Lesson 2. The brain

Imagine that you are a university professor. Briefly explain to your students how the nervous system is organised.

1. Study the following words:

processing [`prBLsesiE] – обработка данных

coding [kBLdiE] – кодирование, шифрование

injury [`indFBri]- рана, травма

sub-system [sHb`sistBm]– подсистема

doorbell [`dK:bel]– дверной звонок

bell-push [`belpLG]– кнопка дверного звонка

stroke [`strBLk]– удар, инсульт, паралич

dissect [di`sekt]- рассекать, вскрывать, анатомировать

mediate [`mi:dieit]– посредничать, быть связующим звеном

2. Read the following word combinations and remember them:

complex process – комплексный, сложный процесс

processing of sensory and motor information – обработка сенсорной и моторной информации

coding of sensory and motor information – кодировка сенсорной и моторной информации

to be responsible for – быть ответственным за

to be involved in – быть вовлеченным (в)

3. Write the derivatives to the following words:

To regulate, to behave, to mediate, to examine, problem.

4. Write the three forms of the following verbs and remember them:

Be, learn, see, can, have, cut, mean, find, do, lead, tell, make, think.

5. Give the Russian equivalents of the following words and word combinations. Use your dictionary if necessary:

regulatory process, human brain, to be grouped together, brain injuries, wire, a certain form of behaviour, to cause problems, to work in systems and sub-systems, to produce certain effects, to be influenced by, behaviour happening, processing of sensory and motor information, to be responsible for, different brain structures, behavioural changes, different parts of the brain.

6. Read and translate the following international words: information, motivation, emotion, system, problem, effect, mechanism, organ.

7. Combine the words with the help of the preposition of:

Mediation thinking

a particular kind bell-push, wire, bell and battery

different functions complex processes

the mistake complex processes

a simple kind different mechanisms

collection behaviour

the whole system the brain

different parts behaviour

a certain form machine

mediation the organism

8. Read the following text and get ready to discuss it:

The brain.

The brain is the organ of the central nervous system responsible for the processing and coding of sensory and motor information, for the control of regulatory processes in the body, and for the mediation of complex processes, such as motivation, emotion, learning, and memory.

Within the brain itself, neurones are grouped together into many different structures, each of which is involved in different functions of the organism. If we dissect a human brain, we can see that it is organised into different sections. If we examine people who have suffered from different brain injuries or strokes, it is possible to connect the behavioural changes with damage to particular sections. But we cannot really conclude from this that one particular structure causes one particular behaviour. The central nervous system works as a system, not as just a collection of different mechanisms.

For example, if you cut through the wire that leads from a door to the bell in the halfway, the doorbell will not work when you press the bell-push. But that does not mean the wire causes the bell to ring. What makes the bell ring is the whole system, of bell-push, wire, bell and battery working together. It is the same with the brain. Just finding that damage to one part causes problems with a certain form of behaviour does not tell us that that part causes a certain form of behaviour – it just tells us that it is involved, somehow, in that behaviour happening. It is very important that we do not make the mistake of thinking that the brain operates as a simple kind of machine, with one bit causing one effect, because it is much more complicated than that. Different parts of the brain work together, in systems and sub-systems, to produce certain effects – and often they are also influenced by what is happening in the rest of the body as well. Because of this, when we are talking about a part of the brain being strongly involved in a particular kind of behaviour, we prefer to say that the part mediates the behaviour, not that it causes it.

9. Insert the necessary prepositions*:

1 The brain is responsible … the processing and coding of sensory and motor information. 2. Within the brain neurones are grouped together … many different structures, involved … different functions of the organism. 3. Many people in the world suffer … different braininjuries or strokes. 4. What are you responsible …? 5. Students of our department are organised … several groups. 6. Every part of the brain is involved … a particular behaviour happening. 7. Some people make the mistake … thinking that the brain operates as a simple kind of machine.

10. Answer the following questions:

1. What is the brain?
2. What is the brain responsible for?
3. Does the brain operate as a simple kind of machine?
4. How are the neurones grouped within the brain?
5. What can we see if we dissect a human brain?
6. How does the central nervous system work?
7. Can we connect the behavioural changes with damage to particular sections of the brain?
8. What are the systems and sub-systems of the brain influenced by?

11. Say whether the following statements are true or false:

1. The brain is the organ of the central nervous system.

2. The brain is responsible for eating and drinking only.

3. Within the brain neurones are grouped together into many different structures.

4. Each group of neurones within the brain is involved in different functions of the organism.

5. The central nervous system works as a collection of different mechanisms.

6. Different parts of the brain work together to produce certain effects.

7. Different parts of the brain are influenced by what is happening in the rest of the body.

8. The brain operates as a simple kind of machine.

1. Finish the following sentences:

1. The brain is …
2. The brain is responsible for…
3. Within the brain neurones are grouped…
4. If we dissect a human brain, …
5. It is possible to connect the behavioural changes…
6. But we cannot really conclude…
7. The central nervous system works …
8. The brain does not operate as …
9. Different parts of the brain work together …
10. A certain part of the brain …

1. Prove that the brain is a system.
2. Explain how the brain works.
3. Work in pairs and retell the text to your partner.

Дата добавления: 2014-12-27