The author has likened human brain to ‘plastic’ in the passage. What attribute of plastic is relevant in the given context of the passage?

Directions: Answer the given question based on the following passage:

Until quite recently, scientists told us that the brain declined with age. In fact, there has never been much real evidence for this. For a long while, intelligence quotient (IQ) tests seemed to show that younger people did better than older people, giving rise to the assumption that intelligence declined with age. It turned out that this was not so for two reasons. The first was that it was simply a matter of training: younger people had had more practice doing the kinds of mental tasks set in IQ tests than older people. As soon as older people were trained in these kinds of thinking, their performance levels shot up. The second reason was that the tests were initially done against the clock. If the time pressure was removed, the older people did just as well as their younger counterparts – and it can quite reasonably be argued that older people are slower simply because their experience means they have to sift through more possibilities to reach the right answer. Age widens the mental horizons of an individual.
Now, using techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI) scans, scientists have discovered that brain is a flexible living organism with an amazing capacity for change and development throughout an individual’s life. It is said to be ‘plastic’ – that is, it can go on programming and reprogramming itself almost limitlessly. It is evidence like this that is convincing scientists that, just like our body, our brain too needs exercise to stay fit.
The most powerful and important discovery of all is that our brain’s performance is under our control to a much greater extent than scientists ever realized before. It has become clear that the future of the brain is primarily in the hands of its owner, or rather, his own thoughts! The extent to which one keeps challenging one’s brain and maintains his thirst for learning has the greatest influence on how well the brain will keep on performing for him.
There is a theory on age-proofing of brain. It combines theory and practice into a training programme that helps make the most of the amazing brain, no matter what the age of the individual. One learns about different aspects of brain fitness, from mental agility and memory to physical exercise and diet. The more one learns about one’s brain and how it works, the more one is able to make use of its remarkable abilities. Even better, the very act of learning about one’s brain and thinking about how it works is a stimulus as valuable to one’s brain as good food is to one’s body. There is a whole range of techniques and tips that can help an individual in his brain-training programme and kick start him into action.
The programme is divided into sessions of varying intensity and duration. It begins with a 7-Day Get Sharp Plan, which will take just an hour for seven days. At the end of the seven days one will be noticeably sharper and mentally more agile.
The second part of the programme starts with a 7-Week Stay Sharp Plan for which one has to set aside time one day a week for seven weeks. At the end of this, one would feel mentally as slick as one was, say, 10 years ago, if not more. The final part of the programme is about maintaining and building on the progress already made. By the time one reaches the end of the programme, it can be seen that his mental abilities are developing beyond anything achieved before. Even better, because the brain is working well now, the overall quality of life will have improved making one happier, more confident, and more adventurous with renewed lust for life. (Sourced from Age-Proof Your Brain—Tony Buzan)

Question

Multiple choice

The author has likened human brain to ‘plastic’ in the passage. What attribute of plastic is relevant in the given context of the passage?

Directions: Answer the given question based on the following passage:

Until quite recently, scientists told us that the brain declined with age. In fact, there has never been much real evidence for this. For a long while, intelligence quotient (IQ) tests seemed to show that younger people did better than older people, giving rise to the assumption that intelligence declined with age. It turned out that this was not so for two reasons. The first was that it was simply a matter of training: younger people had had more practice doing the kinds of mental tasks set in IQ tests than older people. As soon as older people were trained in these kinds of thinking, their performance levels shot up. The second reason was that the tests were initially done against the clock. If the time pressure was removed, the older people did just as well as their younger counterparts – and it can quite reasonably be argued that older people are slower simply because their experience means they have to sift through more possibilities to reach the right answer. Age widens the mental horizons of an individual.
Now, using techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI) scans, scientists have discovered that brain is a flexible living organism with an amazing capacity for change and development throughout an individual’s life. It is said to be ‘plastic’ – that is, it can go on programming and reprogramming itself almost limitlessly. It is evidence like this that is convincing scientists that, just like our body, our brain too needs exercise to stay fit.
The most powerful and important discovery of all is that our brain’s performance is under our control to a much greater extent than scientists ever realized before. It has become clear that the future of the brain is primarily in the hands of its owner, or rather, his own thoughts! The extent to which one keeps challenging one’s brain and maintains his thirst for learning has the greatest influence on how well the brain will keep on performing for him.
There is a theory on age-proofing of brain. It combines theory and practice into a training programme that helps make the most of the amazing brain, no matter what the age of the individual. One learns about different aspects of brain fitness, from mental agility and memory to physical exercise and diet. The more one learns about one’s brain and how it works, the more one is able to make use of its remarkable abilities. Even better, the very act of learning about one’s brain and thinking about how it works is a stimulus as valuable to one’s brain as good food is to one’s body. There is a whole range of techniques and tips that can help an individual in his brain-training programme and kick start him into action.
The programme is divided into sessions of varying intensity and duration. It begins with a 7-Day Get Sharp Plan, which will take just an hour for seven days. At the end of the seven days one will be noticeably sharper and mentally more agile.
The second part of the programme starts with a 7-Week Stay Sharp Plan for which one has to set aside time one day a week for seven weeks. At the end of this, one would feel mentally as slick as one was, say, 10 years ago, if not more. The final part of the programme is about maintaining and building on the progress already made. By the time one reaches the end of the programme, it can be seen that his mental abilities are developing beyond anything achieved before. Even better, because the brain is working well now, the overall quality of life will have improved making one happier, more confident, and more adventurous with renewed lust for life. (Sourced from Age-Proof Your Brain—Tony Buzan)

Its quality of being flexible to adapt to any kind of change.
Its ability of being programmed and reprogrammed limitlessly.
Brain’s amazing capacity for change and development throughout an individual’s life.
None of these

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself

Accepted Answer

All of the above except option 4

Keep practicing — related questions