Don’t feel guilty about the breaks you’ve been sneaking at work―they could be helping you learn.
Neuroscientists at MIT find that rats take a similar pause after exploring an unfamiliar maze. During that break, the
animals’ brains repeatedly review a backward version of the route they just took, most likely cementing memories of
the steps needed to reach the goal.
David Foster and his team zero in on this process by placing tiny wires into the rats’ brains. The neurons that light
up during the experiments lie in a region known to form short-term memories. But as those cells play the memory
again and again―10 times faster than the original experience―the rest of the brain has lots of opportunities to absorb
the information and to place it into long-term storage. This implies that it’s not just during an experience that learning
occurs. The period after the experience is just as important, maybe more important. The results may explain previous
studies showing that people and animals learn best when given breaks between tasks―and provide a persuasive new
justification for office daydreaming. 【題組】
21 What is this passage mainly about?
(A) Rats and their amazing intelligence. (B) Memories that are repeatedly rehearsed.
(C) The benefits of taking rests at work. (D) Learning while performing the tasks.
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