A.memory B.the theme of listening material C.a branch of knowledge studied D.the student experimented on
A.
There are two kinds of memory: short-term and long-term. Information in long-term memory can be remembered at a later time when it is needed. The information may be kept for days or weeks. However, information in short-term memory is kept for only a few seconds, usually by repeating the information over and over. The following experiment shows how short-term memory has been studied.
B.
Henning studied how students who are learning English as a second language remember vocabulary. The subjects in his experiment were 75 college students. They represented all levels of ability in English: beginning, intermediate, and native-speaking students.
C.
To begin, the subjects listened to a recording of a native speaker reading a paragraph in English. Following the recording, the subjects took a 15-question test to see which words they remembered. Each question had four choices. The subjects had to circle the word they had heard in the recording. Some of the questions had four choices that sound alike. For example, weather, whether, wither, and wetter are four words that sound alike. Some of the questions had four choices that have the same meaning. Method, way, manner, and system would be four words with the same meaning. Finally the subjects took a language proficiency test.
D.
Henning found that students with a lower proficiency in English made more of their mistakes on words that sound alike; students with a higher proficiency made more of their mistakes on words that have the same meaning. Henning’s results suggest that beginning students hold the sound of words in their short-term memory, and advanced students hold the meaning of words in their short-term memory.
Generally speaking, a British is widely regarded as a quiet, shy and conservative person who is (1) only among those with whom he is acquainted. When a stranger is at present, he often seems nervous, (2) embarrassed. You have to take a commuter train any morning or evening to (3) the truth of this. Serious-looking businessmen and women sit reading their newspapers or dozing in a corner; hardly anybody talks, since to do so would be considered quite offensive. (4) , there is an unwritten but clearly understood code of behavior which, (5) broken, makes the offender immediately the object of (6) .
B.
It has been known as a fact that a British has a (7) for the discussion of their weather and that, if given a chance, he will talk about it (8) . Some people argue that it is because the British weather seldom (9) forecast and hence becomes a source of interest and (10) to everyone. This may be so. (11) a British cannot have much (12) in the weathermen, who, after promising fine, sunny weather for the following day, are often proved wrong (13) a cloud over the Atlantic brings rainy weather to all districts! The man in the street seems to be as accurate — or as inaccurate — as the weathermen in his (14) .
C.
Foreigners may be surprised at the number of references (15) weather that the British make to each other in the course of a single day. Very often conversational greetings are (16) by comments on the weather. "Nice day, isn’t it" "Beautiful!" may well be heard instead of "Good morning, how are you" (17) the foreigner may consider this exaggerated and comic, it is worthwhile pointing out that it could be used to his advantage. (18) he wants to start a conversation with a British but is (19) to know where to begin, he could do well to mention the state of the weather. It is a safe subject which will (20) an answer from even the most reserved of the British.