Unit 3 Bursting the Magic Bubble

Procedures

i. Reading skill

ii. Fast reading

iii. Text

iv. Translation skills

v. Exercise

Alok Aha is a science correspondent at the Guardian. In addition to writing news and comment, he presents the Science Weekly podcast and looks after the Guardian's science website. A physics graduate from Imperial College London, he has been at the Guardian since the launch of the science supplement, Life, in 2003.

Author’s Profile

Para 1 - 6 Para 7 – 12Para 13 – 22Para 23 – 32Para 33 - 34

The Organization of the Text

Para 1 - 6 People’s interest in magic

First, shock; then, wonder, work out how it is

performed

(Scientists) Psychologists want to study magic/

magician, to unlock the mystery of consciousn

ess

• 1. Wiseman

• 2. Alfred Binet

• 3. Max Dessoir

• 4. Joseph Jastrow

People’s interest in magic

• 1. Wiseman——the youngest member of the

Magic Circle ,thought that magic can be a good

subject for psychologists to study

• 2. Alfred Binet——invented the modern IQ test

• 3. Max Dessoir——Revealed ways magicians

created illusions

• 4. Joseph Jastrow ——Explaining the mechanics of

some tricks

The Magic Circle

It is a British organization dedicated to magic. Its headquarters is in London, and professional magicians who want to join need to demonstrate their skills to existing members first.

Now, there are about 1500 members in 41 countries, including Charles, the Prince of Wales.

The Stanford Binet IQ Test

The Stanford Binet Intelligence Test was invented by Alfred Binet and his colleague Theodore Simon. It is a standardized test that assesses IQ and cognitive abilities in children and adults aged 2 to 23. It used a single number, known as the intelligence quotient (or IQ), to represent an individual's score on the test. This score was calculated by dividing the test taker's mental age by their chronological age, and then multiplying this number by 100. For example, a child with a mental age of 12 and a chronological age of 10 would have an IQ of 120 (12 /10 x 100).

The Stanford-Binet remains a popular assessment tool today, despite going through a number of revisions over the years since its inception.

Words in Para 1 - 6 Tinge with 带有；含有 Scramble 爬行 , 攀缘 , 抢夺 , 混乱 Rack one’s brains 绞尽脑汁 Surreal 超现实主义的 Houdini 霍迪尼，哈利： (1874-1926) 美国魔术师，以其能从锁链、手

铐、紧身衣及用挂锁锁住的箱子中逃脱而闻名 conjuror 魔术师 disruption 中断 , 分裂 , 瓦解 , 破坏 Map out 制订 At a loss 迷惑；不解 in full swing 热烈地进行 Alfred Binete[ 心 ] 比奈年龄 ( 指用比奈 - 西蒙智力测验法测定的心理年

龄 )

work out---to try to understand Other usages: The area can easily be worked out if you know the length and the breadth. ( 计算出， arrive at by calculation) We must work out a plan as quickly as we can. ( 制定，拟定 devise/draw up) We are working out a way to have a cheap ho- liday. ( 想出， think out)

But, not content with just enjoying the tricks, psychologists are now using their effects on the mind to work out how we handle the floods of sensory information coming into our brains and process it into a mental picture of the world around us.

但是，心理学家并不满足于欣赏魔术，现在，他们利用魔术对大脑的影响，来弄清楚我们如何处理进入大脑的大量感官信息，又如何将信息加工成大脑中我们周围世界的画面。

map out ---(in the text) to describe in detail. Other usages: The staff officers mapped out the area thoroughly. ( 在地图上标出， mark out on a map) We must map out our program step by step. ( 制定，安排， devise/arrange)

Para 7 - 12 How are people deceived by magicians?

A. With a high degree of skill and showmanship

B. Explanations

C. Examples A card trick The magician’s dexterity The coin drop trick Another trick

Words in Para 7 - 12

Showmanship 引起公众注意的技巧；演技 Blow away 强烈影响，征服 Dexterity 灵巧 , 机敏 Misdirection 指示错误 , 写错

in terms of ---(in the text) （ from the angle of ） Other usages: In terms of natural resources it is one of the poorest

countries in western Europe. ( 就。。。来说， as far as ...is/are concerned) Can you evaluate moral behavior in terms of money?

blow away---(in the text) to make sb greatly surprised

Other usages: The wind blew away the clothes that were hanging on

the line. ( 吹走， move sth away by wind) The mist soon blew away and the sun came out again. ( 消散，驱散， clear off, dissipate)

Para 7 - 12Para 7 - 12

How are people deceived by magicians?

Dexterity

Audience’s participation

Misdirecting attention

Detailed instruction

1. Wiseman: “Magic is all about

convincing others that the impossible has just happened. And that deception is achieved with a high degree of skill and showmanship.”

1) The dexterity is important. 2) There is a really detailed instruction on how to perform magic. 3) The audience is also vital participant in the deception.

2. All the factors above make the misdirection: “Magicians seem to be able to carry out secret

actions in front of their audience without being spotted.”

Why people don't perceive those actions? (Coin drop trick and ball trick) Because magicians misdirect the audience’s

attention.

How our minds interpret the world around us?

Para 13 - 22 The use of the tricks to understand how our minds interpret the world

Manipulation of our consciousness

a. Explained by Wiseman (how)

a) To construct a narrative (para. 14)

b) A massive construction base on expectations (para. 21)

b. Explained by Kuhn (how)

a) Filter out sensory input

b) An example (a trick)

c) Receive high-quality info. from the area we are fixated on

d) Look close

e) Misdirection of an audience

Words in Para 13 - 22 Manipulate 操纵 Filter out 过滤 , 滤除 Sensory 感官的 Impoverish 使贫穷 , 使枯竭 Sleight 技巧 , 手法 , 诡计 , 熟练 Lap( 坐时的 ) 大腿前部 , 膝盖 Spectator 观众 ( 指比赛或表演 ) Eye tracker 眼球跟踪器 Fixate on 使固定 , 注视 , 凝视 , 集中 ( 眼 ) 力 Impair 削弱 , 损害 Psychokinetic 心理运动 Sleight of hand 戏法 , 熟练手法 , 花招 , 诡计 Static shot 静态的镜头 voiceover 画外音

1. Theoretical basis: Magicians are manipulating your

consciousness. They are showing you something impossible.

2. Methodology: cigarette trick and eye tracker

3. Results: simply staring at the location of the deception

was not enough for people to discover how the trick happened.

Para13 -22

Kuhn’s Research– Unlocking the mysteries of

consciousness:4. Conclusion:

Misdirection of an audience, therefore, depends on more than just making people look the wrong way - the truly successful magician misdirects attention.

BACK

What it shows is just how much of the picture in our head of our surroundings is a massive construction, based on expectations, what we think is important, what we normally encounter and so on.”

这证明，我们大脑中周围环境的画面在多大程度上是一个巨大的构建，这个构建的基础是各种期待，如我们以为重要的东西，我们通常遇到的事物，等等。

Words in Para 23 - 32 Be immune to 不受影响的；没有反应的： Autism[ 心 ] 自我中心主义 , 孤独症 Gauge 评估；判断： Magnetic resonance imaging machines 磁共振成像机 Dorsal 背的 , 脊的 lateral 横 ( 向 ) 的 , 侧面的 prefrontal[ 解 ] 额叶前部的 , 前额的 cortex( 脑或肾的 ) 皮层 , 皮质 Dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex The anterior 头部附近的 , 前面的：位于前部的，前面的 cingulate( 昆虫腹部 ) 有色带环绕的 The anterior cingulate incongruous 不调和的 , 不一致的 Immediate environment 直觉环境 a split second 瞬间 / the exact moment / the magic spot 奇异斑点

Para 23 - 32 Other forms of suggestions

1. Guide people’s eye movements

2. Study the brain

a. Conduct an experiment

b. What to study

a. The dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex

b. The anterior cingulate

c. Result: a split second / the exact moment / the magic spot

look up---(in the text) to raise one's eyes Other usages ： He asked me to look up the book and send it to him. ( 寻找 : search for) If there are words you do not understand, look them

up in the dictionary. ( 在词典或参考书中查找， search for in a dictionary

/ a reference book)

end up---(in the text) to reach a final situation Other usages: Their sweat irrigated the landlord's fields,yet they

ended up with empty hands. ( 结束， come to an end) The runaway prisoner ended up in a ditch. (die/be killed)

Para 33 – 34 A gradual understanding of tricks

1. Worry (will it lose power?) no, why?

2. Benefits for the practitioners

Words in Para 33- 34 come to grips with 努力对付；认真谈论 (= get to

grips with) Juggling(=jugglery) 欺骗 , 杂耍 Juggler 变戏法者 , 行骗者 Practitioner 从业者 , 开业者 Fallible 易错的 , 可能犯错的 Get away with 侥幸成功 , 逃脱处罚

get away with-----(in the text) to cheat without being discovered

Other usages: You won't be able to get away with that story; no one

will believe it. ( 假造了托辞、谎言等而不被质问或怀疑 ) The thieves got away with the contents of the safe. ( 赃把物卷起，偷走 steal and escape with....)

Assignments:

1. Watch the video clip Derran Brown 的心灵魔术 ---俄罗斯轮盘赌完整版： http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMjMyNzEyMTA0.html

2. Exercises following the text