A CURE FOR PARALYSIS?!

Paralysis, Alzheimer’s, dementia, spinal cord injuries, hearing loss, depression, and insomnia are neurological conditions, which could be cured with a chip in the brain, claims Elon Musk.

Elon Musk was born in 1971.
The 49-year-old businessman is a billionaire.
He has founded several companies, among them Neuralink.
The company was started in 2016.
Its headquarters are in San Francisco.
The company employs a staff of 90    employees.
It has received $158 million in funding, of which $100 million comes from Musk.
The company aims to implant computer-chips, wireless brain-computer interfaces, into the human brain.

So far, the ‘Link’ implant has been implanted in the brain of a pig.
The pig, Gertrude, was introduced to the world last Friday, on August 28th.
And it was dubbed Cypork.

During the presentation, Gertrude walked about and ate.
A computer was tracking her every activity.
The chip had been fitted into Gertrude’s brain through a small hole in the skull behind the ear.

Musk has already applied for permission to start implanting ‘Link’ into humans.
If approved, the device will be sold for around $ 800.
Surgery will be bloodless because a robotic device will not hit any blood vessels, says Musk.

Well! Great!
It would be wonderful if testing a chip on a healthy pig could make all the difference in treating people with
paralysis,
Alzheimer’s,
dementia,
spinal cord injuries,
hearing loss,
depression and
insomnia.

Okay, the chip had been implanted into three pigs, not just one, reports say.
Bravo!
So, we have three little pigs with chips in their brains.
They are alive and well after two months.
The conclusion that is made, is that the chip can help sick people.

But what do neurologists say to this?
Here is an opinion for you:

“I did not spend 5 years getting a neuroscience degree to watch this man-child literally brainfuck a pig on stage.”

FILL IN THE BLANKS: 

Paralysis, Alzheimer’s, dementia, spinal cord injuries, hearing loss, depression, and insomnia are neurological, ________, which could be ________ with a chip in the ________, claims Elon Musk.

Elon Musk was ________ in 1971.
He has ________ several companies, among them Neuralink.
The company ________ in 2016.
Its ________ are in San Francisco.
The company employs a ________of 90  ________.
It has ________$158 million ________, of which $100 million________Musk.
The company ________to implant computer-chips, wireless ________-computer interfaces, into the human brain.

So ________, the ‘Link’ implant has been ________in the ________of a pig.
The ________, Gertrude, ________to the world last Friday, on August 28th.
And it was ________Cypork.

During the presentation, Gertrude walked about and ________.
A computer was ________ her every ________.
The chip had been ________into Gertrude’s ________ through a small ________in the skull ________the ear.

Musk has already applied for ________to start implanting ‘Link’ into.

________.
If ________, the device will be ________for around $ 800.
Surgery will be ________because a robotic device will not ________any blood ________, says Musk.

Well! Great!
It would be wonderful if testing a chip on a healthy ________could make all the ________in ________ people with neurological ________.

We have three little pigs with chips in their ________.
They are ________ after two months.
The ________ that is ________, is that the chip can help ________ people.

But what do neurologists ________ to this?
Here is an ________ for you:

“I did not ________ 5 years getting a neuroscience ________ to watch this man-child literally brainfuck a pig ________.”

ANSWER THE QUESTIONS:

1) Does Elon Musk claim that some conditions could be cured with a chip in the brain? _________________________________.

2) When was Elon Musk born? __________________________.

3) How old is he? __________________________.

4) He has founded several companies, hasn’t he? __________________________.

5) Was Neuralink started in 2016?__________________________.

6) Where are its headquarters? __________________________.

7) The company employs a staff of 90 employees, doesn’t it? __________________________.

8) How much has it received in funding? __________________________.

9) One hundred million comes from Musk, doesn’t it? __________________________.

10) What does the company aim to do? __________________________.

11) Has the ‘Link’ implant been implanted in the brain of a pig? __________________________ 12) When was the pig introduced to the world? __________________________.

13) It was dubbed Cypork, wasn’t it? __________________________.

14) What did the pig do during the presentation? __________________________.

15) Was a computer tracking her every activity? __________________________.

16) The chip had been fitted into the pig’s brain through a small hole, hadn’t it? __________________________.

17) Where had the chip been fitted into the pig’s brain? __________________________.

18) What has Musk already applied for? __________________________.

19) How much will the device be sold for, if approved? __________________________.

20) Will surgery be bloodless? __________________________.

21) A robotic device will not hit any blood vessels, will it? __________________________.

22) It would be wonderful if testing a chip on a healthy pig could make all the difference in treating people, wouldn’t it? __________________________.

23) How many pigs had the chip been implanted into? __________________________.

24) They are alive and well after two months, aren’t they? __________________________.

VOCABULARY:

aim [eɪm] цель
aim [eɪm] v. целиться, нацеливаться, стремиться к достижению какой-либо цели: The company aims to implant chips into the brain. Компания намерена имплантировать чипы в мозг.
Alzheimer’s [ˈɔːltshaɪmərz] старческий склероз мозга, болезнь Альцгеймера
apply [ə’plaɪ] v. обращаться (за разрешением): to apply for permission
approve
[ə’pruːv] v. одобрять: to approve an idea, to approve a device
blood
[blʌd] кровь
bloodless [‘blʌdləs] бескровный
brain [breɪn] мозг
brainfuck v. вульг. = to play with the pig’s brain in this context
conclusion [kən’kluːʒ(ə)n] вывод: to make a conclusion заключить, сделать вывод
condition [kən’dɪʃ(ə)n] расстройство, болезненное состояние
cord [kɔːd] шнур;
spinal cord спинной мозг
cure [kjuə] лечение; исцеление
cure [kjuə] v. исцелять: to cure (smb) of hearing loss вернуть слух
cy [‘saɪ] Cypork киберхрюшка
degree [dɪ’griː] звание, учёная степень; диплом: to get a degree in neuroscience / to get a neuroscience degree получить сертификат врача-невролога/стать дипломированным неврологом
dementia [dɪˈmɛnʃə] деменция, потеря памяти, слабоумие
depression [dɪ’preʃ(ə)n] депрессия
dub [dʌb] разг. увалень; тупица
dub [dʌb] v. кино дублировать; давать прозвище
employ [ɪm’plɔɪ] / [em’plɔɪ] v. нанимать на работу: The company employs a staff of 90 employees. Штат компании составляет 90 человек.
employee [ˌemplɔɪ’i:] / [ˌɪmplɔɪ’iː]  служащий;  человек, нанятый на работу
employer [ˌɪmpl`ɔɪə] / [ˌempl`ɔɪə] работодатель; наниматель
fit [fɪt] v. вводить, внедрять: to fit a chip into the brain вставить чип в мозг
found [faund] v. основывать = to start a company. Внимание: found – это также вторая и третья формы глагола to find (found – found) находить.
founder [‘faundə] основатель
Gertrude [‘gɜːtruːd] Гертруда
headquarters [ˌhed’kwɔːtəz] головной офис: The company’s headquarters are in San Francisco.
hearing
[‘hɪərɪŋ] слух (способность слышать): hearing loss потеря слуха
hit (hit – hit) [hɪt] v. ударять; попадать в, повреждать: to hit a blood vessel – задеть, затронуть кровеносный сосуд
injury [‘ɪnʤ(ə)rɪ] повреждение: spinal cord injury повреждение спинного мозга; to injure [‘ɪnʤə] v. повреждать
insomnia [ɪn’sɔmnɪə] бессонница
link [lɪŋk] (связующее) звено
literally [‘lɪt(ə)r(ə)lɪ] буквально, дословно
loss [lɔs] потеря: to lose (lostlost) v. терять, утрачивать
man-child [‘mænʧaɪld] (мн. ч. men-children) недоросль, мальчик
neurological [ˌnjuərə’lɔʤɪk(ə)l] неврологический: neurological conditions неврологические нарушения
paralysis [pə’ræləsɪs] паралич
permission [pə’mɪʃ(ə)n] разрешение: to apply for permission
pig
[pɪg] свинья, свинка
pork [pɔːk] свинина
skull [skʌl] череп
spinal [‘spaɪn(ə)l] спинной: spinal cord спинной мозг
staff [stɑːf] штат (служащих)
stage [steɪʤ] (театральная) сцена: on stage
surgery
[‘sɜːʤ(ə)rɪ] хирургия; хирургическое вмешательство
track [træk] v. отслеживать: This computer can track brain neurons. Этот компьютер может отслеживать нейроны мозга.
treat [triːt] v. лечить, проводить курс лечения: to treat people with insomnia лечить от бессонницы
vessel [‘ves(ə)l] сосуд (для жидкости); blood vessel – кровеносный сосуд
wireless [‘waɪələs] беспроводной

GRAMMAR

(1) В контексте настоящего времени вспомогательный глагол would [wud] / [wəd] может передавать нечто несбыточное:
It would be wonderful if this could be possible, I guess. Думаю, здорово было бы, если бы это было возможно.

(2) Модальный глагол could [kud] выражает достаточно большую степень сомнения, когда он появляется в контексте настоящего времени:
I am not sure that neurological conditions could be cured with a chip in the brain. Я не уверена, что неврологические нарушения возможно излечивать, вставив в мозг чип.

(3) Согласование сказуемого с подлежащим в числе не всегда бывает однозначным. Рассмотрим пример:
One hundred million dollars comes from Musk. Маск вложил сто миллионов долларов.
Подлежащее в этой фразе состоит из нескольких слов: one hundred million dollars. И согласование сказуемого с ним происходит не по последнему слову, а оно стоит во множественном числе: dollars, но со всем подлежащим в целом, которое в данном случае передаёт одну целостную сумму.
Вот если бы мы говорили об отдельных купюрах, то… Впрочем, судите сами:
One thousand dollars is a lot of money. Тысяча долларов – это большая сумма.
There are one thousand dollars on the desk. На письменном столе тысяча долларов/долларовых купюр.

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