Words & Phrases
1. A tape measure 卷尺
释义：(Tool) a long narrow band of cloth or steel, marked with centimetres, feet etc, used for measuring something
原文：A tape measure works, or you can simply look in the mirror and...
E.g : A tape measure can help him to know how long and wide the desk is.
2. A six-pack
①六块腹肌（一种幽默的用法）
释义：well-developed muscles that you can see on a man's stomach – used humorously
②6支装的罐装或盒装饮料
释义：six cans or bottles of a drink, especially beer, sold together as a set
You don't develop a six-pack on your forehead.
（这句的意思是你总不能在你的额头上练出六块腹肌来。感觉这也是作者文笔下的一点点小幽默）
E.g: It was surprisly that he drank a six-pack of beer at once.
3. Baffle v. （及物动词）难住，不理解
释义：if something baffles you, you cannot understand or explain it at all
Few cities in the world can baffle a GPS system like London can.
（另外，注意这里的like是连词，不是介词，介词后面不可以跟从句）
E.g: When I had my math class, the question that my teacher asked me baffled me and I didn't answer it, which made me feel very embarrassed.
4. Dead end （可数）
①死胡同
释义：a street with no way out at one end
..., there are traffic circles and dead ends all over, ...
E.g: I always drive into the dead ends, because I just moved to this city last month and was unfamiliar with the streets.
②僵局 a situation where no more progress is possible
come to/ reach a dead end
E.g: Their research had come into a dead end .
③低薪切没有机会的工作 a job with low wages and no chance of progress
E.g: The higher certificates you have, the fewer opportunities that you get a dead end job.
5.描述位置的词 in the vicinity/on the facade
In the vicinity 在……临近
释义：in the area around a particular place
…, taking notes on which buildings and which landmarks are in the vicinity.
On the facade of在……的正面
释义：the front of a building, especially a large and important one
…; the statue, on the facade of a building, was just on foot tall.
感悟
第2章的题目是 Harnessing Adaptability, 即控制并利用自身的适应能力。开篇便是通过对比健身的可测量性，写出大脑的变化并不是肉眼可见的，但并不是没有变化的。提出大脑的结构和功能会因为多样的训练而产生变化。
英国伦敦由于城市道路的复杂性和出租车行业的严格考核，需要参加想成为出租车司机的人对整个伦敦地区的街道地点都十分熟悉。在Maguire的研究中，那些通过一系列测试考核并最后成为出租车司机的人的脑中的hippocampu（seahorse-shaped part of the brian involved in the development of memories）这一部分是产生了变化的。最后说明人的大脑是可以在高强度的训练下得到对应的提升的。
其实这个伦敦出租车的例子跟背单词有些相似之处，同样都是使用大脑记忆的能力，在持续的时间内记忆单词并且使用，在逐渐的记忆和使用的过程中增加自己的单词量，就如同去记忆每一个街道和城市中每一处的位置。这算是一个大脑的开发的过程，但是这样的开发需要持续的输入和输出，当自己半途而废放弃了，前面所付出的时间和精力也都基本付诸东流。
后面又通过盲人和聋哑人的例子来说明人的大脑功能对应不同情形的变化。并且将人脑比做电脑，认为人脑其实并不会像电脑一样会受到类似于CUP等的终极影响。
这样的适应是人在某一状态下作出的反应，我认为这样的反应其实跟作者前面所说道的目的性的训练有相似之处，是有针对性的。
