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1、高考英语《流行话题语境识词4500》Unit86TurningThoughtsintoActions素材Unit86TurningThoughtsintoActions TheWorldCupfinalisabouttobegin.YouwanttoturnontheTVandgettotherightchannel.Soasmallareaofyourbraincallsthemotorcortexprocessesandsendsintricateelectricalsignalstoyourarmandhand,whicha
2、llowyoutopickuptheremotecontrolandoperateitintimetoseethegame.Butifyoudon'thavetheuseofyourarms,likepeoplewhoareparalyzedorhavenerveormusculardamage,youhavetowaitforacaregivertodoit.Thatis,untilthispastyear. InJune,2004,acompletelyparalyzedmanunderwentsurgerytoimplant
3、asmallsensorinhisbrainthatallowshimtowritee-mail,playvideogames,changeTVchannelsandopencurtains--usingonlyhisthoughts.Althoughregulatoryapprovalisstillseveralyearsaway,thisisthebeginningofanewageofneurotechnology.For20yearsresearchersstudiedmonkeystolearnhowhumansgofro
4、mthoughttoactionandeventuallyinventedasensorthatdetectsneuralactivityinthebrain.ThisledtodevelopmentoftheBrainGateNeuralInterfaceSystemtobeusedinhumanclinicaltrial. Howdifficultisthissurgery?Thesurgeonmakesacraniotomythat'sthediameterofalargecoin.Thesensor,whichisthes
5、izeofanaspirinwith100tinyappendages,isimplantedintheregionthatissuescommandstothearms.Thesoftwaretellsthesurgeonexactlywheretogoandthewholesurgicalproceduretakesabouttwoandahalfhours.Afterwardsonlyasmallconnectortothecomputercanbeseenfromtheoutside. Howdoesthesystemwo
6、rk?Thepatientdirectshisthoughtstomovethecursoronhiscomputerscreen.Thesensorinhisbrainpicksupthosehard-to-detectelectricalsignalsandsendsthemthroughthreecomputersthatprocessthemintosignalsjustlikethosefromacomputermouse.Theseprocessors,whichcurrentlysitonacartandarenotm
7、obile,willeventuallybecomewirelessandsmallenoughtofitinsideabody.Sowhenheisconnected,thepatientcanjust"think"thecursorfromplacetoplaceon-screenliketherestofususingamouse.HecanalsoconnecttootherdevicesthroughthecomputersuchasaTVsetthecontrolthatopensandclosesthecurtains
8、,apoweredwheel-chairorevenamechanicalhand. Couldtheimplantallowthepatienttowalk?No,notyet.Walkingisextraordinarilyto
