大学英语考试精读：第一册(UNIT9)

千里之行，始于足下让知识带有温度。第第2页/共2页精品文档推荐大学英语考试精读：第一册(UNIT9)洛基英语，中国在线英语教导领导品牌

Throughouttheagesdifferentideashavebeenexpressedabouttheworkingofthehumanbrain.Itisonlyrecently,however,thatsciencehasbeguntogiveussomeideaofhowthebrainreallyworks.

TheBrain

TheMostPowerfulComputerintheUniverse

Manstillhasalottolearnaboutthemostpowerfulandcomplexpartofhisbody——thebrain.

Inancienttimesmendidnotthinkthatthebrainwasthecentreofmentalactivity.AristotlethephilosopherofancientGreecethoughtthatthemindwasbasedintheheart.Itwasnotuntilthe18thcenturythatmanrealisedthatthewholeofthebrainwasinvolvedintheworkingsofthemind.

Duringthe19thcenturyscientistsfoundthatwhencertainpartsofthebrainweredamagedmenlosttheabilitytodocertainthings.Andso,peoplethoughtthateachpartofthebraincontrolledadifferentactivity.Butmodernresearchhasfoundthatthisisnotso.Itisnoteasytosayexactlywhateachpartofthebraindoes.

Inthepast50yearstherehasbeenagreatincreaseintheamountofresearchbeingdoneonthebrain.Chemistsandbiologistshavefoundthatthewaythebrainworksisfarmorecomplicatedthattheyhadthought.Infactmanypeoplebelievethatweareonlynowreallystartingtolearnthetruthabouthowthehumanbrainworks.Themorescientistsfindout,themorequestionstheyareunabletoanswer.Forinstance,chemistshavefoundthatover100,000chemicalreactionstakeplaceinthebraineverysecond.Mathematicianswhohavetriedtousecomputerstocopythewaythebrainworkshavefoundthatevenusingthelatestelectronicequipmenttheywouldhavetobuildacomputerwhichweighedover10,000kilos.Somerecentresearchalsosuggeststhatweremembereverythingthathappenstous.Wemaynotbeabletorecallthisinformation,butitisallstoredinourbrains.

Scientistshopethatifwecandiscoverhowthebrainworks,thebetterusewewillbeabletoputitto.Forexample,howdowelearnlanguage?Mandiffersmostfromalltheotheranimalsinhisabilitytolearnanduselanguagebutwestilldonotknowexactlyhowthisisdine.Somechildrenlearntospeakandreadandwritewhentheyareveryyoungcomparedtoaveragechildren.Butscientistsarenotsurewhythishappens.Theyaretryingtofindoutwhetherthereissomethingaboutthewayweteachlanguagetochildrenwhichinfactpreventschildrenfromlearningsooner.

Earlierscientiststhoughtthatduringaman'slifetimethepowerofhisbraindecreased.Butitisnowthoughtthatthisisnotso.Aslongasthebrainisgivenplentyofexerciseitkeepsitspower.Ithasbeenfoundthatanoldpersonwhohasalwaysbeenmentallyactivehasaquickermindthanayoungpersonwhohasdoneonlyphysicalwork.Itisnowthoughtthatthemoreworkwegiveourbrains,themoreworktheyareabletodo.

Otherpeoplenowbelievethatweuseonly1%ofourbrains'fullpotential.Theysaythattheonlylimitonthepowerofthebrainisthelimitofwhatwethinkispossible.Thisisprobablybecauseofthewaywearetaughtaschildren.Whenwefirststartlearningtouseourmindswearetoldwhattodo,forexample,toremembercertainfacts,butwearenottaughthowourmemoryworksandhowtomakethatbestuseofit.Wearetoldtomakenotedhutwearenottaughthowourbrainsacceptinformationandwhichisthebestwaytoorganisetheinformationwewantourbrainstoaccept.

Thiscenturymanhasmademanydiscoveriesabouttheuniverse——theworldoutsidehimself.Buthehasalsostartedtolookintotheworkingsofthatotheruniversewhichisinsidehimself——thehumanbrain.

NEWWORDS

computer

n.machinethatstoresinformationandworksoutanswers计算机

universe

n.宇宙

complex

a.difficulttounderstandorexplain错综复杂的，难懂的

ancient

a.inoroftimeslongago古代的；古老的

philosopher

n.哲学家

philosophy

n.哲学

involve

vt.causetobecomeconnectedorconcerned使卷入

working

n.（usu.pl.）operation;action运转，运行，活动

ability

n.能力

exactly

ad.withcompleteconnectedorconcerned确切地；精确地

amount

n.数量，数额

chemist

n.onewhostudiesandunderstandschemistry化学家

biologist

n.onewhostudiesthelifeofanimalsandplants生物学家

biology

n.生物学

complicated

n.difficulttounderstand,complex难懂的；复杂的

chemical

a.ofchemistry

unable

a.notable

reaction

n.反应

mathematician

n.onewhostudiesandunderstandsmathematics数学家

equip

n.设备，装置

kilo=kilogram

公斤，千克

recent

a.doneormadenotlongago近来的

recall

vt.remember记得；回忆起

differ

vi.bedifferent（from）

mentally

ad.智力上，脑力上

physical

a.ofthebody;ofmatter;ofthescienceofphysics身体的；物质的；物理学的potential

n.潜力

limit

n.局限，限度

PHRASES&EXPRESSIONS

put……to（good）use

use（inaprofitable）（好好）利用

differfrom

bedissimilarto与……不同

comparedto/with

incompari