The Reading / Listening - Smells - Level 4

Scientists have found why smells bring back distant memories. An area of the brain assigns memories to smells and stores them for decades. The area can recall memories very clearly years later. A professor said smells are stored in the olfactory brain. This part of the brain is dedicated to our sense of smell. It can temporarily store olfactory memories. The professor wanted to know if the brain can store long-term memories as well.

There are many smells that take us back to our childhood. Smells from cookies in the oven or perfume can bring back memories of growing up. Some smells can take you to another point in time. They can make you wish you were back in the past, or make you want to escape. Smells can even encourage you to buy things in stores. Many stores spray fragrances in stores to make people buy things they loved years ago.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Smells - Level 5 or  Smells - Level 6

Sources
  • http://www.thehealthsite.com/news/heres-why-some-scents-get-imprinted-in-your-memory-ag1217/
  • https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-athletes-way/201712/how-do-nostalgic-scents-get-woven-long-term-memories
  • http://www.myrepublica.com/news/33193/


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. bring back distant
  2. stores them
  3. recall memories very
  4. This part of the
  5. dedicated to
  6. It can temporarily store
  7. The professor wanted
  8. store long-
  1. olfactory memories
  2. memories
  3. term memories as well
  4. clearly years later
  5. to know
  6. brain
  7. our sense of smell
  8. for decades

Paragraph 2

  1. smells that take us back
  2. Smells from cookies
  3. bring back memories
  4. take you to another
  5. make you wish you were back
  6. Smells can even encourage
  7. spray
  8. buy things they
  1. in the past
  2. fragrances
  3. in the oven
  4. loved years ago
  5. of growing up
  6. point in time
  7. to our childhood
  8. you to buy things

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Scientists have found why smells bring back (1) ___________________. An area of the brain assigns memories to smells and (2) ___________________ for decades. The area can recall memories (3) ___________________ years later. A professor said smells (4) ___________________ the olfactory brain. This part of the brain is dedicated to our (5) ___________________. It can temporarily store olfactory memories. The professor wanted to know if the brain can (6) ___________________ memories as well.

There are many smells that (7) ___________________ to our childhood. Smells from (8) ___________________ oven or perfume can bring back memories of growing up. Some smells can take you to (9) ___________________ time. They can make you wish you were back in the past, or make you (10) ___________________. Smells can even encourage you to buy things in stores. Many stores (11) ___________________ in stores to make people buy things they (12) ___________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Scientistshavefoundwhysmellsbringbackdistantmemories.Anareao
fthebrainassignsmemoriestosmellsandstoresthemfordecades.Thea
reacanrecallmemoriesveryclearlyyearslater.Aprofessorsaidsmellsa
restoredintheolfactorybrain.Thispartofthebrainisdedicatedtooursen
seofsmell.Itcantemporarilystoreolfactorymemories.Theprofessorw
antedtoknowifthebraincanstorelong-termmemoriesaswell.Therear
emanysmellsthattakeusbacktoourchildhood.Smellsfromcookiesinth
eovenorperfumecanbringbackmemoriesofgrowingup.Somesmellsc
antakeyoutoanotherpointintime.Theycanmakeyouwishyouwerebac
kinthepast,ormakeyouwanttoescape.Smellscanevenencourageyou
tobuythingsinstores.Manystoressprayfragrancesinstorestomakepe
oplebuythingstheylovedyearsago.

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.

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

Help Support This Web Site

  • Please consider helping Breaking News English.com

Sean Banville's Book

Thank You