Q: I have been under such physical and emotional stress lately; I often forget phone numbers, lunch dates and hair-cut appointments or school plays; I even forgot my dad’s birthday. Does stress affect memory? And if so, how?

　　A: Absolutely! One very simple way to understand this is whether you visualize the total energy and capability of the human system as a pie. Picture the pie being portioned out（分配）, with slices pre-designated for energy to work, for day-to-day living activities, attention to family and friends, and energy for necessary bodily functions, etc. Can you see how your power can be depleted（使枯竭）by many such small things?

　　Stress affects the brain, particularly memory, but the effects differ significantly depending on whether the stress is acute（急性的）or chronic（慢性的）. Studies indicate that the immediate effect of acute stress weakens short-term memory. However, high levels of stress hormone during acute stress have been associated with enhanced（增强的）memory storage and greater concentration on immediate events. If stress becomes chronic, sufferers often experience loss of concentration at work and at home, and they are easy to have accident.

　　Here are some strong suggestions that can intentionally keep the mind and body active to greatly reduce stress and enhance memory.

　　Memory Training: Crossword puzzles and memory exercises that emphasized verbal skills throughout the day.

　　Healthy Diet: Eating frequent meals to prevent dips in blood glucose（血糖）, the primary energy source for the brain.

　　Physical Fitness: Brisk daily walks and other stretching exercises.

　　So, making a point of avoiding stress if possible, and reducing the unavoidable stress we experience can in fact help us process and keep information we wish to access again more readily. If we can just remember to do that!

(1)Questions are asked to seek advice on how to ________.

[　　]

A．change the present life

B．make up for forgetting dates

C．improve memory under stress

D．deal with stress and bad memory

(2)A pie was mentioned in the passage to ________.

[　　]

A．tell how the energy was used improperly

B．describe how to use energy properly

C．show how our energy is used up

D．indicate how to reduce stress

(3)According to the passage, if a man suffers from acute stress, he may _______.

A．forget important events slowly.

B．concentrate more on immediate events

C．become easy to have accident

D．lose concentration on work or study

(4)What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

[　　]

A．It is impossible for people to avoid stress.

B．It’s good for us to process and keep information.

C．People can access information more readily with stress.

D．Some people cannot remember to avoid or reduce stress.