# Human memory - 科目：雅思听力真题（Part 4） - 考频：中频 - 最近考试：2021.1.23 - 题目数：10 - 来源页：https://www.yaquan.site/paper/9fc4b9f5-e76f-49b1-9473-9fd60146f7de（在线机考练习与音频请访问该页面） - 数据更新：2026-10-29 ## 题目原文 00:00:00,320 Now listen carefully and answer questions thirty-one to forty. 00:00:05,620 Good morning, everyone. In today's psychology lecture, I'll be talking about human memory. And what I want to do first is establish the historical context. So I'll outline various ideas about human memory and how they've changed over time. 00:00:22,620 So first, early cultures. Now, in the earliest times, let's say before three thousand years BC, people were dependent on being able to remember things, perhaps even more than we are today. That's because humans could not write. The skill hadn't been developed, so a good memory was important. 00:00:43,140 For one thing, it helped people navigate in the area around their homes, and it was the only way to access family history and ancestry. What's more, a good memory might be the difference between life and death. 00:00:56,780 Most people were hunters and gatherers, so it was essential to understand which foods were poisonous and which were not. 00:01:04,440 This was particularly true of plants because they sometimes looked very similar, and the only way to store this information and pass it on to the next generation was to remember it. 00:01:15,140 Unfortunately, because it was so long ago, there's limited information about what techniques we use to assist memory. 00:01:22,880 Okay, so moving on now to the ancient Greeks. And the Greek poet named Simonides, who lived around five hundred BC, was the man sometimes described as the father of memory training. 00:01:35,040 Simonides' most important idea was that it's much easier to remember information if we connect it with one particular place. 00:01:43,280 Then, over hundreds of years, other Greek scholars developed his ideas about memory, and a lot of this information has survived. So we know that by the first century, the Greeks believed that people could use their human senses to improve their memory. And this was particularly true when it came to sight. There was a strong connection there, they believed. 00:02:04,740 Well, next, I should talk about the ancient Romans, who, like the Greeks, believed memory training was extremely important. They used memory in many different ways, obviously. But most of all, in ancient Rome, people thought that one of the greatest skills was the ability to give an impressive speech in public, and memory was one of the keys to doing that. 00:02:26,560 So this was why, from about one hundred BC, the Romans wanted to develop techniques to improve memory. 00:02:34,520 And an important figure here was Cicero, a Roman political leader. 00:02:39,620 One of Cicero's ideas was that humans actually have two types of memory. There's a memory that can be developed, which he called the artificial memory, and there's another type of memory, which he called natural. And the point is that you can learn techniques to help improve your artificial memory, an idea that's interested some academics ever since. 00:03:06,260 So moving next to later European history. And the first thing to note is that during the Middle Ages, a group of academics called the Scholastics were also interested in memory techniques. The Scholastics used these techniques when they were instructing pupils about religion, and this raised the profile of memory techniques. 00:03:27,780 But later, attitudes towards memory began to change, and this started in the seventeenth century. People began to see memory training as an art form, and that didn't interest them so much anymore because they thought that science had the answers to most human questions. 00:03:44,300 This attitude really continued into the nineteenth century as well. Children weren't taught memory techniques, but were expected to learn lots of facts and to do this by constantly repeating things like dates and so on. 00:03:57,840 Okay, so then we come to modern times. And in the nineteen forties, a remarkable series of studies was conducted with a man known simply as S. 00:04:08,360 Psychologists found that S never made notes about anything, although he was a journalist and never forgot facts. 00:04:16,019 The researchers concluded that S had an unusual medical condition, which meant he developed incredible memory skills. 00:04:24,120 This was important as it seemed to support the ideas of the ancient Greeks and other much earlier scholars. But in the later part of the twentieth century, the focus switched to computers. Okay, well, that's the historical context. Let's now turn to... ## 题目与答案 ### 31. Early Cultures ·Before 3000 BC, people were unable to 31_____ so they relied on memory. Early Cultures ·Before 3000 BC, people were unable to 31_____ so they relied on memory. **答案**：write 原文定位：Now, in the earliest times, let's say before three thousand years BC, people were dependent on being able to remember things, perhaps even more than we are today. That's because humans could not write 同义替换：「relied on memory」↔「were dependent on being able to remember things」；「were unable to」↔「could not」 ### 32. ·Memory helped with navigation and family history. ·People used memory to identify dangerous foods, such as some types of 32_____ . ·Memory helped with navigation and family history. ·People used memory to identify dangerous foods, such as some types of 32_____ . **答案**：plants 原文定位：Most people were hunters and gatherers, so it was essential to understand which foods were poisonous and which were not;This was particularly true of plants because they sometimes looked very similar, and the only way to store this information and pass it on to the next generation was to remember it 同义替换：「dangerous」↔「poisonous」；「identify」↔「understand」；「some types of」↔「particularly true of」 ### 33. Ancient Greeks ·Simonides believed that memories linked to a 33_____ are easier to recall. Ancient Greeks ·Simonides believed that memories linked to a 33_____ are easier to recall. **答案**：place 原文定位：Simonides' most important idea was that it's much easier to remember information if we connect it with one particular place 同义替换：「linked to」↔「connect it with」；「recall」↔「remember」 ### 34. ·In the 1st century, Greeks believed the senses, especially 34_____ could help memory. ·In the 1st century, Greeks believed the senses, especially 34_____ could help memory. **答案**：sight 原文定位：So we know that by the first century, the Greeks believed that people could use their human senses to improve their memory. And this was particularly true when it came to sight 同义替换：「especially」↔「particularly true when it came to」；「help」↔「improve」 ### 35. Ancient Romans ·Making a good 35_____ depended on memory. Ancient Romans ·Making a good 35_____ depended on memory. **答案**：speech 原文定位：But most of all, in ancient Rome, people thought that one of the greatest skills was the ability to give an impressive speech in public, and memory was one of the keys to doing that 同义替换：「depended on」↔「one of the keys to」；「Making a good」↔「give an impressive」 ### 36. ·From 100 BC, they developed techniques to improve memory, Cicero believed people have a memory that can developed, in addition to their 36_____ memory. ·From 100 BC, they developed techniques to improve memory, Cicero believed people have a memory that can developed, in addition to their 36_____ memory. **答案**：natural 原文定位：One of Cicero's ideas was that humans actually have two types of memory. There's a memory that can be developed, which he called the artificial memory, and there's another type of memory, which he called natural 同义替换：「in addition to」↔「there's another type of」；「believed」↔「ideas」 ### 37. Later European History ·Scholastics used earlier memory techniques to teach 37_____ . Later European History ·Scholastics used earlier memory techniques to teach 37_____ . **答案**：religion 原文定位：The Scholastics used these techniques when they were instructing pupils about religion, and this raised the profile of memory techniques 同义替换：「teach」↔「instructing pupils about」 ### 38. ·In the 17th century, people believed 38_____ could provide explanations. ·In the 17th century, people believed 38_____ could provide explanations. **答案**：science 原文定位：But later, attitudes towards memory began to change, and this started in the seventeenth century. People began to see memory training as an art form, and that didn't interest them so much anymore because they thought that science had the answers to most human questions 同义替换：「could provide explanations」↔「had the answers to most human questions」 ### 39. ·In the 19th century, schoolchildren learned facts, such as 39_____ ,using repetition. ·In the 19th century, schoolchildren learned facts, such as 39_____ ,using repetition. **答案**：dates 原文定位：This attitude really continued into the nineteenth century as well. Children weren't taught memory techniques, but were expected to learn lots of facts and to do this by constantly repeating things like dates and so on ### 40. Modern Times ·In the 1940s, important research on “S”, who worked as a 40_____ , but people started to rely on computers. Modern Times ·In the 1940s, important research on “S”, who worked as a 40_____ , but people started to rely on computers. **答案**：journalist 原文定位：And in the nineteen forties, a remarkable series of studies was conducted with a man known simply as S;Psychologists found that S never made notes about anything, although he was a journalist and never forgot facts --- 以上内容由鸭圈雅思真题库（www.yaquan.site）提供，收录近期雅思考试真题回忆，支持在线机考模式免费练习。