Hemispheres: Reading and Writing Course Unit 7 Brains

Brain: a Powerful Organ Brain Power: the Search for Origins Unit 7 Brains Text A Brain: a Powerful Organ Text B Brain Power: the Search for Origins

CONTENTS LEAD-IN READING AND SPEAKING TEXT A TEXT B LANGUAGE ENHANCEMENT Writing FUN TIME

LEAD-IN A A C C Do this quiz to test your knowledge about the brain. Items A B C (1) What is the most complex organ in the body?_____ Brain Heart Eyes (2) What percentage of the oxygen you take in is used by your brain?____ 20% 5% 50% (3) How long are blood vessels in the brain? _____ 10 miles 1,000 miles 100,000 miles (4) How many neurons does an average brain have? _____ 100 million one million A A C C

LEAD-IN Items A B C (5) How much of a person’s blood supply does an average brain use? _____ 5% 20% 50% (6) What animal has the largest brain in relation to body size? ___ An elephant A human A cat (7) The number of neurons in the brain is set by early childhood, and declines throughout life. ____ True False _____ (8) Albert Einstein’s brain was _____ the average human brain. larger than about the same as smaller than B B B B

READING AND SPEAKING Skill Focus A. Check(√) the best description of the writer’s point of view. __________a. an objective point of view __________b. a positive point of view __________c. a negative point of view Identifying a Writer’s 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 the author is humorous, critical, objective, subjective, negative, positive, ironic, defensive, pessimistic, sentimental, etc. in his writing. X √ Keys Article

READING AND SPEAKING Wiring the Brain Researchers at the University of Southern California are developing a computer chip 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 the 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 important. Translation New words

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? It’s unclear what would happen.” It’s quite possible the 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 make people think a certain way? There’s too much potential for unethical use of the chip. Translation

READING AND SPEAKING “It’s 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 things,” says Larkin. “Look at all the viruses that destroy computers. It’s 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 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 person—not by a computer chip. Translation

READING AND SPEAKING √ √ √ √ √ √ Keys B. Read the article and check (√) Fact, Opinion or Not in the Reading. Not in the Fact Opinion Reading For now, scientists are using the chip just to replace the hippocampus. 2. Bernard Frankel wants scientists to study the brains of other animals. 3. Putting these chips in people’s brains could be very dangerous. 4. Padma Larkin wrote a new book about the dangers of technology and medicine. 5. Computer chips in brains will only help people. 6. There’s too much potential for unethical use of the chip. √ √ √ √ √ √

READING AND SPEAKING C. Discuss the following topics with your classmates. The research into computerized chips worries some experts. State their worries. Present your point of view regarding the prospect of computerized chips the text mentions.

TEXT STRUCTURE ANALYSIS READING COMPREHENSION TEXT A ARTICLE TRANSLATION TEXT STRUCTURE ANALYSIS READING COMPREHENSION

Brain: a Powerful Organ TEXT A Brain: a Powerful Organ 全文音频 Brain power is amazing. Our brains have made us the most influential species on Earth, but can our brains help us avoid the fate of extinction? 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？

TEXT A TRANSLATION 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, and 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. sort out essential survival outthink

TEXT A Not all brains are equal, however. Some brains TRANSLATION 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 everything from language to tool-making. 4. But simple is often more than enough to an animal’s survival. A flatworm’s basic brain, for instance, helps it sniff out earthworms, making the worm a lethal hunter, making the worm a lethal hunter. And while a honeybee’s brain is bigger than a flatworm’s, it is still not all that complex. Nonetheless, the bee is capable of amazing feats of memory. consist of assure

TEXT A in relation to migration 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. The memorization is aided by an amazing change in the bee’s 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, 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 season—perhaps to sing more complex songs—then lose the cells once mating is over. Other bird brains grow or shrink for . in relation to life-or-death migration

TEXT A TRANSLATION 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 that 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 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. specialized

TEXT A puzzling over call for TRANSLATION puzzling over Scientists, however, are still the question of why we evolved 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. 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. call for

TEXT A For the moment, our brains have made us the most TRANSLATION 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. We’ve figured out how to make the desert bloom, pumping water from far below the earth to quench our thirst. And, unintentionally, we may even be altering the planet’s 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 fate of so many other species in Earth’s history: . influential species extinction

TEXT STRUCTURE ANALYSIS One 1-5 Brains help animals survive and live better. Two 6 Researchers rethink their views of human brain. Three 7 People with best social and survival skills have evolved better. Four 8-9 Our brain has made us the most influential species on Earth; but whether it will help us avoid extinction remains to be see. Part Para(s) Main Idea

TEXT A READING COMPREHENSION Identify the paragraph from which the following information is derived. In recent years, evidence has shown that many animals’ brains are more flexible than once thought possible. (Para. ) New research results have raised people’s new hopes for treating serious brain damages and birth defects. (Para. ) 5 6

TEXT A READING COMPREHENSION 3. Scientists are still wondering why humans have such big, complex brains. (Para. ) 4. For 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 READING COMPREHENSION B. Choose the best answer from the four choices marked A, B, C, and D. Which of the following corresponds to the information given in the text? _______ C Brain is not forged by evolution. Every life needs a brain. The brain often helps in struggling for survival. Brains are equal. Keys

TEXT A 2. What does a worker bee have an amazing memory?_______ B READING COMPREHENSION 2. What does a worker bee have an amazing memory?_______ B 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. Keys

TEXT A READING COMPREHENSION 3. Which of the following views on human brain was ever held by scientists? _________ B Our brain cells grow throughout 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. Keys

TEXT A READING COMPREHENSION 4. The fundamental reason why people suffering from stroke can regain their speech ability is that_____. A The human brain can sometimes reorganize itself B. speech training has an effect on the speech ability C. a person’s brain continues to grow even after childhood D. human brain is not specialized at all 5. The writer’s tone in evaluating the activities of the human brain is ________. C A. puzzled B. optimistic C. objective D. sorrowful Keys

TEXT A C. Answer the following questions according to the text. READING COMPREHENSION C. Answer the following questions according to the text. According to the passage, what amazing feats do bees perform? _______________________________________________ _________________________ In their two-month lives, they learn to remember where nectar-producing flowers are and when they produce the nectar. 2. What are the new research findings related to the human brain based on the information of paragraph 6? _______________________________________________ Brain cells are added throughout life. And the human brain can sometimes reorganize itself.

TEXT A 3. In what way does forging social relationships help READING COMPREHENSION 3. In what way does forging social relationships help improve our brain power? ______________________________________________ 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 Keys Vocabulary Many verbs are formed by adding the prefix out-, which means “surpassing or exceeding”. Complete the following sentences with the verbs in the box below. Change the form if necessary. outlast outthink outperform outgrow outshine outlive outweigh outnumber outvote outturn 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 nearly to his elbows. outthink outgrown

TEXT A Keys outlast outthink outperform outgrow outshine outlive outweigh outnumber outvote outturn 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 establish 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 emails blogs outlast junk mails hackers outvoted

TEXT A Keys outlast outthink outperform outgrow outshine outlive outweigh outnumber outvote outturn 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 opportunities 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. outturn emails blogs outshone outweighing will outperform junk mails hackers time-saving flexible

TEXT A Discuss the following questions with a partner. CRITICAL THINKING Discuss the following questions with a partner. Achievement 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 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.

TEXT A 2. Do you think the human brain could make us survive possible disasters, such as atomic bombs or earthquakes? State your reasons. ________________________________________________________________________ I hold that the human brain could help us survive the future possible disasters. Human brain makes us the master of the world and our nature although we may harm the world unintentionally. Fortunately, we can identify our own problems and remedy them in an active manner. Meanwhile humans are trying to understand the mystery of nature, for example, how to predict earthquakes. As long as we keep exploring nature, we can live in peace with nature and shun disasters.

TEXT STRUCTURE ANALYSIS READING COMPREHENSION TEXT B BACKGROUND INFORMATION ARTICLE TRANSLATION TEXT STRUCTURE ANALYSIS READING COMPREHENSION

TEXT B The Holocaust Background Information The Holocaust was the systematic, bureaucratic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of approximately six million Jews by the Nazi regime and its collaborators. “Holocaust” is a word of Greek origin meaning “sacrifice by fire”. The Nazis, who came to power in Germany in January 1933, believed that Germans were “racially superior” and that the Jews, deemed “inferior”, were an alien threat to the so-called German racial community. During the era of the Holocaust, German authorities also targeted other groups because of their perceived “racial inferiority”: Roma (Gypsies), the disabled, and some of the Slavic peoples (Poles, Russians, and others). Other groups were persecuted on political, ideological, and behavioral grounds, among them Communists, Socialists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and homosexuals.

TEXT B cultural relativism Cultural relativism is the principle that an individual human’s beliefs and activities should be understood in terms of his or her own culture. This principle was established as axiomatic in anthropological research by Franz Boas in the first few decades of the 20th century and later popularized by students. Boas first articulated the idea in 1887: “... civilization is not something absolute, but ... is relative, and ... our ideas and conceptions are true only so far as our civilization goes”, but did not actually coin the term “cultural relativism”. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the term was first used by Alain Locke in 1924 to describe Robert Lowie’s “extreme cultural relativism”, found in the latter’s 1917 book Culture and Ethnology. The term became common among anthropologists after Boas’ death in 1942, to express their synthesis of a number of ideas Boas had developed. Cultural relativism involves specific epistemological and methodological claims. Whether or not these claims necessitate a specific ethical stance is a matter of debate. This principle should not be confused with moral relativism.

Brain Power: the Search for Origins TEXT B 全文音频 Brain Power: the Search for Origins Where does brain power come from? Is it the product of genes? Not really. Scientists have found both nature and nurture play a role in shaping brain power. 智力从何而来？是基因的产物吗？不完全如此。科学家发现在智力形成过程中，先天与后天都起着重要作用。

TEXT B TRANSLATION Neuroscientists have found an solution to a classic problem: which is more important in shaping the human brain, nature or nurture? Their answer is complex. The brain is not primarily the product of genes, they say, but neither is it simply the sum of one’s experiences. Rather, they say, each human brain is of complex neural circuits that start before birth and continue to grow and change throughout life as genes and cells are influenced by environment, experience and culture. evocative constructed taking shape

TEXT B TRANSLATION There is a widespread agreement that genes and environment in brain development, said Dr. Terrence J. Sejnowski, a neuroscientist at the Salk Institute in San Diego, and a leading proponent of the new synthesis. The new idea, he said, is that human cultures, which teach children what to believe and what to expect in life, interact with genes to the highly social human brain. interact assemble

TEXT B TRANSLATION 4. Though everyone’s brain begins with “a basic scaffold of connectivity that is formed according to genetic blueprints,” said Dr. Carla Shatz, a neurobiologist at Harvard Medical School, “a baby’s brain is not a miniature of the adult’s, but rather is a dynamically changing structure.” Experience alters brain structure, chemistry and gene expression, she said.

TEXT B TRANSLATION In short, the theory’s say, while the brain directs people’s activities in everyday life, the activities themselves shape the brain throughout life. “The attempt to separate genes and environment is a mistake,” said Dr. Steven R. Quartz, a scientist at the California Institute of Technology. “What makes us who we are is the complex interaction of early experiences, parenting, birth order, friends, and genes. advocates

TEXT B TRANSLATION Scientists and philosophers have argued about the role of culture in shaping the brain for millenniums. Plato and Aristotle argued over whether human traits like virtue were inborn or learned. Darwin’s ideas led many scholars to declare that human traits were inborn, with each group at a different level of evolution, a view that culminated in the Holocaust. On the contrary, cultural relativism saw the newborn brain as a blank slate that evolution had no part in. Culture functions to increase human knowledge and aid in survival and success. racial

TEXT B TRANSLATION 8. A new battle over human nature began in the 1970’s, when Dr. Edward O. Wilson argued that the human mind is shaped as much by genetic inheritance as it is by culture (if not more). There are limits on just how much influence social and environmental factors can have in altering human behavior. Many psychologists adopted this argument, using it to explain everything from sexual differences in dating behavior to the appeal of potato chips. 9. Some other psychologists say it is time to look more closely at the evidence for Dr. Wilson’s position.

TEXT B TRANSLATION 10. “It’s true you can’t separate the question of who we are from the world our ancestors passed through on their way to becoming us,” Dr. Sejnowski said. But that evolution did not occur in a relatively stable environment, he said, but rather during a period of unusual, extreme and rapid change in climate. If the brain evolved any trait during that period, he declared, it was . flexibility

TEXT B 11. While it is true that different brain regions tend to TRANSLATION 11. While it is true that different brain regions tend to different functions, like language or face recognition, Dr. Sejnowski said, these areas are very changeable. 12. Humans are born with temperaments arising from genetic in brain chemicals, Dr. Quartz said. These differences may lead one baby to avoid novelty and another to seek it. But the experiences help construct the growing brain. specialize in variations

TEXT B TRANSLATION 13. Humans a very large prefrontal cortex, a brain region involved in planning that an ancient system for predicting what is rewarding and making decisions to rewards and avoid punishments. 14. Neuroscientists are finding that this circuit, which fully in late adolescence, is an internal guidance system that fills each person’s world with values, meaning and emotional tone, taking shape according to a person’s culture. 15. In other words, culture the brain’s contents but to its wiring as well, Dr. Quartz said. are also born with taps into maximize matures contributes not just to

TEXT STRUCTURE ANALYSIS Part Para(s) Main Idea One 1-6 Genes and environment interact in brain development. Two 7-8 Views about the role of culture in shaping brain. Three 9-15 Culture contributes not just to the brain’s contents but to its wiring.

TEXT B READING COMPREHENSION Answer the following questions with the information from the text. What is the universal view concerning the roles of genes and environment in brain development? _______________________________________________ ________________________________________________ 2. What’s the relationship between the human brain and people’s activities? _______________________________________________ Genes and environment interact in brain development. The brain directs people’s activities in everyday life and the activities themselves shape the brain throughout life.

TEXT B 3. What have scientists and philosophers debated over for READING COMPREHENSION 3. What have scientists and philosophers debated over for thousands of years? _______________________________________________ 4. What role does the prefrontal cortex play under the influence of one’s culture? 5. What roles do human cultures play in shaping human brain? They argued about the role of culture in shaping the brain. Prefrontal cortex, which fully matures in late adolescence, fills each person’s world with values, meaning and emotional tone. Culture contributes not only to the brain’s contents but also to its wiring.

TEXT B B. Complete the following paragraph with words in the box below. There are more words than needed. interact dynamical with evolutionary wiring minimize changeable blueprint novelty specialize internal flexibility variation mature in Which one plays a more important role in developing the human brain: nature or nurture? A solution has been found that genes _________with environment in brain development. Dr. Shatz pointed out that a baby’ brain is ___________ changing with more life experience gained, even though its brain grows according to genetic blueprints. Dr. Sejnowski holds the idea that it is true that we can’t separate ourselves from our ancestors, but such evolution did not occur in the relatively stable environment, but rather during a period of extreme and unusual climate change. interact dynamically

TEXT B interact dynamical with evolutionary wiring minimize changeable blueprint novelty specialize internal flexibility variation mature in This evolutionary process, however, added the trait of __________ to the brain. Though different brain areas ___________ in different tasks, these regions are quite _____________. Humans have different inborn temperaments arising from genetic _________ in brain chemicals; these differences may make one baby avoid __________ and another seek it. But life experiences that are helpful construct the growing brain. Humans are also born with a brain region which is involved ____ planning to maximize rewards and avoid punishments. flexibility specialize changeable variations novelty in

TEXT B interact dynamical with evolutionary wiring minimize changeable blueprint novelty specialize internal flexibility variation mature in Scientists are finding that this region is an ___________ guidance system that fills each person’s world with values, meaning and emotional tone, taking shape according to a person’s culture. All these point to one fact that brain power is influenced by environment and culture. In a word, culture makes a contribution not only to the brain’s contents but to its ____________. internal wiring

TEXT B Using Quotations Text Organization Analysis In popular science writing, the writer is commonly seen to use direct and indirect quotation, producing a rhetoric effect of objectivity or authenticity and meanwhile avoiding plagiarism. Quotation sentence structures often employs such an information structure: quoted information + information provider + the title/affiliation of information provider, etc. Read the following paragraphs of Text B and fill in the chart below.

TEXT B Text Organization Analysis ① There is a widespread agreement that genes and environment interact in brain development, said Dr. Terrence J. Sejnowski, a neuroscientist at the Salk Institute in San Diego, and a leading proponent of the new synthesis. ② The new idea, he said, is that human cultures, which teach children what to believe and what to expect in life, interact with genes to assemble the highly social human brain.

TEXT B ③ Though everyone’s brain begins with “a basic scaffold of connectivity that is formed according to genetic blueprints,” said Dr. Carla Shatz, a neurobiologist at Harvard Medical School, “a baby’s brain is not a miniature of the adult’s, but rather is a dynamically changing structure.” ④ Experience alters brain structure, chemistry and gene, she said. ⑤ In short, the theory’s advocates say, while the brain directs people’s activities in everyday life, the activities themselves shape the brain throughout life.

TEXT B a nuroscientist at the Salk Institute; Sentence No. Direct or Indirect Quotation Quoted information Information Provider Provider’s Title ① There is widespread…in brain development a nuroscientist at the Salk Institute; a leading proponent of the new synthesis Terrence J. Sejnowski Indirect Quotation

TEXT B Sentence No. Direct or Indirect Quotation Quoted information Information Provider Provider’s Title ② The new idea is that human cultures…assemble the highly social human brain. a nuroscientist at the Salk Institute; a leading proponent of the new synthesis Indirect Quotation Terrence J. Sejnowski

TEXT B a neurobiologist at Harvard Medical School Sentence No. Direct or Indirect Quotation Quoted Information Information Provider Provider’s Title ③ a neurobiologist at Harvard Medical School A basic scaffold of connectivity…a dynamically changing structure. Direct Quotation Dr. Carla Shatz

TEXT B a developmental neurobiologist at Harvard Medical School Sentence No. Direct or Indirect Quotation Quoted Information Information Provider Provider’s Title ④ a developmental neurobiologist at Harvard Medical School Experience alters…gene expression. indirect quotation Carla Shatz

TEXT B a nuroscientist at the Salk Institute; Sentence No. Direct or Indirect Quotation Quoted Information Information Provider Provider’s Title ⑤ a nuroscientist at the Salk Institute; a leading proponent of the new synthesis While the brain directs… shape the brain throughout life. Indirect Quotation the theory’s advocates

LANGUAGE ENHANCEMENT Vocabulary Keys A. Circle the appropriate words to complete the following sentences. Human brains are (capable/incapable) of incredible things. The facts he presented in his essay were (correct/incorrect) so he had to go back and correct them. He really wanted his essay to be (perfect/imperfect). She’s so (consistent/inconsistent)! One day she does great work, the next day she doesn’t! Most (successful/unsuccessful) businesspeople think laziness is (acceptable/unacceptable), so they only hire people who are motivated.

LANGUAGE ENHANCEMENT Vocabulary 5. It’s (possible/impossible) to get into that club unless you’re famous. I think it’s really (fair/unfair). 6. He was fired for (ethical/unethical) behavior after his boss discovered he was stealing money from the company. It was (clear/unclear) how long ago it had begun. Keys

LANGUAGE ENHANCEMENT Vocabulary B. Fill in the blanks with the words or phrases in the box below. Change the form if necessary. There are more words than needed. construct interact with assemble memorization a bundle of expend take shape advocate specialize in assure variation trait sort out defect breeding People who are unfamiliar with keyboards could choose instead to the computer using their normal handwriting. 2. House prices ________ considerably among regions. interact with vary

LANGUAGE ENHANCEMENT Vocabulary construct interact with assemble memorization a bundle of expend take shape advocate specialize in assure variation trait sort out defect breeding 3. Sitting on a bench, he closed his eyes, trying to ___________ what was going on. 4. The hospital has a number of doctors who _______________plastic and reconstructive surgery. 5. I can all our consumers that the water we are providing from the reservoir is absolutely safe to drink. sort out specialize in assure

LANGUAGE ENHANCEMENT Vocabulary construct interact with assemble memorization a bundle of expend take shape advocate specialize in assure variation trait sort out defect breeding 6. Each Monday morning, she and her friends would ________ at the only café in their town and catch up on the household gossip. 7. A good learner will have no need to _________ all the words, and a thorough understanding of the story’s structure is the most important. 8. Suddenly, she rushed to the back of the temple, and after a while, came back carrying _____________ firewood. assemble memorize a bundle of

LANGUAGE ENHANCEMENT construct interact with assemble memorization a bundle of expend take shape advocate specialize in assure variation trait sort out defect breeding 9. A group of _________ for animals believes that the keeping of animals in zoos goes against Mother Nature’s intentions. 10. If a person suffers loss or damage as a result of a _______ in some product, whether it be hardware or software, one or more of the following areas of law might provide a remedy. advocates defect

LANGUAGE ENHANCEMENT C. Replace the underlined part in each sentence with the new word or phrase from the texts. It was widely considered that cooperation between developed countries and developing ones was indispensable to the success of any initiative on global warming. ____________________ 2. The boy is charged with improperly throwing out an animal body. He also faces four charges of theft regarding the cat deaths. ________________ 3. The factory itself was an advanced “fireproof” building of five storeys, made of brick and iron. ________________ was necessary to in relation to constructed of

LANGUAGE ENHANCEMENT Vocabulary 4. The birds could be seen everywhere only a few million years before humans evolved and scientists are thinking hard about why they died out. _____________________ 5. The couple didn’t know whether the camera worked and couldn’t find out how to remove the tape. ________ 6. The outline requires illegal immigrants to admit they broke the law, pay a fine and support taxes, and perform community service if they want to get on a pathway to legal status. __________ 7. On the basis of repeated discussion, a working committee was established, composed of representatives from publishing, library and academic circles. _____________ puzzling over figure out calls for consisting of

LANGUAGE ENHANCEMENT Vocabulary 8. The military official said the Navy is increasing the presence of ships able to knock down hostile missiles in flight. __________________ 9. The artists and government officials are engaging in an argument about the cause of river pollution. _______________ 10. The last 24 hours of warm, peaceful weather is being replaced by a strong cold front that’s bearing down on South Florida. _______________ capable of knocking arguing over giving way to

LANGUAGE ENHANCEMENT Grammar: Usage of “It” A. It can be used for the following grammatical functions. Match the functions of “it” with the sentences. a. in reference to a lifeless thing b. in reference to a baby, especially one whose sex is not known c. used to talk about time, weather, distance, etc. d. used to identify a person e. used as anticipatory subject of a verb f. used as anticipatory object of a verb g. used to emphasize a certain part of a sentence h. used in fixed expressions

LANGUAGE ENHANCEMENT Grammar: Usage of “It” ___ 1. Everyday, you need to keep your brain fueled with the proper energy and provide it with plenty of raw material to build and repair itself. ___ 2. It is important that capabilities of a computer be used to aid the designer in his tasks. ___ 3. It can be very frightening to deal with a disease that you aren’t really familiar with. ___ 4. Since a baby less than ten months old usually cannot walk or talk, it must be taken good care of by its caretaker. ___ 5. It is no coincidence that the Beijing Olympic Games begins at 8 p.m. on the 8th day of the 8th month of 2008. a e e b e

LANGUAGE ENHANCEMENT Grammar: Usage of “it” ___ 6. In order to calm the matter down, one essential was that the head of the company had to make it clear to his colleagues that he trusted. ___ 7. It has not been long since I altered my interpretation of why he was involved in the incident. ___ 8. —Who is knocking at the door? — It’s the postman. ___ 9. It was the damaged part of the brain that does work so the old man always lost his balance when walking. ___ 10. Believe it or not: if you had got up 20 minutes earlier, you would have made it to the airport. f c d g h

LANGUAGE ENHANCEMENT Grammar: Usage of “It” Choices B. Complete the article below with the proper choices. Terry was convicted of murder in late 1970s and was serving a life sentence in prison. Throughout his imprisonment, he said ¹ was unfair for him to be imprisoned and he was innocent. In 2003, he was released from prison. In fact, ² ___ took 25 years for his freedom to come. But what on earth proved his final innocence of the murder? ³___ was a new technology developed by Brain Fingerprinting Laboratories, Inc.4 helped him a lot. People who commit a crime have details of the crime stored in 5 memory. Presently, people can use 6 to test whether specific information is stored in a person’s memory or not. A C B B C B

LANGUAGE ENHANCEMENT Grammar: Usage of “It” Choices The test measures brain wave responses to pictures or words associated with the crime scene. When the human brain recognizes certain information, 7 triggers a specific electrical signal called MERMER. This signal can be measured and analyzed to prove 8 the suspect has the crime in his memory. If an innocent person did not commit 9_____, no memory of 10 will be found in the brain. The results of Terry’s brain fingerprinting test showed that the record stored in his brain did not match the crime scene. D C C D

LANGUAGE ENHANCEMENT Translation A. Translate the following sentences into Chinese. But none is more amazing than the brain, that bundle of nerve cells that allows us to sense our surroundings, sort out information, and make decisions. 但是这些构造都没有大脑来得神奇，一束神经元就可以让我们感知环境，筛选信息，作出决定。

LANGUAGE ENHANCEMENT Translation 2. People who have lost speech or coordination due to stroke or brain injuries, for instance, can sometimes regain those abilities by “training” a new part of the brain to take over. 比如，由于中风或者大脑损伤失去语言或者协调能力的人有时可以通过“训练”大脑中另一部位接替工作，从而重新获得那些能力。

LANGUAGE ENHANCEMENT Translation 3. The new idea, he said, is that human cultures, which teach children what to believe and what to expect in life, interact with cell biology and molecular genetics to assemble the highly social human brain. 他说，这一新的观点就是，人类文化教会孩子该信仰什么，在生活中该期待什么，它与基因共同作用，组装起具有高度社会性的人类大脑。

LANGUAGE ENHANCEMENT Translation 4. Neuroscientists are finding that this circuit, which fully matures in late adolescence, is an internal guidance system that fills each person’s world with values, meaning and emotional tone, taking shape according to a person’s culture. 神经科学家发现，人类的这一神经系统网络于青春期后期完全成熟，超内部引导机制作用，赋予每个人价值观，意义和情感色彩，然而这一机制的形成又取决于个人的文化背景。

LANGUAGE ENHANCEMENT Translation B. Translate the following sentences into Chinese. 他没有试图邀请她进屋里，她也没有打算要下车。(not ... neither ...) 2. 这次全球气候大会给阻止全球气候变暖带来了新的希望。(raise new hopes for) He didn’t attempt to invite her to come in, but neither was she going to get out of the car. The global climate summit raised new hopes for fighting against global warming.

LANGUAGE ENHANCEMENT 3. 这些努力并没有给这家公司带来稍稍超过对手的优势。(give an edge) Translation 3. 这些努力并没有给这家公司带来稍稍超过对手的优势。(give an edge) 4. 他认为政府的首要任务就是千方百计地挖掘本国的就业潜力。(tap into) These efforts didn’t give the company an edge over its competitors. He thinks it is a primary task for the government to try every possible way to tap into the country’s employment potential.

LANGUAGE ENHANCEMENT C. Translate the following passage into English. Translation C. Translate the following passage into English. 心理活动受大脑的控制，这在今天已经是常识。然而，为了获得这一常识，人类却经历了几千年的争论。几千年前，人们普遍认为心理活动受心脏的控制。随着医学的发展，人们意识到大脑才是控制一切的器官。人类的大脑非常复杂，这让我们成为了地球上最强大的、情感最丰富的物种。

LANGUAGE ENHANCEMENT Translation Nowadays, it is common sense that mental activities are controlled by the brain. However, human beings have experienced several thousand years of controversy to finally know this. Several thousand years ago, it was generally believed that mental activities were controlled by the heart. With the development of medicine, people came to realize that it is the brain that controls all human organs. The human brain is very sophisticated, making mankind the most powerful species with the richest feelings.

Activities or Behaviors LANGUAGE ENHANCEMENT Real Life Skills A. Tick (√) out the activities or behaviors that you think are not beneficial to your brainpower. Activities or Behaviors Not Beneficial Use your opposite hand to dial your mobile phone. Eat blueberries. Keep on adding, multiplying, and subtracting. Depend on a calculator. Conduct social interaction. Laugh and be humorous Be tense all day long. Talk to yourself.

Activities or Behaviors LANGUAGE ENHANCEMENT Real Life Skills Activities or Behaviors Not Beneficial Daydream Stick to lifelong learning. Take walks. Avoid unnecessary arguments. Study new subjects or languages. Listen to Mozart. Take a small nap.

Activities or Behaviors LANGUAGE ENHANCEMENT Real Life Skills Activities or Behaviors Not Beneficial Repeat old things. Avoid too much stress. Brush your teeth with the other hand. Motivate yourself. Keep idea-journals.

LANGUAGE ENHANCEMENT Real Life Skills B. Figure out the good brain foods and the bad ones. Lean beef salmon peanut butter oranges white bread spinach soybeans peas potatoes tuna high-sugar drinks alcohol Good Brain Foods: __________________________________________ lean beef; salmon; peanut butter; oranges; spinach; soybeans; peas; potatoes; tuna Bad Brain Foods: __________________________________________ white bread; high-sugar drinks; alcohol

WRITING Writing: Writing A How-to Paragraph A. Read the sample paragraph and find out which six ways are mentioned to boost your brain power. _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ ____________ ______________________________________________ Sleep a full eight hours. Eat a breakfast that includes protein, such as eggs or meat. Exercise for at least fifteen minutes each day. Keep focused. Use your brain to solve puzzles or try new things. Be more loving. Article Keys

WRITING B. Write a how-to paragraph that gives four to six options or suggestions for doing something by following the steps below. Choose a topic from the list, or think of your own topic. How to Study for a Test How to Organize Your Time How to Live a Healthy Life How to Make New Friends How to Improve Your Memory Your idea: ________ (2) Write four to six options or suggestions, along with reasons or explanations. Keys

WRITING Writing: Summarizing What to Do Why 1. 2. 3. 4. to see what you have to do and how much time is needed plan ahead know Your Priorities to know what is the most important have a routine to keep you organized stay organized to help you save time

WRITING Writing: Summarizing (3) Write your how-to paragraph. Complete the first sentence as your topic sentence: There are _____ things you can do to ______________ ______. organize your time four The first thing is planning ahead. Plan your tasks for the day and know the exact when you have to complete them. This will help you see what you have to do and how much time is need. Besides, you need to know your priorities. Place the most important things at the top of your list. In addition, you need to have a routine. Try sticking to a certain time frame everyday. This will keep you organized and it will be easier to manage time each day.

WRITING will be easier to manage time each day. If something unexpected happens, it will help you know how to get back on the task. The final thing you should do is stay organized. Stay organized by managing files on your computer as well as organize household items. This will help you save time that you would have otherwise spent on looking for the items you require.

FUN TIME Brainteasers The surgeon is the patient’s mother. Situation1: A man and his son are in a car accident and the son is taken to the hospital. The surgeon enters the operating room, looks down and says, “I can’t operate on this patient. He’s my son!” Question: How is this possible? Answer:___________________________________________ The surgeon is the patient’s mother.

FUN TIME Brainteasers Two strokes. Situation2: A swimmer is 20 feet away from the winning point. With every stroke, the swimmer advances half the distance to the winning point. Question: After how many strokes will the swimmer reach the winning point? Answer:___________________________________________ Two strokes.

FUN TIME Read the following brainteasers and think about the answers. Situation3: A farmer has to cross a river on a boat along with a cat, a rat and a sack full of food grains. However, the boat can only carry him and one more animal/thing at a time. Question: How can he succeed? Answer:__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The farmer may let the rat eat up the food grains and the cat eat up the rat, and then bring the cat to cross the river. Only in this way, can he meet the condition.

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TRANSLATION TEXT A 大脑：强大的器官 进化造就了许多非凡的身体结构——心脏、眼睛、鳍、翅膀，但是这些构造都没有大脑来得神奇。一束神经元即可以让我们感知环境、筛选信息、作出决定。 大脑并不是生命所必须的。从藻类到水母，许多生物没有中央信息处理中心也过得很好。然而，大脑确实给很多动物带来了优势，这一点毫无疑问。因为在生存斗争中，结实的肌肉常常敌不过对方敏捷的大脑。 Article

TRANSLATION TEXT A 3. 然而，并不是所有的大脑都一样。有些大脑仅由几百或几千个神经元构成，只够用来感知光线或温度的变化，或嗅出重要的气味。而有些大脑，比如我们人类的，包含几十亿个神经元，使得我们能够运用语言、制作工具，做各种各样的事情。 4. 但是，即使一个简单的大脑，也常常足以确保一种动物的生存。比如，扁形虫的大脑非常低级，但可以帮助它嗅到蚯蚓，因而成为致命的猎手。虽然蜜蜂的大脑要比扁形虫的大，但也不怎么复杂。然而，蜜蜂却拥有惊人的记忆力。 Article

TRANSLATION TEXT A 5. 在短短的两个月的生命中，工蜂必须学会记住产蜜的鲜花相对于蜂房的位置，准确地记住鲜花在一天中的什么时间产出甜蜜的液体。这种关系存亡的记忆力依赖的是蜜蜂大脑中令人惊叹的变化：当蜜蜂需要储存更多信息时，它的大脑开始根据需要发育并生出上万个神经元。以前，科学家曾认为大脑这样的变化能力仅限于几种动物。但是，近年来，已有证据表明许多动物的大脑比我们曾经认为的更加灵活。比如，一些鸟类在繁殖季节生出新的大脑组织——或许是为了能够唱出更加复杂的歌曲——一旦交配结束，这些神经元又消失了。有的鸟类的大脑因迁徙而生长或萎缩。 Article

TRANSLATION TEXT A 6. 研究人员甚至不得不去重新思考他们关于人类大脑的观点。以前，他们认为人类的大脑仅在孩提时期生长，一旦我们成年，我们的神经元只会减少，不会增加。但是，最新研究令人惊讶：我们在一生中不断地生出某些类型的神经元。也有研究表明：尽管我们的大脑通常实行专业化分工，特定的部位负责特定的活动，但是人类大脑有时可以自我重组。比如，由于中风或者大脑损伤失去语言或者协调能力的人有时可以通过“训练”大脑中另一部位接替工作，从而重新获得该项能力。这样的研究发现为治疗大脑严重损伤和先天性缺陷的病人带来了新的希望。 Article

TRANSLATION TEXT A 7. 然而，为什么我们的大脑进化到如此之大、如此复杂？科学家对此仍然困惑不解。显然，大脑在帮助人类战胜食肉动物、寻找食物方面发挥了巨大的作用；但是我们的大脑或许也是社会压力的产物。不管是在家庭内部，还是邻里之间、国家之间，我们都花费了大量的精力，建立复杂的社会关系和盟友。建立这些关系需要创造性的思考、不断解决问题、理解他人想法——每项任务都需要一定的脑力认真思考。随着时间的推移，拥有良好的社交和生存技能的人获得了大脑的进化。 Article

TRANSLATION TEXT A 8. 当前，我们的大脑已使得我们成为地球上最强大的物种。我们能够制造工具，这使得我们能够重新构造自然面貌，在曾经的森林和草地上修建城市、开垦良田。我们已经懂得如何让沙漠生机勃勃，如何从地层深处汲水来解渴。甚至我们可以通过燃烧大量的煤炭、石油和木柴，排放出二氧化碳和其他温室气体，从而改变地球的气候，虽然这不是我们有意为之。 9. 然而，有一点还有待验证：我们的大脑能否帮助我们避免地球历史上诸多物种共同的命运——灭绝？ Article

TRANSLATION TEXT B 智力探源 1. 在塑造人类大脑的过程中，先天和后天哪个更重要？面对这一古老的话题，神经科学家已经找到了一个发人深思的答案。 2. 答案很复杂。他们说，大脑本质上不是基因的产物，但也不是个人经历的简单相加。他们说，每个人的大脑是由出生前已形成的复杂的神经系统网络构成，自出生起的整个生命过程中，基因与神经元不断受到环境、经历和文化的影响，大脑随之继续生长、变化。 Article

TRANSLATION TEXT B 3. 圣地亚哥市索尔克生物研究学院的神经科学家泰伦斯·J. 索诺斯基博士说，人们普遍认为基因与环境在大脑的发育过程中相互作用。他是新的综合学说的主要倡导者之一。他说，这一新的观点就是，人类文化教会孩子该信仰什么、在生活中该期待什么，它与基因共同作用，组装起具有高度社会性的人类大脑。 Article

TRANSLATION TEXT B 4. 哈佛大学医学院的神经生物学家卡拉·沙兹博士说，尽管每个人的大脑最初都是“基于基因蓝本形成的基本架构，但是婴儿的大脑并不是成人大脑的缩微版，而是一个动态变化的结构”，她说，经历会改变大脑结构、化学组成与基因表达。 Article

TRANSLATION TEXT B 5. 简言之，这一理论的倡导者说，一方面，大脑指挥着人们的日常活动；另一方面，人一生中的活动本身也在不断地塑造着大脑。 6. 加州理工学院的科学家史蒂芬·R.奎兹博士说：“试图把基因与环境分开是错误的。我们之所以成为现在的我们，这是我们早期经历、父母养育、出生顺序、朋友、基因之间复杂的相互作用的结果。” Article

TRANSLATION TEXT B 7. 科学家和哲学家为文化在塑造大脑中所起的作用已经争论了上千年。柏拉图和亚里士多德曾就人类的美德等个性是天生的还是后天学习的这一问题进行过辩论；达尔文的思想使得很多学者认为人类的个性是天生的，不同的种族处于不同的进化水平，这种观点最终导致了二战中种族屠杀。与之相反，文化相对主义把新生儿的大脑看作是一块与进化无关的白板。文化的功能在于增加人类的知识，帮助他们生存和成功。 Article

TRANSLATION TEXT B 8. 新一轮关于人类本性的争论始于上世纪七十年代，爱德华·O.威尔逊博士认为，在塑造人的思想时，基因遗传所起的作用和文化的作用一样多（如果不是更多的话）。社会和环境因素对改变人的行为的作用是有限的。许多心理学家接受了这种观点，并用它来解释所有事物——从约会行为中的性别差异到对薯条的兴趣。 9. 有些其他的心理学家说，现在需要更加细致地审视威尔逊博士的论据。 Article

TRANSLATION TEXT B 10. 索诺斯基博士说：“的确，你不能把‘我们是谁’这个问题与人类从古至今进化过程中所生活的世界分割开来。”但是，他说，进化并不是在相对安逸的环境中进行的，而是在气候反常、极端而多变的阶段形成的。他声称，如果大脑在那个世时期进化了某种特质的话，那就是灵活性。 Article

TRANSLATION TEXT B 11. 索诺斯基博士说，虽然大脑的不同区域倾向于各司其职，比如掌管语言或面孔识别功能，但是这些区域相当易变。 12. 奎兹博士说，人生而具有不同的气质类型，取决于脑内化学物质的基因变化。这样的差异或许导致一个孩子天性讨厌新奇，而另一个孩子天性喜欢猎奇，但是真正有助于构建发育中的大脑的仍是孩子随后的经历。 Article

TRANSLATION TEXT B 13. 人类生而具备的还有一个非常大的前额叶皮层——一个负责计划功能的大脑区域，它利用古老的系统预测什么是值得做的，并据此做出决策，趋利避害。 14. 神经科学家发现，人类的这一神经系统网络于青春期后期完全成熟，起内部引导机制作用，赋予每个人价值观、意义和情感色彩，然而这一机制的形成又取决于个人的文化背景。 15. 换言之，文化影响的不仅是大脑储存的内容，而且影响着它的物理构造，奎兹博士如是说。 Article

Sentence Paraphrasing TEXT A 1. For in the struggle for survival, brawn often gives way to a brain that can outthink a competitor. (Para. 2) When animals struggle to survive, those with strong muscles are often defeated by those with a smarter brain. Article

Sentence Paraphrasing TEXT A 2. But simple is often more than enough to assure an animal’s survival. (Para. 4) A simple brain is often sufficient to make an animal survive. Article

Sentence Paraphrasing TEXT A 3. … as it needs to retain more information, the brain grows, adding tens of thousands of cells on an as-needed basis! (Para. 5) When the brain needs to remember more information, it grows and adds tens of thousands of cells accordingly. Article

Sentence Paraphrasing TEXT A 4. Over time, evolution favored those individuals with the best social and survival skills. (Para. 7) With the passage of time, those individuals who have the best social and survival skills evolved better to have a bigger and more complex brain. Article

Sentence Paraphrasing TEXT B The new idea, he said, is that human cultures, which teach children what to believe and what to expect in life, interact with genes to assemble the highly social human brain. (Para. 3) The new idea is that the highly social human brain is the combination of human cultures and genes. Article

Sentence Paraphrasing TEXT B 2. Though everyone’s brain begins with “a basic scaffold of connectivity that is formed according to genetic blueprints,” said Dr. Carla Shatz, a neurobiologist at Harvard Medical School, “a baby’s brain is not a miniature of the adult’s, but rather is a dynamically changing structure.” (Para. 4) Dr. Carla Shatz, a neurobiologist at Harvard Medical School said, “though a child gets genes from its parents which act like a blueprint for the characteristics the child may have, its brain is not a small version of the adult’s, and it is constantly changing. Article

Sentence Paraphrasing TEXT B 3. … a view that culminated in the Holocaust. (Para. 7) Darwin’s ideas ended with the uncontrolled selection of human races as is show in the Holocaust, the Nazi program of killing Jews on a large scale under Hitler. Article

Sentence Paraphrasing TEXT B 4. On the contrary, cultural relativism saw the newborn brain as a blank slate that evolution had no part in. (Para. 7) Against Darwin’s idea, cultural relativism thought the newborn brain was blank; evolution had no role in forging it. Article

Sentence Paraphrasing TEXT B 5. But that evolution did not occur in a relatively stable environment, he said, but rather during a period of unusual, extreme and rapid change in climate. (Para. 11) But evolution did not occur in a relatively stable way but rather during a period of unusual, extreme and rapid climate change. Article

TEXT A sort out 1) 挑选出，（从一批中）挑出 They showed the how to sort out their garbage. 他们向居民演示了如何将垃圾进行分类。 2) 整理，理顺 It is necessary that he (should) sort out the information for my reference. 他有必要把资料整理好供我参考。 Article

TEXT A essential a. 完全必要的，必不可少的，极其重要的 In order to solve this problem, it is essential to reconstruct the local economy. 为了解决这个问题，必须重建当地经济。 be essential to sth. 对……来说是必要的 Mutual understanding is essential to friendship. 相互理解对友谊至关重要。 Article

TEXT A survival n. 幸存，存活 Seeking mutual has become the only way of survival and development. 互利已经成为生存和发展的唯一方式。 survive v. 幸存，存活 In the jungle, they were driven to extremes in order to survive. 在丛林中, 他们为了生存被迫采取极端行动。 Article

TEXT A outthink vt. 思考超过（他人） Your chances of outthinking your competition greatly improve if you can observe emerging trends before your competition. 如果你能先于对手看出趋势，你胜过对手的可能性将大大增加。 Note： outdo 超过，做的比……好 outlive 比……长命 outnumber 数目超过 outsmart 比……聪明 Article

TEXT A consist of 包含，包括 This country has a population of 5.48 million, consisting of over 80 ethnic groups. 这个国家人口有548万，包含80多个民族。 consist in 在于 The true wealth does not consist in what we have, but in what we are. 真正的财富不在于我们所拥有的，而在于我们自身的价值。 Article

TEXT A assure vt. 确保，使确定 He didn’t resent taking pains to assure the financial security of his family. 为了使家庭在经济上有保障，他苦心经营毫无怨言。 assure (sb.) that （向某人）保证 We assure visitors that we will offer safe, swift and affordable dining service. 我们确保游客享受到安全、快捷、便宜的餐饮服务。 Article

TEXT A in relation to 1) 与……相关 The question was in relation to his driving skills. 问题跟他的开车技巧有关。 2) 与……相比 My purpose is to show how we are progressing in relation to others. 我只是想说明，跟别人相比，我们目前的进展究竟如何。 Article

TEXT A life-or-death a. 生死攸关的，关系重大的 Whenever there’s a life-or-death crisis, they’re the ones on the front line. 每当有生死攸关的危机时，他们总是冲在最前线。 也可以用life-and-death，如： a life-and-death struggle 一场生死攸关的战斗 Article

TEXT A migration n. 迁居，迁徙 The spring festival travel in China is dubbed the biggest human migration in the world. 中国春节期间的出行被称为是世界上最大规模的迁徙。 migrate v. 迁移 Some birds migrate to warmer countries in winter. 有些鸟类会在冬天迁徙到比较温暖的国度。 migrant a. （为工作）移居者，移民 Migrant workers move from country to country in search of work. 流动工人为了寻找工作从一个国家迁移到另一个国家。 Article

TEXT A specialized a. 专用的；专门的 By virtue of their specialized training, these new staff members will significantly increase their expertise in working. 通过专业化的培训，这些新员工的工作技能将得到显著 提升。 special a. 特别的，特殊的 I have got special interest in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching. 我对本科生和研究生教育产生了特别兴趣。 specialist n. 专家 To find a specialist in a particular field of dentistry, you can search the Specialists List on this site. 你可以在本网站的专家列表中搜索牙科某一特定领域的专家 信息。 Article

TEXT A puzzle over思索，琢磨 Scientists are puzzling over an unexplained increase in stomach cancer in young white adults. 科学家正在思考年轻白种成年人患胃癌概率上升的 诱因。 Article

TEXT A call for要求 This will call for some sensitivity in terms of how we handle this. 关于如何处理此事，需要我们具有一点敏感性。 Article

TEXT A influential a. 有影响力的 World Wildlife Federation is an influential non-governmental organization. 世界野生动物协会是一个有影响力的非政府组织。 influence n /v. 影响 This influence is likely to continue indefinitely unless we make an effort to stop it. 除非我们努力改变这种局面，否则这种影响可能会无休止地继续下去。 have influence on 对……有影响 Climate change must have had a powerful influence on migration.  气候变化必曾对迁徙产生过极大影响。 Article

TEXT A species n. 种，物种 endangered species 濒危物种 Scientists have found a complete skeleton fossil of a previously undiscovered dinosaur species. 科学家发现了前所未见的一种恐龙的完整的骨架化石。 Note: species单复数同形 Article

TEXT A extinction n. 灭绝，绝种，消亡 As is often the case, humans are the primary cause of extinction. 通常情况下，人类是物种灭绝的主要原因。 Article

TEXT B evocative a. [~ of] 引起记忆的，唤起感情的 The folk song is evocative of vast, wide grassland. 这首民歌使人想起广漠辽阔的草原。 evoke vt. 引起，唤起（感情、记忆或形象） His performance evoked laughter as well as tears. 他的表演既令人激动，又催人泪下。 Article

TEXT B construct vt. 组成 This year the city is expected to construct or purchase ten Thousand units of public rental housing. 今年，全市预计新建或购买10000套公用廉租房。 be constructed of 用……建造 Almost all steam boilers are constructed of carbon steel, which rusts if exposed to oxygen or moisture. 几乎所有的蒸汽锅炉都是用碳钢加工的，如暴露在外或受潮就会生锈。 constructive a. 建设性的 China has played a unique and constructive role in a series of major international conferences. 中国在一系列的重大国际会议上，扮演了独特而具有建设性的角色。 Article

TEXT B take shape 成形 9/11 Memorial and Museum is taking shape 8 years after the attack. 9/11纪念馆和博物馆在发生袭击8年后建成。 Article

TEXT B interact vi. [~ with] 1) 相互作用，相互影响 These two chemicals interact with each other at a certain temperature to produce a new substance. 这两种化学药品在一定温度下相互作用，产生一种新的物质。 2) 交流，沟通，合作 The government not only needs to learn how to deal with the media, but should also learn how to interact with netizens. 政府不仅要学会如何应对媒体，还要学会如何与网民交流。 Next

TEXT B interaction n. 相互作用；交流 A better understanding of the interaction between wind and rain may lead to improved building design. 更好地了解风雨之间的相互作用可以优化建筑设计。 In addition, social interaction between teachers and students, as well as between students, is seen as an essential element in good teaching. 此外，师生之间、生生之间的社会交往也被认为是良好的教育重要元素。 Article

TEXT B assemble vt. 1) 组装，装配 This company has built a manufacturing base to assemble 40 million laptops annually in Chongqing. 这家公司在重庆建立了一个笔记本的生产基地，年组装4000万台。 2) 聚集，集合 A considerable crowd of people assembled in front of the store. 一大群人聚集在店门口。 assembly n. 装配；组装 assembly line 装配线 assembly plant 组装厂 Article

TEXT B advocate n. 拥护者，支持者，提倡者 I hope that he would be an advocate of free trade. 我希望他是自由贸易的支持者。 v. 提倡，支持 The economic cooperation advocated by China is beneficial to common prosperity. 中国倡导的经济合作有助于共同繁荣。 Article

TEXT B outline vt. 概述，提出……的纲要 Chapter 5 will outline the literature in the Western Han Dynasty. 第五章将概述西汉文学。 n. 提纲；概要 At the beginning he would always hand out an outline of the lecture.  在演讲开始时，他总是先分发一份提纲。 Article

TEXT B racial a. 种族的，种族间的 racial equality 种族平等 racial discrimination 种族歧视 racial difference 种族差异 racial conflict 种族冲突 racial riot 种族暴乱 racial hatred 种族仇恨 racial policy 种族政策 racial harmony 种族和谐 Article

TEXT B flexibility n. 灵活性 The government is trying to be flexible in foreign affairs, but the flexibility has been perceived as weak. 政府在处理外交事务时试图灵活一点，但是人们认为这种灵活是软弱。 flexible a. 灵活的 Many functions available from modern software are quite flexible and have a number of options. 现代软件的许多功能相当灵活，有多个可配置的选项。 Article

TEXT B specialize in 专攻，精通 In that hospital, there are doctors who specialize in nutrition. 在那家医院，有专攻营养学的医生。 Article

TEXT B variation n. 1) 变异的东西，变种，变体 Genetic variation may lead to cancer. 基因变异可能会导致癌症。 2) （数量、水平等的）变化，变更，变异 After the training, there was great variation in skill levels. 培训后，技能水平发生了很大的变化。 Article

TEXT B be born with 天生具有 Some people seem to be born with a large supply of confidence. 有些人似乎生来就具备很强的自信。 be born to be/to sth. 天生适合从事（某项工作、活动等） Some people were born to be kings. 有些人天生就是统治者。 be born into 出生在……的家庭 He was born into a noble but poor family. 他生于一个潦倒的贵族家庭。 Article

TEXT B tap into 发掘，开发，利用 Local authorities are exploring new ways to tap into ground water. 当地政府部门正在寻求新的方式利用地下水。 Article

TEXT B maximize vt. 使最大化 British government announced a series of measures to maximize the security of air travel. 英国政府宣布了一系列措施以最大程度地实现航空旅行的安全性。 Antonym: minimize vt. 使最小化 A sound approach to the problem is to minimize the number of parts. 正确解决这一问题的方法是把零件的数目减至最少。 Article

TEXT B mature vi. 成熟，长成 Most species of sharks take many years to mature and have relatively few young. 许多种类的鲨鱼要花多年时间才能生长成熟，而且它们只有相对较少的后代。 a. 成熟的 He is more mature than other children of his age. 他比同龄的其他孩子要成熟。 Antonym: immature a. 不成熟的 She’s immature intellectually. 她在智力上还不成熟。  Article

TEXT B contribute to 1) 促成，促进 Narrowing the wealth gap between rural and urban residents will contribute to building a harmonious society. 缩小城乡贫富差距将有助于建设和谐社会。 2) 捐款，捐助 He offered to contribute to the Red Cross. 他主动提出向红十字会捐款。 Article

There is widespread agreement that genes and environment interact in brain development. Article

The new idea is that human cultures, which teach children what to believe and what to expect in life, interact with cell biology and molecular genetics to assemble the highly social human brain. Article

a basic scaffold of connectivity that is formed according to genetic blueprints, a baby's brain is not a miniature of the adult's, but rather is a dynamically changing structure. Article

Experience alters brain structure, chemistry and gene expression to sculpture immature neural circuits into adult circuitry. Article

While the brain directs people's activities in everyday life, the activities themselves shape the brain throughout life. Article