Question

Grown-ups are often surprised by how well they remember something they learned as children but have never practiced ever since. A man who has not had a chance to go swimming for years can still swim as well as even when he gets back in the water. He can get on a bicycle after many years and still ride away. He can play catch and hit a ball as well as his son. A mother who has not thought about the words for years can teach her daughter the poem that begins "Twinkle, twinkle, little star" or remember the story of Cinderella or Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

One explanation is the law of overlearning, which can be stated as follows: Once we have learned something, additional learning trials(尝试) increase the length of time we will remember it.

In childhood we usually continue to practice such skills as swimming, bicycle riding, and playing baseball long after we have learned them. We continue to listen to and remind ourselves of words such as "Twinkle, twinkle, little star" and childhood tales such as Cinderella and Goldilocks. We not only learn but overlearn.

The multiplication tables(乘法口诀表) are an exception(例外) to the general rule that we forget rather quickly the things that we learn in school, because they are another of the things we overlearn in childhood.

The law of overlearning explains why cramming(突击学习)for an examination, though it may result in a passing grade, is not a satisfactory way to learn a college course. By cramming, a student may learn the subject well enough to get by on the examination, but he is likely soon to forget almost everything he learned. A little overlearning, on the other hand, is really necessary for one's future development.

1.What is the main idea of paragraph 1?

A. Poem reading is a good way to learn words.

B. Children have a better memory than grown-ups.

C. People remember well what they learned in childhood.

D. Stories for children are easy to remember.

2.The author explains the law of overlearning by_________.

A. presenting research findings    B. setting down general rules

C. making a comparison    D. using examples

3.According to the author, being able to use multiplication tables is_______.

A. a result of overlearning    B. a special case of cramming

C. a skill to deal with math problems    D. a basic step towards advanced studies

4.What is the author's opinion on cramming?

A. It leads to failure in college exams.    B. It's helpful only in a limited way.

C. It's possible to result in poor memory.    D. It increases students' learning interest.

Answer

1. A

2. D

3. A

4. B

【解析】

本文是一篇说明文。短文讲述什么是超量学习及超量学习（学习到熟记的地步）的法则。超量学习就是我们曾经学习的一些东西，额外学习如何增加记忆的时间。额外学习法则表现在考试前的突击学习。

1.段落大意题。第一段主要讲述大人们在儿时学会的东西，即使多年不复习还是可以记得很清楚。故选A，人们在儿时学习的知识记得很好。

2.推理判断题。作者在解释超量学习法则的时候，运用了乘法口诀和考试前突击学习的例子。故选D，举例。

3.细节理解题。根据because they are another of the things we overlearn in childhood.“因为这是我们儿时超量学习的另一个结果。”故选A，超量学习的而结果。

4.细节理解题。最后一段解释考试之前的突击学习。By cramming, a student may learn the subject well enough to get by on the examination, but he is likely soon to forget almost everything he learned.“通过突击学习，学生可以通过考试，但是很快就会忘记所学。”这种方式仅适用于考前，故选B，突击学习在限定的方式下有用。