English file upper intermediate

He did not begin with the advantages that many people associate with success. He began with curiosity, books, observation, experiments, and persistence. His life does not prove that education, money, or connections are unimportant. They can provide enormous advantages. Faraday himself benefited from meeting Humphry Davy and gaining access to the Royal Institution. But his story shows that an unusual mind can emerge from an ordinary environment.

Michael Faraday: The Man Who Changed the World Without Wealth Michael Faraday was born in 1791 in London to a poor family. His father was a blacksmith, and Faraday never attended university. As a teenager, he worked as a bookbinder's apprentice. But he was deeply curious. Instead of only binding books, he read them, fell in love with science, and began doing simple experiments. His chance came when he attended Humphry Davy's lectures and sent Davy beautifully prepared notes. Davy was impressed and offered him a job at the Royal Institution. Faraday went on to discover electromagnetic induction, the principle behind electric generators and transformers. He also imagined "lines of force," an idea that later helped James Clerk Maxwell build his mathematical theories. And he turned down chances to get rich because discovery mattered more to him than money.

1. Why do crackers have holes? 🥨 The small holes in many crackers are called docking holes. They allow steam and moisture to escape during baking and help control how the dough expands. Without proper docking, crackers can develop unwanted bubbles and an uneven texture. Interestingly, the number and arrangement of holes are carefully designed depending on the type of cracker.

Pensive - thinking deeply She is thinking about friend in the hospital. She looks pensive.

recurrent — happening again after disappearing recurrent cancer — cancer that returns after treatment tumor — an abnormal mass of cells in the body The virus was injected directly into the tumor. cancer cell — a cell that grows and divides abnormally immune system — the body's system for fighting infections and other threats The treatment may activate the immune system. immune response — the reaction of the immune system to something it recognizes as harmful target — to direct an attack or treatment toward a particular thing

Can viruses fight cancer? What if one of the things we normally think of as a threat could be turned against cancer? A fascinating case involves Dr. Beata Halassy, a Croatian virologist and immunologist whose breast cancer returned for the third time. Instead of simply accepting that there were no more options, she investigated an experimental idea called oncolytic virotherapy — using viruses that can preferentially infect and destroy cancer cells. The basic idea is surprisingly clever: Some viruses naturally target certain types of cells. Scientists can potentially use this property to attack tumor cells. When tumor cells are damaged, the immune system may also be alerted to the presence of the cancer. This creates the possibility of a double attack: the virus damages the tumor while the immune system is encouraged to recognize and attack cancer cells. In Halassy's case, viruses were injected directly into her tumor as part of an experimental treatment. Reports describe the treatment as being followed by a strong immune response and a period without detectable disease. But there is an important distinction: This is not evidence that people can simply “cure cancer with viruses.” It was an unusual individual case and an experimental approach. Cancer is not one disease, and a treatment that works in one person does not automatically work for everyone. What makes the story fascinating is not simply that “a woman cured cancer.” It's that researchers are exploring ways to turn biology's own weapons against cancer. And this is where medicine gets particularly interesting: sometimes the question isn't “How do we destroy this thing?” but “Can we find something that already attacks it and redirect it?” Science doesn't advance because an idea sounds impossible. It advances when an unusual idea is tested carefully against evidence.

🧠 Can a Brain Cell Learn to Play a Game? Scientists have demonstrated that living brain cells can acquire rudimentary gaming skills when connected to a computer. In one experiment, researchers cultivated neurons in a laboratory and linked them to a simple computer game resembling Pong. The cells received electrical signals representing the position of the ball and, in turn, generated activity that influenced the movement of the paddle. What makes the experiment particularly intriguing is that the neurons were not explicitly programmed to recognise the rules of the game. Instead, they were placed in an environment in which their electrical activity produced consequences. When the paddle moved in a way that kept the game going, the cells received a more predictable and structured pattern of stimulation. When their activity became less effective, the feedback changed. Over time, the neural network began producing activity that was more consistent with successful gameplay. This does not necessarily mean that individual neurons were consciously "playing" the game. Rather, the researchers were observing adaptive behaviour emerging from a network of biological cells. The experiment offers a striking illustration of how nervous systems can modify their activity in response to feedback, even when no conventional computer code has been written to dictate every response. Nevertheless, the findings should not be overinterpreted. A small cluster of neurons responding adaptively to electrical stimulation is vastly different from a human brain understanding a game, forming intentions, or experiencing enjoyment. The significance of the research lies elsewhere: it raises questions about whether learning and intelligence might depend less on the complexity of individual components and more on the way those components interact with their environment. acquire — gain or develop a skill or ability rudimentary — basic and not highly developed cultivate — grow or develop something in turn — as a result of something that has just happened consequence — a result produced by an action predictable — able to be expected or anticipated adaptive — able to change in response to new conditions emerge — appear or develop gradually overinterpret — give something more meaning or importance than the evidence supports cluster — a small group of things close together stimulation — an action that causes a biological system to respond complexity — the state of having many interconnected or complicated parts

Most people know Harriet Tubman as the hero of the Underground Railroad. But do you know just how dangerous her missions really were? Born into slavery in Maryland, Harriet escaped in 1849. But instead of staying safe, she went back at least 13 times to rescue around 70 enslaved people—all while a $40,000 bounty hung over her head. Here’s the part most history books don’t tell you: as a child, Harriet suffered a serious head injury, causing seizures and visions. She believed these were warnings from God, guiding her through her daring rescues. During the Civil War, she became a spy and military scout, leading a raid that freed over 700 slaves in a single operation. And she wasn’t just fearless in battle. Tubman carried a pistol on missions, not only to protect herself but to push scared escapees to keep moving. Later, she fought for women’s right to vote and dreamed of opening a home for elderly African Americans.

Body language is important. Non-verbal communication exerts a profound influence on interpersonal dynamics, particularly in emotionally charged interactions.

Interpersonal interactions - Communication between people Vocal inflection - variation in tone or pitch of voice Non-verbal cues / signals - Communication without words (gestures, expressions) Reinforce - strength Marginal proportion - Very small percentage Indispensable - Absolutely necessary