Unit Nine

　

　

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Throughout the ages different ideas have been ex-
pressed about the workings 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 POWERFUL COMPUTER IN THE UNIVERSE


　

Man still has a lot to learn about the most powerful and complex part of
his body -- the brain.
　

In ancient times men did not think that the brain as 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 l8th century that man re-
alised that the 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, peo-
ple thought that each part of the brain controlled a different activity . But
modern research 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 than they had thought In
fact many people believe that we are only now really starting to learn the
truth about how the human b rain 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 every
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 hap-
pens to us. 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 use
language but we still do not know exactly how this is done .Some children
learn to speak and read and write when they are very young compared to av-
erage children. But scientists are not sure why this happens. They are try-
ing to find out whether there is something about the way we teach language
to children which in fact prevents children from learning sooner.


Earlier scientists thought that during a man's 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 person 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 po-
tential. They say that the only 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 to make the best use of it. We are
told to make notes but 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 started to look into the workings of
50 that other universe which is inside himself - the human brain.

　

　

　

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New Words

　

computer 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

philosopher 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 correctness 确切地；精确地

exact a.

amount n.
数量，数额

chemist n.
one who studies and understands chemistry 化学家

biologist n.
one who studies the life of animals and plants 生


物学家

biology n.
生物学

complicated a.
difficult to understand, complex 难懂的；复杂的

chemical a.
of chemistry

unable a.
not able

reaction n.
反应

mathematician n.
one who studies and understands mathematics


数学家

equipment n.
设备，装置

equip vt.

kilo = kilogram
公斤，千克

recent a.
done or made not long ago 近来的

recall vt.
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；物理的

potential n.
潜力

limit n.
局限，限度




　
Phrases & Expressions
　
put ... to (good)
use (in a profitable way)(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 Names
　

Aristotle
亚里士多德

Greece
希腊