.
NOT all memories are sweet. Some people
spend all their lives trying to forget bad experiences. Violence and traffic
accidents can leave people with terrible physical and emotional scars. Often
they relive these experiences in nightmares.
Now American researchers think they are
close to developing a pill, which will help people forget bad memories. The
pill is designed to be taken immediately after a frightening experience. They
hope it might reduce, or possibly erase(抹去) the effect of painful memories.
In November, experts tested a drug on
people in the US and France. The drug stops the body releasing chemicals that
fix memories in the brain. So far the research has suggested that only the
emotional effects of memories may be reduced, not that the memories are erased.
The research has caused a great deal of
argument. Some think it is a bad idea, while others support it.
Supporters say it could lead to pills that
prevent or treat soldiers’ troubling memories after war. They say that there
are many people who suffer from terrible memories.
“Some memories can ruin people’s lives.
They come back to you when you don’t want to have them in a daydream or
nightmare. They usually come with very painful emotions,” said Roger Pitman, a
professor of psychiatryat Harvard Medical School. : “This could relieve a lot
of that suffering.”
But those who are against the research say
that changing memories is very dangerous because memories give us our identity(特质). They also help us all
avoid the mistakes of the past.
“All of us can think of bad events in our
lives that were horrible at the time but make us who we are. I’m not sure we
want to wipe those memories out,” said Rebecca Dresser, a medical ethicist
53.The passage is mainly
about .
A.a new medical invention
B.a new research on the pill
C.a way of erasing painful memories
D.an argument about the research on the pill
54.The drug tested on people
can .
A.cause the brain to fix memories
B.stop people remembering bad experiences
C.prevent body producing certain chemicals
D.wipe out t he emotional effects of memories
55.We can infer from the passage
that
.
A.people doubt t he effects of the pills
B.the pill will stop people’s bad experiences
C.taking the pill will do harm to people’s health
D.the pill has probably been produced in America
56.Which of the following does Rebecca Dresser agree with?
A.Some memories can ruin people’s lives.
B.People want to get rid of bad memories.
C.Experiencing bad events makes us different from
others.
D.The pill will reduce people’s sufferings from bad memories.