How Good Is Your Memory?

According to a recent study one-third of British people under the age of 50 cannot remember their own phone number. Many of these would claim they have a “bad memory”, but Ed Cooke – an expert in Memory learning techniques – says that’s not true. Cooke insists the key to remembering is learning to think in more memorable ways. He began teaching himself memory tricks when he spent three month in hospital aged 18. “I realised that if I had the time to practise eight hours a day, then I could get quite good. Plus it impressed the nurses,” Cooke says.

Now, Cooke has co-founded Memrise, a website that uses memory-training techniques to create a free game that it calls a “revolution in online learning”. He says the difference between Memrise and the multitude of other memory games available is that “it works”. Memory training was first described in Rhetorica ad Herennium, a Latin textbook written between 86BC and 82BC. It calls a memory an “image”, and the space it occupies in the mind a “place”. Building on this theory, Cooke claims that Memrise enables tens of thousands of users to learn a wide range of subjects, from types of cheese to names of chemicals, as quickly, and effortlessly as possible.

The basic idea of Memrise is that you associate each image with a particular graphic representation or picture that is significant to you. As this association is important to the learner, the process is more enjoyable.  “We’ve learnt that with learning, the most important thing is that people enjoy it so that they carry on doing it,” Cooke says. “More than 60 per cent of our users use Memrise for the sheer pleasure of it.”

For centuries, memory training was not a game, but a necessary and valuable skill. Now, that memory is fading. In the study from 2007, 87 per cent of people over the age of 50 could recall a relative’s birthday, but less than 40 per cent of people under 30 could do the same. “I have a theory that it’s in the interest of tech giants to make us as empty-headed as possible,” Cooke says. “They want us saying, ‘Oh, how do I get back to my house?’, so they can sell us something to help.” 

(16.02.2014, The Independent)

Question 1:[2 POINTS] Indicate whether the following statements are true or false and write down which part of the text justifies your answer.

1.         Cooke developed his own memory skills when he was ill.

2.         Memory training is a recent phenomenon/idea.

3.         In “Memrise” you have to link a word to a picture to help you to remember it.

4.         According to Cooke, having a good time while you learn is very important.

Question 2:[2 POINTS] Answer the following questions in your own words according to the text

1.         What different reasons for memory training are mentioned in the text?

2.         According to Cooke what are the benefits of using his “Memrise” programme?

Question 3:[1,5 POINTS]Find words or phrases in the text that correspond to the words and definitions given

1.         moreover (paragraph 1) _____________

2.         to make possible (paragraph 2) _____________

3.         variety (paragraph 2) _____________

4.         meaningful (paragraph 3) _____________

5.         to continue (paragraph 3) _____________

Question 4:[1,5 POINTS] Complete the following sentences without changing the meaning.

1. One Eurotrain took almost 10 hours to complete the journey from London to Paris after breaking down in the tunnel.

If the train …………………………….....................................................................................

2. At the reception girls were wearing folk costumes and the bands  were playing Russian music.

At the reception folk costumes………………………………………………………………………

3.”we feel very sorry that we took the porcelain and paintings”, said the two men.

The two men admitted they………………………………………………………………………

Question 5:[3 POINTS] Write a short essay (120-150 words) on the following topic:

What are the advantages and disadvantages of modern technology in education?