| Some people have extraordinary memories. According to the Guinness World Records, 2001, Gert Mittring of Germany can look at a list of twentyseven numbers for just four seconds and remember all of them. Most people, though, have trouble at times remembering where they put their door keys, or recalling the names of people theyve recently met for the first time.
The process by which we store and retrieve information in our brains has been the focus of scientific research for many years. The brain is a highly complex organ that is not fully understood, and theories about how it works remain a topic of debate. It is generally agreed, though, that one area of the brain known as the hippocampus — named after the Latin process of recalling information. When we experience something, the information is sent via our senses to the hippocampus, where it is processed.
Although the process of creating memories is only partially understood, it is thought to involve three main steps. Scientists believe that brain cells called neuron first transform the sensory stimuli we experience into images in our immediate memory. Then, these images are sent to the hippocampus and stored temporarily in shortterm memory. In the hippocampus information is organized, and it is during this process that parts of the image of our experience fade away. Finally, certain information is then transferred to longterm memory in a section in the frontal lobe of the brain known as the cerebral cortex. Scientists think this process may happen while we are sleeping, but exactly how the information is transferred from one area of the brain to another is a mystery.
Although memory function is difficult to understand and analyze, memory loss is something that many people experience and worry about as they age. In the past, neuroscientists believed that agerelated memory loss was associated with total numbers of brain cells. The theory was that the brain contained a finite number of neurons, and as we got older, we used up our stock of available cells. More recent research suggests that brain cells, may take place throughout a lifetime. Also, there is now evidence that damage to the hippocampus may play an important role in memory loss. Studies conducted on patients who have suffered damage to this area of the brain show that while they can still recall memories stored before the brain was damaged, they are unable to remember new facts. In addition, diseases associated with old age, such as Alzheimers and other problems involving short and longterm memory loss are now being traced to possible damage to the hippocampus.
Research suggests that the power to retrieve information can be influenced by food and sleep. Vitamin E is, for example, able to break down chemicals, known as free radicals, that is thought to damage brain cells. Studies suggest that eating foods containing vitamin E, such as green vegetables, is one way of reducing agerelated memory loss. Though there is no definitive proof, there are others who believe that herbs such ginseng and ginkgo help to improve both concentration and memory retention. Research on shortterm memory indicates that getting a good nights sleep can also help one to recollect things more clearly.
Although the exact process by which memories are coded and retrieved remains a mystery, there is no doubt that eating the right foods and getting sufficient amounts of sleep can help us make the best use of our brains remarkable ability to store and recall information.
1. The passage is mainly about
A. parts of the brain that store information.
B. illness that results in severe memory loss.
C. how human brains process, store and recall information.
D. how to improve our memory.
2. Which of the following is NOT true according to paragraph 2 and 3?
A. Many people agree that one area of the brain known as the hippocampus is important in recalling information.
B. The process of creating memories has been understood and it involves three main steps.
C. Scientists believed that neurons first transform the sensory stimuli into images in our immediate memory.
D. Scientists dont know exactly how the information is transferred from one area of the brain to another.
3. Which of the following is most probably the reason of memory loss?
A. agerelated reasonB. damage to the hippocampus
C. diseases associated with old ageD. reduction of brain cells.
4. Which of the following is the most efficient way to reduce agerelated memory loss?
A. Eating foods containing vitamin E.
B. Eating right foods and getting sufficient amounts of sleep.
C. adoption of medical remedy
D. getting a good nights sleep
5. What do you think “ginseng and gingko” probably is?
A. a kind of plantB. a kind of medicine
C. a kind of foodD. a kind of drink
参考答案:
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