It is difficult to imagine what life would be like without memory. The meanings of thousands of everyday perceptions, the basis for the decisions we make, and the roots of our habits and skills are to be found in our past experiences, which are brought into the present by memory.Memory can be defined as the capacity to keep information available for later use. It includes not only "remembering" things like arithmetic or historical facts, but also involves any change in the way an animal typically behaves. Memory is involved when a rat gives up eating grain because he has sniffed (嗅出) something suspicious in the grain pile.Memory exists not only in humans and animals but also in some physical objects and machines. Computers, for example, contain devices for storing data for later use. It is interesting to compare the memory storage capacity of a computer with that of a human being. The instant access memory of a large computer may hold up to 100,000 "words" — string of alphabetic or numerical characters — ready for instant use. An average U.S. teenager probably recognizes the meaning of about 100,000 words of English. However, this is but a fraction of the total amount of information that the teenager has stored. Consider, for example, the number of faces and places that the teenager can recognize on sight.The use of words is the basis of the advanced problem-solving intelligence of human beings. A large part of a person's memory is in terms of words and combinations of words. But while language greatly expands the number and kind of things a person can remember, it also requires a huge memory capacity. It may well be this capacity that distinguishes humans, setting them apart from other animals.1. Which of the following is true about memory?A) It helps us perceive things happening around us every day.B) It affects our decision making.C) It affects our past experiences.D) The past is connected with the present by memory.2.According to the passage, memory is helpful in one's life in the followingaspects EXCEPT that ______.A) it involves the change in one's behaviorB) it keeps information for later useC) it warns people not to do things repeatedlyD) it makes one remember events that happened in the past3.What is the author's view about computers as compared to human beings?A) Computers have better memory than a child does.B) Computers are as intelligent as a teenager is.C) Computers understand as many as 100,000 words.D) Human beings are far superior to computers.4.What is the major characteristic of man's memory capacity according to theauthor?A) It can be expanded by language.B) It can remember all the combined words.C) It may keep all the information in the past.D) It may change what has been stored in it.5.Human beings make themselves different from other animals by ______.A) having the ability to perceive dangerB) having a far greater memory capacityC) having the ability to recognize faces and places on sightD) having the ability to draw on past experiences
The way people cling to the belief that a fun-filled, pain-free life equals happiness actually diminishes their chances of ever attaining real happiness. If fun and pleasure are equated with happiness, then pain must be equated with unhappiness. But, in fact, the opposite is true: more times than not, things that lead to happiness involve some pain.As a result, many people avoid the very endeavors that are the source of true happiness. They fear the pain inevitably brought by such things as marriage, raising children, professional achievement, religious commitment, civic or charitable work, self-improvement.Ask a bachelor why he resists marriage even though he finds dating to be less and less satisfying. If he's honest, he will tell you that he is afraid of making a commitment. For commitment is in fact quite painful. The single life is filled with fun, adventure, and excitement. Marriage has such moments, but they are not its most distinguishing features.Similarly, couples who choose not to have children are deciding in favor of painless fun over painful happiness. They can dine out whenever they feel like and sleep as late as they wish. Couples with infant children are lucky to get a whole night's sleep or a three-day vacation. I don't know any parent who would choose the word fun to describe raising children.Understanding and accepting that true happiness has nothing to do with fun is one of the most liberating realizations we ever come to. It liberates time: now we can devote more hours to activities that can genuinely increase our happiness. It liberates money: buy that new car or those fancy clothes that will do nothing to increase our happiness now seems pointless. And it liberates us from envy: we now understand that all those rich and glamorous (富有魅力的) people we were so sure are happy because they are always having so much fun actually may not be happy at all. The moment we understand that fun does not bring happiness, we begin to live differently. The effect can be, quite literally, life-transforming.6. According to the writer, people who think happiness as fun __________.A) are somewhat denied the chances of gaining happinessB) will remain single although they may go datingC) must know what true happiness isD) should devote more time to activities7.Which of the following is true?A) Lots of people get their happiness and fun confused.B) One must have painful experience before getting happiness.C) Happiness and pain cannot be separated in most cases.D) The writer regards happiness as having fun and pleasure.8.If a person decides to marry, __________.A) he will not have fun and excitement in his life any moreB) he should be well-prepared for the coming of babiesC) he must buy some beautiful clothes for his fiancéeD) he should shoulder the corresponding responsibility9.Couples having infant children __________.A) are lucky since they can have a whole night's sleepB) find fun in tucking them into bed at nightC) find more time to play and joke with themD) derive happiness from raising their children10.If one knows the true sense of happiness, he will __________.A) surely try his best to get the meaning of painB) make the best use of his time increasing happinessC) probably spend much of his money on the public interestD) know how the rich families are getting on with their lives