1 . In my teenage period 1 always had wished to pass a geography exam, remembering all the locations of the countries on a map or avoid embarrassing situations of suddenly forgetting the person’s name standing right in front of you. Luckily for me, now one theory that memory, like other muscles in the body, can be strengthened aroused my curiosity. But instead of practicing with flash cards, there may be an interesting way that we can improve our memory while we sleep.
The researchers hold that sleep is when the brain transfers short-term memories experienced throughout the day into long-term memories. This process is called memory consolidation. They have been working on a DIY version of this task to see if we male volunteers can improve memories through the use of sound in sleep. In the test, every time we see the picture, we can hear the related sound. Then we take a nap and they record our EEG.
They’re interested in one of the four periods of sleep: slow-wave sleep, when scientists believe that memory consolidation can happen. In this deep period of sleep, they do something that we don’t know. When we wake back up and do the task again, we find we do better than before a nap. That is because they played a clue during our sleep, for example, a car — we would remember the position of that car when we woke back up again. But if they didn’t play the clue during the sleep, for example, a guitar, we’d be less likely to remember that guitar when we woke up.
I was a huge skeptic when I first heard that result. But they ran this experiment on two female groups and the results were significant. It’s not that you remember things better; it’s that you forget them less. And the facts and memories we collect throughout the day are easily lost and forgotten.
So if you’re like me and a bit forgetful, perhaps a solution is a pair of headphones and a soft couch.
1. How did the author feel about his memory when young?| A．He felt discouraged. | B．He was moved. | C．He felt inspired. | D．He was proud. |
| A．By playing a clue before they sleep. | B．By playing a clue when they sleep. |
| C．By showing a picture before they sleep. | D．By drawing a picture when they sleep. |
| A．He is convinced of the experiment results. | B．He throws doubts on it at present. |
| C．He believed in it from beginning to end. | D．He wanted to prove it in the future. |
| A．Ways to avoid forgetfulness are funny. | B．Headphones and a soft couch are useful. |
| C．Many people can’t avoid forgetting in life. | D．The solution to being forgetful is practical. |
2 . Four Films Worth Watching This Year
Peter Rabbit 2
In Peter Rabbit 2, the lovable rabbit is back. Bea, Thomas and the rabbit have created a temporary family, but despite his best efforts, Peter can’t seem to shake his mischievous(淘气的) reputation. Adventuring out of the garden, Peter finds himself in a world where his mischief is appreciated, but when his family risks everything to come looking for him, Peter must figure out what kind of rabbit he wants to be.
Spirit Untamed
It is a story of adventure, family and friendship. Free-spirited Lucky Prescott moves to Miradero. She is unimpressed with the sleepy town until she discovers a unique tie to her late mother who was a fearless horse-riding performer. She quickly forms a bond with a wild horse named Spirit. When a heartless hunter captures Spirit, Lucky sets off on a journey to rescue the horse who has given her an unbreakable connection to her mother.
Profile
Inspired by true events, Profile follows an undercover British journalist on her quest to track and expose a terrorist recruiter(招募者) through social media, while trying not to be changed by her recruiter and become a militant extremist herself. The unconventional thriller , directed by Timur Bekmambetov, plays out entirely on a computer screen in the Screenlife format
Joey & Ella
This film, which makes you laugh all the time, begins as two clumsy jewel thieves lose the mysterious Mazinski Diamond. The jewel is pocketed by a baby circus kangaroo that escapes to a nearby farm and is found by Ella, a lonely teen who names the animal Joey. But the magical jewel causes Joey to grow quickly and gain the power of speech! Soon the thieves, the police, and Joey’s owners are all hunting for the mischievous creature and the alien jewel. If Ella wants to get Joey to safety in time, they had better jump away quickly!
1. Which film mentions an animal as a tie to a girl’s dead mother?| A．Profile. | B．Joey & Ella. |
| C．Peter Rabbit 2. | D．Spirit Untamed. |
| A．Bea. | B．Thomas. |
| C．Timur Bekmambetov. | D．Lucky Prescott. |
| A．A thriller. | B．A comedy. |
| C．A romance film. | D．A documentary. |
