Here is why jigsaw puzzles are good for brain

江西贛州三中 賴麗霞

題材拼圖 說明文體裁 篇幅 建議用時363詞 7分鐘

難詞探意

1.whim /w?m/ n.一時的興致；突發的奇想

2.soothing /'su?e??/ adj.撫慰的；使人寬心的

3.meditate /'med?te?t/ v.沉思；冥想

4.boast /b??st/ v.有

5.induct /?n'd?kt/ v.使正式就職；正式吸收（為成員）

While out shopping for Christmas presents in 2018, I bought myself a jigsaw puzzle on awhim.It was an unusual buy, one that I now recognize as an attempt at dealing with that particular stress many of us experience during the holidays.

As soon as I started on my puzzle, I knew I'd found exactly what Iwas looking for.Instead of my usual late-night screen time, I was sorting its 1,000 pieces well into the short hours.I finished it in just a few days.I felt possessed by thesoothing, methodical action, almost like I'd spent hoursmeditating.

Susan Vandermorris is a clinical neuropsychologist at Toronto's Baycrest Health Sciences, a global leader in brain health and aging research.She believes that any type of puzzle is good for the brain and points to the stress-relieving benefits of jigsaws, in particular.“If you're doing a puzzle, you are disconnected and engaged in a task that's immersive, away from the interruptions and stresses of day-to-day life,” she explained.Vandermorris believes that doing puzzles with othersboastseven more health benefits than doing them on your own,adding that it provides a rare opportunity for intergenerational engagement.“Get the teenagers off their smartphones and working on a puzzle with grandma, and suddenly you've got a really nice family interaction that seems to be harder and harder to come by these days,” she added.

Interaction was certainly hard to come by for Jack Brait.The 23-year-old from Marshfield, Massachusetts, has autism and first took to puzzles as a kid because they gave him a break from the demands of socializing.As Jack grew, so did his puzzling talent—and its benefits.In 2014, while still in high school, he completed a 32,256-piece puzzle (then the largest in the world) and was inducted into the Ravensburger Largest Puzzle Hall of Fame.Three years later, he completed 40,320 pieces.Last year, he finished 52,110 pieces.

Jack completed these puzzles by himself.His oversized works attract attention, and he is more than willing to share the spotlight.“When I completed my first giant puzzle, I invited friends and family,” he said.

Reading Check

1.What did the author probably do at night before buying jigsaw puzzles?

A.Meditated. B.Researched.

C.Shopped online. D.Played on the mobile phone.

2.Why is Susan Vandermorris mentioned in the text?

A.To introduce her researches.

B.To prove the benefits of jigsaw puzzles.

C.To explain the relationship between brain health and aging.

D.To give teenagers suggestions about how to use smartphones.

3.Which of the following may Susan Vandermorris agree with?

A.Brain health is very important to teenagers.

B.Teenagers working on jigsaw puzzles are smarter.

C.Doing puzzles with others is more beneficial.

D.Interaction between family members seems meaningless.

4.Why did Jack do puzzles when he was a kid?

A.To avoid socializing. B.To realize his dream.

C.To kill his spare time. D.To develop his interest.

Language Study

Sentence for writing

As soon as I started on my puzzle, I knew I'd found exactly what I was looking for.當我開始拼圖的時候，我知道我已經找到了我要找的東西。

【信息提取】as soon as...意為“一……就……”。

【句式仿寫】我們剛進屋，大雨便傾盆而下。