我们都需要记东西，但记忆力可以提高吗？记忆专家提出了一些针对记忆特定事物和提高整体记忆表现的技巧和策略。本文就此展开讨论。

词汇：memory 记忆

We've all been there – staring at a pile of books, desperately hoping that what we study will stick in our mind. Many of us have probably asked if there's any way that we can get better at remembering things. So, why don't we look at what memory experts say about this?

我们都有过这样的经历——盯着一堆书，绝望地希望我们所学的东西能留在我们的脑海里。我们中的许多人可能都问过，有没有什么方法可以让我们在记忆方面做得更好。所以，为什么我们不看看记忆专家是怎么说的呢?

Every student who has made flashcards knows that it can be helpful to go back over what they've studied before. According to The Learning Scientists – a group of cognitive scientists – we can learn things better if we wait for some time before trying to study them again. They say that trying to retrieve something from your memory after you have had some time to forget it will make it easier to remember in future.

每个做过抽认卡的学生都知道，回顾他们之前学过的东西是有帮助的。根据学习科学家(一组认知科学家)的说法，如果我们等一段时间再尝试再次研究，我们可以学得更好。他们说，当你有一段时间忘记某件事后，试着从你的记忆中找回它，会使它在未来更容易记住。

Similarly, David Robson, writing for BBC Future, highlights studies that show taking some time to just do nothing after studying might mean that you can remember things better afterwards. We don't know exactly why this happens, but it has been suggested that it's to do with the relationship between long-term and short-term memory.

同样，为BBC Future撰稿的大卫·罗布森强调，研究表明，学习后花点时间什么都不做可能意味着你在学习后能更好地记住事情。我们不知道这种情况发生的确切原因，但有人认为这与长期记忆和短期记忆之间的关系有关。

Another study tip from The Learning Scientists is to change between different topics as you study. They say this can help you build links between different ideas. Now, linking ideas and relating them to each other or to images are often suggested as good ways to memorise something. Former world memory champion Jonathan Hancock highlights how picturing pieces of information in different physical locations or linking them to memorable images makes them easier to remember. Linking new information to things that are easier to remember is a technique that many people use – it could be making letter patterns into words called mnemonics, or by sorting things into categories.

学习科学家的另一个学习技巧是在学习的过程中改变不同的主题。他们说这可以帮助你在不同的想法之间建立联系。现在，把想法联系起来，把它们彼此联系起来或与图像联系起来，经常被认为是记忆东西的好方法。前世界记忆冠军乔纳森·汉考克强调，将不同物理位置的信息片段描绘出来，或将它们与令人难忘的图像联系起来，可以使它们更容易记住。把新信息和更容易记住的东西联系起来是许多人使用的一种技术——它可以是把字母模式变成单词，称为助记法，或者把东西分类。

There are also more general things that we can do to improve our memory. Hancock says that being generally organised makes things easier for your brain, while many other experts also recommend avoiding stress, alcohol and smoking, and that we should get a lot of rest and exercise. So, the good news to take from this is that while it may be hard, improving our memory is something we can control.

我们还可以做一些更一般的事情来提高我们的记忆力。汉考克说，有条理的生活让你的大脑更容易工作，而许多其他专家也建议避免压力、酒精和吸烟，我们应该多休息和锻炼。因此，从中得到的好消息是，虽然这可能很难，但改善我们的记忆力是我们可以控制的。

词汇表

stick in someone's mind 刻在某人的脑海里
flashcard 抽认卡，（有文字或图片的）教学卡片
go back over 复习
cognitive 认知的
retrieve 找回
long-term memory 长期记忆
short-term memory 短期记忆
study tip 学习技巧
link 使联系
relate 找到联系
memorise 记住
picture 想象
memorable image 难忘的图片
pattern 模式
mnemonic 帮助记忆的符号，助记符号

测验与练习

1. 阅读课文并回答问题。

1. According to The Learning Scientists, should you try to remember something immediately after learning it?

2. What do the studies highlighted by David Robson suggest might help people's memory?

3. Why do The Learning Scientists suggest changing between different subjects when studying?

4. What technique did Jonathan Hancock suggest using to memorise information?

5. What lifestyle changes are suggested as ways to improve memory?

2. 选择意思恰当的单词或词组来完成下列句子。

1. When you remember something you _______ it from your memory.

memorise                    retrieve                         link                           go back over

2. Things that you remember for a long time are stored in your _______ memory.

short-term                   cognitive                       long-term                  mnemonic

3. A _______ is a word pattern that helps you remember something.

study tip                      mnemonic                     picture                       flashcard

4. _______ one idea to another means finding similarities and differences between them.

Linking                        Relating                         Retrieving                 Memorising

5. Many students write key information on _______.

mnemonics                  patterns                        flashcards                  study tips

答案

1. 阅读课文并回答问题。 

1. According to The Learning Scientists, should you try to remember something immediately after learning it?
No, according to The Learning Scientists, you should try to remember something after you have had time to forget it.

2. What do the studies highlighted by David Robson suggest might help people's memory?
Studies highlighted by David Robson suggest that taking time to do nothing can improve people's memory.

3. Why do The Learning Scientists suggest changing between different subjects when studying?
Because changing between different subjects when studying can help students relate ideas to each other.

4. What technique did Jonathan Hancock suggest using to memorise information?
Hancock suggests linking pieces of information to physical locations or other memorable images.

5. What lifestyle changes are suggested as ways to improve memory?
The article mentions avoiding stress, alcohol and smoking, and getting good levels of rest and exercise.

2. 选择意思恰当的单词或词组来完成下列句子。

1. When you remember something you retrieve it from your memory.

2. Things you remember for a long time are stored in your long-term memory.

3. A mnemonic is a word pattern that helps you remember something.

4. Relating one idea to another means finding similarities and differences between them.

5. Many students write key information on flashcards.

文章来源BBC，侵权删。