S e c o n d e d I t I o n 1 Reading for the Real World 1

self-defense
. Special gi doctors in China, Korea, 
and Japan believe that gi travels through our body like cars on a highway. They 
believe that some types of pain are caused by gi not being able to flow smoothly, 
similar to a traffic jam on a road. They use a special system of needle 
therapy
called acupuncture or a type of massage, reiki, to help 
unblock those areas where gi cannot flow freely. 
2
force --- power; energy
8
mystic --- a person who practices religious rites
13
self-defense --- the act of protecting oneself when attacked by another
16
therapy --- a treatment
Track 35

---

20
25
30
35
40
45
33
sensitive --- responding readily
35 
actual --- real; existing
37
brainwaves --- activity of the brain shown through electrical data
38 
electromagnetic --- related to electric and magnetic fields
40
practitioner --- a person who regularly does a specific activity
42 
observe --- to see
109
Sometimes these doctors are able to direct the gi from their own bodies into the 
bodies of their patients. Gi meditation, popular in China, teaches its followers to 
send their gi to the muscles of the heart, stomach, face, and neck. These are the 
places where stress builds up the most. These people believe that learning how to 
direct their gi to these areas will help them relax and live longer, healthier lives. 
Probably the most well-known examples of gi development can be found in 
the area of martial arts. Exercises like hapkido, aikido and tai chi teach people to 
develop their gi for self-defense. The Shaolin Monks of Central China are known 
for their ability to control their gi and do amazing things with their bodies. They 
are able to bend heavy iron bars with their bare hands, touch their tongues to 
red-hot swords without injury, and endure freezing cold temperatures with no 
discomfort. 
Can science prove the existence of gi? With modern computer technology and 
sensitive
recording equipment, maybe it can. Researchers from the University of 
Southern California have been performing experiments to see if there are any 
actual
physical changes in the bodies of people who undertake gi meditation, and 
they have found interesting results. By attaching special computers that measure