Scientists know more about how we

forget (30th March 2023)

CHAT: In pairs / groups, talk about these topics or words from the article. What will the article say
about them? What can you say about these words and your life?

forgetful / scientists / facts / research / brain / memory / depression / dementia /

information / control / focus / tasks / effort / beneficial / mind / recent events / keys

Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently.

SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article.

1. forgetful a. power

2. remember b. difficulties

3. process c. like clockwork

4. problems d. recall

5. surprising e. deliberately

6. smoothly f. action

7. ability g. useful

8. focus h. absent-minded

9. intentionally i. unexpected

10. beneficial j. concentrat

 FORGETFULNESS: Have you ever forgotten these things? What happened? Complete

this table with your partner(s). Change partners often and share what you wrote.

  Have You? What Happened?

A birthday    
Where you left your    
keys
A password    
A meeting    
A hospital appointment    
Someone's name
 Paragraph 1

       forgetful a. About the mental action of getting knowledge,

1. understanding, and thinking.
       store b. A thing that is known or is true.
2.
       fact c. Keep something somewhere for future use.
3.
       process d. An illness in which our memory and ability to think
4. becomes worse and worse.
       cognitive e. Likely not to remember things.
5.
       depression f. A series of actions or steps needed to do something.
6.
       dementia g. Strong feelings of sadness and negativity.
7.

    Paragraph 2

      8.smoothly h. Ideas or opinions produced by thinking, or being

suddenly in the mind.
      9.thoughts i. Deliberately; on purpose; not by accident.
      1 task j. Resulting in good things.
0.
      1 effort k. A small job or piece of work we need to do.
1.
      1 intentionally l. Suited to the current time or events.
2.
      1 relevant m. Physical or mental work.
3.
      1 beneficial n. Without problems or difficulties.
4.

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.

Team problema forgetful those little

control facts cognitive

Some people are very (1) _____________________, while others can remember everything they
have done. Scientists know a lot about how our brains store and remember (2)
_____________________ and experiences. There is (3) _____________________ research on how
or why the brain forgets things. A new study looks at forgetting. A (4) _____________________ of
researchers from the USA studied the brain's process of forgetting things. The researchers are (5)
_____________________ neuroscientists. They study the brain and how it thinks and works. Their
work may help people who have memory (6) _____________________. It may also help (7)
_____________________ with depression and dementia. The lead scientist, Marie Banich, said: "It
may sound surprising that people can (8) _____________________ what and how they forget."

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.

Tasks beneficial thoughts left effort

focus smoothly agreed

Professor Banich said forgetting is important. She said it keeps the brain working (9)
_____________________. Her research found ways that people remove information from their
brain. She said: "We have control over the ability to remove information from…our (10)
___________________." This is important because it means we can (11) ____________________
on more important (12) _____________________. However, although we can control what and
how we forget, the act of forgetting needs a lot of (13) _____________________. Another
researcher, Sara Festini, (14) _____________________. She said: We've found that intentionally
forgetting no-longer-relevant information from the mind is (15) _____________________, but it
doesn't happen automatically." Researchers will now look at why we forget recent events, like
where we (16) _____________________ our keys.

1. What does the opening sentence say some people are?

2. How much research is there on how the brain forgets?

3. What process did a team of scientists study?

4. What might the research help besides dementia?

5. How did a researcher say people controlling what they forget sounded?

6. What did the professor say is important?

7. What can we focus on by forgetting?

8. What does the act of forgetting require?

9. From where is no-longer-relevant information forgotten?

10. What does the last sentence say people sometimes forget?

Put the text back together

(...)  at forgetting. A team of researchers from the USA studied the brain's process of forgetting
things. The researchers are
(...)  experiences. There is little research on how or why the brain forgets things. A new study looks
(...)  ways that people remove information from their brain. She said: "We have control over the
ability to remove information
(...)  done. Scientists know a lot about how our brains store and remember facts and
(...)  tasks. However, although we can control what and how we forget, the act of forgetting needs
a lot
(...)  automatically." Researchers will now look at why we forget recent events, like where we left
our keys.
(...)  of effort. Another researcher, Sara Festini, agreed. She said: We've found
(...)  Professor Banich said forgetting is important. She said it keeps the brain working smoothly.
Her research found
(...)  scientist, Marie Banich, said: "It may sound surprising that people can control what and how
they forget."
(...)  people who have memory problems. It may also help those with depression and dementia.
The lead
(...)  from…our thoughts." This is important because it means we can focus on more important
(...)  that intentionally forgetting no-longer-relevant information from the mind is beneficial, but it
doesn't happen
(...)  cognitive neuroscientists. They study the brain and how it thinks and works. Their work may
help
(  1  ) Some people are very forgetful, while others can remember everything they have

Discussion - Forgetting

1. Who is the most forgetful person you know?

2. What do you think of when you hear the word 'forget'?

3. What have you forgotten to do recently?

4. What are you good at remembering?

5. What do you know about depression and dementia

6. What advice do you have to help people remember things?

7. What do you think about what you read?

8. What do you do to help your brain?

9. Are there things you would like to forget?

10. What's the biggest thing you've forgotten to do?