1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:04,460 Visita Mikael Books en Facebook para ver más contenido de libros en inglés. 2 00:00:04,600 --> 00:00:08,960 Unit 19, page 315, read. 3 00:00:10,340 --> 00:00:11,820 Try to remember. 4 00:00:12,680 --> 00:00:17,720 You're with a friend and suddenly up walks somebody you've known for a long time. 5 00:00:18,200 --> 00:00:21,040 You want to introduce this person to your friend. 6 00:00:21,580 --> 00:00:25,740 However, just as you say, Nancy, I'd like you to meet, 7 00:00:25,740 --> 00:00:30,260 your mind goes blank and you don't remember the person's name. 8 00:00:31,080 --> 00:00:35,860 It's embarrassing and worrisome enough to make you want to do something about it. 9 00:00:36,440 --> 00:00:40,060 If this has happened to you, though, don't be too concerned. 10 00:00:40,780 --> 00:00:41,980 It's a common problem. 11 00:00:42,900 --> 00:00:46,520 As people get older, they tend to become more forgetful. 12 00:00:47,180 --> 00:00:50,920 They can't remember everyday details like computer passwords, 13 00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:53,800 email addresses, and their friends' names. 14 00:00:53,800 --> 00:00:57,600 I used to worry about memory loss myself. 15 00:00:58,320 --> 00:01:01,560 Therefore, I decided to do some research into the problem, 16 00:01:02,020 --> 00:01:06,000 and I learned a number of interesting things about memory and how it works. 17 00:01:06,540 --> 00:01:11,280 I also discovered that even though memory loss is probably unavoidable, 18 00:01:11,760 --> 00:01:14,380 there are things you can do to slow it down. 19 00:01:15,620 --> 00:01:17,020 How does memory work? 20 00:01:17,780 --> 00:01:22,940 First of all, there are two types of memory, long-term and short-term. 21 00:01:23,260 --> 00:01:23,780 The first is memory loss. 22 00:01:24,120 --> 00:01:29,540 Long-term memory refers to our memories of things that we experienced some time ago 23 00:01:29,540 --> 00:01:32,940 and that formed the core of our knowledge of ourselves. 24 00:01:33,880 --> 00:01:38,280 In contrast, short-term memory can be called working memory, 25 00:01:38,880 --> 00:01:44,620 the type we use in processing such things as passwords and the names of new people we meet. 26 00:01:45,320 --> 00:01:50,440 As we grow older, our long-term memory holds up remarkably well. 27 00:01:51,260 --> 00:01:53,780 Thus, we are able to remember the highlight of our lives, 28 00:01:53,780 --> 00:01:57,040 the vacation we took to the Everglades at the age of 10, 29 00:01:57,380 --> 00:01:59,180 and the alligators we saw there. 30 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:03,840 Meanwhile, our short-term memory tends to deteriorate. 31 00:02:04,520 --> 00:02:08,360 We have difficulty remembering things like where we put our house keys 32 00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:11,180 because our short-term memory fails us. 33 00:02:12,160 --> 00:02:14,080 Why does short-term memory decline? 34 00:02:15,140 --> 00:02:19,300 Short-term memory operations occur in the frontal lobes of the brain. 35 00:02:19,620 --> 00:02:23,560 As people age, these lobes tend to lose mass, 36 00:02:23,780 --> 00:02:27,000 as much as 5 to 10 percent per decade. 37 00:02:27,880 --> 00:02:32,580 Short-term memory operations require space in order to function correctly. 38 00:02:33,560 --> 00:02:38,920 Therefore, as the lobes become smaller, short-term memory gets worse. 39 00:02:40,100 --> 00:02:44,760 It is difficult or impossible to completely avoid memory decline. 40 00:02:45,520 --> 00:02:47,460 However, it can be slowed. 41 00:02:48,060 --> 00:02:53,400 Maintaining a steady supply of glucose can mitigate the problem of shrinking lobes. 42 00:02:54,580 --> 00:03:00,160 Consequently, elderly people would do well to eat several small meals each day 43 00:03:00,160 --> 00:03:02,400 rather than two or three big ones. 44 00:03:03,360 --> 00:03:07,020 There is evidence, moreover, that staying mentally active 45 00:03:07,020 --> 00:03:11,160 can help sustain our memory and keep it from deterioration. 46 00:03:12,420 --> 00:03:15,640 Many companies feed on our fears of memory loss, 47 00:03:15,640 --> 00:03:18,680 and they attempt to induce us to buy products 48 00:03:18,680 --> 00:03:21,820 that will supposedly enhance our ability to remember. 49 00:03:22,840 --> 00:03:23,640 Do these products work? 50 00:03:24,580 --> 00:03:25,940 Well, sometimes. 51 00:03:26,560 --> 00:03:30,120 But it's important to keep in mind that all memory aids 52 00:03:30,120 --> 00:03:34,120 depend on the creation of a peg, or mental picture, 53 00:03:34,500 --> 00:03:37,300 on which to hang something we want to recollect. 54 00:03:38,300 --> 00:03:42,120 Suppose, for example, you have difficulty remembering names. 55 00:03:42,920 --> 00:03:47,540 Let's say you're at a party and are introduced to a woman named Sarah Bayer. 56 00:03:48,460 --> 00:03:51,320 First, look for distinguishing features. 57 00:03:52,260 --> 00:03:53,760 You see that Sarah has long hair. 58 00:03:53,780 --> 00:03:57,080 She has long, thick hair, rather like a bear's fur. 59 00:03:58,080 --> 00:04:03,200 Second, think of words that will help you associate these features with this person. 60 00:04:04,260 --> 00:04:06,620 Bayer equals bear. 61 00:04:07,720 --> 00:04:12,700 Furthermore, the first syllable of Sarah rhymes with bear. 62 00:04:13,640 --> 00:04:15,360 Sarah and bear. 63 00:04:16,100 --> 00:04:17,040 It might work. 64 00:04:17,820 --> 00:04:21,880 The point is to create a mental picture you can relate to the person, 65 00:04:21,880 --> 00:04:23,760 place, or thing you want to recall. 66 00:04:24,580 --> 00:04:27,440 The more vivid the association is, 67 00:04:27,740 --> 00:04:30,200 the greater is the chance that you'll remember it. 68 00:04:31,440 --> 00:04:35,620 Most importantly, memory improvement takes work. 69 00:04:36,440 --> 00:04:39,160 The real problem in remembering something we learned 70 00:04:39,160 --> 00:04:43,380 is often the fact that we weren't paying enough attention when we learned it. 71 00:04:44,340 --> 00:04:47,280 Think about the last time you were introduced to someone 72 00:04:47,280 --> 00:04:49,440 whose name you immediately forgot. 73 00:04:50,460 --> 00:04:53,300 Were you really paying attention to the person's name? 74 00:04:53,300 --> 00:04:53,340 Were you paying attention to the person's name? 75 00:04:53,780 --> 00:04:57,120 Or were you focusing on the impression you might be making? 76 00:04:58,040 --> 00:05:00,380 Memory courses can work, of course, 77 00:05:00,720 --> 00:05:04,920 but they depend on techniques we can create and perform for ourselves. 78 00:05:05,740 --> 00:05:10,060 The real trick lies in our willingness to tap and use what's within us.