MEMORY PROBLEMS. WHAT CAUSES THEM?

I. Read the text and do the task below (przeczytaj tekst i wykonaj zadanie)

Memory is the brain's ability to remember certain facts, things, places or experiences. It is one of the most important functions of the brain because it enables people to move around places without getting lost, avoid making the same mistakes or fulfilling previously devised plans.

There are two kinds of memory. Short-term memory allows to remember only five to nine items of information and for a limited period of time. Long-term memory, on the other hand, is able to store the most important information for a long time.

Everyday we experience slight problems with our memory. The most common is the tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon which occurs when we are sure of knowing a fact or a word but we cannot utter it because of a total block of memory trace at the moment of speaking. This condition results from stress and is usually experienced during exams.

Although a number of people think that learning by heart is an easy task, it must be remembered that there are a few processes that make the memorizing task more difficult.

First of all, when we try to remember a set of facts, not all of them will be stored in our memory in the same way. We generally tend to remember the first items in a set better, which is known as the primacy effect. However, it is also possible to remember the last items of the text which are the most recent ones. It is a natural process and cannot be avoided.

Secondly, forgetting also occurs in long time memory. This happens when new information influences the old and makes it unclear. The same may happen in opposite direction depending on which of the information is more important. This phenomenon is called interference. All those processes are natural and happen to people of all ages. However, problems with memory may also be caused by other factors.

It is often said that people lose memory with age. However, it is not the process of aging that causes problems but the accompanying illnesses. People who suffer from injuries as a result of accidents lose their memory, sometimes just for a short period of time but the loss may also be permanent. This is a result of destroying some parts of the brain in which the memory area is located.

In order to have a good memory for longer people should exercise their mental abilities by solving logical problems, memorizing data, eating healthy food and avoiding head injuries. The greatest thing you can imagine is the ability to remember every wonderful moment of your life and telling great stories to your grandchildren.

A

Are the following statements (T) true or (F) false according to the text? (czy poniższe twierdzenia są prawdziwe według tekstu?)

1. Memory is the ability to understand facts

2. Long term memory stores important facts

3. tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon occurs when you know something but can't remember it at the moment of speaking

4. tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon is a result of stress

5. Primacy effect means that you remember the most important facts

6. interference is about mixing old and new information

7. Process of aging causes memory problems

8. Accidents may destroy some parts of brain

9. In order to have good memory people should do lots of sports

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ile byś dał, żeby poszła z Tobą na randkę?

My wiemy ile chcemy: 49 zł.

http://www.kurs.nauka.pl/index.php?site=powerful_seduction_2

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

B

Match the words from the text with their Polish translation. (połącz wyrazy z tekstu z ich polskim tłumaczeniem)

1. previously

2. devised

3. store

4. slight

5. occurs

6. utter

7. trace

8. recent

9. avoid

10. influence

11. direction

12. accompanying

13. injuries

14. permanent

1. gromadzić

2. najświeższe

3. wymówić

4. wpływać

5. obrażenia

6. drobne

7. kierunek

8. wcześniej

9. towarzyszące

10. połączenie

11. pojawia się

12. unikać

13. stworzony

14. trwały

1. Who is who for you in the family? (Kto jest kim dla ciebie w rodzinie?)

1. Your mother's second husband is your...

2. Your sister's daughter is your...

3. Your mother's brother is your...

4. Your father's mother is your...

5. Your son's daughter is your...

6. Your mother's sister's son is your...

7. Your brother's wife is your...

8. Your sister's husband is your...

9. Your father's daughter is your...

10. Your parents if you are adopted are your...

2. Replace the underlined words with the phrases from the list

take after / resembles / inherit / relatives / marry / got engaged / anniversary / twins/couple

15. They are celebrating the fifth year of their marriage

16. When her grandfather dies she will get all his money

17. They started to meet last week but everybody treats them as a pair of lovers

18. She looks very similar to her mother

19. They promised to marry each other in June

20. She has the same character as her father

21. We have a lot of family members in the USA

22. They are celebrating birthday on the same day but they are totally different

23. They decided to become husband and wife in December

IV. CONDITIONALS

Conditional I - expresses present and future possible situations

If + present simple + will

If I see her, I will tell her the news - Jak ją zobaczę, przekażę jej wiadomości

Conditional II - expresses hypothetical situations

If + past simple + would

If I had a lot of money, I would but a house - jakbym miał dużo pieniędzy, kupiłbym dom

Conditional III - expresses past hypothetical situations

If + past perfect + would have + 3^rd verb form

If I had studied harder AT school I would have had better grades - gdybym lepiej się uczył w szkole, miałbym lepsze stopnie (obie sytuacje w przeszłości)

Mixed conditionals - II + III

If I were stupid, I would have married you - gdybym był głupi (w ogóle), poślubiłbym cię (kiedyś)

Mixed conditionals - III + II

If I hadn't sold the house, I would be a rich man now - gdybym nie sprzedał domu (kiedyś), byłbym (teraz) bogaty

Past wishes - życzenia dotyczące przeszłości (po polsku tłumaczymy je najczęściej konstrukcją szkoda, że nie)

Wish + past perfect

I wish I had told you - szkoda, że ci nie powiedziałem

Put the verbs in correct forms (wstaw czasowniki w odpowiednich formach)

1. If I (see) ……………….. you waiting at the bus stop, I (stop) ……………….. for you. [first conditional]

2. I (go) ……………….. swimming every week, if I (know) ……………….. how to swim properly. [second]

3. If I (catch) ……………….. that plane to New York, I (not be) ……………….. late [third conditional]

4. If we (live) ……………….. in China, we (speak) ……………….. Cantonese or Pekingese. [second]

5. I (stop) ……………….. smoking, if I (be) ……………….. you; it's terrible for your health [second]

6. If I (remember)……………….. your number, I (phone) ……………….. you [third]

7. Those children (not be) ……………….. so horrible if their parents (be) ……………….. stricter.[second]

8. I (not go) ……………….. out with him even if you (pay) ……………….. me.[second]

9. If I (have) ……………….. some spare money, I (buy) ……………….. a DVD player.[second]

10. We (visit) ……………….. the Prado gallery if we (have) ……………….. time.[third]

11. If you (not ask) ……………….. me questions all the time, I (enjoy) ……………….. the film. [third]

12. We (go) ……………….. by taxi if we (not find) ……………….. the right bus. [first]

13. I (do) ……………….. that if I (be) ……………….. you. [second]

14. If he (know) ……………….. you were in hospital, he (visit) ……………….. you. [third]

V THIRD CONDITIONAL

Put the verbs in the correct forms (wstaw czasowniki w odpowiedniej formie)

1. If I ……………...(know) the truth I ……………... (not trust) her

2. If you ……………... (tell) about the rain I ……………... (take) my umbrella

3. If she ……………... (cook) dinner he ……………... (be) happier

4. If he ……………... (learn) harder he ……………... (pass) the exam

5. If they ……………... (not be)to London they ……………...(not see) the Tower

6. If we ……………...(sell) the car we ……………...(not come) here by train

7. If you ……………...(not go) to the doctor you ……………...(not have) the operation

8. If she ……………... (lock) the door they ……………...(not steal) her TV

9. If he ……………... (know) more about computers he ……………... (get) that job

10. If she ……………...(not leave) so early she ……………... (meet) him at the party

VI WISHES FOR THE PAST

Complete the sentences as in the example (uzupełnij zdania tak jak w przykładzie)

e.g. I'm sorry I told you about it - I wish I hadn't told you about it

1. I'm sorry that you sold your car - I wish …

2. I'm sorry it was raining yesterday - I wish …

3. I'm sorry that I didn't learn harder - I wish …

4. I'm sorry I didn't keep it a secret - I wish …

5. I'm sorry I didn't do anything - I wish…

6. I'm sorry I didn't take my umbrella - I wish…

7. I'm sorry I didn't choose a better film - I wish…

8. I'm sorry I didn't buy that house - I wish…

9. I'm sorry I didn't lock the door - I wish…

10. I'm sorry I married you - I wish…

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Czy chcesz wiedzieć co myślą o Tobie inni?

Jak sprawdzić czy ktoś jest Tobą zainteresowany czy znudzony?

http://www.kurs.nauka.pl/index.php?site=mowa_ciala

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

KEY

I

A

1. F 2. T 3. T 4. T 5. F 6. T 7. F 8. T 9. F

B

2. h

3. m

4. a

5. f

6. k

7. c

8. j

9. b

10. l

11. d

12. g

13. i

14. e

15. n

II.

2. stepfather

3. niece

4. uncle

5. grandmother

6. granddaughter

7. aunt

8. sister-in-law

9. brother - in -law

10. sister

11. foster parents

III.

2. anniversary

3. inherit

4. couple

5. resembles

6. got engaged

7. takes after

8. relatives

9. twins

10. marry

IV

1. If I see you waiting at the bus stop, I will stop for you. [first conditional]

2. I would go swimming every week, if I knew how to swim properly. [second]

3. If I had caught that plane to New York, I wouldn't have been late [third conditional]

4. If we lived in China, we would speak Cantonese or Pekingese. [second]

5. I would stop smoking, if I were you; it's terrible for your health [second]

6. If I had remembered your number, I would have phoned you [third]

7. Those children would not be so horrible if their parents were stricter.[second]

8. I would not go out with him even if you paid me.[second]

9. If I had some spare money, I would buy a DVD player.[second]

10. We would have visited the Prado gallery if we had had time.[third]

11. If you had not asked me questions all the time, I would have enjoyed the film. [third]

12. We will go by taxi if we don't find the right bus. [first]

13. I would do that if I were you. [second]

14. If he had known you were in hospital, he would have visited you. [third]

V.

1. If I had known the truth I wouldn't have trusted her

2. If you hadn't told about the rain I wouldn't have taken my umbrella

3. If she had cooked dinner he would have been happier

4. If he had learnt harder he would have passed the exam

5. If they hadn't been to London they wouldn't have seen the Tower

6. If we hadn't sold the car we wouldn't have come here by train

7. If you hadn't gone to the doctor you wouldn't have had the operation

8. If she had locked the door they wouldn't have stolen her TV

9. If he had known more about computers he would have got that job

10. If she hadn't left so early she would have met him at the party

VI

1. I'm sorry that you sold your car - I wish you hadn't sold your car

2. I'm sorry it was raining yesterday - I wish it hadn't been raining yesterday

3. I'm sorry that I didn't learn harder - I wish I had learnt harder

4. I'm sorry I didn't keep it a secret - I wish I had kept it a secret

5. I'm sorry I didn't do anything - I wish I had done something

6. I'm sorry I didn't take my umbrella - I wish I had taken my umbrella

7. I'm sorry I didn't choose a better film - I wish I had chosen a better film

8. I'm sorry I didn't buy that house - I wish I had bought that house

9. I'm sorry I didn't lock the door - I wish I had locked the door

10. I'm sorry I married you - I wish I hadn't married you

Bo nauka nie musi być nudna!

---