【推荐1】Learning more efficiently is a matter of time, but not in the way you might think. According to Hermann Ebbinghaus, the pioneer of quantitative memory research, you may have a new perspective about it.

The findings

Ebbinghaus is best known for two major findings: the forgetting curve and the learning curve.

The forgetting curve describes how new information fades away. Once you’ve “learned” something new, the fastest drop occurs in just 20 minutes; after a day, the curve levels off.

Within minutes, nearly half of what you’ve “learned” has disappeared.

Or not.

According to Benedict Carey, author of How We Learn, what we learn doesn’t necessarily fade; it just becomes less accessible.

In my case, I hadn’t forgotten a key point. I just didn’t access that information when I needed it.

Working with our memory

Ebbinghaus would have agreed with Carey: He determined that even when we think we’ve forgotten something, some portion of what we learned is still filed away, which makes the process of relearning a lot more efficient.

As Ebbinghaus writes:

Suppose that a poem is relearned by heart. It then becomes evident that, although it seems totally forgotten, it still in a certain sense exists. The second learning requires noticeably less time or noticeably smaller number of repetitions than the first.

That, in a nutshell, is the power of spaced repetition.

The condition is simple. Learn something new, and within a short period of time you’ll forget much of it. Repeat a learning session a day later, and you’ll remember more. Repeat a session two days after that, and you’ll remember even more. The key is to steadily increase the time intervals between relearning sessions.

And forgive yourself for forgetting. Accept that forgetting is actually a key to the process.

Why?

Forgetting is an essential part of learning. Relearning strengthens earlier memories. Relearning creates different context and connections. According to Carey, “‘Some breakdown’ must occur for us to strengthen learning when we revisit the material. Without a little forgetting, you get no benefit from further study. It is what allows learning to build, like an exercised muscle.”

The process of retrieving a memory — especially when you fail — strengthens access. That’s why the best way to study isn’t to reread; the best way to study is to quiz yourself. If you test yourself and answer incorrectly, not only are you more likely to remember the right answer after you look it up, you’ll also remember that you didn’t remember. Forgetting, and therefore repeating information, makes your brain assign that information greater importance.

1. According to Ebbinghaus’ chart, we conclude that ________.

A．the best time to avoid forgetting is the sixth day after learning

B．we usually forget most of what we’ve learned on the sixth day

C．forgetting really exists almost in the whole process of learning

D．what has been learned will be forgotten completely in any case

2. Why does the writer say, “Forgetting is actually a key to the process”?

A．Because forgetting itself is one of the steps in our learning.

B．Because forgetting can help us benefit from further learning.

C．Because relearning can create new context and materials for us.

D．Because learning memory is just like muscle memory in exercise.

3. What does the word “retrieve” in the last paragraph but one most probably mean?

A．To reappear in the place.	B．To consolidate something in time.
C．To memorize something firmly.	D．To find and bring back something.

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?

A．Forget More with Less Repetition	B．Learn More with Less Effort
C．Two Amazing Curves in Learning	D．Two Different Findings in Forgetting

【推荐2】A recent story in the Wall Street Journal newspaper looked at students who went to celebrated universities such as Columbia and New York University, for advanced degrees in subjects like art, film and even social work. Many of the students said they learned a lot. However, when they graduated, they were deep in debt and did not think they would find work that would let them pay back their loans.

Students said they spoke with Columbia about the high cost of advanced arts degrees but never received a reasonable answer. Education experts say the school is very wealthy, with large funds. The University, however, prefers to ask the students to pay the full cost.

Kevin Carey is a higher education expert for New America, a public policy research center. He called master’s degrees “a scam” in a conversation. “Charging people a ton of money to go into any artistic career is often super problematic,” he said.

Castillo is an actor in New York City. He earned an MFA from The Actors Studio in New York City. Was his MFA worth the cost? “I do think it was worth it. I don’t put a price tag on my education or my experience. I think it’s sort of unfortunate that so many people take education for granted.” Castillo said students who are thinking about an advanced degree in art should be sure they are doing it because they value the education, not because they want money or to be famous.

Plazinska is a filmmaker in New York City. She attended graduate school both at Baylor University in Texas and at the University of low a. Arts graduate programs can help students meet and make friends with fellow artists with whom they can work throughout their careers. For school to be of value, students need to remember why they started making art in the beginning. “It’s just for the pure pleasure of creating and fulfilling myself this way.”

1. What’s the problem for students in famous universities for art advanced degrees?

A．They can’t take loans.	B．They can’t find any work.
C．They may be heavily in debt.	D．They may drop out of university.

2. What does the underlined word “scam” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Strategy.

B．Trick.

C．Dilemma.

D．Challenge.

3. What does Castillo think of his MFA?

A．He thinks highly of it.	B．It’s money consuming.
C．He takes it for granted.	D．It brings him fame and money.

4. What can we infer from the last two paragraphs?

A．Arts graduate programs ensure a promising future.

B．Students had better consider whether they can afford the fee.

C．Students should stick to their original objectives while learning.

D．Arts graduate programs introduce celebrity artists to their students.

【推荐3】There are some skills for students to listen to teacher in class, which means you're going to have to practice it. Just as you would have to practice basketball to be a better player, you also have to practice listening. How to listen in school?     1    

One of the things you need to do is to make sure that your mind doesn't wander（漫游）. It's easy to start thinking about other things, especially when you're not interested in the subject.     2    

Next, listen for the main ideas. If you want to catch every little piece of information, you'll feel tired and bored.     3     Not only does this show respect（尊重）to the teacher, it also helps prevent your mind from wandering.     4     Or it could just be someone talking to their neighbors who shouldn't be. It can even be some birds outside the classroom window, or a group of kids who are talking loudly as they pass the door to your room.

Finally, you need to take notes because you can not remember everything the teacher says. You'll have to take down the notes so that you can study it after class.     5     Listening isn't always easy, but if you follow these simple steps, you'll be much more successful in your classes.

A．Here are some suggestions.

B．You'll also need to look at the teacher.

C．It might be a friend who is trying to pass you a note.

D．Taking notes also makes you pay attention to the class.

E．So make yourself pay attention to what the teacher is saying.

F．You will obey the rules.

G．It's not necessary for you to make notes.