Question

【題目】Directions: Read the following passage and choose the most suitable statement from A-F for each blank. There are two extra statements, which you do not need.

Life would be a lot sweeter if you were a memory athlete. Most of us however, are not wired that way. But don’t be discouraged: thanks to neuroplasticity, anyone can transcend their fallible memory. 【1】

There are a few relatively simple things a person can do to help improve their memory function. First up, the basics: the foundation of good memory is good health. 【2】

Then there are more deliberate approaches like practicing mnemonics. A mnemonic device is a trick designed to make remembering things easier. So instead of remembering to buy eggs, rice, apples and dog food, it might be easier to think of READ, which stands for rice, eggs, apples, and dog food. This is the acrostic method.

【3】 Let’s use the same shopping list as an example. Instead of focusing on the word ‘rice,’ this technique works by focusing on the image of rice thrown on the ground in a yard. For eggs, picture a hen pecking at the rice, followed by a nearby tree of apple blossoms, the petals falling around the hen, falling on a sleeping dog. Once the interconnected scene is created it’s a simple visual to ease your way around the halls of the grocery store with no list needed. This technique, where you base a memory around visual images, is more formally called ‘method of loci’.

A recent study published in Neuron has unearthed some interesting insights about the brains of competitive memorizers. The researchers invited 23 of the world’s top 50 memory athletes to have their brains scanned in rest states, and while performing memory tests, and matched each champion to a control participant. Anatomically, the scans showed there was no difference in brain structure or region size between the groups. 【4】 And what’s more, after they gave the ‘naive’ control group training in the method of loci, their neural connectivity began to look more like that of the pros.

A. What you're born with isn't what you're stuck with.

B. Where the difference was observed was in connectivity.

C. Another more complicated mnemonic technique is called a mind palace.

D. Training in method of loci can physically change the way a person remembers.

E. Eating and sleeping right will lead to optimal brain function, the flow-on effect of which is a better memory.

F. The improved memory observed after mnemonic training persists for as long as 4 months after training concludes.

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】A

【2】E

【3】C

【4】B

【解析】

本文是說(shuō)明文。文章介紹了一些改善記憶力的方法與技巧。

【1】根據(jù)上文But don’t be discouraged: thanks to neuroplasticity, anyone can transcend their fallible memory.（但不要?dú)怵H：由于神經(jīng)可塑性，任何人都可以超越他們?nèi)菀壮鲥e(cuò)的記憶）可知，人們的神經(jīng)有可塑性，所以人們的記憶力可以改變。A項(xiàng)What you're born with isn't what you're stuck with.（你與生俱來(lái)的并不是無(wú)法擺脫的）符合文意。故選A。

【2】根據(jù)上文There are a few relatively simple things a person can do to help improve their memory function.（一個(gè)人可以做一些相對(duì)簡(jiǎn)單的事情來(lái)幫助改善他們的記憶功能）可知，此處在介紹一些可以改善記憶功能的一些相對(duì)簡(jiǎn)單的事情。E項(xiàng)Eating and sleeping right will lead to optimal brain function, the flow-on effect of which is a better memory.（正確的飲食和睡眠會(huì)使大腦功能達(dá)到最佳狀態(tài)，從而帶來(lái)更好的記憶力）符合文意。故選E。

【3】根據(jù)上文This is the acrostic method.（這就是離合法）可知，第三段介紹了一種記憶技巧。C項(xiàng)Another more complicated mnemonic technique is called a mind palace.（另一種更復(fù)雜的記憶技巧叫做思維宮殿）符合文意。C項(xiàng)中的another與上文中的this相互照應(yīng)。故選C。

【4】根據(jù)上文Anatomically, the scans showed there was no difference in brain structure or region size between the groups.（從解剖學(xué)上看，掃描結(jié)果顯示兩組人的大腦結(jié)構(gòu)和區(qū)域大小沒(méi)有差異）及下文And what’s more, after they gave the ‘naive’ control group training in the method of loci, their neural connectivity began to look more like that of the pros.（更重要的是，在他們用基因座的方法進(jìn)行了“幼稚”的對(duì)照組訓(xùn)練之后，他們的神經(jīng)連接性開(kāi)始變得更像專(zhuān)家的神經(jīng)連接性）可知，此處要介紹從另一個(gè)角度發(fā)現(xiàn)的差異。B項(xiàng)Where the difference was observed was in connectivity.（我們觀(guān)察到的差異是在連通性方面）符合文意。故選B。

七選五題型主要考查上下文的理解與推斷，雖然文章整體難度一般低于閱讀理解，但是卻給很多同學(xué)造成了很大的心理障礙。七個(gè)選項(xiàng)中選五個(gè)，比四個(gè)選項(xiàng)中選一個(gè)，感覺(jué)干擾性更大，很大同學(xué)在做這個(gè)題目時(shí)，總有一種眼花繚亂、心煩氣躁的感覺(jué)，致使往往正確率不高。在這里提醒同學(xué)們，首先要克服心理障礙，同時(shí)要注意方式方法。其次，注意設(shè)空前后的句子，因?yàn)檫@些句子之間是順承和聯(lián)系的，所有一定要聯(lián)系和理解上下文的語(yǔ)境。例如第2小題，根據(jù)上文There are a few relatively simple things a person can do to help improve their memory function.（一個(gè)人可以做一些相對(duì)簡(jiǎn)單的事情來(lái)幫助改善他們的記憶功能）可知，此處在介紹一些可以改善記憶功能的一些相對(duì)簡(jiǎn)單的事情。E項(xiàng)Eating and sleeping right will lead to optimal brain function, the flow-on effect of which is a better memory.（正確的飲食和睡眠會(huì)使大腦功能達(dá)到最佳狀態(tài)，從而帶來(lái)更好的記憶力）可知，Eating and sleeping就是簡(jiǎn)單的事情，因此可知E項(xiàng)符合文意。故選E。