Tarzan: Hey, Jane! Look what I’ve got for Christmas! A new GPS cell phone! That way I won’t get lost in the jungle anymore! And you can call me anytime when dinner is ready. Isn’t it great?
Jane: I am afraid it’s not that great, dear. A new research shows that these satellite navigation systems can stunt your brain and prevent it from developing. You just learned to use language properly, right? I definitely don’t want to go back to the “Me Tarzan, you Jane” kind of life again. So throw it away right NOW!
Tarzan: Wait a minute. What’s the search about?
Jane: It’s a RESEARCH, OK? Scientists compared the brains of taxi drivers with those of bus drivers. They found that taxi drivers had more gray matter in the brain area associated with memory.
Tarzan: How come? They are all drivers, aren’t they?
Jane: Bus drivers stick to routes, while taxi drivers have to store a mental map of the entire city they live in. In a word, taxi drivers use their brains more, so their brains keep growing. And if you use that new GPS device, God knows how your fragile language ability may regress.
Tarzan: Oh no! I will give this cell phone to Chimp. He is just too smart, and he even plays tricks on me. That’s all-rages!
Jane: I guess you mean OUTRAGEOUS. And, my dear, giving Chimp the phone doesn’t make you any smarter. You must try something else.
Tarzan: Like what?
Jane: Like… like reading classical literature… reading Shakespeare!
Tarzan: Urr… what is this … um… Shakes Spear? A hunter or a warrior?
Jane: No, he is a great writer. Another research shows that reading Shakespeare can spark more brain activity than reading other kinds of pedestrian writing.
Tarzan: Pedestrian writing? They shouldn’t do that, I’ll say. Writing while walking is too dangerous. I always focus on my hands and the vines when I am swinging!
Jane: My gosh! Dear, you really need to read some Shakespeare and stop being mentally challenged.
Tarzan: Darling, you know I am always willing to face all kinds of challenges. Yet where can I find some Shakespeare’s stuff to read? And how can I understand his work?
Jane: You may go online. The NTU library has an online introductory course to Shakespeare. You can hear recitations of his love sonnets and watch video clips of his major plays.
Tarzan: What do you mean by going “online”? I think I am already “on line” all the time, swinging, you see?
Jane: No dear, you are only on “vine.” Well, forget it. Just use your GPS happily, and I will call you when dinner’s ready….
Tarzan: Hurray! "OOOOHHH-EEE-OOH-EEE-OOOOHHH" (Tarzan Yell)
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