The ability to memorize things seems to be a vanishing （消失的） technique．So what can we do to bring out brain cells back into action? A newly published book on memory, Moomvalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything, by American journalist Joshua Foer, makes a telling point, one that is an analysis of the importance of memorising events and stories in human history; the decline of its role in modem life; and the techniques that we need to adopt to restore the art of remembering．
As For points out, we no longer need to remember telephone numbers．Our mobile phones do that for us．We don't recall addresses either．We send emails from puters that store electronic addresses．Nor do we bother to remember multiplication tables （乘法表） ．Pocket calculators do the job of multiplying quite nicely．Museums, photographs, the digital media and books also act as storehouses for memories that once we had to keep in mind．
As a result, we no longer remember long poems or folk stories by heart, feats （技艺） of memory that were once the cornerstones of most people's lives．Indeed, society has changed so much that we no longer know what techniques we should employ to remember such lengthy works．We are, quite simply, forgetting how to remember．
And let's face it, there is nothing sadder than someone who has lost their mobile phone and who finds they cannot even phone home or call their parents or partners because they cannot remember a single telephone number．That is a sad example of loss of personal independence．So, yes, there is a need for us to he able to remember certain things in life．
Therefore, Foer's book outlines the methods that need to be mastered in order to promote our memories and regain the ability to recall long strings of names, numbers or faces．In the process, he adds, we will bee more aware of the world about us．
The trick, Foer says, is to adopt a process known as elaborative encoding, which involves transforming information, such as a shopping list, into a series of absorbing visual images．If you want to remember a list of household objects—potatoes, cottage cheese, sugar and other items, then visualise them in an unforgettable manner, he says．Start by creating an image of a large jar of potatoes standing in the garden．Next to it, imagine a giant tub of cottage cheese—the size of an outdoor pool—and then picture Lady Gaga swimming in it．And so on．Each image should be as fantastic and memorable as possible．
Using methods like this, it bees possible to achieve great feats of memory quite easily, Foer says．It certainly seems to have worked for him: he won the annual US Memory Championships after learning how to memorize 120 random digits in five minutes; the first and last names of 156 strangers in 15 minutes; and a deck of cards in under two minutes．What I had really trained my brain to do, as much as to memorise, was to be more mindful and to pay attention to the world around, he says．
These techniques employed by Foer to master his memory were developed by Ed Cooke—a British writer and a world memory championship grandmaster．He acted as Foer's trainer during preparations for the book and helped him achieve his championship performances． Memory techniques do just one thing: they make information more meaningful to the mind, making the things we try to learn unforgettably bright and amusing, said Cooke．
【小题1】Which of the following is conveyed in this article?A．People bee more independent with modern equipment．B．The memory's role in life is declining in modem society．C．Memory techniques can make information less meaningful．D．Ed Cooke is the first one who benefited from Foer's techniques．【小题2】According to Joshua Foer, people no longer memorize information today because ．A．museums can do everything for them．B．they no longer have the ability to memorize things．C．they have things that can act as storehouses for memories．D．it is not necessary to memorize anything in modem life．【小题3】One method of memorizing things mentioned in the passage is to ．A．link things to famous pop starsB．find the connection between different thingsC．form vivid, unforgettable images of certain thingsD．use advanced digital imaging technology to help【小题4】The underlined word visualise in the last paragraph most probably means ．A．imagineB．undertakeC．remarkD．indicate【小题5】This passage can be sorted as ．A．a news reportB．an advertisementC．a scientific discoveryD．a book reviewB
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(答案→)B
解析：
【小题1】B 主旨大意题。根据第一段第一句The ability to memorize things seems to be a vanishing （消失的） technique．说明本文告诉我们因为科技的进步，现代人的记忆的能力已经大大下降。故A正确。
【小题2】C 细节题。根据第二段．Our mobile phones do that for us．We don't recall addresses either．We send emails from puters that store electronic addresses．Nor do we bother to remember multiplication tables （乘法表） ．Pocket calculators do the job of multiplying quite nicely．Museums, photographs, the digital media and books also act as storehouses for memories that once we had to keep in mind．说明在现代社会中有很多的工具帮助我们做各种记忆的工作，故C正确。
【小题3】C 细节题。根据第6段1,2行The trick, Foer says, is to adopt a process known as elaborative encoding, which involves transforming information, such as a shopping list, into a series of absorbing visual images．说明这种方法就是在人脑中形成一个生动的事物的形象。故C正确。
【小题4】A 猜测词义题。（最后一段没有这个词）
【小题5】D 推理题。根据文章第一段2,3行A newly published book on memory, Moomvalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything, by American journalist Joshua Foer, makes a telling point, one that is an analysis of the importance of memorising events and stories in human history说明本文是对这本书的的书评。