Sensory System

1. Pre-reading activities

1.1 Read the words and memorize them:

touch - дотик visual - зоровий;

ascertain – визначити auditory - слуховий;

sight – зір olfactory – нюховий

hearing - слух meatus - отвір;

smell – нюх taste - смак

sweet - солодкий occur - відбувається

bitter - гіркий; perception - сприйняття

sour — кислий

relatively crude - відносно недосконалий

1.2 Match the words-combinations:

sense organ друга за значимістю

main function відбувається в роті

sound vibration органи чуття

second in significance чутливість шкіри

detects smells головна функція

olfactory receptors звукові коливання

occurs in the mouth нюхові рецептори

skin sensibility виявляє запахи

2. Reading activities

2.1 Read and translate the text: Sensory system

There are five main senses. They are sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch. The visual sensory system is the most important sense organ of man. Almost ninety per cent of the information is supplied to the brain through eyes. The human eye is a spherical organ. Its structure is rather complicated.

Hearing is the reception of sound vibration by the ear. This is the main function of this organ. Another function of the ear is that of providing sense of balance. Auditory sensory system is the second in significance for the normal life of man. The auditory system is subdivided into three parts: the outer ear, the middle ear and the inner ear.

Smell is one of the five senses. It is the nose that performs olfactory response and detects smells by means of the specialized olfactory nerve endings. The receptors of the olfactory sensory system are located in the region of the superior meatuses of the nose. The total number of the olfactory receptors in man is ten million.

Taste is a relatively crude sense. Only four basic tastes can be distinguished: sweet, sour, salty and bitter. Some additional flavours can be determined because of the combination of sense of taste with a sense of smell. Tasting occurs in the mouth where the tongue is lodged. The tongue is covered with papillae that contain cells sensitive to the chemical nature of food.

When we speak of the somatosensory perception we do not only mean the system of skin sensibility but also the sensory system of a skeletomuscular apparatus. They both are capable of responding to touch and perceiving heat, cold, pressure, vibration and pain. Hair covering the human skin also contributes to tactile perception. It is only through physical contact and touch with the objects that we can ascertain their features, such as their size, shape, surface texture and temperature.

3. Post-reading activities

3.1Give the Ukrainian equivalents:

five main senses; sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch; is supplied to the brain through eyes; rather complicated; the reception of sound vibration; providing sense of balance; auditory sensory system; is subdivided into three parts; detects smells; the specialized olfactory nerve endings; a relatively crude sense; sweet, sour, salty and bitter; the combination of sense of taste with a sense of smell; is covered with papillae; skin sensibility; tactile perception; ascertain their features.

3.2 Give the English equivalents:

найбільш важливий орган відчуття; око людини; досить складний; сприйняття вібрації звуку; забезпечувати відчуття рівноваги; середнє вухо; спеціальні нюхові нервові закінчення; загальна кількість нюхових рецепторів; поєднання відчуття смаку з відчуттям нюху; вміщують клітини чутливі до хімічного складу їжі; чутливість шкіри; реагувати на дотик; завдяки фізичному контакту.

3.3 Say if it is true or false:

1. There are five main senses.

2. Almost eighty per cent of the information is supplied to the brain through eyes.

3. Hearing is the reception of sound vibration by the ear.

4. Another function of the ear is that of providing sense of humour.

5. The auditory system is subdivided into two parts.

6. The total number of the olfactory receptors in man is ten million.

7. Only five basic tastes can be distinguished.

8. Hair covering the human skin also contributes to tactile perception.

3.4 Answer the questions:

1. How many senses do we have?

2. What are they?

3. What is the structure of the human eye?

4. What is the main function of the ear?

5. How many parts is the auditory system divided into?

6. What performs olfactory response and detects smells by means of the specialized olfactory nerve endings?

7. What kind of sense is taste?

8. How many basic tastes can we distinguish?

9. How can we ascertain the features of the objects?

3.5 Fill in:

1. The visual sensory system is the most important ... organ of man. 2. Almost ninety per cent of the information is supplied to the brain through .... . 3. Hearing is the reception of ... by the ear. 4. Another function of the ... is that of providing sense of balanсе.5. The auditory system is subdivided into ... parts. 6. It is the ... that performs olfactory response and detects smells. 7. The receptors of the olfactory sensory system are located in the region of the … of the nose. 8. Taste is a relatively ... sense. 9. Only four ... tastes can be distinguished. 10. The tongue is covered with ... that contain cells sensitive to the chemical nature of food.