Unit 9A The Teenage Brain

Different stages of a human life

Only 引导的状语，起强调作用。为了突出时间状语、条件状语、方式状语等，
所以把状语放在句首，把主语谓语放在后面。因为句子的顺序反了，所以中间
要加一个助动词提醒读者。

• Only when he apologized did she forgive him.

• Only if you study hard will you pass the exam.

• Only by working together can we solve this problem.

• Only after the storm was over did they go outside.

• Only in this case will I make an exception.

This "upgrade“ was once thought to be finished by about age 12. Now scientists
have concluded that our brains continue to change until age 25.
今昔对比是一种非常有用的论述工具。通常我们会笼统地说某某东西变了，但是这样的句
子苍白无力。把英语文章写好的重要方法就是活用抽象句和具体句，这样文章会显得层次
分明。
例句：
• He once dreamed of becoming a doctor. Now he is a successful lawyer.
• She used to be afraid of dogs. Now she has two of them as pets.
• They once lived in a small apartment. Now they own a big house.
• We used to think that the earth was flat. Now we know that it is round.

今日仿写段落：
Recently, scientists discovered that though our brains are almost at their full
size by the age of six, they are far from fully developed. Only during
adolescence do our brains truly “grow up.” During this time, they go through
great changes, like a computer system being upgraded. This “upgrade” was
once thought to be finished by about age 12. Now, scientists have concluded
that our brains continue to change until age 25. Such changes make us better at
balancing our impulses with the need to follow rules. However, a still-developing
brain does this clumsily.The result, scientists claim, is the unpredictable behavior
seen in teenagers.

仿写要求，第一句讲述最近的一个科技发现，可以说的笼统一些。后面可以对这个发现进
行详述。利用今昔对比的句子结构，凸显过去的科学观点和当今的观点有何不同。不用刻
意凑齐原文的句子数量，只要能够表达清楚自己的观点即可。

仿写参考：
Recently, linguists discovered that though our language abilities are almost at
their peak by the age of 20, they are far from static. Only during adulthood do our
languages truly “evolve.” During this time, they go through subtle changes, like
a software system being updated. This “update” was once thought to be
negligible by about age 40. Now, linguists have concluded that our languages
continue to change until age 65. Such changes make us better at adapting our
speech to different contexts and audiences. However, a still-changing language
does this inconsistently. The result, linguists claim, is the variation and diversity
seen in human languages.

人的大脑是如何通过权衡风险和回报来判断是否应该做某事的？
Risk and reward are two important factors that influence our behavior and
decision-making. Risk is the possibility of losing something valuable, while reward
is the possibility of gaining something valuable. Our brain constantly evaluates the
potential risks and rewards of different actions and chooses the one that
maximizes our benefit or minimizes our loss.

The system that our brain uses to measure risk and reward involves several brain
regions and pathways that communicate with each other using a chemical
messenger called dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is associated
with pleasure, motivation, and learning. When we experience something
rewarding, such as food, sex, or money, our brain releases more dopamine, which
makes us feel good and reinforces our behavior. When we experience something
risky, such as pain, danger, or loss, our brain releases less dopamine, which makes
us feel bad and discourages our behavior.

和 social 同根词的区分
• Socialize v. 社 交 : This is a verb that means to interact with other people,
especially for pleasure or learning. For example: "She likes to socialize with her
friends after school." "He needs to socialize his dog more often."

• Social adj. 社 会 的 ， 社 交 的 : This is an adjective that means relating to society,

human relationships, or activities that involve people. For example: "Social media
is a popular way to communicate online." "He is a very social person who enjoys
parties."

• Society n.社会: This is a noun that means a group of people who live together in
a more or less organized way, sharing a culture, norms, and values. For example:
"American society is very diverse and multicultural." "He is a member of the chess
society at his school."

• Sociable adj.乐于社交的: This is an adjective that means friendly, outgoing, and

willing to talk to other people. For example: "She is a very sociable girl who makes
friends easily." "He prefers to work alone rather than in a sociable environment."

• Sociology n. 社 会 学 : This is a noun that means the scientific study of human

society, social behavior, and social problems. For example: "She is majoring in
sociology at college." "He is interested in the sociology of religion."

• Fill in the blanks with the appropriate word: socialize, social, society, sociable, or
sociology.

1. He likes to read books about _________ and learn about different cultures and
issues.
2. She is not very _________ and prefers to stay at home rather than go out with
others.
3. He wants to _________ more with his classmates and join some clubs and
activities.
4. She is studying the _________ aspects of health and illness, such as how people
cope with diseases and stigma.
5. He lives in a rural _________ where everyone knows each other and helps each
other.
• Choose the correct word to complete the sentence: socialize, social, society,
sociable, or sociology.

1. He is a _________ worker who helps people with various problems and needs.
2. She is fascinated by the _________ of crime and deviance, and how people break
or follow the rules.
3. He is very _________ and always invites people over for dinner or drinks.
4. She likes to _________ with her colleagues during lunch breaks and chat about
various topics.
5. He lives in a modern _________ where technology and innovation are very
important.