Babies are sponges for new information – so why does it take so long for
us to form your first memory? BBC Future investigates.
By: Zaria Gorvett
Level of Difficulty:
**
BEFORE YOU READ
QUESTIONS
1. State
in your own words and as briefly as possible what “This gaping hole” refers to.
2. Read
the information about the development of the brain. Which of the sentences
below best summarizes the paragraph? There may be more than one answer.
a.
The infant brain makes people jealous
b.
There is a lot going on in the infant brain
c.
The infant brain is developing very fast
d.
The infant brain is learning very fast
e.
The infant brain is a hub of activity
f.
The infant brain soaks up new information
3.
The incredible pace of learning and development
that takes place in the infant brain means that……………………….. needs to begin quite
early on.
4.
We understand from the text that the natural
process of forgetting is inevitable/preventable automatic/unavoidable /necessary/widespread.
Mark the wrong answer(s)
5.
a. We understand from Ebbinghaus’ research that
next to nothing / almost everything remains of what we memorize if ………………………………….
b. The above implies that ……………….is necessary
in order to prevent forgetting (Use your own words)
6. We can deduce that
Ebbinghaus’s famous chart of forgetting does not apply / applies to babies
toddlers and kindergarten kids because the rate of forgetting varies from
………………………….and from …………………………..
7. Read the childhood
memories below. Which would be more likely to be remembered?
a. A child is ill in
bed and has been left alone in the house. He calls and calls for his mother but
gets no response. He gets scared and anxious.
b. The neighbors’ son plays football on the street for a while.
Then he goes home to eat.
8. Maori culture is different from Chinese culture in that
there is …………………………….This means that Maoris/ Chinese have better recall
of early childhood memories.
9. What does “this” refer to in the phrase “that this plays
much of a role”?
10. What does “This” refer to in the phrase “This leads us
to the theory…”?
11. H.M.’s experience proves that the real reason why people
can’t remember their earliest memories is that………………………………………………………………..(Two
answers, find both)
12. At point to
people start remembering early childhood memories? Be specific.
13. What does “they” refer to in the phrase “they must be
lingering somewhere”?
14. What are false
memories?
15. Loftus’
experiment proves that:
a. We tend to lie about our memories
b. We tend to believe our mothers accounts
c. We tend to have a lot of false memories
d. All of the above
e. None of the above (provide the correct answer yourself)
16. We understand from the last paragraph of the text that
our early childhood memories are not true / are wrong / are correct /may not
be true / cannot be true. Mark as many as necessary.
WRITING TASK
Write an essay discussing the reasons why we cannot remember
early childhood memories. Use the information in the text and the videos
THE MYSTERY OF WHY
YOU CAN’T REMEMBER BEING A BABY Key and teachers’ notes
This brilliant and
highly scientific text includes all the most famous experiments on forgetting
and conclusions we can draw from them yet the language is very simple. The
focus of the questions is certain specific cognitive skills.
1. Possible
answer: the almost total lack of memories for early childhood
2. B
and E
3. Training
of the mind
4. Preventable,
widespread
5. The
brain is left alone; Possible answers: consolidation, revision and the like
6. Doesn’t
apply; from country to country and person to person ( or child to child or
individual to individual or toddler to toddler…)
7. The
first because it is egocentric and involves feelings
8.
A strong emphasis on the past; Maoris
9.
Being able to provide a structure or
organization for our memories that is a narrative thanks to language OR the
fact that language helps provide…
10.
The fact that there is no difference between the
age at which children who are born deaf and grow up without sign language
report their earliest memories
11.
Their hippocampus hadn’t developed / their
brains hadn’t developed the necessary equipment.
12.
When the hippocampus stops adding neurons
13.
Long-term memories
14.
Suggestions that have been picked up and visualized
15.
None of the above; people pick up suggestions,
begin to visualize them and they become like memories (This question involves
correctly identifying what “this” in the phrase “ how this happens” refers to)
16.
May not be true
