleague, intelligence, watch, disappear, scientist, search, anger, thirst, hunger, allow, explain, female intuition.

3. In the text given above,

A. rotate probably means _____. read; look at; understand; turn.

B. intuition is ___________. mystery; the ability to read; the power to understand without logic; female emotion.

4. Answer the questions to the text:

1. Are teenager’s brains different from adults’ brains? Why?

2. At what age does maturation stop?

3. What are the differences in men and women’s brains?

4. What is hypothalamus responsible for?

5. What explains the mystery of “female intuition”?