大学英语精读 ---- Book I Unit nine Unit Nine I. Background InformationBackground Information II. Pre-reading questionsPre-reading questions Ⅲ. Words & PhrasesWords.

大学英语精读 ---- Book I

Unit nine

Unit Nine

I. Background Information II. Pre-reading questionsⅢ. Words & Phrases IV. Language points

1. A word about Aristotle

Aristotle (384-322B.C.), the ancient Greek philosopher, educator, and scientist, was one of the most important and influential thinkers in Western culture. His interests covered a very wide range, and “How does the mind work?” was one of the major problems that captured his attention.

Background Information

2. Memory -- the brain’s main function The brain stores information from past experience.

This is why we can learn, remember, and think. The brain selects and combines messages from the senses to form, with the participation of memories and emotions, various thoughts and reactions. Man can speak, solve difficult problems, and produce creative ideas because of the amazing development of the human brain.

Then, how and where does the brain store the information that we call memory? That is an easy question to ask, but very difficult to answer. Some scientists think that memory storage is chemical in nature. That is, they think that individual nerve cells have chemically coded information within them. Other scientists believe that memory is a result of some permanent change in the structure of the nerve.

Pre-reading questions

A. People now have come to know very well how our brain works. (F.)

B. In ancient times people believed it was the heart, not the brain, that did the thinking for man. (T)

C Modern research has found that different parts of the brain control different activities respectively . (F)

D. Scientists have been doing research on the brain in order to help people make better use of it. (T)

E. It has been found that old persons are generally quicker in thought than young men. (F)

*** Why is the brain thought to be the most powerful computer in the universe?

*** In what way can we make our brain more active?

Words and Phrases1. universe: the whole creation including everything exi

stent eg: In Middle Ages, people believed the earth to be the c

enter of the universe.

2. complex: (a.) difficult to understand or explain Examples: The political situation became complex when the Presid

ent fell ill. (n.) complex whole Bao Steel is the biggest steel complex in China.

3. ancient: belonging to times long past Examples: Can you list the four most famous ancient civilizations?

4. until: till; to the time of /when Examples: Ok, then, I won’t expect you until about midnight. The sentence “I won’t leave until I hear from you” can be

turned into two different emphatic forms as follows: It is not until I hear from you that I’

5. be involved in: be mixed up or caught in Examples: We are all involved in it, whether we like it or not. Millions of workers were involved in the general strike.

6. damage: (v.) cause injury to Examples: The car accident damaged his eyesight. (n.) harm or injury to Inaccurate reports do great damage to her fame.

7. exactly: correctly; quite Examples: That is exactly what I want. The satellite was positioned in the orbit exactly as

programmed.

8. amount: (n) quantity; total Examples: There are a great amount of misunderstanding between

generations. (v.) add up to; be equal to Examples: His debts amount to 16,000 pounds.

9.research being done on the brain: research work the scientists are doing on the brain.

Similarly: the building being repaired do research on/into: carry out research on/into Examples: Much research has been done into the effects of

cigarette smoking.

10. complicated: difficult to understand Examples: Computer users needn’t understand the complicated

process taking place behind the screen. The situation is too complicated for me to explain in a

few words.

11. unable: not able Examples: I am sorry for being unable to attend your

lecture. Finally, the Mexican woman was unable to hold

back her tears.

12. chemical: (a.) of chemistry Examples: Chemical weapons are now officially banned. (n.) substance used in or obtained by chemistry Examples: His company majors in producing chemicals.

13. reaction: (1) response Examples: The energy released by nuclear reaction is

beyond imagination. I was shocked by her reaction.

(2) opposition Examples: The policy was carried out with little reaction from the

people. Anything in opposition to progress is reaction.

14.equipment: things needed for a purpose Examples: Fortunately important at this university has greatly

increased in recent years. A lab is judged by the equipment it possesses, as well

as by its researchers.

15. recent: done or made not long ago Examples: Student population at this university has greatly

increased in recent years.

16. recall: (1) remember Examples: Can you recall exactly what you saw last night? (2) summon back; take back Examples: The Ambassador was recalled to his own country a

month ago.

17. physical: (1) of the body Examples: Constant physical exercises lead to a long life. It is impolite to laugh at others’ physical defects. (2) of the matter Examples: Isaac Newton observed the physical world and then dr

ew conclusion.

18. put sth. to use: use sth. Examples: Father decided to put the new bike to use. I think you could have put your money to a bette

r use.

Language points

1. The way the brain works.: The way in which the brain works or how the brain works the way : the manner or the method

2. Some children learn to speak and read and write when they are very young compared to average children.:

Some children learn to use language at a much earlier age than average children do.

3. They are trying to find out whether there is something about the way we teach language to children which in fact prevents children from learning sooner.:

In this sentence the relative pronoun “which” refers to the word “something.”

4. …the only limit on the power of the brain is the limit of what we think is possible.:

…the power of the brain is limitless and when we think something is possible or something else is impossible we are actually setting a limit to its power.

5. It is now thought…:Now people think… Teach the students to learn to use this sentence

pattern. Similarly: It is known that … It has been found that …

6. look into: examine; find out facts about Examples: The President said he was looking into the possibility of

setting up a new library.

7. difffer from: be different from Examples: My answer to this arithmetic problem differs from yours. The twin brothers differ from each other in their interests.

5. She…when on into the house with sharp words for my father.: Having failed to comfort her son, the mother felt an agony of

frustration and then she took it out on the father. We can almost imagine her saying something like this: “Really!

You’ve messed things up this time. What a crazy idea anyway. You should have known it won’t work. Now look at the boy! Are you happy now? You’ve ruined our Christmas!”

The word “sharp” means “harsh” or “severe”, and “for” indicates whom her sharp words were directed to.

6. I was wronged, I was hurt.: All my sisters had been given gifts, all sorts of wonderful

gifts, while I had got nothing—I had been forgotten. I was treated shamefully, so much so that I could not help feeling hurt.

7. …I saw his face, and I think I can see now the anxiety upon it, the worried impatience.:

I saw his face, and looking back now, I still remember his facial expression– he looked very anxious and worried as if he was expecting something that should have some.

8. For such a horse as that I would have given anything.: I would have been willing to give up all I had in exchange

for a horse like that. such…as: of the same kind; of that kind Examples: I said no such thing as that. Metals are such things as iron, silver, and gold.

9. impossible hopes.: hopes that can never be realized; hopes for

impossible things

10. Too much.: That was too much for me to put up with. I wanted a pony so much that I even declined the offer

of high boots. Then, Christmas came and I had got nothing. And now I saw the pony, the pony I had been dreaming of walking away in front of my eyes, and I knew it was not for me. What a disappointment!

11. I think now that it was both. It covered the whole distance from broken-hearted misery to bursting happiness– too fast.:

Today I think that Christmas was both the best and the worst I ever knew. That morning, I experienced misery and happiness in the extremes and was driven from one extreme of emotion quickly to the other within a couple of hours.

12. A word About the Author’s Vigorous Style: There are always several ways of saying anything. A goo

d writer uses the way that is most appropriate and thus most effective. Let's take a few sentences from this story to see how Lincoln Steffens writes in a vigorous style through the use of emphatic repetition and apposition.