World News for Students of English

02-12-2025 15:00

In 1848, construction worker Phineas Gage survived a bad accident when an iron rod destroyed the front part of his brain. While he didn’t die, his personality changed completely; the organized man became rude and unreliable.

This case was very important because it showed that the brain and personality are connected to specific areas. Gage later found work driving a stagecoach in Chile. This difficult, repetitive job was like therapy, forcing his brain to adapt and change itself.

Gage’s recovery showed doctors that the brain is flexible, and his survival started the field of neuroscience. We now know that the brain can adapt and recover from serious injuries, which gives hope to patients today.

Difficult words: rod (a thin, straight, solid bar), unreliable (not able to be trusted or counted on), stagecoach (a large vehicle pulled by horses that carried people and mail on a fixed route a long time ago), repetitive (a task or job which you do over and over again), survival (staying alive after an accident).

You can watch the original video in the Level 3 section.