UNIT 2 Remembering and Forgetting
In-Class Reading Special Delivery
特种快递
到了机场，我才发现我兄弟搭乘的航班延误了一个小时。通常我在机场等候接人时，会把时间消磨在 观看飞机起落上。可那天晚上我头疼得厉害。我想喷气发动机发出的噪音会使我头疼更厉害，于是决定在机场内逛一会儿。
当我走过那些店铺时，碰巧看到陈列在那儿的航空箱包，这使我想起了自己的公文包。我这才意识到 公文包没在身上。我马上努力回忆会把它遗忘在了哪里。自从离开航空公司票务柜台后，我没有在其他任 何地方停留过，所以我推想，我一定是把包留在那里了。我急忙回去取，可是公文包已无影无踪。起先我 确信一定是有人顺手把它拿走了，但随后又想，也有可能看到包的人已把它交给了柜台，于是便在票务 柜台排队等候。轮到我时，我描述了包的特征，并询问是否有人把它交到了柜台。那位航空公司代理摇 了摇头。这时我朝他身后的行李输送带瞥了一眼，输送带正把行李从办理登机手续处往下面的装货区传 送。我大声叫道：“我的包在那儿！”然而，当代理回头看时，公文包已传送到输送带的尽头，突然消失 了。
“你看到你的包了？”代理问我。
“是的！”我大声说。“它刚穿过那边那个入口。这下我怎样才能把它取回来呢？”
“这不难，”代理回答说。“把你的行李领取凭证给我，我想我们能够在装机前截住它。”
“可我没有行李凭证！”我答道。“我没办托运！我哪儿都不去。我是来接人的。”我平静了一下情绪， 解释了事情的经过，并指出很可能有人把包交到了柜台，而某位代理把它和其他行李一起办了托运并放到 了传送带上。
代理告诉我，能找回包的唯一办法是，填写一张认领单，在上面写清公文包的外观特征。等我填完表 格，代理打电话到下面的行李区查询时，包已被装上了一架航班，但不知是哪一架。代理记下了我的电话 号码，并保证他们一找到包就给我打电话。尽管我住在苏城，离机场有一个半小时的车程，他们还是会一 找到包就把它送到我家来。
我兄弟的航班到了。我们取了他的箱子后便走向停车场找我的车。回家的路上我把公文包的事告诉了 他。到了家，我们把行李从车上卸下来。当我兄弟从车里拿出一只公文包时，我真不敢相信自己的眼睛。 原以为已丢失的公文包其实根本就没有被带进机场！它一直躺在后座的地上。我意识到，此时此刻航空公 司的人正在飞往丹佛、圣路易斯和芝加哥的航班上逐一检查核对行李，寻找我的公文包。一想到要打电话 告诉他们我已经在自己的车里找到了包，心里真叫痛苦。
我们进屋时电话铃正响着。接电话时，我惊呆了。电话里一位航空公司的工作人员说：“我们有好消 息告诉你！我们在丹佛找到了你的公文包，十一点前应该到这里。午夜后不久便
能送到你家。”
After-class Reading
遗忘的益处
我们在某个时候都曾希望拥有完美的记忆力，想要记住事情的每一个细节。我们会遗忘在学校和家里 学到的很多东西，这太糟糕了。如果我们对过去的记忆既不准确又不完整，我们又怎么能够做出符合实际 的自我评价呢？
然而，完美的记忆力并不总像人们想象的那么美好。有这样一个关于俄罗斯记者S 的故事。他只需看 上几秒钟便能记住长串的数字、单词和许多页电话号码簿上的内容。甚至在多年以后，他仍能将这些长串 的信息倒背如流。他还记得他第一次记这些材料时的情景。
S用各种各样的记忆“窍门”帮助自己记忆。其中的许多窍门涉及在大脑中形成图像。不过，你不必 羡慕他，因为他有一个很严重的问题：不会遗忘。那些大脑中的图像老是浮现在他眼前，使他分心，无法
集中注意力。有时甚至连与人作简单的交谈都成问题，因为对方的话会让他想起其他东西。事实上，人们 把他描述成一个迟钝的人。最终，S 无法胜任自己的工作，只好以“记忆专家”的身份游走于各个地方，向 人们展示他的才能，以此来谋生。拥有这种记忆问题的人的例子还有很多。他们来自很多不同国家，说各种 不同的语言。
或许你仍然认为拥有完美的记忆力是一件好事。那么，设想一下记住一切会是什么情形。每当你回忆 过去时，你不但会记起你经历中的精华，还会记得毫无价值的琐事。记忆也许会花上你数小时，而不是片 刻。你头脑中也许会一片混乱，使你无法把信息组织好。有了完美的记忆力，你也许会记住那些最好能忘 记的东西。难道你真想记住每次愤怒的争吵，每个你所犯的错误，以及生命中每个痛苦的瞬间吗？“记住 一切”会对你和家人、朋友的关系产生什么影响？成功地建立一种亲密关系是否有可能取决于一定程度的 遗忘呢？或许只有把那些不愉快的记忆锁进记忆的角落里不再去想它们，才有可能自信和乐观呢？如果你 记住这些，你就能理解为什么完美的记忆力不是我们该拥有的最佳记忆力。
就像牢记一样，某种程度的遗忘有助于我们的正常生活。那么，有益的遗忘和有害的遗忘之间的界线 在哪里呢？如果你可以选择，你会选择清楚地记住哪些东西，又让哪些东西从你的记忆中消失呢？这是需 要思考的问题。
课内阅读练习答案
Part One Preparation
1 Expressions Related to Memory
STEP ONE
If a word, expression, etc. is on the tip of your tongue, you usually know it but have
difficulty remembering it at that moment.（就在嘴边的，差一点就能想起的）
When you say someone’s head is like a sieve or someone has a memory like a sieve, you
mean that they forget things very easily.（记性坏，健忘）
If your mind goes blank or has gone blank, you are suddenly not able to remember a fact
or piece of information at a time when you need it.（脑子一片空白）
If a piece of information goes in one ear and out the other, it is heard but either ignored or
quickly forgotten.（一只耳朵进一只耳朵出，当作耳边风）
STEP TWO 1 B
2 D
3 A
4 C
2 Do You Have a Good Memory?
STEP TWO Sample
I got 16 in this quiz. According to the results, I have a good memory. I can say I’m
extremely good at remembering facts and figures for exams, birthdays, telephone numbers, etc., but I have a poor memory for remembering things like what I had for dinner, what I was wearing, etc.
I think a person can remember what they need and want to remember. In other words,
one’s purpose and motivation make it possible for them to recall facts. They may find it difficult to remember facts about the geography of a country that doesn’t interest them, but can easily remember things about the country they’re going to visit. Why? Because they are motivated and this helps them to concentrate. Increased concentration, in turn, makes the information easier to remember.
To sum up, one’s purpose dictates what to look for and remember, and therefore directs
their attention to what they want to know.
STEP THREE
Sample
Yes, I once had a very embarrassing experience. One day, when I was walking on the
street, I saw a young lady nodding and smiling at me and I began to wonder who she was. When she approached, she asked me about my college life in the past two weeks. Though I didn’t know whom I was talking to, I told her everything, including the fact that I could seldom see my advisor and had no one to turn to for help. An odd smile crossed her face and she looked a little bit embarrassed. Then she gave me a phone number along with her name. It
was then that I realized she was actually my advisor.
Well, I think all of us may feel embarrassed when we forget some important things such as a friend’s birthday or an appointment. I had such an experience about a year ago. One of my friends, Grace, invited me to her home the following Saturday, and I promised I would be there on time. When I arrived, I saw some of our classmates were there and each of them had brought a present for Grace. It turned out that that day was her birthday. I felt very embarrassed, but I thought I had to do something to cover up my embarrassment. So, I went up to her and said, “Gosh, Grace, you never seem to age, so I never remember your birthday.”
3 How to Remember Clearly?
STEP ONE
In Speech Bubble 1, the man is forming a mental picture of the things he wants to
buy. In Speech Bubble 2, the man is repeating the things he wants to buy.
In Speech Bubble 3, the man is trying to remember his shopping list by inventing a story. In Speech Bubble 4, the man is forming meaningful connections between the things he wants
to
buy and the letters in the word “CANDY”.
STEP TWO
Sample
When I’m trying to memorize facts for exams, I always repeat them a number of times. The more I do this, the easier it is to remember. Even so, I think, repetition, by itself, is not enough. Sometimes, I will try other means to memorize what I am trying to remember. I will ask questions, think about the topic in relation to my own experience, or discuss issues with my classmates.
Sometimes I use the method of forming meaningful connections to remember English words. For example, when trying to remember whether I should use the word “principle” or “principal”, I tell myself that a principle is a rule and a principal is my pal and then I can use the appropriate word. Besides, I keep a diary to record my memories. When I go to new places, I buy souvenirs or take photographs to remind me of the places and people there. Sometimes songs help me remember things, too. For example, “Yesterday Once More” was my favorite song in high school. Now the song always brings back pleasant memories of my high school life.
Apart from the methods mentioned in the picture, I will use the method of “chunking” to memorize numbers. I find it’s a good way because chunking involves grouping materials together rather than learning each item separately. For example, when my friend told me his telephone number is 05718820××××, I grouped the 12 numbers into three chunks, “0571”,
“8820”, “××××”, it was far easier to remember.
Part Two Reading-Centered Activities
In-Class Reading
Post-Reading
Reading Comprehension
2 late 7 briefcase 12 have 17 never
3 F
3 land
1 1 brother 6 worse 11 get
16 unloaded 2 1 F
2 F
8 counter 13 claim form 18 realized
4 F
5 T
4 take off 9 on 19 flights
7 T
5 noise 10 loading 15 airport 20 midnight 8 F
14 delivered / sent
6 F
3 Sample
1 I would say: “I must apologize for the terrible mistake I made with my briefcase. When
my brother and I got home, to my greatest surprise, we found my briefcase was lying on the floor in the back seat of my car. So the briefcase you found in Denver must be someone else’s. I’m terribly sorry to have put you to so much trouble. Thank you very
much for what you’ve done for me.”
2 The airline workers would have to find the real owner of the briefcase they found in
Denver. They also had to apologize to the owner for the late arrival of the briefcase the mistake had caused.
Vocabulary
1 1 B
A a journey in a plane
B an airplane that takes people on a particular journey
2 A
A wait for sb.; greet sb. B see sb. accidentally
3 A
A leave the ground and start flying B become successful or popular
4 B
A end or bring sth. to an end
B decide that sth. is true after considering all the information you have
5 A
课文翻译及课后练习答案-新编大学英语（第三版）第一册-unit2
