不論是拼圖、謎語、數(shù)獨還是縱橫字迷，它們都各有各的樂趣。那到底是什么讓這些智力游戲趣味橫生？一個引人入勝的智力游戲有哪些特點？本期節(jié)目圍繞智力游戲的樂趣展開討論。

詞匯：puzzles 智力游戲

Throughout history, people have been attracted to puzzles, from Ancient Greek?riddles?to?brain-teasing?video games, people have tried to?solve?problems?for fun. But what is it about these?conundrums?that makes us enjoy them?

縱觀歷史，人們一直被謎題所吸引，從古希臘的謎語到益智電子游戲，人們一直試圖以解決問題為樂趣。但究竟是什么讓我們喜歡這些謎題呢?

It could be that the desire to find a?solution?is wired into us. A study has shown that when people complete?anagrams, it can stimulate the reward centre in the brain. One of the researchers behind the study, Yongtaek Oh, suggests that?problem-solving?ability provides an evolutionary advantage – it can help us survive! It's clear that this?'aha' moment?is very enjoyable, but it's not just?completing?a puzzle that people enjoy.

可能是我們天生就渴望找到解決辦法。一項研究表明，當人們完成字謎游戲時，它可以刺激大腦中的獎勵中心。這項研究的研究人員之一，Yongtaek Oh認為解決問題的能力提供了一種進化優(yōu)勢——它可以幫助我們生存!很明顯，這種“啊哈”的時刻非常有趣，但這不僅僅是人們喜歡的完成一個謎題。

David Shariatmadari highlights that solving the best puzzles requires a combination of?luck?and?skill. He points out that the?element of chance?makes it more open to a wide range of people, while the need for skill gives?players?a feeling that they are in control. This also helps to provide a balance between being something?challenging?and something?achievable. Michael Vilensky, a psychologist at Ohio State University, tells us that puzzles offer us a situation that we can control and?resolve, which can be satisfying when compared with other life challenges. Other experts, such as therapist Elizabeth Hinkel, argue that by requiring?concentration, puzzles can provide?mindful?moments away from the stresses of everyday life. Puzzles can also have a social aspect, whether that's making it easy to share your?scorecard?on social media, or the fact that people are keen to help each other find?clues?and?come up with?the?answer.

David Shariatmadari強調(diào)，解決最好的謎題需要運氣和技能的結(jié)合。他指出，機會元素讓游戲面向更廣泛的人群，而對技能的需求則讓玩家覺得自己掌握了主動權。這也有助于在具有挑戰(zhàn)性和可實現(xiàn)性之間取得平衡。俄亥俄州立大學(Ohio State University)的心理學家邁克爾·維倫斯基(Michael Vilensky)告訴我們，謎題為我們提供了一種可以控制和解決的局面，與其他生活挑戰(zhàn)相比，這是令人滿意的。其他專家，如治療師伊麗莎白·欣克爾(Elizabeth Hinkel)認為，通過要求注意力集中，益智游戲可以讓人有片刻專注的時間，遠離日常生活的壓力。謎題也具有社交元素，無論是在社交媒體上輕松分享你的記分卡，還是人們熱衷于互相幫助尋找線索并想出答案。

Puzzles and fun may even be dependent on each other, researchers at Drexel University have suggested. When looking at brain images, they found that some people preparing to do a puzzle showed activity associated with positive moods and that these people were better able to come up with solutions. They also found that subjects performed better on puzzles if they had seen a funny video beforehand.

德雷塞爾大學(Drexel University)的研究人員表示，謎題和樂趣甚至可能是相互依賴的。當觀察大腦圖像時，他們發(fā)現(xiàn)一些準備做拼圖的人表現(xiàn)出與積極情緒相關的活動，這些人更能想出解決問題的辦法。他們還發(fā)現(xiàn)，如果受試者事先看過有趣的視頻，那么他們在謎題上的表現(xiàn)會更好。

詞匯表

riddle 謎語
brain-teasing 考驗腦力的
solve 解決
problem 問題，難題
conundrum 謎語，難題
solution 解決方法，答案
anagram （游戲）同字母異序詞
problem-solving 解決問題的
'aha' moment 頓悟時刻
complete 完成（謎語），解開（謎題）
luck 運氣
skill 技能，技巧
element of chance 碰運氣的成分
player 玩家
challenging 有挑戰(zhàn)性的
achievable （謎語）可完成的，可解開的
resolve 解決
concentration 專注力，注意力集中
mindful 聚精會神的，注意的
scorecard 記分卡
clue （謎語、游戲、問題答案的）提示
come up with 想出
answer 答案，解法

測驗與練習

1.?閱讀課文并回答問題。

1. What can happen when people do anagrams?

2. What two things does David Shariatmadari say solving good puzzles requires?

3. Why does Michael Vilensky say that puzzles can be satisfying?

4. How can puzzles be social?

5. What did psychologists at Drexel University find that made completing puzzles easier?

2.?選擇意思恰當?shù)膯卧~或詞組來完成下列句子。

1. A puzzle where you have to rearrange the letters is called _______.

a conundrum???????????????? a scorecard????????????????????? an anagram????????????? a riddle

2. A _______ helps you find the answer.

solution??? ????????????????????? clue? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? problem?? ????????????????? conundrum

3. A tricky puzzle is _______.

complete??????????????????????? achievable?????????????????????? mindful? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?brain-teasing

4. It feels satisfying to _______ the answer.

complete??????????????????????? resolve???????????????????????????? answer?????????????????????? come up with

5. If a puzzle depends on your ability, it requires _______.

luck? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? concentration? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?skill???????????????????????????? chance

答案

1.?閱讀課文并回答問題。?

1. What can happen when people do anagrams?
A study suggests that it stimulates the reward centre in the brain.

2. What two things does David Shariatmadari say solving good puzzles requires?
He says that solving good puzzles requires both luck and skill.

3. Why does Michael Vilensky say that puzzles can be satisfying?
He says that puzzles can be satisfying because they offer us a situation that can be controlled and resolved.

4. How can puzzles be social?
Because results can be shared on social media and people can work together to complete them.

5. What did psychologists at Drexel University find that made completing puzzles easier?
They found that watching a funny video first helped people complete puzzles.

2.?選擇意思恰當?shù)膯卧~或詞組來完成下列句子。

1. A puzzle where you have to rearrange the letters is called?an anagram.

2. A?clue?helps you find the answer.

3. A tricky puzzle is?brain-teasing.

4. It feels satisfying to?come up with?the answer.

5. If a puzzle depends on your ability, it requires?skill.

文章來源BBC，侵權刪。