The Brain

Scientists consider that our brain is the most complicated mechanism which has ever been constructed. The weight of the human brain is from one to two kg (kilograms). It has a volume of about 3.21 litres and consists of about 12 billion (миллиард) cells. It was determined by the scientists that each cell is connected to the other directly or indirectly by nerve fibres.

The brain is the centre of a wide system of communication. It was found out that a constant flow of stimuli comes into the brain through the spinal cord. The stimuli come to the brain from our eyes, ears, and other sense organs for pain, temperature, smell and other feelings. When all the received stimuli summarized and analysed the brain sends orders through the nerve fibres in the spinal cord to different parts of the human body. It is due to these orders that one eats, moves, hears, sees and does many other things.

To estimate the functions of different areas of the brain many experiments have been carried out by the investigators. It is due to such experiments that the investigators have been able to determine those areas of the brain which control vision, hearing, physical movements and even emotions.

Due to experimental studies it has been determined that the motor cortex controlling many body movements of the human being becomes tired rapidly. But the hypothalamus which controls such functions as blood pressure is almost never tired.

II. Работа над грамматикой.

Причастия (Продолжение )

Выполните упр 13 стр 105, упр 3 стр 109, упр 1 стр 110

III. Реферирование текста.

The nervous cells of the cortex are the most delicate of all the cells of the human body.

It is at the moment of tiredness of the cortical nervous cells that the process of inhibition begins to act. This process does not allow new stimuli to pass to the tired areas of the brain. To provide the smooth work of the brain the nervous cells must be well supplied with oxygen and feeding substances. And for this purpose any human being must have regular complete rest, i.e. (id est = that is) sleep.

When the process of inhibition extends over a great number of cells, spreads widely over the cortex and even over the subcortical areas of the brain one falls asleep.

When one sleeps the vital activity of the nervous system is restored. So sleep is of a great protective significance to the human being.

The man sleeps about one third of his life. Numerous investigations and experiments have shown that sleep is more necessary for the human being than food. One can live longer without food than without sleep.

During a sound quiet sleep the whole activity of the human body changes, the body metabolism decreases, and the respiratory and pulse rates become slower, the body temperature drops. Though the stimuli continue to come into the brain, the inhibited cortical cells do not react to them.

IV. Устная речь

Составьте диалог между журналистом и профессором Преображенским о результатах исследования мозга и нервной системы человека.

V. Ознакомление с примерным вариантом Лексико-грамматической итоговой работы №3. (См. Раздел Контрольные задания)

Тема 2.3. Microbiology

Занятие 15

Этапы занятия и рекомендуемая продолжительность тренировки видов речевой деятельности:

I. Выполнение Лексико-грамматической итоговой работы №3 –

II. Изучающее чтение.

Задание 1. Выполните упр 5-6 стр 162

Задание 2. Прочтите и переведите текст Viruses стр 162-163

Задание 3. Выполните упр 9-13

II. Работа над грамматикой.

Perfect Tenses

Прочтите теоретический материал § 12 на стр 288-290 Грамматического справочника

Выполните упр 2-3 стр 64, упр 16 стр 68

Занятие 16

Этапы занятия и рекомендуемая продолжительность тренировки видов речевой деятельности:

I. Изучающее чтение.

Задание 1. Выполните упр 1-2 стр 165

Задание 2. Прочтите и переведите текст What are Bacteria стр 165

Задание 3. Выразите главную мысль каждого абзаца в 1-2 предложениях.

II. Работа над грамматикой.

Perfect Tenses

Выполните упражнения на сравнительное употребление времён Perfect и Past simple.

III. Перевод текста.

All the existing microorganisms can be divided into two main groups – aerobic and anaerobic. Aerobic microorganisms must have free atmospheric oxygen for their life and growth. However one knows that free oxygen is not favourable for the development of anaerobic microorganisms.

Bacteria vary in shape and according to this feature they are divided into some groups. Spherical bacteria have been called cocci. They are also subdivided into several groups. Rod-shaped bacteria are called bacilli.

When bacteria multiply they divide. The growing organism increases in size up to a certain limit and in due time divides. The process of division depends on the conditions of the environment.

Any minute virulent microorganisms may invade the human body. But due to the local protective agents of the human body they are destroyed. In this case no disease occurs.

However the local protective agents of the human body are not always able to destroy completely the invading microorganisms. It is known that in such a case a local or general infection may occur.

Most of the microorganisms produce diseases when they enter the tissue and destroy it. If one examines under the microscope the alveoli of the lung of the man with lobar pneumonia a great number of pneumococci can be revealed. While the disease persists the lung may be considerably impaired because of the consolidations which may develop in it.

But the human body can fight against the microorganisms which have passed its first protective barriers, i.e. skin and mucous membranes.

The prominent Russian scientist I.I. Mechnikov had made investigations before he was able to come to the conclusion that leucocytes could catch and destroy certain microbes. I.I. Mechnikov called them phagocytes or microbe cell destroyers.