Задание
Прочитай текст и выполни задания 12–18. В каждом задании запиши в поле ответа цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую выбранному варианту ответа.
The conundrum of consciousness
Consciousness embodies everything that we experience. However, attempting to understand consciousness has proved to be anything but simple for scientists. Our brain is an incredibly complex organ consisting of around 100 billion cells called neurons, which are each connected to 10,000 others. This results in an intricate network of over ten trillion nerve connections. Despite our vast understanding of the brain and how it works to produce human behaviour, scientists are no closer to figuring out how this mass of tissue that sits nestled comfortably within our skull can give rise to what we know to be our consciousness.
How does the feeling of loneliness stem from the constant firing of chemical and electrical signals between neurons in our brain? How does this mass of neural tissue function in order to allow us to experience the sensation of itchiness? The short answer is — we don't know yet.
The conundrum of consciousness appears to sit right on the boundary of philosophy and science, leading researchers to question whether conventional scientific methods will ever be able to solve this mystery.
Taking the philosophical approach, we can trace the problem of comprehending the nature of consciousness and its properties all the way back to the initial work of the 17th century French philosopher, Rene Descartes. Descartes states that consciousness resides within an immaterial domain he termed res cognitans, or the realm of thought, as opposed to the domain of material things, which he termed res extensa, or the realm of extension. Descartes believed that the interaction between the two domains occurred within the brain. Effectively, this theory assumed that the physical body is separate from the mind. Aside from this first answer to the problem of consciousness, Descartes is also credited with giving us the most famous summary of human consciousness: "I think, therefore I am." Other philosophers, such as Karl Marx and John Locke, rejected this mind-body theory and claimed that consciousness, and therefore personal identity, is not tied to any substance.
Today, researchers studying human consciousness are primarily focused on what consciousness means in both a biological and a psychological sense. The majority of the experiments done in this field rely heavily on the assessment of verbal responses given by test subjects, which brings in the risk of subjectivity. In order to determine the accuracy, scientists must compare these verbal reports to any corresponding activity simultaneously occurring in the brain. That is, they are looking for neural correlates of consciousness (NCC). NCC is defined as the minimal amount of observable neural mechanism that is required for any sort of conscious experience to occur. For example, what must happen in your brain when you experience a sense of calm after yoga?
Research into defining the NCC has observed that the seat of consciousness is much narrower than previously thought. In cases of extreme trauma, it has been seen that such individuals still retain their consciousness. Data from some cases point to the cerebral cortex of the brain as the place where consciousness appears to generate. The cortex appears to be responsible for processing not only sights and sounds, but also all the other sensations of life.
The study of the brain is not the only area that researchers are exploring when it comes to the science behind consciousness. A theory termed Integrated information theory (IIT) postulates that each experience triggers a specific response which is unique to the individual having the experience. Thus, IIT states that there is a cause-and-effect relationship between the properties of such experiences and the complex mechanisms our brains undertake. IIT also predicts that the complexities of human consciousness cannot be replicated digitally. This means that any attempts of programming a computer with consciousness will not yield positive results.
Ultimately, the science behind consciousness currently lies in a state of uncertainties and yet to be proven theories. Perhaps the continued advance of technology will allow this research to progress and, one day, solve one of life's biggest conundrums: how an unassuming lump of grey jelly can emanate the feeling of life.
12. What do we know from the first paragraph?
1) The size of the brain usually follows the size of the consciousness.
2) Scientists don't know much about brains.
3) Consciousness is made up of nerve connections.
4) Consciousness is hard to describe scientifically.
13.The word "conundrum" ("The conundrum of consciousness…") in the 4th paragraph is synonymous to…
1) mystery.
2) jigsaw.
3) hardship.
4) confusion.
14.Which of the following sentences is TRUE?
1) Karl Marx and John Locke were the first to start talking about consciousness as a substance.
2) Rene Descartes believed that consciousness resided in the brain.
3) Karl Marx and John Locke created the mind-body theory.
4) Rene Descartes believed in the absolute truth, the existence of matter.
15. We can't fully trust experiments on a biological and a psychological sense of consciousness because…
1) the methods are old-fashioned.
2) these experiments are conducted on humans.
3) these experiments failed to confirm the hypothesis.
4) these experiments do not match with what we now know about consciousness.
16.What have scientists found out about the seat of consciousness?
1) The seat of consciousness is impossible to identify because it is quite narrow.
2) Consciousness is not located in the brain.
3) Consciousness is located in the middle of the brain.
4) Consciousness is probably located in the layer responsible for sensory experiences.
17.According to integrated information theory, …
1) scientists have the ability to create a robot with consciousness.
2) each person has their own experiences.
3) people's brains and experiences are in correlation with each other.
4) there is a cause-and-effect relationship between the structure of the brain and consciousness.
18.What does the author imply in the last paragraph?
1) At this stage of science, we can't say anything certain about consciousness.
2) If we understand consciousness, it will be possible to experience deeper and stronger feelings.
3) The puzzle of consciousness will soon be solved.
4) It is unlikely that scientists will one day make progress in the study of consciousness.