Passage 38
学霸导读 “终结者”真的来了吗？半机器人能给人类带来什么样的启示呢？
Cybermen， Robocop， The Terminator （ 终结者 ）： anyone f 1 with science f iction will be all too aware of the concept of the cyborg （ 半机器人 ）.
The term was f irst used in 1960 by scientists Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline in reference to an enhanced （ 增强的 ） human that could survive in extraterrestrial （ 地球外的 ） environments. The cybernetic organism （ 神经机械有机体 ） —to give it its full name—is a combination of biology and technology， a living being with computerized or mechanical implants designed to r 2 or enhance parts of their existing body.
Cyborgs are no longer just found in f ilms and comic books； they’re very real， with enhancements in technology making it f 3 easier， and safer， to graft （ 嫁接 ） technology into living creatures， from insects right up to human beings.
Advancements （ 进步 ） in motorized （ 机 动 的 ） limbs （ 四 肢 ） have created replacement （ 替换品 ） arms and legs that can respond to nerve impulses （ 神经脉冲 ） in the same way as a biological limb.
In 2016 the f irst-ever Cyborg Olympics took place in Switzerland， where some of this amazing tech was put to the test， f 4 an exoskeleton—a frame that goes over your body and moves your limbs for you—designed by NASA that allowed a paraplegic （ 截瘫者 ） to walk， to a motorized arm that one competitor was able to use for a range of tasks just by thinking about it， including c 5 a jigsaw puzzle （ 拼图 ） and slicing a loaf of bread.
It’s not just the need to replace injured or missing limbs that’s driving things forward, but also trends. “Biohacking” is where people implant technology into their body.
K 6 as “body hacks”， these have included implanting magnets （ 磁铁 ） and near f ield communication （ NFC ） chips， like those you use for wirelessly charging your phone， in f ingers that can be programmed to open car doors or link to a website， or computer chips implanted in other parts of the body that can monitor things like temperature.
But many experts see the future of cyborgs being not just about improving our bodies with things like robotic arms, but also implanting things into our b 7 . This f ield of research is looking at how we can use things like neural memory implants as a cure for Alzheimer’s disease.
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高频词汇
aware /ə'weər/ adj. 意识到的；明白的；知道的
implant /ɪm'plɑːnt/ v. & n. （手术中） 植入，移植；植入物
enhance /ɪn'hɑːns/ v. 提高；增强
wirelessly /'waɪələsli/ adv. 无线地
monitor /'mɒnɪtər/ v. 监控；监测；监视，密切注视