Scientists have known that depriving adult mice of vision can increase the sensitivity of individual neurons (神经元) in the part of the brain devoted to hearing. New research from biologists at the university of Maryland 26 that sight deprivation also changes the way brain cells 27 with one another, shifting the mice'ssensitivity to different frequencies.
“This study 28 what we are learning about how manipulating vision can have a 29 effect on theability of an animal to hear long after the window for auditory(听觉的) learning was thought to have 30 ,”said Patrick Kanold, senior author of the study.
It was once thought that the sensory regions of the brain were not 31 after a critical period in childhood. This is why children learn languages much more 32 than adults. Kanold's earlier research disproved this idea by showing that depriving adult mice of vision for a short period increased the sensitivity of individual neurons in the auditory cortex(皮质), which is devoted to hearing.
Young brains wire themselves according to the sounds they hear frequently, assigning areas of the auditory cortex to 33 frequencies based on what they are used to hearing. The researchers found that, in adult mice, a week in the dark also changed the 34 of space to different frequencies.
“We don’t know why we are seeing these patterns,” Kanold said. “We 35 that it may have to do with what the mice are paying attention to while they are in the dark.”
A) adaptable
B) closed
C) distribution
D) interact
E) narration
F) neutral
G) permanently
H) prescribes
I) readily
J) registered
K) reinforces
L) revealed
M) significant
N) specific
O) speculate
答案解析：
26. 根据上下文，"New research from biologists at the University of Maryland 26 that sight deprivation also changes..."(来自马里兰大学生物学家的新研究剥夺视觉也会改变...)。此处需要一个动词，表示研究“揭示”或“发现”了某个科学事实。所以选 L. revealed (揭示)。
27. 根据上下文，"...changes the way brain cells 27 with one another..."(改变了脑细胞之间相互的方式)。此处需要一个动词，与“with one another”搭配，表示细胞间的相互作用。所以选 D. interact (相互作用)。
28. 根据上下文，"This study 28 what we are learning about..."(这项研究了我们正在了解的知识)。后文引用了该研究团队早期的研究成果，说明这项新发现进一步“加强”或“印证”了他们已有的认知。所以选 K. reinforces (加强，巩固)。
29. 根据上下文，"...can have a 29 effect on the ability of an animal to hear..."(可以对动物的听觉能力产生的影响)。此处需要一个形容词来修饰“effect”(影响)，且这种影响在科学语境中通常是“重大的”或“显著的”。所以选 M. significant (显著的，重要的)。
30. 根据上下文，"...long after the window for auditory learning was thought to have 30..."(在听觉学习的窗口被认为已经之后很久)。此处需要一个动词，与“window”(窗口)搭配，表示这个学习的关键期已经“关闭”。所以选 B. closed (关闭)。
31. 根据上下文，"...the sensory regions of the brain were not 31 after a critical period..."(大脑的感觉区域在关键期后不再)。前文提到大脑在关键期后不再改变，而Kanold的研究推翻了这一观点，证明其仍然是“可适应的”或“可塑的”。所以选 A. adaptable (可适应的)。
32.根据上下文，"...children learn languages much more 32 than adults."(儿童学习语言比成年人得多)。此处需要一个副词来修饰动词“learn”，表示学习的“容易程度”。所以选 I. readily (容易地，迅速地)。
33. 根据上下文，"...assigning areas of the auditory cortex to 33 frequencies..."(将听觉皮层的区域分配给的频率)。此处需要一个形容词来修饰“frequencies”(频率)，指代那些“特定的”频率。所以选 N. specific (特定的)。
34.根据上下文，"...changed the 34 of space to different frequencies."(改变了空间对不同频率的)。此处需要一个名词，与“space”(空间)和“to different frequencies”(对不同频率)搭配，表示空间资源的“分配”或“分布”情况发生了变化。所以选 C. distribution (分布，分配)。
35.根据上下文，"We 35 that it may have to do with..."(我们这可能和...有关)。后文提到他们“不知道为什么”，这表明他们对此只能进行“推测”或“猜测”。所以选 O. speculate (推测，猜测)。
