Work is often __1__ and tiring. But

Work is often __1__ and tiring. But could your job also be making you smarter? It might. New studies by neuroscientists show training in certain mental skills can build the brain’s __2__ to process information and solve problems. Experts say practicing those skills on the job may also improve your comprehensive abilities. It takes more than just sitting down at your desk, though. A person must be challenged and __3__, tacking progressively harder tasks and __4__ rewards as an incentive to keep building the brain, says Michael Merzenich, a __5__ researcher and author of Soft-Wired, a book on practical applications of brain plasticity. Researchers have been exploring how __6__ jobs affect cognitive abilities. More than a dozen studies link time spent in different __7__, from writing to teaching math to __8__ music or being an athlete, to increased density or activation of regions of the brain related to core job skills. Working hard at different skills on the job could __9__ sharpen cognitive (认知的) abilities, “it’s the right kind of job with the right kind of engagement,” says Dr. Merzenich, “The job has to matter to you. You have to be into it. And the rewards and __10__ have to be clear and valuable to you.”