Question

Some creative people see colors when they hear different sounds. Others hear voices when they see words and numbers. What they experience is called synaesthesia(通感)。

A study at the University of Sussex in the UK is finding out how to use synacsthesia to improve your IQ and memory. The study leaders Danil Bor has been working on exploring memory for a number of year. Bor says that carrying out these tests has given them the opportunity to find out more about how we use different kinds of memory.

Bor based his latest research on something scientists already know a lot about “chunks”. He explains that this is a way of parceling out large pieces of information into smaller units (chunks), with certain features or meanings, to make it easier to remember.” When I gave you my phone number, 01274737271, you probably remember it as 012-74-73-72-71, or something similar. If you can remember 012 and then 74, you can remember the rest by its features. You can get some amazing benefits from chunks.”

In this way, synacesthesia adds extra meaningful information to things that are different to remember, such as letters, numbers, or colors. This helps us remember things betters.” All these signs are pointing towards synaesthesia being connected to greater abilities to do certain things, certain jobs.” says Bor. “So, the study began as a way to test that.”

They wanted to see if they could create a way to learn about synaesthesia, and use its benefits to help everyone. In the study, they trained volunteers for 10 minutes a day for a week. The results were not huge, but impressive.

They discovered that after training, the volunteers were able to pass the normal synaesthesia tests and their IQ jumped up about 12 points. Although Bor believes they still need to test the increase in IQ with different groups of people, the result is very impressive. “It’s very useful to increases people’s IQs. Even when the group are already quite clever, like the students who take part in this study.” he said.

1.Which is the best title for this passage?

A. Synaesthesia, a Common Phenomenon    B. Synaesthesia and Chunks

C. What Synaesthesia Tells Us?    D. Synaesthesia Helps you Improve IQ

2.How does synaesthesia improve memory?

A. Synaesthesia adds news meanings to memory materials.

B. Synaesthesia is connected to greater abilities to do certain things.

C. Synaesthesia simplifies the memory process.

D. Synaesthesia blends blends various methods together.

3.What does “parcel out” in paragraph 3 mean?

A. Submit.    B. Enlarge.

C. Break.    D. Arouse.

4.From the passage, Bor feels ________ about the result of the test.

A. doubtful    B. worried

C. optimistic    D. uncertain

Answer

1.D

2.A

3.C

4.C

【解析】文章主要讲述了一项研究，研究表明通感能改善人的智商。

1.主旨大意题。根据第二段第一句话A study at the University of Sussex in the UK is finding out how to use synacsthesia to improve your IQ and memory.以及本文其他内容可知，文章主要讲述了一项研究，该研究表明通感能提高人的智商。故D项作标题适合。

2.细节理解题。根据第四段In this way, synacesthesia adds extra meaningful information to things that are different to remember, such as letters, numbers, or colors. This helps us remember things betters.”可知，通感为要记忆的东西增加了额外的有意义的信息，故A正确。

3.猜测词义题。根据第三段He explains that this is a way of parceling out large pieces of information into smaller units (chunks),with certain features or meanings, to make it easier to remember.”可以判断，这种方法是把信息分成小块，帮助记忆。故选C。

4.推理判断题。根据最后一段Although Bor believes they still need to test the increase in IQ with different groups of people, the result is very impressive. “It’s very useful to increases people’s IQs.可知，作者对实验结果持积极态度。故选C。

【名师点睛】

主旨大意题主要的解题策略有：

（1）标题类。文章标题可以是单词，短语，也可以是句子，它的特点是：短小精悍，多为一短语；涵盖性强，一般要求能覆盖全文，其确定的范围要恰当，既不能太大，也不能太小；精确性强，不能随意改变语言表意的程度及色彩。

（2）主旨类。概括主旨的方法是：先看首尾或各段开头再看全文找主题句，若无明显主题句，就通过关键词句来概括(如议论文中寻找表达作者观点态度的词句，记叙文寻找概括情节和中心的动词或反映人物特点的形容词)。文中出现两种或两种以上的不同观点时，务必牢记作者的观点才是体现全文中心的。此时，要注意一些转折词，如but, yet, however, although, in spite of, by contrast, on the contrary等。当文章中表示相反的观点时，往往用到这些词。答题时要弄清哪个是作者的观点，排除迷惑性信息，准确归纳主旨大意。

此题的第一题属于标题类。文章标题可以是单词，短语，也可以是句子，它的特点是：短小精悍，多为一短语；涵盖性强，一般要求能覆盖全文，其确定的范围要恰当，既不能太大，也不能太小；精确性强，不能随意改变语言表意的程度及色彩。此类题目，可以先总结主旨大意，然后对应选项，选择合适的标题。如此文章的中心词为synesthesia，又根据第二段第一句话A study at the University of Sussex in the UK is finding out how to use synesthesia to improve your IQ and memory.可知，文章主要讲述了一项研究，研究表明通感能改善人的智商。再对应选项内容，可知D项最适合作文章标题。