Phineas Gage - Whole Brainers vs. Localizers

Read this passage from paragraph 18: “If Phineas survived with a large piece of his cortex destroyed, then what does the cortex do? Across America and Europe, doctors are fiercely divided over this very question. There are two rival schools.” Which word in this passage provides the strongest context clue for the meaning of "rival"?

• Doctors
• Fiercely
• Divided
• Schools

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Which sentence from paragraph 20 BEST shows how the Localizers’ research was limited by a lack of technology?

• “They are followers of the Austrian Dr. Gall, who started the brain revolution by declaring that the brain was the seat of intelligence, emotions, and will.
• Dr. Gall called his brain science "phrenology" ( a made-up Greek word).
• “By any name, the Localizers, or Phrenologists, believe that ‘organs’ inside the brain control specific functions.”
• “Unfortunately, the Phrenologists have no way of knowing which part of the brain controls what.”

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CCSS.RI.7.1

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Which sentence states a conclusion the Whole Brainers draw from the case of Phineas Gage?

• They concluded that, "Unfortunately, the Whole Brainers have no hard evidence for their theory" (19).
• They conclude that a "weak electrical current applied to the exposed brain of a laboratory animal will make certain muscles twitch involuntarily and certain senses sharpen or go dead” (21).
• They conclude that, “If you have a weak organ, it will be small and you'll have a dip or depression in your skull” (22).
• "Therefore, say the Whole Brainers, the whole brain must be able to perform any function of one part." (23)

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CCSS.RI.7.1

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Which sentence from paragraph 20 BEST summarizes the Localizers' belief about how the brain is structured?

• They are followers of the Austrian Dr. Gall, who started the brain revolution by declaring that the brain was the seat of intelligence, emotions, and will.
• Dr. Gall called his brain science "phrenology" (a made-up Greek work).
• By any name, the Localizers, or Phrenologists, believe that "organs" inside the brain control specific funcitons.
• Unfortunately, the Phrenologists have no way of knowing which part of the brain controls what.

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CCSS.RI.6.2

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This question has two parts. Part 1: According to the text, how would Whole Brainers explain how the brain is structured?

• The brain is one "whole intelligence" and any part of the brain can give instruction or thought.
• The brain is divided into a group of organs, each of which has a specific function.
• The brain is divided into specific areas, many of which interact with each other to control specific functions.

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CCSS.RI.7.7

CCSS.RL.6.9

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This question has two parts. Part 2: Which part of the text supports your answer?

• “Whole Brainers believe that thoughts and commands can originate anywhere in the brain jelly/cloud and flash into action.” (18)
• “His opponents believe in ‘localized function’; that is, they believe that the brain is divided into specific areas that control specific things.” (20)
• “The 10 billion neurons in your brain are not connected at random.” (26)

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Why does the author include paragraph 21 between paragraphs 20 and 22? Select the TWO correct reasons.

• To explain how the technology used by Phrenologists in 1850 worked.
• To explain what Phrenologists believed the bumps on a person's skull reveal about his or her brain.
• To explain how later researchers will be able to use technology to visualize brain activity in ways that researchers in 1850 weren't able to do.
• To support the claim that Phrenologists in 1850 "have no way of knowing which part of the brain controls what" (20).

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Which THREE sentences should be included in a summary of paragraphs 18–27?

• “His injury is not at the back of his head in the cerebellum or at the bottom of the brain near the brain stem.” (18)
• “One group thinks the brain is a ‘whole intelligence,’ that is, that your brain is one interconnected ‘mind.’” (18)
• “His opponents believe in ‘localized function’; that is, they believe that the brain is divided into specific areas that control specific things.” (20)
• “Dr. Sizer tries to disguise the source of his report to the American Phrenological Journal in 1851, writing, ‘We have been informed by the best authority that after the man recovered, and while recovering, he was grossly profane, coarse, and vulgar, to such a degree that his society was intolerable to decent people.’” (24)
• “The human brain, it turns out, is both localized and interconnected.” (27)

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Reread the first six sentences from paragraph 22: “Back in 1850, the Localizers/Phrenologists haven’t seen a single thought or brainwave. Still, that doesn’t stop them from identifying thirty-seven ‘organs’ of the brain. How do they do it? Bumps. That’s right. Bumps on the head.” The author’s words and phrases imply that he

• admires the Phrenologists’ determination to prove their theory
• prefers the Phrenologists’ theory to the Whole Brainers’ theory.
• is amused by the Phrenologists’ belief in the science of bumps
• considers his subject matter too serious for joking.

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CCSS.RI.6.6

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Which TWO details from paragraph 24 provide the best evidence for the Localizers’ theory that specific “‘organs’ inside the brain control specific functions” (20)? Choose TWO sentences below.

• Dr. Harlow is a Localizer, or at least he is a friend of some leading localizers/ Phrenologists.
• The tamping iron has not killed him because the damage is limited to specific organs that are not critical to life.
• Dr. Sizer is a big man in phrenology and lectures on it all over New England.
• Dr. Harlow leaks the information to Dr. Sizer that the "completely recovered" Phineas is no the old Phineas.

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