Reading Smart Section 1: Unit 1

 

Unit 1

1. Pre-reading

˙Humans normally have five senses: hearing, sight, touch, smell, and taste. Which sense do you think is the most important?

˙What is your earliest childhood memory? Which sense(s) does it involve?

˙Look at the title of this reading, and look at the pictures below. Based on this information, what do you think the passage will be about?

Reading Vocabulary: Heat; Light touch; Pain; Cold; Epidermis; Dermis; Nerve; Connective tissue; Hair movement; Strong pressure; (human skin diagram); womb; braille; terry cloth; rhesus monkey

2. Reading

In Touch

How Our Biggest Organ Keeps Us Alive

A feather tickles the nose. A pin sticks the finger. A hug from someone we love gives us warmth and comfort. We may not think much about our sense of touch, but in many ways, it is the thing that keeps us alive.

	alive	第二級	[形容詞] 活著的;活躍的
	comfort	第三級	[動詞] 安慰,慰問; [名詞] 安逸,舒適
	feather	第三級	[名詞] 羽毛
	hug	第三級	[動詞] 摟抱; [名詞] 緊抱;擁抱
	organ	第二級	[名詞] 器官
	sense	第二級	[動詞] 意識到;了解,領會; [名詞] 感官;官能
	sticks	第二級	[動詞] stick(黏貼;刺;戮;釘住;插牢;堅持) 的第三人稱單數現在式; [名詞] stick(棍;棒;杖;枝條) 的複數
	tickles	第四級	[動詞] tickle(使發癢;逗...笑) 的第三人稱單數現在式; [名詞] tickle(呵癢;癢感;使人癢的東西) 的複數
	warmth	第三級	[名詞] 溫暖;親切;熱情

Like all our senses, touch depends on a special organ. Other sense organs, like our eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, are located in one place. But our touch organ---skin---stretches over our whole body. It's our biggest organ! When our skin detects sensations such as cold, heat, pain, and pressure, it sends the information to our brain. 

	brain	第二級	[名詞] 腦;智力,頭腦
	depends	第二級	[動詞] depend(依賴) 的第三人稱單數現在式
	detects	第三級	[動詞] detect(查出) 的第三人稱單數現在式
	information	第三級	[名詞] 資訊
	located	第三級	[動詞] locate(把...設置在;使...座落於) 的過去式及過去分詞
	organ	第二級	[名詞] 器官
	organs	第二級	[名詞] organ(器官) 的複數
	pain	第二級	[動詞] 使煩惱,使痛苦;使疼痛; [名詞] 疼痛;痛苦
	pressure	第二級	[動詞] 對...施加壓力;迫使; [名詞] 壓力
	sensations	第五級	[名詞] sensation(感覺;知覺;轟動) 的複數
	sense	第二級	[動詞] 意識到;了解,領會; [名詞] 感官;官能
	senses	第二級	[動詞] sense(意識到;了解,領會) 的第三人稱單數現在式; [名詞] sense(感官;官能) 的複數
	skin	第二級	[名詞] 皮膚
	stretches	第二級	[動詞] stretch(舒展肢體,伸懶腰) 的第三人稱單數現在式; [名詞] stretch(伸直;伸出;伸長) 的複數
	such	第二級	[形容詞] 如此的; [代名詞] 這樣的人(或事物);上述的人(或事物)
	whole	第二級	[形容詞] 完整的; [名詞] 全部,全體;整體

1. to touch a part of your body, making you laugh or feel uncomfortable

2. a feeling of being physically relaxed and satisfied; to make someone feel less sad or worried

3. a force pressing on someone or something 

Besides telling us if something is soft, hard, rough, or smooth, our sense of touch also prevents us from seriously damaging our bodies. Imagine relying on your sense of smell rather than touch to tell you that your hand is burning on a hot pan! For people who lack other senses, touch can fill in. For example, the blind can "see" their environment through touch. Using braille writing, they can also read with their fingertips.

	besides	第三級	[副詞] 並且; [介系詞] 除...之外
	burning	第二級	[動詞] burn(燒;燙傷) 的現在分詞
	damaging	第二級	[動詞] damage(損害) 的現在分詞
	environment	第二級	[名詞] 環境
	imagine	第二級	[動詞] 想像
	lack	第二級	[動詞] 缺乏; [名詞] 缺乏
	pan	第二級	[名詞] 平鍋
	prevents	第三級	[動詞] prevent(防止,預防) 的第三人稱單數現在式
	rather	第二級	[副詞] 寧可;頗為
	relying	第三級	[動詞] rely(依靠,依賴) 的現在分詞
	rough	第三級	[形容詞] 粗糙的;表面不平的; [副詞] 粗糙地,粗略地; [名詞] 高低不平的地面;粗製品;梗概;草圖
	sense	第二級	[動詞] 意識到;了解,領會; [名詞] 感官;官能
	senses	第二級	[動詞] sense(意識到;了解,領會) 的第三人稱單數現在式; [名詞] sense(感官;官能) 的複數
	smooth	第二級	[形容詞] 平滑的,光滑的;平坦的; [動詞] 光滑地,平滑地
	soft	第二級	[形容詞] 柔軟的,輕柔的

4. to trust or depend on something/someone to do something for you

Touch is so essential that babies develop it first while they're still in their mother's womb. After birth, the memory of being surrounded by warm liquid makes babies seek out the feeling of being held and wrapped in soft blankets. In fact, research has shown that babies who are not held or touched can become sick and even die. Furthermore, scientists have studied the relationship between touch and brain growth. Compared to babies who receive lots of hugs and attention, those who are rarely touched tend to have smaller brains and develop behavioral problems more easily as they grow up.

	attention	第二級	[名詞] 注意;專心
	being	第二級	[名詞] 存在;生存;生命;本質
	birth	第二級	[名詞] 出生;起源
	blankets	第二級	[動詞] blanket((似)用毯覆蓋;掩蓋) 的第三人稱單數現在式; [名詞] blanket(毯子) 的複數
	brain	第二級	[名詞] 腦;智力,頭腦
	brains	第二級	[名詞] brain(腦;智力,頭腦) 的複數
	compared	第二級	[動詞] compare(比較) 的過去式及過去分詞
	develop	第二級	[動詞] 發展
	essential	第四級	[形容詞] 必要的;實質的; [名詞] 要素,要點;本質,實質
	feeling	第二級	[名詞] 感覺
	furthermore	第四級	[副詞] 而且,此外,再者
	growth	第二級	[名詞] 成長;發育;增大
	hugs	第三級	[動詞] hug(摟抱) 的第三人稱單數現在式; [名詞] hug(緊抱;擁抱) 的複數
	liquid	第二級	[名詞] 液體
	memory	第二級	[名詞] 記憶
	rarely	第二級	[形容詞] rare(罕見的) 的衍生的副詞
	receive	第二級	[動詞] 收到
	relationship	第二級	[名詞] 關係,關聯;人際關係
	research	第四級	[動詞] 調查,探究; [名詞] (學術)研究;調查,探究
	scientists	第三級	[名詞] scientist(科學家) 的複數
	seek	第二級	[動詞] 尋覓
	soft	第二級	[形容詞] 柔軟的,輕柔的
	surrounded	第三級	[動詞] surround(圍,圍繞) 的過去式及過去分詞
	tend	第三級	[動詞] 走向;趨向;照料
	wrapped	第三級	[動詞] wrap(包,裹) 的過去式及過去分詞

The importance of touch was confirmed in an experiment on rhesus monkeys in the 1950s. In this experiment, a psychologist took monkeys away from their mothers and put them into cages with two fake "mother monkeys" One was made of wire and had a milk bottle tied to it. The other was made of wood, covered in soft cloth, and did not have a milk bottle. The psychologist thought the baby monkeys would to the wire mother because it had food. However, the monkeys held on to the cloth mother for hours. From the monkeys’ behavior, the scientist concluded that babies needed more than food; they also needed the sensation of warmth and softness to feel safe and secure.

	behavior	第四級	[名詞] 行為
	cages	第二級	[動詞] cage(把...關進籠子;把...囚禁起來) 的第三人稱單數現在式; [名詞] cage(鳥籠;獸籠) 的複數
	cloth	第二級	[名詞] 布;(棉,毛,合成纖維等)織物;衣料
	concluded	第二級	[動詞] conclude(推斷出,斷定) 的過去式及過去分詞
	confirmed	第三級	[動詞] confirm(確認) 的過去式及過去分詞
	experiment	第三級	[動詞] 進行實驗,試驗; [名詞] 實驗;試驗
	fake	第三級	[形容詞] 假的;冒充的; [動詞] 偽造;捏造;欺騙,迷惑; [名詞] 冒牌貨;仿造品
	importance	第二級	[名詞] 重要性
	psychologist	第四級	[名詞] 心理學家
	scientist	第三級	[名詞] 科學家
	secure	第四級	[形容詞] 安全的牢固的; [動詞] 把...弄牢;關緊
	sensation	第五級	[名詞] 感覺;知覺;轟動
	soft	第二級	[形容詞] 柔軟的,輕柔的
	softness	第二級	[形容詞] soft(柔軟的,輕柔的) 的衍生的名詞
	thought	第二級	[名詞] 思想
	warmth	第三級	[名詞] 溫暖;親切;熱情
	wire	第二級	[名詞] 金屬線
	wood	第二級	[名詞] 木材

Our sense of touch protects us, comforts us, and reveals the things around us. Without it, we would be cut off from the world.

	comforts	第三級	[動詞] comfort(安慰,慰問) 的第三人稱單數現在式; [名詞] comfort(安逸,舒適) 的複數
	protects	第二級	[動詞] protect(保護) 的第三人稱單數現在式
	reveals	第三級	[動詞] reveal(展現,顯露出) 的第三人稱單數現在式
	sense	第二級	[動詞] 意識到;了解,領會; [名詞] 感官;官能

5. to be all around something or someone on all sides

6. a scientific test done to find out if a specific idea is true

7. someone who studies how people's minds work

8. made to look like something real to trick people

9. the way a person or animal acts

10. to make known something that was unknown before

Post-reading

I. Reading Skill: Making Predictions

Readers make predictions by using information they already know to think about what they are about to read or what will come next in the reading. When we make predictions, we constantly think ahead, and we also revise and confirm our predictions. This strategy helps us make connections between our own experiences and the text, which improves our memory of what we have read.

How do we make predictions?

Before reading:

◎Look at the title. Based on the title, think about what questions the text might answer.

Ex. The title of the article you just read, "In Touch," suggests that the article is about the sense of touch. The subtitle "How Our Biggest Organ Keeps Us Alive" tells us exactly what question the article will try to answer.

◎Look at the pictures or diagrams that accompany the text. What clues do they offer?

Ex. The picture of the human and monkey babies, as well as the image of a hand reading braille, suggests that the article discusses the importance of mother-baby bonds and humans' ways of interacting with the world.

While reading:

◎Based on your personal knowledge and experiences, think about what might happen next in your reading.

Ex. The paragraph describing the experiments with the rhesus monkeys presents two choices---"wire mother" and "cloth mother." Before you finished reading this paragraph, what did you think the result of the experiment would be?

 

Test Your Skills

1. Read the following title of a passage.

Scared to Fly

a) What do you think the passage is about?

Ans. ____________________________________________________________________

 

2. Read the passage.

I flew to Tokyo a year ago for vacation. Since I have never had any negative experiences flying, I was not nervous about this trip. However, what happened on this short flight has changed my feelings about flying.

a) What do you think happened next?

Ans. ____________________________________________________________________

b) What made you think this? Find the words or sentences in the passage that act as clues.

Ans. ____________________________________________________________________

 

3. Continue reading.

The flight began normally. We listened to the captain's announcement, and the flight attendant served us snacks and drinks. Around half an hour later, as I was about to fall asleep, the whole plane started to shake. My drink fell to the ground. The captain announced that everything was normal, and that we should not worry.

a) How do you think the writer felt at this point?

Ans. ____________________________________________________________________

b) What makes you think the writer felt this way?

Ans. ____________________________________________________________________

I was nervous, but I tried to stay calm. Then, the plane suddenly dropped about 100 meters!

c) What most likely happened next?

Ans. ____________________________________________________________________

The turbulence lasted only about five minutes, but it felt like an eternity. In the end, we landed in Tokyo safe and sound.

 

II. Reading Comprehension:

(   ) 1. Why do babies like to be wrapped in warm blankets?

a. Because it makes them feel as if they were surrounded by warm liquid

b. Because babies have cold skin

c. Because the blanket feels like the mother's skin

d. Because it keeps them from becoming sick

(   ) 2. How is the touch organ different from the other sense organs?

a. It is found in only one location of the body. b. It does not keep us from danger.

c. It covers our entire body.   d. It does not send information directly to the brain.

(   ) 3. Babies who are NOT often hugged and held can develop all of the following problems EXCEPT _____.

a. sickness and death b. a smaller brain size c. behavioral problems d. blindness

(   ) 4. How does a blind person read braille?

a. By raising dots from the surface of paper

b. By moving their fingertips over raised dots

c. By reading special ink on the surface of paper

d. By having people read to them from a book

(   ) 5. Based on the experiment with the rhesus monkeys, which of the following is true?

a. Babies hold on to their mothers only when they are hungry.

b. Baby rhesus monkeys, like human babies, need a mother's soft touch.

c. The behavior of the rhesus monkeys contrasts with that of human babies.

d. The baby rhesus monkeys had underdeveloped brains.

 

III. Vocabulary: Fill in the correct missing word in the correct grammatical form.

tickle     pressure       behavior      reveal    experiment

rely on   fake       comfort        surround      psychologist

1. Larry became very nervous when he realized that he was __________ by large, angry dogs.

2. Even though I did not ask her, Jane __________ to me how much money her husband made each year.

3. The scientist did several __________ on rats.

4. My grandmother used to __________ me to go shopping for her every weekend.

5. Shana __________ the baby's stomach, and the baby laughed.

6. The coat that Heather is wearing is made of __________ fur; she would not wear a coat made of real animal fur.

7. I don't think about fashion when I buy clothing; I think only about __________.

8. The doctor told Harry not to put __________ on his leg while his knee was getting better.

9. The teacher punished Tommy for his naughty __________.

10. Madeleine works as a(n) __________ at the children's clinic.