Brain Power

8/22/2022 9:05:00 PM
Brain Power, where does it come from and how can I get More?
Image: Colored Brain

Do you know?

  • The human brain has been listed as the ‘original computer’ and has evolved over time in both size and complexity.
  • The brain-reading devices help paralyzed people to move, talk and touch. Implants are becoming more sophisticated — and are attracting commercial interest.

Let's explore more about this in the following passage!

Let's learn some new words before you read the passage:

Listen and complete the passage.

labs implanted paralyzed
chip spinal instructions


In 2001, Matt Nagle was a 25-year-old football star. Then one night he had a bad accident that resulted in his cord being cut.

Matt was from the neck down. He could not do anything alone. Matt couldn’t even breathe by himself. Doctors kept working to make better equipment for people like Matt to stay alive. Science kept doing research to try and find answers. They were trying to make machines to help paralyzed patients. A company who does research on brains was searching for ways to use brain waves. They chose Matt as the first person to try a new technology. They wanted to do an experiment that used machines to carry out from inside the brain.

In June 2004, the doctors a chip into Matt’s brain. This could run machines with his thoughts. Matt could send simple messages to a computer with this chip. He could change channels on the TV. Matt could play computer games and turn the lights on and off. All of these things he could do just by thinking about them.

Matt worked for months to get the messages to move from his brain to the computer. It was very hard. The technology was difficult. The doctors were worried that the chip might injure Matt’s body. They also worried that it might hurt his brain and his thinking. Matt wanted to fight to get better. Matt kept fighting in hopes of trying to help make things better for other people like himself.

Read the text and answer the questions.

Brain Power

One of the most astonishing and intricate parts of the human body is the brain. Image: bluray.com

In 2001, Matt Nagle was a 25-year-old football star. Then one night he had a bad accident that resulted in his spinal cord being cut.

Matt was paralyzed from the neck down. He could not do anything alone. Matt couldn’t even breathe by himself. Doctors kept working to make better equipment for people like Matt to stay alive. Science labs kept doing research to try and find answers. They were trying to make machines to help paralyzed patients. A company who does research on brains was searching for ways to use brain waves. They chose Matt as the first person to try a new technology. They wanted to do an experiment that used machines to carry out instructions from inside the brain.

In June 2004, the doctors implanted a chip into Matt’s brain. This chip could run machines with his thoughts. Matt could send simple messages to a computer with this chip. He could change channels on the TV. Matt could play computer games and turn the lights on and off. All of these things he could do just by thinking about them.

Matt worked for months to get the messages to move from his brain to the computer. It was very hard. The technology was difficult. The doctors were worried that the chip might injure Matt’s body. They also worried that it might hurt his brain and his thinking. Matt wanted to fight to get better. Matt kept fighting in hopes of trying to help make things better for other people like himself.

Source: Daily Warm-ups Reading Grade 3

What could Matt use his mind to do?

  • send messages, turn on the lights and play the piano
  • switch TV channels, play computer games and turn off the lights
  • play music, dial the phone and change channels on radio
  • turn off the lights, switch TV channels and make a phone call

Which of the following is true about Matt Nagle?

  • He was the richest football player of the 2000s.
  • The accident made him unable to move his limbs.
  • He fully recovered after undergoing an operation in June 2004.
  • After his accident, he became depressed and unmotivated.

What do you NOT know from the passage?

  • Brain waves could be utilized to help people with paralysis.
  • There was concern about the safety of the chip implanted into Matt's brain.
  • Scientists spent much effort and money doing research on brains.
  • Matt was chosen as the pioneer to try a new technology related to brain power.

According to the passage, we can guess that Matt was a person who ____.

  • was a show-off
  • never gave in to difficulties
  • got stressed easily
  • was afraid of challenges

What can be another title for this passage?

  • A football player and his ups and downs in life
  • The human body and its incredible potentials
  • Shocking scientific reports on the human brain
  • Dangerous but amazing medical technology

Build your vocabulary by learning these intensive phrases/idioms

The most important thing is that you somehow solved the problem - who cares if it was by _____ or design?

  • accidentally
  • accidence
  • accident
  • accidental

Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first one, using the word in a bracket. You must use between THREE and FIVE words, including the word given. Do not change the word given.

Although I have been thinking very hard, I can't remember what Lydia's husband's name is. (BRAIN)

=> I've been , but I still can't remember what Lydia's husband's name is. 

A: Do you need help, or will you do it yourself? 

B: I think I need a little more experience before I _____.

  • go it alone
  • leave it alone
  • let alone
  • leave well alone