1、大学英语精读详解 Unit9UNIT 9TEXTThroughout the ages different ideas have been expressed about the working of the human brain. It is only recently, however, that science has begun to give us some idea of how the brain really works.The Brain The Most PowerfulComputer in the UniverseMan still has a lot to lear
2、n about the most powerful and complex part of his body - the brain.In ancient times men did not think that the brain was the centre of mental activity. Aristotle the philosopher of ancient Greece thought that the mind was based in the heart. It was not until the 18th century that man realised that t
3、he whole of the brain was involved in the workings of the mind.During the 19th century scientists found that when certain parts of the brain were damaged men lost the ability to do certain things. And so, people thought that each part of the brain controlled a different activity. But modern research
4、 has found that this is not so. It is not easy to say exactly what each part of the brain does.In the past 50 years there has been a great increase in the amount of research being done on the brain. Chemists and biologists have found that the way the brain works is far more complicated that they had
5、 thought. In fact many people believe that we are only now really starting to learn the truth about how the human brain works. The more scientists find out, the more questions they are unable to answer. For instance, chemists have found that over 100,000 chemical reactions take place in the brain ev
6、ery second. Mathematicians who have tried to use computers to copy the way the brain works have found that even using the latest electronic equipment they would have to build a computer which weighed over 10,000 kilos. Some recent research also suggests that we remember everything that happens to us
7、. We may not be able to recall this information, but it is all stored in our brains.Scientists hope that if we can discover how the brain works, the better use we will be able to put it to. For example, how do we learn language? Man differs most from all the other animals in his ability to learn and
8、 use language but we still do not know exactly how this is dine. Some children learn to speak and read and write when they are very young compared to average children. But scientists are not sure why this happens. They are trying to find out whether there is something about the way we teach language
9、 to children which in fact prevents children from learning sooner.Earlier scientists thought that during a mans lifetime the power of his brain decreased. But it is now thought that this is not so. As long as the brain is given plenty of exercise it keeps its power. It has been found that an old per
10、son who has always been mentally active has a quicker mind than a young person who has done only physical work. It is now thought that the more work we give our brains, the more work they are able to do.Other people now believe that we use only 1% of our brains full potential. They say that the only
11、 limit on the power of the brain is the limit of what we think is possible. This is probably because of the way we are taught as children. When we first start learning to use our minds we are told what to do, for example, to remember certain facts, but we are not taught how our memory works and how
12、to make that best use of it. We are told to make noted hut we are not taught how our brains accept information and which is the best way to organise the information we want our brains to accept.This century man has made many discoveries about the universe - the world outside himself. But he has also
13、 started to look into the workings of that other universe which is inside himself - the human brain. NEW WORDScomputer n. machine that stores information and works out answers 计算机universe n. 宇宙complex a. difficult to understand or explain 错综复杂的，难懂的ancient a. in or of times long ago 古代的；古老的philosophe
14、r n. 哲学家philosophy n. 哲学involve vt. cause to become connected or concerned 使卷入working n. (usu. pl.) operation; action 运转，运行，活动ability n. 能力exactly ad. with complete connected or concerned 确切地；精确地amount n. 数量，数额chemist n. one who studies and understands chemistry 化学家biologistn. one who studies the li
15、fe of animals and plants 生物学家biology n. 生物学complicated n. difficult to understand, complex 难懂的；复杂的chemical a. of chemistryunable a. not ablereaction n. 反应mathematician n. one who studies and understands mathematics 数学家equip n. 设备，装置kilo = kilogram公斤，千克recent a. done or made not long ago 近来的recall vt
16、. remember 记得；回忆起differ vi. be different (from) mentally ad. 智力上，脑力上 physical a. of the body; of matter; of the science of physics 身体的；物质的；物理学的potential n. 潜力limit n. 局限，限度PHRASES & EXPRESSIONSput.to (good) use use (in a profitable) （好好）利用differ from be dissimilar to 与.不同 compared to / with in comparison with 与.相比make notes take notes 记笔记look into examine 调查，观察PROPER NAMESAristotle 亚里士多德Greece 希腊
