Question

The brain is a remarkable part.It's responsible for thoughts and feelings.Now a new study finds that going through tough times as a kid also can have an impact.The adult brains of people who lived through lots of stress before the age of six—and then became depressed or anxious as teenagers—were different compared with adults who had an easier childhood.It seems that teens changed the shape of their brains by internalizing (使内在化) the stresses experienced years earlier.

Researchers already knew that the shape and size of a child's brain can change in response to lots of stress.They also knew that adults were more likely to be depressed if，as kids，they'd lived in poverty.Some studies showed that these depressed adults had unusual changes in their brain shape.But no one had tested if the early stress and later brain changes were linked.

Scientists in England studied almost 500 boys from birth until the ages of 18 to 21.Sarah Jensen is one of the new study's authors.Almost all of the boys her team studied experienced some hard times as kids.And，she concludes，“This is not necessarily harmful.”To some extent，that's just life.What can be dangerous，she says，is when children experience too many forms of difficulties.Her team's new data suggest that the tougher the childhood，the stronger the impact on the brain might be.

What's happening in the world around us relates to how we feel.Her team linked more childhood stress to more depression.Still，she notes，it's possible that if you find support for anxiety or depression，you might be able to prevent the changes seen here.“If you can change the environment，you can change the course of things，”Sarah says.So，she recommends，if teens develop anxiety or depression，it's good to ask for psychological doctors to give advice.

1.When people had a hard childhood， ．

A. they will have a brave attitude to life

B. their way of thinking may be strange

C. they will be good at dealing with stress

D. the shape of their brain may be changed

2.What is the breakthrough of the new research?

A. The size of the brain can change.

B. The brain can be influenced by stress.

C. Poverty can affect the brain's shape in future.

D. Changes in brain are connected with earlier hardship.

3.It's a problem when children ．

A. had a lonely childhood

B. led a peaceful childhood

C. got different kinds of hardship

D. experienced limited hard times

4.For teenagers with anxiety，Sarah suggests .

A. they adapt to their life

B. they seek professional help

C. they talk to friends or relatives

D. they become confident and optimistic

Answer 1