Susan: Well, why don’t you call Jane? She has his phone number. John: I’ve tried, but no one answered!
Susan: Maybe call his office and ask his secretary.
John: I’ve already tried. She won’t tell me. She says it’s private.
Susan: Oh, that’s right. They usually don’t release private information over the phone.
John: It’s a pity. You usually have a powerful memory, but you can’t help today.
What’s wrong with you? Your memory seems to be fading early.
Susan: It’s not my memory is fading. I do have memory for face and names, but a poor one for number and dates
Now Your Turn SAMPLE DIALOG
A: Hey, do you remember when is the lecture on the value of information by Professor Smith?
B: I can’t think of it off the top of my head. Maybe we can look it up in our notebook, but I don’t have mine with me.
A: That’s too bas! I don’t have it with me, either. Do you remember the number of the lecture hail?
B: Sorry, I can’t think of it off my head.
A: I’m terribly interested in the lecture. I can’t miss it!
B: Well, why don’t you call the dean who arranged the lecture? A: I’m afraid it’s not very wise to ask the dean directly.
B: Then maybe you can call the office if the department and ask the secretary. A: I’ve already tried, but no one answered. B: Oh!
A: You usually have a powerful memory, but you can’t help today. You memory seems to be fading early.
B: It’s nit that my memory is fading. I do have a good memory for faces and names, but a poor one for numbers and dates.
MODEL3 What’s wrong with your memory? Script
Bill: Hi, honey! My trip to London was wonderful. Amy: Tell me what thrilled you most.
[The telephone rings and Bill answers it....He hangs up.] Bill: Er, where was I?
Amy: You were talking about your tour in London. Bill: Oh, yeah.
Amy: I bet you had a great time.
Bill: Yes, I particularly enjoyed visiting the tower of London. Amy: How did you get there? By bus or underground? Bill: Let me see….Sorry, I can’t remember any more. Amy: What’s wrong with your memory?
Bill: I hope it’s not Alzheimer’s disease. I don’t want to forget my own name. Amy: I don’t think so. Perhaps it’s just temporary forgetfulness. You’ll be right after a
good sleep.
Bill: I hope so. But as this is happening so often recently, I think I must go to see a
doctor and get some pills
Amy: It’s not as serous as that. Anyway, I wish you had a good memory for happy
events, and a bad one for unhappy things.
Now Your Turn
SAMPLE DIALOG
A: Hey, my trip to Beijing was fantastic. B: Tell me what thrilled you most.
[The door bell rings and A answer it….A comes back.] A: Where was I?
B: You were talking about your tour in Beijing A: Oh, yeah.
B: I bet you had a great time.
A: Yes, I particularly enjoyed visiting the Forbidden City and the Great Wall, though the admission fees were a bit too high for me. B: What were the fees?
A: Let me see….Sorry, I can’t remember any more. B: What’s wrong with your memory?
A: I hope it’s not Alzheimer’s disease. I don’t want to see a lot of new people everyday.
B: I don’t think so. Perhaps you only forget things momentarily. You’ll be right after a good sleep.
A: I hope so. But as this is happening so often recently, I think I have to see a doctor. B: I don’t think it’s so serious. Anyway, a bad memory helps you forget your trouble.
V. Let’s Talk
Script
Student: Professor, thank you for graining me this interview. I’m Susan, a reporter
from the Student Union magazine. Many students have difficultly memorizing things. Since you‘re an outstanding psychologist, could you give us some tips on how top improve our memory?
Professor: Well, some people have better memories than others, but that’s largely
because they are better at creating mental images.
Student: If I’m not good at creating images, what can I do?
Professor: Practice helps. And the mind remembers things better if they are
connected with other images. For example, I you have to pick up several items at the grocery store, say, carrots, egg, bananas, and milk, you can create a picture in your mind of a giant carrot, and hanging from it, a banana.
Student: Then I could have a giant milk carton pouring milk over the carrot and
banana.
Professor: Certainly. Then what would you do with the egg?
Student: Hmmm. I’d visualize an egg-shaped UFO flying across the sky.
Professor: There you go. The more you apply the ideas, the easier it gets. Besides
creating pictures, there’s another technique that is very useful.
Student: What is it?
Professor: Establishing an association. Suppose you are looking for lost keys.
Relax, and let your mind look for all the images connected with those keys--their feel, the sounds they make.
Student: How will that help?
Professor: You might remember the sound the keys made when you placed then in
a drawer or cold touch of the keys in your jacket were you left them.
Student: Oh my gosh! I have to run. It’s time my English class. I see an image of
my teacher staring at my empty seat in the classroom. Many thanks, Professor.
Professor: Not at all, and good luck with your memory.
Ways of Improving One’s Memory Creating images Examples To remember the items to buy sat the grocery store such as carrots, eggs, bananas, and milk Images that you may help: 1.a giant carrot and a banana hanging from it 2. a giant milk carton pouring milk over the carrot and banana 3. an egg-shaped UFO flying across the sky Associations with sound touch that may help: 1. The sound of the keys might remind you of y\\having placed then in a drawer. 2. The cold touch of the keys might remind you of them in your jacket. Establishing associations To find your lost keys
Discussion
SAMPLE
A: As we just heard from the interview, the technique of associating certainly
important in promoting memory.
B: And according to the interview, creating images helps remember things. If your shopping list includes eggs, you might visualize an egg or an egg-shaped UFO flying across.
A: Another important factor in improving memory can be of interest. If you get interested in something, you can remember it better.
B: Yeah. And if you recognize facts into meaningful groups, you can remember them better. For instance, if you want to memorize all the names of American presidents,
it is not easy. If, however, you arrange them chronologically into three periods: those before Abraham Lincoln, those between Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt, and those after, then the task will be less difficult.
A: It is common sense that if you glance at something quickly, you tend to forget it quickly. If you stuffy it slowly, you can remember it better.
B: Another technique is intensive practice or repeating. As a saying goes, practice makes perfect. If you repeat something again and again, you will eventually learn it by heart.
A: But we should not work too hard. When we get tired, our learning efficiency declines. We need breaks so the mind can rest and absorb what has been learned.
VI. Further Listening and Speaking
Task1: The Role Memory Plays in Our Life Script
Since memory plays a significant role in our life, scrientists are increasingly interested in research on how to improver memory, Here are some factors they believe to be important to expanding memory capacity.
To begin with, you must take special care in your daily life. Food for example, is very important. Some vitamins are essential foe your memory to work properly. They are found in bread, cereal, vegetables and fruits. Some experts say that synthesizes vitamins improve memory, but others have doubts about this, arguing that the studies have not confirmed they do work. Another essential factor is water. It helps to maintain the memory systems, especially in older persons. According to Dr. Roswell, lack of water in the body has an immediate and strong effect on memory; it can cause confusion and other thought difficulties. Sleep also plays a significant role. To be able to have a goof memory, we must allow the brain to have plenty of rest. While sleeping, the brain no longer controls the senses, and starts to revise and store the information one has receives. Lack of sleep would make one feel exhausted and would weaken one’s ability to concentrate. Also, one’ ability to store information would be affected.
1. What is the passage mainly about?
2. Why are foods important in promoting memory according to the passage? 3. To whom is water especially important in maintaining the memory system? 4. What problem can a lack of water cause? 5. Why is sleep important to memory?
新视野大学英语视听说教程三――听力原文及答案
