Reading: Gap Fill - 2023 tavaszi

A child's body goes through physical changes that are obvious to all parents. Less obvious are the vital changes taking place in a child's brain, particularly as (0) _________ . Teenagers confront challenges, stresses, and temptations with their brains not yet fully developed. It's not just that teenagers (7) _________ to acquire a wide sense of the world; quite simply, their brains just haven't physically matured yet. Dealing with pressure and stress is no small challenge for a fully mature brain, and it's even harder for one that's (8) _________ and in transition from concrete to abstract thinking. Not only that, but brain scans done on teenagers revealed that different parts of the brain mature at different rates. "In fact, some parts of the brain — such as the prefrontal cortex (PFC), which sits right behind the eyes — (9) _________ until 24 years old! Other parts of the brain, however, develop to be fully mature much earlier. Many neuroscientists think that this (10) _________ explains why adolescents are so emotional and impulsive," says Andrew Garner, member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee. "The PFC plays an important role in regulating mood, attention, impulse control, and the ability to think abstractly — which includes the ability both (11) _________ and to see the consequences of one's actions," says Dr. Garner. If you (12) _________ whether it is a good idea to get into a car with friends who are drunk, most will say 'no way.' This is because in calmer moments, the relatively slow PFC is able to think abstractly and see the potentially tragic consequences of (13) _________ . But, in the heat of the moment, thanks to the brain not being fully developed, there is a chance that the teen is going to (14) _________ . That is why, suggests Dr. Garner, it is the job of parents and teachers to get teenagers to slow down and (15) _________ – and wait for the rest of their brains to develop.