The Reading / Listening - Memory - Level 0

Can you remember vocabulary easily? If not, help may be near. A study says anyone can remember things better if they train their brain. We can be a "memory athlete". Scientist Martin Dresler said six weeks of training can help us remember many things. He said people could train and enter the World Memory Championships.

Dr Dresler looked at brain scans of memory champions and "normal" people. He was surprised to see no differences. He decided we can all be memory athletes. He studied people who trained for 40 days using mnemonics. They more than doubled their memory. Mnemonics is an old method of helping people remember things.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Memory - Level 1,  Memory - Level 2   or  Memory - Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/03/08/518815297/maybe-you-too-could-become-a-super-memorizer
  • https://www.sciencenews.org/article/brain-training-turns-recall-rookies-memory-masters
  • http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2017/03/09/anyone-can-become-memory-athlete-study


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. remember vocabulary
  2. anyone can remember
  3. if they train
  4. We can be a
  5. six weeks of
  6. help
  7. He said people could
  8. the World Memory
  1. their brain
  2. training
  3. easily
  4. Championships
  5. things better
  6. train
  7. "memory athlete"
  8. us remember

Paragraph 2

  1. brain
  2. "normal"
  3. He was surprised to see
  4. He decided we can all be memory
  5. He studied people who
  6. They more than doubled
  7. mnemonics is an old
  8. helping people
  1. no differences
  2. remember things
  3. trained for 40 days
  4. method
  5. scans
  6. athletes
  7. their memory
  8. people

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Can (1) ___________________ vocabulary easily? If not, help (2) ___________________. A study says anyone can remember things better if they (3) ___________________. We can be a "memory athlete". Scientist Martin Dresler said (4) ___________________ training can (5) ___________________ remember many things. He said people could (6) ___________________ the World Memory Championships.

Dr Dresler looked at brain (7) ___________________ champions and "normal" people. He (8) ___________________ to see no differences. He decided (9) ___________________ be memory athletes. He studied people who trained (10) ___________________ using mnemonics. They more than (11) ___________________ memory. Mnemonics is an old method of helping people (12) ___________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Canyouremembervocabularyeasily?Ifnot,helpmaybenear.Astudysa
ysanyonecanrememberthingsbetteriftheytraintheirbrain.Wecanbea
"memoryathlete".ScientistMartinDreslersaidsixweeksoftrainingcan
helpusremembermanythings.Hesaidpeoplecouldtrainandenterthe
WorldMemoryChampionships.DrDreslerlookedatbrainscansofmem
orychampionsand"normal"people.Hewassurprisedtoseenodifferenc
es.Hedecidedwecanallbememoryathletes.Hestudiedpeoplewhotrai
nedfor40daysusingmnemonics.Theymorethandoubledtheirmemory
.Mnemonicsisanoldmethodofhelpingpeoplerememberthings.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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