4. What do we know about the students who took part in tests?

Keys:

3. What did Psychologists use to believe short-term memory ?

2. The function of short-term memory mentioned in the passage enables people to__________.　　

4. Because the number of animals decreases.

Top students feel the pressure

ACROSS China, students are sweating as they prepare for the tough January final exams. Many teenagers write to 21st Century Teens to complain that while they do well in their homework, they cannot get high marks in their exams. They are wondering why.

In a new study this month, US psychologists (心理学家) think they have found the answer. Their experiment will be published in the February issue of the magazine Psychological Science. It helps people understand what restricts (限制) intellectual performance.

Researchers report that heavy exam pressure is actually more likely to affect the performance of very good students than average ones. Worried about pleasing others, these students can lose their most valuable intellectual weapon: short-term or working memory. This is their ability to recall numbers and thoughts, while focusing on the problem at hand. According to the study, when extra pressure is put on people with good skills, their performance drops off. In recent years, psychologists have learnt more about short-term memory. It was once thought of as a store that could hold one, several or many numbers and words depending on its size. It is now described as more like a mental food processor (食品加工机) that helps shape ingredients (配料) while keeping the mind focused on the task at hand. People with strong working memory skills tend to do well in intellectual ability tests. Their analytical (分析的) skills and creative thinking depend on this short-term-focused processor. In the study, researchers tested the working memory of 93 students. They were divided into two groups, with a high and a low working memory. The students then took two maths tests, under different conditions. One was called a practice test. In the other, the students were told they were part of a team that was depending on them to improve their score in order to win a reward. The results were striking: the group with high working memory scored about 10 per cent higher than the others on the low-pressure practice test. But the two groups scores were about equal when the heat was on to perform. The study shows how memory performance is affected by fear of failure and the ticking (滴答做响的) clock, according to the scientists. 1. Why can’t many gifted students get high marks in the exam?

1. 2000　　　 2.Because there are many scenic spots on the moon and travelers will take a holiday on the moon.　　 3. pill, green plants

4. Why are people largely vegetarians in 2060?

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 .

Keys

3. In 2060, people may eat food in the form of 　　　　　　　, and the food they eat comes from　　　　　　　　　　　　 .

2.　　　 Why should hotels be built on the moon?

1.　　　 The article was written in_______________________.

4. Help change the prevailing view about black women.