A
When asked about her childhood in the documentary Alive Inside,a 90-year-old woman with dementia (痴呆) replies,“I’ve forgotten so much.” Filmmaker Michael Rossato-Bennett then plays music from her past for her.“That’s Louis Armstrong,”she says.“He’s singing When the Saints Go Marching In and it takes me back to my school days.” She then recalls exact details from her life.
Why does it happen?Music tends to accompany events that arouse emotions or otherwise make strong impressions on us—such as weddings and graduations.These kinds of experiences form strong memories,and the music and memories likely become intertwined (紧密相联) in our neural(神经的) networks,according to Julene Johnson,a professor at the University of California.Movements,such as dancing,also often pair with our experience of music,which can help form memories.Even many years later,hearing the music can bring back memories of these long-past events.
As Alive Inside shows,music has this power even for many people with dementia.Researchers note that the brain areas that process and remember music are typically less damaged by dementia than other areas,and they think it may explain the phenomenon.
They also pay attention to elderly people with dementia,especially those in nursing homes.“It’s possible those long-term memories are still there,” Johnson says,“but people just have a harder time accessing them because they’re in a strange place and there’re not a lot of circumstances in which someone could pull out those memories.”
Johnson also notes that music is not universally useful for all people with dementia since there are some people with dementia whose brain area that recognizes music is damaged.
Despite music’s apparent benefits,few studies have explored its influence on memory recall in people with dementia.“It’s really an untapped area,” Johnson says.Petr Janata is one researcher investigating the topic of music and memory.He says that scientists still do not have the answers for why and how music reawakens memories in people with dementia,but this phenomenon is real and it’s just a matter of time before it’s fully borne out by scientific research.
1.What helps the old woman in Alive Inside recall her childhood?
A.A film she has watched before. B.A song she has listened to before.
C.The voice of her childhood friend. D.The description of her school days.
2.What benefit of music is discussed in Paragraph 2?
A.It helps make lasting memories.
B.It helps cure patients of dementia.
C.It helps arouse emotions in special events.
D.It helps remember dance movements easily.
3.According to Johnson,what should we do for elderly people with dementia?
A.Send them to nursing homes for good care.
B.Provide familiar environments for them.
C.Play lots of classical music to them.
D.Talk to them about their past.
4.What do we know about the study into music and memory recall in people with dementia?
A.It is criticized by Petr Janata. B.It is a ground-breaking study.
C.It is supported by solid evidence. D.It applies to all people with dementia.
语篇解读:本文是说明文。研究表明音乐对唤醒痴呆病人的记忆十分有用。
答案及剖析:
1.B 细节理解题。根据第一段中的plays music from her past for her.“That’s Louis Armstrong,” she says ...She then recalls exact details from her life.可知,这位老人的记忆是被她过去听过的一首歌唤醒的。
2.A 细节理解题。根据第二段中的form strong memories及...help form memories.Even many years later,hearing the music can bring back memories of these long-past events.可知,本段主要讨论了音乐可以帮助人们形成深刻的记忆,多年后都可能被唤醒。
3.B 推理判断题。根据第四段中的they’re in a strange place and there’re not a lot of circumstances in which someone could pull out those memories可知,如果患有痴呆症的老人住在养老院的话,由于处在不熟悉的环境中,他们很难恢复记忆,因此我们应该给这些老人提供熟悉的环境,以便唤醒他们失去的记忆。
4.B 细节理解题。根据最后一段中的few studies have explored its influence on memory recall in people with dementia.“It’s really an untapped area,”可知,关于音乐唤醒痴呆病人记忆功效的研究是项开创性的研究。
