Lecture (Level 3) – What is so special about the human brain?

by Suzana Herculano-Houzel

Associate Professor at the Federal University of Rio De Janeiro.  She is the author of six books on  the neuroscience of everyday life.  Suzana also appears on TV as the host of Neurologica.

 

First preview the vocabulary below.  Then do the exercise by first reading a single question and then listening for the answer.  When you hear the answer, pause the video and answer the question.  Then read the next question and do the same thing.  If you get the answer wrong, then go back to where the answer is given and listen again.

Your Score:  

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Vocabulary:

mammalian:  of mammals, the kind of animal that includes dogs, horses and humans
neurons:  brain cells
proportional:  equal
cognitive ability:  brain power
cerebral cortex:  the front part of the brain
complex:  complicated, not simple
vexing:  annoying
calories:  units of food energy
evolution:  the slow changing of an animal species
more modest:  smaller
literature:  written things about a topic
dissolving:  disappearing in tiny pieces in water
nuclei:  the center parts of cells [singular = nucleus]
agitate:  shake
homogeneous:  being the same throughout the mixture
rodents:  animals such as rats or mice
primates:  animals such as monkeys, apes and humans
calculate:  find the answer using math
generic: typical
function of:  result of
raw:  uncooked
limitation:  anything that limits something else
feeding:  eating
feasible:  practical or possible
liability:  negative thing
asset:  positive thing
© 2014 Ambien Malecot

 

Lecture (Level 1) – The magic of Fibonacci numbers

by Arthur Benjamin

professor of math at Harvey Mudd College and entertainer using the title “Mathemagician,”  where he performs mental calculations, memorizations and other math magic.

First preview the vocabulary below.  Then do the exercise by first reading a single question and then listening for the answer.  When you hear the answer, pause the video and answer the question.  Then read the next question and do the same thing.  If you get the answer wrong, then go back to where the answer is given and listen again.

Your Score:  

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Vocabulary:

essentially:  basically
calculation:  adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing
application:  making use of math in the real world
inspiration:  getting surprising answers
patterns:  numbers that repeat
motivated:  making students want to learn
and so on:  and it continues
square:  multiply a number by the same number
consecutive:  one followed by the next
rectangle:  a long square
sum:  the result of adding things together
generate:  make
ratio:  the relationship between 2 numbers

 

More info on Leonardo Fibonacci:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fibonacci

Arthur Benjamin’s website:  https://www.math.hmc.edu/~benjamin/

© 2014 Ambien Malecot

Lecture (Level 1) – Global Population Growth

by Hans Rosling

a Swedish medical doctor, academic and public speaker.  He is Professor of International Health at the Karolinska Institute, a medical university just outside Stockholm.

 

First preview the vocabulary below.  Then do the exercise by first reading a single question and then listening for the answer.  When you hear the answer, pause the video and answer the question.  Then read the next question and do the same thing.  If you get the answer wrong, then go back to where the answer is given and listen again.

Your Score:  

Your Ranking:  

Vocabulary:

gap:  distance between two things
aspirations:  things you want to get
the West:  developed countries
mindset:  the way you think
acquired:  bought
emerging:  catching up with the leaders
projection:  an educated guess about the future
invest:  put money into
in process:  already happening
bubble:  circle

© 2014 Ambien Malecot

Lecture (Level 1) – Success is a continuous journey

by Richard St. John

a researcher, having interviewed over 500 successful people, and inspirational speaker.  He has a black belt in judo, and is a runner, a cyclist, and a mountain climber.

 

First preview the vocabulary below.  Then do the exercise by first reading a single question and then listening for the answer.  When you hear the answer, pause the video and answer the question.  Then read the next question and do the same thing.  If you get the answer wrong, then go back to where the answer is given and listen again.

Your Score:  

Your Ranking:  

Vocabulary:

made it:  became successful
comfort zone:  the place where we feel most comfortable
go downhill:  become unsuccessful
I figured:  I thought
coming up with:  thinking of
hot shot guy:  very important person
ignored:  didn’t focus on
distracted:  not focusing on the right thing
antidepressants:  medicine that makes you feel happy, like Prozac
black cloud:  bad feelings
clients:  people who buy your service
sustain it:  keep it going

© 2014 Ambien Malecot

 

Lecture (Level 1) – Try Something New for 30 Days

by Matt Cutts

head of the Webspam team at Google, a company he joined as a software engineer in 2000.  He wrote the first version of SafeSearch, Google’s parental control program.

 

First preview the vocabulary below.  Then do the exercise by first reading a single question and then listening for the answer.  When you hear the answer, pause the video and answer the question.  Then read the next question and do the same thing.  If you get the answer wrong, then go back to where the answer is given and listen again.

Your Score:  

Your Ranking:  

Vocabulary:

in a rut:  doing the same things day after day (idiom)
follow in the footsteps:  do the same thing as another person (idiom)
it turns out:  the result is (idiom)
habit:  an activity that you do without thinking
subtract:  stop doing
challenges:  difficult actions
(time) flying by:  (time) passing quickly (idiom)
memorable:  easy to remember
self-confidence:  feeling of being able to do things
computer nerd:  a person who knows computers really well
adventurous:  willing to do new things
novel:  a book created by someone’s imagination
from scratch:  from nothing (idiom)
sleep deprived:  not getting enough sleep
awful:  terrible
sustainable:  lasting for a long time
stick:  continue forever
guarantee:  promise
give it a shot:  try it, do it (idiom)
© 2014 Ambien Malecot

 

Lecture (Level 1) – How to succeed

by Arianna Huffington

a Greek-American author best known for her news website The Huffington Post.  She was named number 12 in Forbes’ Magazine’s first-ever list of the Most Influential Women in Media.

 

 

First preview the vocabulary below.  Then do the exercise by first reading a single question and then listening for the answer.  When you hear the answer, pause the video and answer the question.  Then read the next question and do the same thing.  If you get the answer wrong, then go back to where the answer is given and listen again.

Your Score:  

Your Ranking:  

Vocabulary:

dormant:  present but not active
Type A:  people who work long hours everyday
sleep deprived:  not getting enough sleep
fainted:  fell to the ground unconscious
exhaustion:  having no energy at all
stitches:  sewing of the skin
productive:  doing more things
inspired:  having a lot of motivation
lead the way:  go first
virility symbol:  a thing that makes a man feel masculine
bragged:  said proudly
brilliant:  very smart
IQ:  intelligence quotient, smartness
crises:  dangerous situations
gratitude:  thankfulness
effectiveness:  ability to work well
urge:  strongly want
© 2014 Ambien Malecot

Lecture (Level 2) – The 3 A’s of awesome

by Neil Pasricha

a blogger whose blog, “1000 Awesome Things,” is visited by millions of people.  The blog shows people the free, easy joys that make life sweet.  His blog has won two Webby Awards, the Internet’s highest honor.

First preview the vocabulary below.  Then do the exercise by first reading a single question and then listening for the answer.  When you hear the answer, pause the video and answer the question.  Then read the next question and do the same thing.  If you get the answer wrong, then go back to where the answer is given and listen again.

Your Score:  

Your Ranking:  

Vocabulary:

taking for granted:  accepting as normal
settled down:  decided to live in one place
sitcom:  funny TV show
tougher:  harder, more difficult
heavy:  serious
brink:  edge
collapse:  death, end
livelihoods:  ways to make money
challenging:  difficul
dark clouds:  sadness
the positives:  the good things
mood: general feeling
blogs:  websites where someone keeps adding new things
skyrocket:  go up very fast
fake:  not real
overshadowed:  made less importance
lumps and bumps:  troubles
doom and gloom:  hopelessness, sadness
move forward:  leave the past behind
hanging out with:  being with
centerpiece:  flowers in the middle of the table
embracing:  loving
authenticity:  being yourself
NFL:  National Football League
chicks:  women
fulfilled:  satisfied with life
atlas:  a book of maps of the world
fleeting:  passing quickly
© 2014 Ambien Malecot

Lecture (Level 1) – Aimee Mullins’s legs

Aimee Mullins learned to walk on artificial legs and then run.  She broke records at the Paralympic Games in 1996.   She is a model, actor, and supporter of women and sports.

 

 

First preview the vocabulary below.  Then do the exercise by first reading a single question and then listening for the answer.  When you hear the answer, pause the video and answer the question.  Then read the next question and do the same thing.  If you get the answer wrong, then go back to where the answer is given and listen again.

Your Score:  

Your Ranking:  

Vocabulary:

curious:  wanting to know
influences:  teaches indirectly
unruly:  without order, too excited
disabled:  unable to do normal things like walking
potential:  possibilities
attendees:  people who attend a conference
decade:  a period of ten years
form:  the shape of something
function:  what something does
aesthetics:  the beauty of something
numerous:  a large number, many
prosthetic:  an artificial body part
stunning:  very beautiful
transform:  change
polyurethane: a kind of plastic
door jams:  the top of doors
profoundly: very much
augmentation:  becoming better than normal

© 2014 Ambien Malecot