Directions: Read the following passages carefully. Then answer the questions or complete the statements in the fewest possible words (not exceeding 10 words).
Learning could not occur without the function popularly named memory. Constant practice has such an effect on memory as to lead to skillful performance on the piano, to recitation of a poem, and even to reading and understanding these words. So-called intelligent behaviour demands memory, remembering being a primary requirement for reasoning. The ability to solve any problem or even to recognize that a problem exists depends on memory. Typically, the decision to cross a street is based on remembering many earlier experiences.
Practice (or review) tends to build and maintain memory for a task or for any learned material. Over a period of no practice what has been learned tends to be forgotten; and the adaptive consequences may not seem obvious. Yet, dramatic instances of sudden forgetting can be seen to be adaptive. In this sense, the ability to forget can be interpreted to have survived through a process of natural selection in animals. Indeed, when one’s memory of an emotionally painful experience leads to serious anxiety, forgetting may produce relief. Nevertheless, an evolutionary interpretation might make it difficult to understand how the commonly gradual process of forgetting survived natural selection.
In thinking about the evolution of memory together with all its possible aspects, it is helpful to consider what would happen if memories failed to fade. Forgetting clearly aids orientation in time, since old memories weaken and the new tend to stand out, providing clues for inferring duration. Without forgetting, adaptive ability would suffer; for example, learned behaviour that might have been correct a decade ago may no longer be. Cases are recorded of people who (by ordinary standards) forgot so little that their everyday activities were full of confusion. Thus forgetting seems to serve the survival of the individual and the species.
Another line of thought assumes a memory storage system of limited capacity that provides adaptive flexibility specifically through forgetting. In this view, continual adjustments are made between learning or memory storage (input) and forgetting (output). Indeed, there is evidence that the rate at which individuals forget is directly related to how much they have learned. Such data offer gross support of contemporary models of memory that assume an input output balance.
Questions:
1. According to Para. 1, memory plays an important role in _________________________ .
2. We can obviously notice that over a period of no practice what has been learned tends to be forgotten from________________________________________________________________.
3. It seems that the author disagree to explain ____________________________________.
4. If memories failed to fade__________________________________________________ .
5. According to the assumption given in last Para, we don’t exactly know ______________ .
短文大意
本文对于人的记忆和遗忘功能一题，进行了详细的论述。文中指出，记忆对学习，对智力活动，解决问题的能力，都起着重要的 作用。然而，遗忘功能也是功不可没的。因为，假如记忆力永不衰退，人的适应能力将被削弱，人的日常生活行动将会混乱。文章在最后，又引入了另一个有关记忆与遗忘之间关系的理论。
1.
【参考答案】learning, intelligent behavior and the ability to solve any problem
【解题技巧】 将同类的内容进行归纳总结，提取原话是解决本题的方法。
【详细解答】 本题的答案散落在第一段中，我们可分别发现：Learning could not occur without the function popularly named memory.(没有这个通常被称为记忆的功能，学习不可能进行。)…So-called intelligent behavior demands memory.(通常所说的智力活动需要记忆力。) The ability to solve any problem or even to recognize that a problem exists depends on memory.(解决任何问题的能力，甚至发现问题是否存在的能力，均有赖于记忆力。) 因此，将Learning, intelligent behavior, the ability to solve any problem提取出来，即可。
2.
【参考答案】dramatic instances of sudden forgetting
【解题技巧】 从既定的结果入手，寻找存在的条件是本题技巧。
【详细解答】 问题问的是：根据什么，我们可以明显看出一段时间不练习，已学到的东西会逐渐遗忘。在第二段中，我们可以看到本题已知的结果：Over a period of no practice what has been learned tends to be forgotten.下面一句说的是and the adaptive consequence may not seem obvious.(而且这种自身适应的后果看来并不明显。)这一句离题更近了，下面就得到了答案：dramatic instances of sudden forgetting can been seem to be adaptive.
3.
【参考答案】how the process of forgetting survived by evolutionary interpretation
【解题技巧】 从间接的否定进入直接的否定，并抛开原文中不必要的修饰词。
【详细解答】 问题是：作者似乎不同意解释什么。这句话的问题很明确。然而，在英语语言中，一些表示否定的话语，说得却很委婉。第二段的最后：Nevertheless, an evolutionary interpretation might make it difficult to understand how the commonly gradual process of forgetting survived natural selection.然而，一个进化论的解释也许使人难以理解这个很普通的逐渐遗忘过程怎样会经历自然选择后仍保留下来。那么，might make it difficult,即是一种委婉的否定。因为是简短回答，可以把修饰词commonly, gradual, natural selection去掉，留下词干就可以了。
4.
【参考答案】adaptive ability would suffer
【答题技巧】 寻找与题相关的类似说法，是本题的技巧。
【详细解答】 第三段句首有这样一句话：In thinking about the evolution of memory together with all its possible aspects, it is helpful to consider what would happen if memories failed to fade.文中有：Without forgetting, adaptive ability would suffer.在这句中，without forgetting取意与if memories failed to fade相同。
5.
【参考答案】how adjustments are made between memory and forgetting
【解题技巧】 根据已知的东西去推测判定隐含的内容。
【详细解答】 这个问题问的是：依据最后一段，给出的假定理论，我们知道什么。这种问题，需要我们依据文中内容来作出合理的推测，最后一段指出：In this view, continual adjustments are made between learning or memory storage and forgetting.依据这种观念(假定中的观点)，学习或记忆储存和遗忘之间可不断调整。Indeed, there is evidence that the rate at which individuals forget is related to how much they have learned.的确，有证据表明：一个人的遗忘率与他的学习量直接有关，根据已知的信息，可做以下合理的判断：一个人遗忘率与学习量虽然有关，但是个什么样的关系? 再由具体推向抽象，记忆与遗忘可不断调整，怎么调整?据此，我们利用原文，答案可总结为：how adjustments are made between memory and forgetting.