Vocabulary:

memory - пам'ять

to question the fact - сумніватися у якомусь факті

to mean - мати на увазі

either consciously or unconsciously - свідомо чи несвідомо

poor memory- погана пам'ять

to complain - скаржитися

one's own fault - чиясь власна провина

brain - мозок

by the same means - тим же самим способом

Questions:

1. Why do people who cannot read or write have better memories? Do you think it is always so?

2. Whose fault is it that a person's memory is poor? Do you agree that it is his or her own fault?

3. Have you ever thought about the quality of your own memory?

4. Why is it necessary to give it enough exercise?

5. What sort of information do you remember better: names, numbers, dates, times?

Text 2 train your brain

Your brain is like a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it gets. And because remembering is such a big part of your brain's job, you can strengthen your memory too.

Here are some easy tricks you can use to help you remember anything, from football plays to shopping lists to information on tests at school.

Build Chain Links

Chain links are memory tricks in which you link the unfamiliar with something familiar. One type is an acronym, a word made up of the first letters of other words. For example, to recall the names of the Great Lakes - Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior - just remember the word "homes". It has the first letter of each lake.

Rhyming is another helpful chain link tool. You can make up your own rhymes to recall those hard-to-remember facts. For example, to remember the capital of Texas, just think, "I got lost in Austin".

Use Peg Words

When you have to remember a list of words, create a set of rhyming words to associate with your list. These words will serve as mental pegs on which to hang the words on your list.

First make the pegs: Number one might be a ton because it rhymes with one…two a shoe…three a tree, and so on. Now, when you must remember a set of items, think of some sort of image to match your item to the peg word.

Let's say you're shopping for a patrol hike and the first item to buy is apples. Picture a ton of apples. If hot chocolate is second on your list, visualize a shoe, for two, stepping into a puddle of hot chocolate. Crackers next? Picture a tree with crackers for leaves. The wackier you make the picture, the easier the item will be to remember.

Read and Remember

To get an A in history class, you have to remember what you read in that thick textbook. Cramming the night before a test rarely works. Here's one method suggested by Ron Fry, author of a set of how-to-study books, including "Improve Your Memory":

• Skim pages to get the general idea of the chapter.

• Go back and read the text carefully. Take notes on important parts. Just the act of righting notes will help you remember.

• Review notes. Come up with questions you think will be on your test - and make sure you know the answers.

Study in Your Sleep

A good night's sleep can help you remember what you learned the day before. Experiments have found that students who sleep after studying recall more information than students who stay up all night studying. Other experiments have found dreaming may cement information into your memory.

Jog Your Memory

Playing basketball, running or swimming may make you smarter. Any kind of exercise sends more blood, oxygen and glucose, your body's fuel, to the brain. Studies show that people who exercise remember more than people who don't exercise.

O.K., so you're going to give these tricks a try, but you're still nervous about that big history test. What to do? Start studying. Don't wait until the last minute. You'll remember more if you learn a little at a time rather than during a weekend of cramming. One more thing: Relax. You'll do just fine.