1、Unit 7 Brains,Hemispheres: Reading and Writing Course,Unit 7 Brains,Text ABrain: a Powerful Organ,Text BBrain Power: the Search for Origins,CONTENTS,LEAD-IN,Do this quiz to test your knowledge about the brain.,A,A,C,C,LEAD-IN,B,B,B,B,READING AND SPEAKING,A. Check() the best description of the writer
2、s point of view.,Skill Focus,_a. an objective point of view _b. a positive point of view _c. a negative point of view,Identifying a Writers Point of View A point of view or attitude is the position from which someone looks at something. When reading, a good reader can infer from the passage whether
3、the author is humorous, critical, objective, subjective, negative, positive, ironic, defensive, pessimistic, sentimental, etc. in his writing.,X,Keys,Article,READING AND SPEAKING,New words,Translation,Wiring the BrainResearchers at the University of Southern California are developing a computer chip
4、 for the brain. The small plastic chip will help people whose brains are damaged, for example, victims of brain disease or serious accidents. The chip will take over the work of the damaged part of the brain. For now, researchers are focusing on using the chip for the functions of just one part of t
5、he brain: the hippocampus. This is the part of the brain that helps us create long-term memories. It “codes” new experiences and then sends them to other parts of the brain to be stored. For people who are incapable of remembering things for very long, this computerized hippocampus could be very imp
6、ortant.,READING AND SPEAKING,At first, this chip sounds wonderful. But it raises serious questions. The brilliant medical journalist Bernard Frankel asks, “What if brain chips make people remember terrible things that they really want to forget? Its unclear what would happen.” Its quite possible the
7、 chip could have more negative effects than positive ones. Another issue is making sure the chips are used responsibly. Our brains control our personalities, so putting computer chips in them could be extremely dangerous. For example, what if a government or a medical company programmed the chip to
8、make people think a certain way? Theres too much potential for unethical use of the chip.,Translation,READING AND SPEAKING,“Its a scary concept,” says Padma Larkin, whose valuable new book talks about the dangers of technology and medicine. “We know that some people program computers to do awful thi
9、ngs,” says Larkin. “Look at all the viruses that destroy computers. Its impossible to know where this technology will lead.”Some scientists who support the brain chip dismiss these concerns. They say the criticism is unfair, and that the chip will only help people. But intelligent people like Padma
10、Larkin think it is unacceptable to give doctors the power of controlling our brains. There are too many questions that need to be answered. Perhaps these questions will be answered soon. But if they are, it will be by a personnot by a computer chip.,Translation,Article,数字化大脑南加利福尼亚大学的研究人员正在开发一种应用于大脑的
11、计算机芯片。这个小小的塑料芯片将用于帮助因患脑疾或遭遇过严重事故而大脑受损的人。芯片将取代大脑受损部位工作。 目前，研究人员正集中精力用芯片来执行大脑中一个特定的部位海马体的功能。帮助我们建立长期记忆的正是这个部位。它对新的经历进行“编码”，然后发送到大脑中其他部位储存起来。对那些记忆不能长久的人来说，这个计算机化的海马体也许很重要。,Article,乍听起来，这个芯片很美好，但它也提出了严肃的问题。著名的医学记者伯纳德弗兰克尔问道，“要是芯片让人们记住了一些人们特别想忘记的可怕的事情怎么办？最终会怎样，尚不清楚。”但很可能芯片带来的负面影响大于其积极作用。另一个问题是要确保正当地使用芯片。我
12、们的大脑控制着我们的个性，因此将计算机芯片植入大脑可能会相当危险。比如，如果政府或者医疗公司对芯片编程，控制人们以特定的方式思考怎么办？将芯片用于不道德目的的可能性太大了。,Article,“这个概念很可怕。”帕德马拉金说。他颇具价值的新著探讨的就是技术与医学带来的的危机。“众所周知，有人用计算机编程去做可怕的事情。”拉金说，“看看那些破坏计算机的病毒吧。我们无法知道这种技术将把我们带向何处。”一些支持大脑芯片的科学家对以上顾虑不予理会。他们说这些批评是不公正的，芯片只会给人们带来好处。但是，像帕德马拉金这样聪明的人则认为给予医生控制我们的大脑权利，这让人无法接受。需要回答的问题还有很多。也许
13、，不久这些问题就可以得到答案。但如果会有答案，也应当由人，而不是由一块计算机芯片来回答。,READING AND SPEAKING,NEW WORDS,Article,B. Read the article and check () Fact, Opinion or Not in the Reading.,Keys,READING AND SPEAKING,Not in the Fact Opinion Reading,READING AND SPEAKING,C. Discuss the following topics with your classmates.,The research
14、into computerized chips worries some experts. State their worries. Present your point of view regarding the prospect of computerized chips the text mentions.,TEXT A,TEXT A,Brain power is amazing. Our brains have made us the most influential species on Earth, but can our brains help us avoid the fate
15、 of extinction?,Brain: a Powerful Organ,大脑的力量神奇无比，它使人类成为了地球上最强大的物种，但它能帮助人类逃脱灭绝的厄运吗？,全文音频,Hearts, eyes, flippers and wings evolution has forged many remarkable body structures. But none is more amazing than the brain, that bundle of nerve cells that allows us to sense our surroundings, information, a
16、nd make decisions. Brains are not to life. Many organisms, from algae to jellyfish, get along just fine without a central information-processing center. But there is no question that a brain gives many animals an edge. For in the struggle for , brawn often gives way to a brain that can a competitor.
17、,sort out,essential,survival,outthink,TRANSLATION,TEXT A,TEXT A,Not all brains are equal, however. Some brains just a few hundred or a few thousand cells, just enough to sense changes in light or temperature, or to sniff out important smells. Others, like ours, contain billions of cells, enabling ev
18、erything from language to tool-making. 4. But simple is often more than enough to an animals survival. A flatworms basic brain, for instance, helps it sniff out earthworms, making the worm a lethal hunter, making the worm a lethal hunter. And while a honeybees brain is bigger than a flatworms, it is
19、 still not all that complex. Nonetheless, the bee is capable of amazing feats of memory.,consist of,assure,TRANSLATION,In their short two-month lives, worker bees must learn to remember where nectar-producing flowers are located the hive, and exactly what time of day they produce the sweet liquid. T
20、he memorization is aided by an amazing change in the bees brain: as it needs to retain more information, the brain grows, adding tens of thousands of cells on an as-needed basis! Once, scientists believed that such brain-changing abilities were limited to just a few animals. In recent years, however
21、, evidence has shown that many animals brains are more flexible than once thought possible. Some birds, for instance, grow new brain tissue during the breeding seasonperhaps to sing more complex songsthen lose the cells once mating is over. Other bird brains grow or shrink for .,in relation to,life-
22、or-death,migration,TRANSLATION,TEXT A,6. Researchers have even had to rethink their views of the human brain. Once, they believed that our brains grew only during childhood. It was believed that once we reached adulthood, we only lost and never gained brain cells. But surprising new studies show tha
23、t we continue to add some kinds of brain cells throughout life. And other research shows that although our brains are usually very , with particular parts responsible for certain activities, the human brain can sometimes reorganize itself. People who have lost speech or coordination due to stroke or
24、 brain injuries, for instance, can sometimes regain those abilities by “training” a new part of the brain to take over. Such findings have raised new hopes for treating serious brain injuries and birth defects.,TEXT A,specialized,TRANSLATION,Scientists, however, are still the question of why we evol
25、ved such big, complex brains. Clearly, they are a big help in outsmarting predators and finding food. But our brains may also be a product of social pressures. We expend enormous energy in forging complex social relationships and alliances, whether within a family, among neighbors, or among nations.
26、 Making these relationships work requires creative thinking, constant problem-solving, and the ability to understand how another person is thinking all tasks that some serious brain power. Over time, evolution favored those individuals with the best social and survival skills.,puzzling over,call for
27、,TRANSLATION,TEXT A,For the moment, our brains have made us the most on Earth. Our tool-making skills have allowed us to reconstruct the landscape, building cities and plowing fields where forests and grasslands once reigned. Weve figured out how to make the desert bloom, pumping water from far belo
28、w the earth to quench our thirst. And, unintentionally, we may even be altering the planets climate by burning massive quantities of coal, oil, and wood that produce carbon dioxide and other global warming gases. 9. It remains to be seen, however, whether even our brain power will help us avoid the
29、fate of so many other species in Earths history: .,TEXT A,influential,species,extinction,TRANSLATION,TEXT STRUCTURE ANALYSIS,Part Para(s) Main Idea,In recent years, evidence has shown that many animals brains are more flexible than once thought possible. (Para. )New research results have raised peop
30、les new hopes for treating serious brain damages and birth defects. (Para. ),TEXT A,Identify the paragraph from which the following information is derived.,5,READING COMPREHENSION,6,TEXT A,READING COMPREHENSION,3. Scientists are still wondering why humans have such big, complex brains. (Para. ) 4. F
31、or the time being, humans can alter some kinds of natural environments because of other tool-making skills. (Para. ) 5. A brain gives many animals an advantage, though brains are not essential to all kinds of animals. (Para. ),7,8,2,TEXT A,Which of the following corresponds to the information given
32、in the text? _,B. Choose the best answer from the four choices marked A, B, C, and D.,C,Keys,READING COMPREHENSION,Brain is not forged by evolution.Every life needs a brain.The brain often helps in struggling for survival.Brains are equal.,TEXT A,2. What does a worker bee have an amazing memory?_,RE
33、ADING COMPREHENSION,Keys,Its life is short.Its brain grows on an as-needed basis.It has tens of thousands of cells.It has the ability to collect the nectar.,B,TEXT A,3. Which of the following views on human brain was ever held by scientists? _,READING COMPREHENSION,Keys,Our brain cells grow througho
34、ut our whole lives. Our brain cells no longer grow when we become an adult. Human brain can sometimes restructure itself after adulthood. Brain injuries lead to speech or coordination loss.,B,TEXT A,4. The fundamental reason why people suffering from stroke can regain their speech ability is that_.,
35、READING COMPREHENSION,Keys,The human brain can sometimes reorganize itself B. speech training has an effect on the speech ability C. a persons brain continues to grow even after childhood D. human brain is not specialized at all,5. The writers tone in evaluating the activities of the human brain is
36、_.,A. puzzled B. optimistic C. objective D. sorrowful,A,C,According to the passage, what amazing feats do beesperform?_,TEXT A,C. Answer the following questions according to the text.,READING COMPREHENSION,2. What are the new research findings related to the human brain based on the information of p
37、aragraph 6?_,In their two-month lives, they learn to remember where nectar-producing flowers are and when they produce the nectar.,Brain cells are added throughout life. And the human brain can sometimes reorganize itself.,3. In what way does forging social relationships help improve our brain power
38、?_,TEXT A,READING COMPREHENSION,Forging social relationships requires creative thinking, constant problem-solving, and the ability to understand how another person is thinking. All these need serious brain power.,TEXT A,Vocabulary,Keys,Many verbs are formed by adding the prefix out-, which means “su
39、rpassing or exceeding”. Complete the following sentences with the verbs in the box below. Change the form if necessary.,1. Research is being committed to machines that can _ humans in an area thought to demand reasoning of the highest sort. 2. When Field had long _ his clothes, the sleeves shrunk up
40、 nearly to his elbows.,outthink,outgrown,TEXT A,Keys,emails blogs,junk mails hackers,3. Royal Jelly is the only food for the Queen Bee, and it enables her to _ worker bees thirtyfold years. 4. Among those aged 75 or more, women _ men by a ratio of nearly 2 to 1. 5. It was important for him to establ
41、ish relationships with students that will _ their period of graduate study. 6. I tried to get them to change their minds but the opponents to the proposal held all the aces and I was _ with the result of 45 to 30.,outlive,outnumber,outlast,outvoted,TEXT A,Keys,emails blogs,time-saving flexible,junk
42、mails hackers,7. Irritable and stubborn, he is a real big mouth and his words often _ his thoughts. 8. A couple of days ago, more than 20 business leaders of the Fortune 500 companies told me their business in China _ their performance in other countries last year. 9. This brings us unprecedented op
43、portunities as well as unprecedented challenges, with the former _ the latter. 10. After one year students who often play chess _ those non-playing students on reading tests.,outshone,outweighing,will outperform,outturn,CRITICAL THINKING,TEXT A,Discuss the following questions with a partner.,Achieve
44、ment vs Destruction,TEXT A,Some people say the human brain is marvelous since it has facilitated our lives from many aspects while others hold the human brain is destroying human beings with its every discovery or invention. List some examples to support their views respectively._ _,Scientists have
45、invented the computer, the microchip, mobile phones, cars, etc. All of these inventions have contributed to our better life. However, many discoveries and inventions ,if improperly used, could bring harm to us, such as excessive TV watching, traffic accidents, radiation, etc.,2. Do you think the human brain could make us survive possible disasters, such as atomic bombs or earthquakes? State your reasons._ _ _,
