Question

NOT all memories are sweet. Some people -- all their lives trying to forget bad experiences. Violence and traffic accidents can leave people with terrible physical and emotional scars (伤痕).

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, the effect of painful memories.

In November, experts tested a drug on people in the US and France. The drug stops the body producing chemicals that fix memories in the brain (大脑). 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 discussion. 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 destroy people's lives. They come back to you when you don't want to have them in a daydream or nightmare (噩梦). They usually come with very painful emotions," said Roger Pitman, a professor of psychiatry at 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.

1.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．a discussion about the research on the pill

2.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．erase the emotional effects of memories

3.We can infer from the passage that            

A．people doubt the 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

4.Which of the following does Rebecca Dresser agree with?

A．Some memories can destroy people's lives.

B．People want to remove bad memories.

C．Experiencing bad events makes us different from others.

D．The pill will reduce people's sufferings from bad memories.

Answer

1.D

2.C

3.A

4.C

【解析】

试题分析：这篇短文主要讨论了一种能够使人消除不良记忆的药物，对此不同专家有不同的观点，短文没有给出明确结论。

1.通过阅读短文可知本文主要谈论了一种使人们忘掉不好记忆的药物，故选D。

2.根据The drug stops the body producing chemicals(化学品) that fix memories in the brain.描述可知选C。

3.根据The research has caused a great deal of discussion.及下文描述,可知有些人怀疑这种药物的效果.故选A.

4.根据“All of us can think of bad events in our lives that were terrible at the time but make us who we are. 句意：我们所有人都可能想起我们生活中曾经是很可怕的事情，但是那会让我们成为真正的自己。结合语境可知选C，经历不好的事情会让我与其他人有所不同。

考点：有关记忆的科普性阅读