【明報專訊】Every member of the Smarties has his or her peculiar strengths. They can always make good use of their keen senses to locate Eason.

The human body is a magnificent creation. It is like a carefully designed machine. In it every organ is accurately placed and has its own functions. Traditionally, humans are said to have five senses - sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch. The sensory organs that correlate with them are respectively eyes, ears, tongue, nose, and skin.

“ MoMo : I have perfect eyesight, so I don't have to wear glasses! ”

◆Fun facts about eyes

The human eye can distinguish up to ten million colours.

A person blinks about 15 to 20 times a minute.

Our eyes are the second most complex organ after the brain.

“ Dr Panda : My hearing is exceptional. I can gather intellegence near and far! ”

◆Fun facts about ears

The human ear is divided into three main parts: the outer ear (外耳), the middle ear (中耳) and the inner ear (內耳).

Ear wax protects the ear by lubricating it and removing dirt and dust. It is usually not necessary to remove it manually as it naturally comes out.

Apart from hearing, your ears are essential for maintaining your balance.

“ Bill : Hm...Eason is nearby. I can smell his scent. ”

◆Fun facts about nose

Like sight and hearing, our ability to smell decline with age.

Our sense of taste is connected to our sense of smell. That's why when you have a cold, the food you eat tastes bland.

Your nose adjusts the temperature of the air you inhale to body temperature before it enters your lungs.

“ Pat : Let's put fighting aside. Can we have steak for dinner tonight? ”

◆Fun facts about tongue

Your tongue is covered with taste receptors called taste buds.

A person has up to 10,000 taste buds. 90% of them are on the surface of your tongue, while the rest are on the roof of your mouth and your lips.

Our taste buds are replaced every 10 to 14 days.

“ Eason : The Smarties think they can hurt me, but I always wear a unitard (彈力緊身衣) to protect my skin! ”

◆Fun facts about skin

The skin is the largest organ of the human body.

Your skin is the first layer of what protects your body. It protects your bones and internal organs, and also shields you against germs and viruses.

Humans shed skin all the time. A person loses almost a million dead skin cells a day, and your skin renews itself every 28 days.

■Mission 1

What is the keenest sense of the Smarties? Let's find it out by doing the Ghost Leg!

■Mission 2

Apart from the five senses mentioned, the human body has other senses. To learn more about them, fill in the blanks with the correct forms of the words provided!

avoid / fall / absent

1. Balance: It prevents us from _______ over when we walk or stand.

2. Temperature: We can sense heat and the _______ of it - cold.

3. Pain: Pain means damage to tissue. The sense of pain draws our attention to danger and reminds us to _______ it.

■Mission 3

There are many words referring to body parts with only three letters. How many of them can you name? Have a competition with your friends! (You may find some hints on pages 4 and 5.)

(answers on next text)

■Key words

sensory organ感覺器官

blink 眨眼

ear wax 耳垢

scent 氣味

taste bud 味蕾

cell 細胞

tissue (身體)組織

■English highway : -words and collocations

Can

"Can" is a modal verb used to indicate ability and possibility.

e.g. He can speak French.

e.g. You can buy this book from that bookstore.

"Can" is also used to talk about permissions and requests.

e.g. You can do whatever you want.

e.g. Can you do me a favour?

It is common to use "can" with verbs related to senses and thinking, with a "present continuous" meaning.

e.g. I can see the park. We are not far away.

e.g. He can't understand why she is angry.

■Glossary

peculiar (adj) 特有的

keen (adj) 靈敏的

lubricate (v) 潤滑

manually (adv) 手動地

exceptional (adj) 傑出的

intelligence (n) 情報

inhale (v) 吸入

shed (v) 脫去