Online Class Notes – (Mark)

Vocabulary

spackle – [SPA KUL] a compound used to fill and produce a smooth surface.
dehumidifier – [DEE HE-U MID AH FY ER] a machine that removes moisture from the air.

Pronunciation

tiny [TIY NEE]
sensors [SEN SIRS]
anonymous [AH NON AH MISS]
spinal [SPY NUL]
average [AV RIJ]
algorithm [AL GA RI THUM]
researcher [REE SER CHER]

1 – read and summarize
A man who can’t move his hands used his thoughts to write on a computer screen. The man is paralyzed from the neck down. Scientists from Stanford University implanted two tiny sensors into the man’s brain. The scientists called this “brain-to-text” and “mindwriting”. The man wants to be anonymous, so scientists call him T5. He became paralyzed after a spinal cord injury ten years ago. The implants allow him to use his mind to write. He can write about 18 words per minute. This is five words slower than the average person writing a text message on a smartphone.
The mindwriting system is simple, but it uses a lot of advanced technology. Scientists asked T5 to imagine writing a sentence on a paper. Sensors in his brain detected activity as he imagined writing. A computer turned this activity into text on a screen. The scientists used a special algorithm. A researcher hopes his system will help millions of paralyzed people to write again. It might also help people who cannot speak. The researcher said: “The goal is to restore their ability to communicate by text.” In the future, this technology might help us to write at the speed of thought.

Summary:
How to write a word on a computer screen if you don’t have a hand that used to be an unsolvable problem. But now, scientists find the way to solve this problem by other way, put tiny sensors into the man’s brain. It successfully happened on a man who became paralyzed for ten years. They called this man “T5” and the name of the advanced technology is “ brain-to-text” or “ mindwriting”. With the help of two tiny sensors in his brain, he can write 18 words per minute on computer screen which is only 5 words slower than normal person write on paper.

“Thinking” and “Writing” are totally two deferent systems in our brain but the mind-writing system can hold them together which used a lot of advanced technology, for example, a computer technology. Any activity can be detected when T5 want to write a sentence in his brain, then the sensor send signal to a computer which will turn this signal into text on screen. Under the continuous development of science and technology, this system may turn text into activity of brain and help blind people to see again. It will be of great value if this system can turn at the speed of normal people do.

Correct Summary:
How to write a word on a computer screen if you don’t have a hand that used to be an unsolvable problem. But now, scientists find found the way to solve this problem by other way, putting tiny sensors into the man’s brain. It successfully happened on with a man who became paralyzed for ten years ago. They called this man “T5” and the name of the advanced technology is “ brain-to-text” or “ mindwriting”. With the help of two tiny sensors in his brain, he can write 18 words per minute on the computer screen, which is only 5 words slower than normal person people write on paper.

“Thinking” and “Writing” are totally two different systems in our brain, but the mind-writing system can hold brings them together. which This uses a lot of advanced technology, for example, a computer technology. Any activity can be detected when T5 wants to write a sentence in his brain. Then, the sensor sends the signal to a computer which will turn this signal into text on the screen. Under the continuous development of science and technology, this system may turn text into brain activity of brain and help blind people to see again. It will be of great value if this system can turn work at the speed of thought normal people do.

2 – match the vocabulary word with its meaning
Paragraph 1
1. Paralyzed (E) a. Anything about the spine (backbone).
2. Decade (C) b. Very, very small.
3. Tiny (B) c. A period of ten years.
4. Anonymous (F) d. Normal; usual.
5. Spinal (A) e. Of a part of the body that the person cannot move.
6. Injury (G) f. Of a person not identified by name; of unknown name.
7. Average(D) g. An instance of being harmed or damaged.
Paragraph 2
8. Involved (M) h. A computer program that can calculate things or solve problems.
9. Sensor (K) i. Share or exchange information, news, or ideas.
10. Detect (N) j. Bring something back to the way it was before.
11. Algorithm(H) k. A small machine or device that can measure and record something.
12. Restore (J) l. How fast or slow something is.
13. Communicate (I) m. Having something as a necessary part or result.
14. Speed (L) n. Find whether or not something is there.

Chris, please pay close attention to using a/an/the for your nouns, and using the correct verb tense.