Speed Reading — Third State - Level 6 — 500 wpm

Now do this put-the-text-back-together activity.


This is the text (if you need help).

A thought-provoking study from scientists in the USA has suggested a "third state" that exists after life and death. This somewhat mind-blowing concept posits a phenomenon in which the cells in the organs of a deceased body adopt new functions after the body dies. Biologist Peter Nobel and bioinformatics researcher Alex Pozhitkov explained how cells transform after their host organism dies. The scientists wrote: "These findings demonstrate the inherent plasticity of cellular systems and challenge the idea that cells and organisms can evolve only in predetermined ways." They added: "The third state suggests that organismal death may play a significant role in how life transforms over time."

The scientists suggested the existence of two kinds of "biobot" that are integral in the mechanics of the third state. Wiktionary.org defines a biobot as: "A robot that is partly or wholly biological in nature, as for example…plant cells or animal cells that can perform tasks such as moving and reacting." The researchers termed one biobot as a "xenobot". This reorganizes cells into a new multi-cellular organism. Other biobots are "anthrobots". These are capable of self-assembling cells and moving around. The scientists said xenobots exist "beyond the traditional boundaries of life and death". They added the bots offer "prospects for new treatments" and personalized and preventive medicine.

Comprehension questions
  1. What adjective did the writer use to describe the study from the USA?
  2. What might the cells in organs adopt after the body dies?
  3. What's the job of Alex Pozhitkov?
  4. What did the researchers say was inherent about cellular systems?
  5. What kind of role might the death of organs play in transforming life?
  6. How many kinds of biobots did the researchers write about?
  7. What tasks do biobots perform?
  8. What new thing do xenobots create?
  9. What do xenobots exist beyond the boundaries of?
  10. What might biobots lead to in the future?

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