We may all have had the embarrassing moment：Getting half­way through a story only to realize that we've told this exact tale before to the same  person. Why do  we  make  such  memory mistakes?

According to the research published in Psychological Science, it may have to do with the way our brains process different types of memory.

Researchers Nigel Gopie, of the Rotman Research Institute in Toronto, and Colin Macleod, of the University of Waterloo, divided memory into two kinds. The first was source memory，or the ability to keep track of where information is coming from. The second was destination memory，or the ability to recall who we have given information to.

They found that source memory functions better than destination memory, in part because of the direction in which that information is travelling.

To study the differences between source memory and destination memory, the researchers did an experiment on 60 university students, according to a New York Times report. The students were asked to associate (联想) 50 random(随意的) facts with the faces of 50 famous people. Half of the students“told”each fact to one of the faces, reading it aloud when the celebrity's(名人的) picture appeared on a computer screen. The other half read each fact silently and saw a different celebrity picture afterward.

When later asked to recall which facts went with which faces, the students who were giving information out(destination memory)scored about 16 percent lower on memory performance compared with the students receiving information(source memory)．

The researchers concluded that out­going information was less associated with its environmental context (背景)—that is，the person—than was incoming information.

This makes sense given what is known about attention. A person who is giving information, even little facts, will devote some mental resources to thinking about what is being said. Because our attention is limited，we give less attention to the person we are giving information to.

After a second experiment with another group of 40 students, the researchers concluded that self­focus is another factor that undermines destination memory.

They asked half the students to continue giving out random information, while the other told things about themselves. This time around, those who were talking about themselves did 15 percent worse than those giving random information.

“When you start telling these personal facts compared with non­self facts, suddenly destination memory goes down more, suggesting that it is the self­focus component (成分) that's reducing the memory.”Gopie told Live Science.

60．The point of this article is to ________.

A. give advice on how to improve memory

B. say what causes the memory to worsen

C. explain why we repeat stories to those we've already told them to

D. discuss the differences between source memory and destination memory

61．What can we learn from the article?

A. Source memory helps us remember who we have  told the information to.

B. One's limited attention is one of the reasons why those reading aloud to the celebrity's pictures    perform worse on the memory test.

C. Silent reading is a better way to remember information than reading aloud.

D. It tends to be more difficult for people to link incoming information with its environmental context than outgoing information.

62．The underlined word“undermines” probably means________.

A. weakens         B. benefits

C. explains          D. supports

63．What did the scientists conclude from the second experiment?

A. Destination memory is weaker than source memory.

B. Focusing attention on oneself leads to relatively poor source memory performance.

C. Associating personal experience with information helps people memorize better.

D. Self­focus is responsible for the reduction of destination memory.

　 When I was 17，I read a quote that went something like：“If you live each day as if it were your last，someday you’ll most certainly be right” It made a deep 　36 on me, and since then, for the past 33 years，I have 37 in the mirror every morning and asked myself：“If today were the last day of my life， 38 I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a 39 ，I know I need to change something．

　 Remembering that I’ll be 　40 soon is the most important tool I’ve ever known to help me make the big 41 in life because almost everything falls away in the face of death， 42 only what is truly important.

　 About a year ago I was 43 with cancer. My doctor even advised me to go home and get my affairs 44 order，which is a doctor’s way of telling people to prepare to die．I 45 with that diagnosis all day． 46 ，at last an advanced test showed that it was a very rare cancer that is 47 with surgery．I had the surgery and I’m fine now.

　 48 wants to die．Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all 49 ．No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be，because death is very likely the single best invention of 　50 ．It is life's change agent. It clears out the old to 　51 for the new．Right now the new is you．But someday not too 　52 from now，you will gradually become the old and be cleared away．Sorry to be so dramatic，but it is quite true.

　 Your time is 　53 ，so don’t waste it living someone else’s 1ife．Don’t be 54 by dogma (教条) —which is living with the results of other people’s thinking．Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner 　55 ．And most importantly，have the courage to follow your heart.

36. A. joke　 　　　　　　　 B. curse 　　　　　 C. decision 　　　　　　　 D. impression

37. A. looked　　　　 B. seen 　　　　　 C. found　　　 　　　　 D. 1ost

38. A. might　　 　　　 B. should　　 　　 C. would　　　 　　　　 D. could

39. A. hurry　　　 　　　　 B. 1ine　　　 　　 C. row　　　　 　　 D. moment

40. A. successful 　　　　　 B. dead　　　 　　 C. rich　　　　　 　　 D. frustrated

41. A. choices　　 　 B. fortune　　 　　 C. impressions　 　　 D. apologies

42. A. proving　　 　 B. confirming　 　 C. leaving　　　 　　　　 D. telling

43. A. treated　　 　　　　　　 B. cured　　　 　 C. diagnosed　　 　　 D. round

44. A. on　　　　 　 B. for　　　　 C. at　　　　　　 　 D. in

45. A. met　　　　 B. 1ived　　　 　 C. did　　　　　　 D. got

46. A. But　　　 　　 B. However　　 C. Therefore　　　 　 D. So

47. A. incurable　　 B. fatal　　　 　　 C. curable　　　　 　　 D. changeable

48. A. No one　　　 B. Someone　　 C. Anyone　　　　 　　 D. Everyone

49. A. want　　　 　 B. avoid　　　 　 C. escape　　　　 　 D. share

50. A. destination　　 B. science　　 　 C. 1ife　　　　　 　　 D. disease

51. A. make up　 　　 B. make way　 　 C. make our　　　 　　 D. make for

52. A. distant　　 　 B. long　　　　 C. short　　　　　 　 D. away　

53. A. enough　 　　　　 B. rare　　　　 C. limited　　　　 　　 D. 1ost

54. A. wasted　　 　 B. cheated　　　 C. excited　　　　 　 D. trapped

55. A. love　　　 　　 B. voice　　　 　 C. direction　　　 　 D. confusion

　 When I was 17，I read a quote that went something like：“If you live each day as if it were your last，someday you’ll most certainly be right” It made a deep 　36 on me, and since then, for the past 33 years，I have 37 in the mirror every morning and asked myself：“If today were the last day of my life， 38 I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a 39 ，I know I need to change something．

　 Remembering that I’ll be 　40 soon is the most important tool I’ve ever known to help me make the big 41 in life because almost everything falls away in the face of death， 42 only what is truly important.

　 About a year ago I was 43 with cancer. My doctor even advised me to go home and get my affairs 44 order，which is a doctor’s way of telling people to prepare to die．I 45 with that diagnosis all day． 46 ，at last an advanced test showed that it was a very rare cancer that is 47 with surgery．I had the surgery and I’m fine now.

　 48 wants to die．Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all 49 ．No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be，because death is very likely the single best invention of 　50 ．It is life's change agent. It clears out the old to 　51 for the new．Right now the new is you．But someday not too 　52 from now，you will gradually become the old and be cleared away．Sorry to be so dramatic，but it is quite true.

　 Your time is 　53 ，so don’t waste it living someone else’s 1ife．Don’t be 54 by dogma (教条) —which is living with the results of other people’s thinking．Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner 　55 ．And most importantly，have the courage to follow your heart.

36. A. joke　 　　　　　　　 B. curse 　　　　　 C. decision 　　　　　　　 D. impression

37. A. looked　　　　 B. seen 　　　　　 C. found　　　 　　　　 D. 1ost

38. A. might　　 　　　 B. should　　 　　 C. would　　　 　　　　 D. could

39. A. hurry　　　 　　　　 B. 1ine　　　 　　 C. row　　　　 　　 D. moment

40. A. successful 　　　　　 B. dead　　　 　　 C. rich　　　　　 　　 D. frustrated

41. A. choices　　 　 B. fortune　　 　　 C. impressions　 　　 D. apologies

42. A. proving　　 　 B. confirming　 　 C. leaving　　　 　　　　 D. telling

43. A. treated　　 　　　　　　 B. cured　　　 　 C. diagnosed　　 　　 D. round

44. A. on　　　　 　 B. for　　　　 C. at　　　　　　 　 D. in

45. A. met　　　　 B. 1ived　　　 　 C. did　　　　　　 D. got

46. A. But　　　 　　 B. However　　 C. Therefore　　　 　 D. So

47. A. incurable　　 B. fatal　　　 　　 C. curable　　　　 　　 D. changeable

48. A. No one　　　 B. Someone　　 C. Anyone　　　　 　　 D. Everyone

49. A. want　　　 　 B. avoid　　　 　 C. escape　　　　 　 D. share

50. A. destination　　 B. science　　 　 C. 1ife　　　　　 　　 D. disease

51. A. make up　 　　 B. make way　 　 C. make our　　　 　　 D. make for

52. A. distant　　 　 B. long　　　　 C. short　　　　　 　 D. away　

53. A. enough　 　　　　 B. rare　　　　 C. limited　　　　 　　 D. 1ost

54. A. wasted　　 　 B. cheated　　　 C. excited　　　　 　 D. trapped

55. A. love　　　 　　 B. voice　　　 　 C. direction　　　 　 D. confusion

When I was 17，I read a quote that went something like：“If you live each day as if it were your last，someday you’ll most certainly be right” It made a deep   1 on me, and since then, for the past 33 years，I have  2  in the mirror every morning and asked myself：“If today were the last day of my life，  3  I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a 4  ，I know I need to change something．

    Remembering that I’ll be   5  soon is the most important tool I’ve ever known to help me make the big 6 in life because almost everything falls away in the face of death，  7 only what is truly important.

    About a year ago I was  8  with cancer. My doctor even advised me to go home and get my affairs  9  order，which is a doctor’s way of telling people to prepare to die．I  10 with that diagnosis all day．  11  ，at last an advanced test showed that it was a very rare cancer that is  12  with surgery．I had the surgery and I’m fine now.

     13  wants to die．Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all  14  ．No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be，because death is very likely the single best invention of   15 ．It is life's change agent. It clears out the old to   16   for the new．Right now the new is you．But someday not too  17   from now，you will gradually become the old and be cleared away．Sorry to be so dramatic，but it is quite true.

    Your time is  18 ，so don’t waste it living someone else’s 1ife．Don’t be  19  by dogma (教条) —which is living with the results of other people’s thinking．Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner   20  ．And most importantly，have the courage to follow your heart.

1.A. joke           B. curse        C. decision         D. impression

2.A. looked      B. seen        C. found            D. 1ost

3.A. might          B. should       C. would            D. could

4.A. hurry       B. 1ine       C. row              D. moment

5.A. successful   B. dead           C. rich             D. frustrated

6.A. choices      B. fortune     C. impressions     D. apologies

7.A. proving      B. confirming  C. leaving         D. telling

8.A. treated      B. cured       C. diagnosed       D. round

9.A. on           B. for         C. at              D. in

10.A. met         B. 1ived       C. did             D. got

11.A. But            B. However     C. Therefore        D. So

12.A. incurable   B. fatal       C. curable             D. changeable

13.A. No one      B. Someone     C. Anyone         D. Everyone

14.A. want        B. avoid       C. escape              D. share

15.A. destination    B. science   C. 1ife               D. disease

16.A. make up           B. make way    C. make our         D. make for

17.A. distant       B. long         C. short                D. away   

18.A. enough        B. rare         C. limited          D. 1ost

19.A. wasted            B. cheated      C. excited          D. trapped

20.A. love          B. voice        C. direction      D.confusion

 

Early one morning the sub-inspector at a station at the other end of the town rang me. An elephant was damaging the town. Would I please come and do something about it? I did not know what I could do, but I got onto a horse and started out. I took my gun, maybe too small to kill an elephant, but I thought the noise might scare him. Various local people stopped me on the way and told me about the elephant's doings. It was not, of course, a wild elephant, but a tame one. It had been chained up but last night it had broken its chain and escaped. Its owner had set out to run after it, but had taken the wrong direction. He was now twelve hours' journey away, and in the morning the elephant had suddenly appeared in the town. It had already destroyed somebody's bamboo hut (棚屋), killed a cow and turned over fruit¬stalls. I came round the hut and saw a man's dead body sprawling in the mud. He was an Indian, and he could not have been dead many minutes. The people said that the elephant caught him with its trunk, put its foot on his back and   grounded him into the earth. This was the rainy season and he was lying on his stomach in the soft mud, the peacebreaker standing beside, looking innocent. As I lifted my gun, I hesitated a few seconds. Then I fired. That was a shot for him. You could see the pain of it knocking the last strength from his legs. But in falling he seemed for a moment to rise, his trunk reaching skyward like a tree. He trumpeted, for the first and only time. And then down he came, with a crash that shook the ground.

1.Which of the following statements about the author is TRUE?

A．He was an Indian.

B．He knew elephants well.

C．He was not a local villager.

D．He was the owner of the elephant.

2.The elephant made so much trouble because ________.

A．its owner treated him cruelly

B．it got out of control

C．it hated the village people

D．it was a wild elephant

3.The underlined words “the peacebreaker” in Paragraph 4 refer to ________.

A．the elephant	B．the dead man
C．the author	D．the sub¬inspector

4.It can be inferred that the author felt ________ when he shot the elephant.

A．excited

B．sad

C．frightened

D．happy