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¡¡¡¡Kate has just returned home with a bag of new books. Her brother Cliff is curious to know what she got.

¡¡¡¡Cliff: Uh-oh. Not more of those romance novels, I hope.

¡¡¡¡Kate: Oh, please. Why don't you take a look?

¡¡¡¡Cliff: What this? "Italian for Beginners"? Since when have you wanted to learn Italian?

¡¡¡¡Kate: It's for Grandpa. He said he's always wanted to learn Italian, and I figured there's no time like the present.

¡¡¡¡Cliff: Don't you think it's a little late? I mean, he's seventy years old.

¡¡¡¡Kate: You never know. Besides, it doesn't really matter if he learns it or not. The important thing is that he uses his mind. It'll help keep him sharp.

¡¡¡¡Cliff: I doubt that. Haven't you heard that brains are already hardwired1 by the time a person is five years old? It's all downhill2 from there.

¡¡¡¡Kate: They used to say that, but now they know better. It turns out your brain can keep on adapting and repairing itself all your life-if you use it, that is.

¡¡¡¡Cliff: Grandpa uses his brain. What about those quiz shows he's always watching?

¡¡¡¡Kate: Give me a break. TV puts your brainsintosneutral.3 You've got to read and learn new stuff. It wouldn't do you any harm, come to think of it.

¡¡¡¡Cliff: Very funny. But let's consider Grandpa the test case. If he can say a sentence in Italian by next week, maybe I'll crack a book4 myself.

¡¡¡¡-by Marsten Jamilian