1. Feels like it’s real

The COVID-19 pandemic has made people more concerned about physical contact. Social distancing rules force us to stop hugging and shaking hands. Is it possible for us to feel the sense of touch without actually touching anything? Researchers are trying to make this happen.

According to Science News, our body’s sense of touch is complex. Every time we touch something, nerve receptors (神经受体) receive signals about texture (质地), temperature and more. These signals tell our brain if something is smooth or rough, wet or dry. 

The goal for haptic (触觉的) scientists is to mimic (模拟) touch sensations. For example, John Rogers and his team from Northwestern University, US, have developed touch patches that can stick to people’s skin. The patches vibrate (震动) when they receive signals, giving people the feeling of stroking or tapping something.

This skin patch can be used in telemedicine (远程医疗) in the future, according to Rogers. It can store data that is collected from a patient’s body. Then the data will be translated into sensations. When doctors distantly receive these sensations, they can feel like they are touching the patient’s body with their hands. 

People with prostheses (假肢) could also benefit from this. In one study, researchers from University of Chicago, US, built sensors into bionic (仿生的) hands. Three people who had lost a hand tested the bionic hands. They felt a sensation of touch when the thumb was touched. 

Some researchers are also working on computer screens that can mimic different textures. “Ideally, in the long run, if you’re shopping online, you could feel fabric (织物),” said Cynthia Hipwell, a mechanical engineer at Texas A&M University, US.

Teaching procedures:

I. Warm up

Do you like buying clothes on online? Why or why not?

What would it be like if you could feel the clothes before buying them?

II. Reading

Pre-reading

Look at the title and predict. What will this article be about?

Fast reading

Read fast and answer the question:

Is it possible for us to feel the sense of touch without actually touching anything?

What is the topic of the passage?    D

A. Brain science.

B. Social distancing.

C. Medical development.

D. The sense of touch.

Careful reading

1. What is Paragraph 2 about?    B

A. The latest news from the world of science. 

B. How our body’s sense of touch works.

C. Why nerve receptors can receive signals.

D. What the sense of touch tells us about our body.

How does our body’ s sense of touch work?

2. How does the skin patch give people a feeling of touching something?   C

A. By sticking to people’s skin.

B. By sending signals to another patch.

C. By vibrating while receiving signals.

D. By tapping against the skin while being touched.

3. According to the passage, what can the skin patch be used to do in the future?   C

a. Treat patients remotely.

b. Test the quality of bionic hands.

c. Give people with prostheses a sense of touch.

d. Help shoppers feel the products they want to buy online.

A. abc             B. abd         C. acd             D. bcd

III. Post-reading

Group activity – Do some research about the skin patch and share what you’ve learned with your classmates.

 IV. Words in use

Complete the sentences using the words or phrases provided.

   feel like     benefit from   translate into   force

1. Journey to the West is still very popular and has been _________many languages.

2. China will always be a major ________  to maintain (维护) peace in  the world. 

3. I am tired and________ sleeping 24-7. 

4.Students  ________  learning general English skills.

Answers: translated into; force; feel like; benefit from; Feels like it’s real

Exercises:

1. What is Paragraph 2 about?
  A. The latest news from the world of science.  
  B. How our body’s sense of touch works. 
  C. Why nerve receptors can receive signals. 
  D. What the sense of touch tells us about our body.

2. How does the skin patch give people a feeling of touching something?

A. By sticking to people’s skin. 

B. By sending signals to another patch.

C. By vibrating while receiving signals. 

D. By tapping against the skin while being touched. 

3. According to the passage, what can the skin patch be used to do in the future?
a. Treat patients remotely. 
b. Test the quality of bionic hands. 
c. Give people with prostheses a sense of touch. 
d. Help shoppers feel the products they want to buy online. 
A. abc      B. abd      C. acd      D. bcd

4. What is the topic of the passage?
A. Brain science. 
B. Social distancing.
C. Medical development. 
D. The sense of touch.