CHAPTER 1 Nouns (6! 1, Introduction: The Brain Tho brain can store 100 tion piooos of informaton In each second the brain receives mac than 100 rnillon nerve messages from the body, pate The brain loses iiss 4,000 eats per cay, which are not replaced, and yet memories fre maintaired. ‘Tho train cannot feo! pain. a surgeon oparatos ‘on the bra, the paaent feels no pain During the first six monthe ofa baby’s fe, "ts brain doubos In azo. ‘The human brain weighs about 3.5 pounds, A mars brain's heater than a woman's brain ‘Tho brain woighs one ftieth as ‘much as the body, but use one-fourth (25 porcont) of ho bodys oxygen, “The left ide ofthe —brein controls tho Fight ido ofthe boo: tne right side of the brain controls the lft side ofthe body. malas “The let brain controls math, language, and logic. The right brain controls art, elo, anc music.iS) exercise 1 Nouns are tested on the TOEFL® Test. Complete the sentences with nouns. 1. The brain stores 100 trilion pieces of 2. Men's brains are heavier than brains. 3. The brain uses one-quarter, or ofthe bodys oxygen. 4, The lett brain controls math, and i 5. The tight brain controls color, sand i 6, The human brain weighs about 3.5 \ 7. The brain cannot feel 8. The brain receives more than 100 messages from the body. fae: ' [hi exercise 2 From the reading work out whether these statements are true or false, Check T for true and F for false. ‘The weight of the brain depends on intelligence, T ‘A jazz musician has a dominant right brain, A left-handed person has a dominant left brain. When you play a game of chess, you use the left side of your brain. Your lost brain cells are always replaced. The brain feels pain when you have a headache. 4a4aa manaRS $y! 2. Grammar: Singular and Plural Nouns Nouns can be classified into two groups: count nouns, which can be counted and which take an s, and noncount nouns, which cannot be counted and which usually do not take an s. STRATEGY Look for a noncount noun that is pluralized where it generally should not be. Look at the following table: Singular Plural Count noun acell cells one cell two cells some cells alot of cells ‘many cells Noncount noun —_ information some information allot of information much information Count nouns 1, Take a/an or one in the singular. 2, Usually take a final s/es in the plural. Noncount nouns 1. Donot take a/an in the singular. 2. Donot generally have a plural form. ‘Some count nouns are irregular and do not take an s in the plural. Here are some common irregular count nouns: man—men foot—feet ‘woman—women tooth—teeth child—children fish—fish, ieee eee ee eee eee eee ee eee eeNoncount nouns cannot be counted because they come in a mass or in an uncountable form. Nouns such as blood, music, and excitement cannot be counted. The following is a short list of some oncount nouns: Food: rice, sugar, fruit, milk, bread, butter, cheese Fluids: blood, water, oil, coffee, tea, gasoline Raw materials: wood, paper, glass, iron, silver, wool Gases pollution, steam General: furniture, mail, money, traffic, equipment oxygen, nitrogen, ai Groups: jewelry, machinery, luggage, clothing, cash Languages: English, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish Academic subjects: chemistry, mathem: Abstract things: education, health, 's, psychology ntelligence, beauty, knowledge, sleep, hope, music, time A. Quantifiers A quantifier is a word that indicates an amount or quantity. 1. Some quantifiers are used only with plural count nouns. both many afew — several fewer They are controlled by several nerves. We have Fewer cells as we get older. 2. Some quantifiers are used only with singular count nouns, another each every Each gland has a different purpose. Every muscle has its own group of nerves 3. Some quantifiers are used only with noncount nouns, alittle much less amount ‘The amount of oxygen available fo the brain is important. If your brain gets less oxygen than it needs, you could become unconscious. 4. Some quantifiers are used with both plural count nouns and noncount nouns. all plenty of any. alotof enough most lotsof some more Brain cells use up a lot of energy. Most animals rely on instinct. NIG exercise 3 Correct the errors in noun forms inthe following sentences. 1. Intelligence is the ability to use thought and knowledges to understand things and solve problems. 2. Hormones help adjust the mixture of sugar, salt, and waters in your body. 6Psychology, meaning the study of the mind and how it works, comes from a Greek word meaning lifes or soul Brain cells use up a lot of energy, so they need a constant supply of oxygens. Each hemisphere of the brain receives informations about the opposite side ofthe visual field ‘Although milions of brain neurons are active at any one time, they do not use much electric powers. Lights entering the eye forms an image on 130 millon tiny light celts. Most animal are not able to rely on learning and memory. B. Compound Nouns STRATEGY Look for compound nouns in which both nouns are pluralized, instead of just the second noun. Compound nouns are two nouns that are used together to make one word or Idea. The first noun. acts as an adjective to the second noun and usually does not take s. The second noun can be plural. brain cett brain wave computer scientists Compound nouns may also be used with number expressions. STRATEGY Beware of compound nouns with numbers, where the compound noun used as an adjective may be in the plural form! The brain uses as much power as a ten-watt lightbulb. (noun used as an adjective) The brain uses as much power as a lightbulb of ten watts, (noun used as a noun) He recited a 16,000-page book from memory, (noun used as an adjective) He recited a book of 16,000 pages from memory. (noun used as a noun) C. Numbers STRATEGY When you see nouns involving numbers, such as hundred, thousand, or million, make sure that they are not in the plural form when they follow numbers. Numbers such as fundred, thousand, million, and trillion are plural when there are no numbers before them, ‘The brain receives 100 million messages a second, The brain stores trillions of messages.Correct the errors in the following sentences. “The brain contains between 10 tiions and 100 Each neuron is linked by synapses to thousand of oth Nerves endings below the skin's surface pick up sens owe arene ‘The brain uses 25 percents of the blood’s oxygen. People's brains weigh more now than they did 100 year ago. Nerves impulses can travel at speeds of up to 488 feet per second. jons neurons. ier neurons. ations of cold, heat, and touch. ‘There are three to four millions pain receptors in the skin. ‘A three:years-old cle’ brain is two-thirds the size it wil nally Be.Hi) 3. On the TOEFL® Test Nouns are tested in the Written Expression section of the exam. Check for the following types of errors with nouns. 1. Anoncount noun may be pluralized. ex Ima person's etme, the brain can store L00 tion pieges of infaxmations. E D ‘The correct answer is (D); information is a noncount noun and cannot be plural 2. Aplural noun may be used when the verb or phrase requires a singular noun, ex: Each,part of the balns controls a separate pat of the hog ‘The best answer is (B); a singular noun brain must be used with “part of the.” 3. A singular noun may be used when the verb requires a plural noun. ex: Human brain are more powerful than those of ather species because of thelr complex, A B c D ‘The correct answer is (A); a plural noun brains must be used because the verb are is, plural 4, In compound nouns where two nouns are used together, both nouns may be pluralized instead of just the second noun. ex Baling cells dle atthe rate of 100,000 per day by ae 60, and they are not replaced lke A B other body cells. D The correct answer is (A); the correct form is brain cells, In compound nouns involving numbers and measurements, the compound noun used as an adjective may be in the plural form, or Magis thres-nounels bral isthe most complex and orderly rangement of matter in. the universe, ‘The best answer Is (B); when a compound noun is used as an adjective, itis singular, Therefore the correct answer is three-pound.6. When noun phrases involving a number such as hundred, thousand, or million follow another number, the plural form may be used. ex: The brain loses fifty thousands neurons a day and yet maintains its basic patterns A B c and memories. D ‘The best answer is (A); the singular form thousand should be used when it follows a number. 108! 4, Exercises on Nouns Ditections: From the four underlined words or phrases (A), (B), (C), oF (0), identify the one that is not correct. +. Thepotato was the staple of reland, and when the grap faled in 1840, there was mass A starvations. 2 Shark can maneuver considerably faster than oiler fgh because they have ng bones. 8. Athough sugarcane and sugar bast ok very diferent the saa tats refined from them tastes most the game. 4 Tendles industries are as widespread as {00d ingustins because both supalybasie human needs, 5. Many animal soeciss ar totaly colorstind, but the condition is very rare in humans 6 ut lulls is mado up of sight arial end ourten facial panos, 7. Diamonds, which s about 40 tunes as hard as tale is made up of pure gatbon 8. The guzans contain about 97 pauent of the work's water supoly, and about another 2 percent of ‘he world's water supply sings 9. Brainwaves patiers vary among different people and in different activities. A B Cc D 10. The ancestor of todays harse was alte mammal called eohippus, which first appeared 54 millions years ago. c D 11. Lasers are of great value in aroas such as communications, indie, maging, and ‘Scientifics research. D 12 DingSauts are classitied as cepts, although some anpear to have been warms-blooded A Cc D mn |