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READING PASSAGE 3

Read the text and answer questions 27–40.

How to win the World Memory Championship

Why do some people seem to have naturally superior memories? Is it talent, a technique or a matter of genetics?

Last August, 34 contestants gathered at the World Memory Championships held in Oxford University. In timed trials, they were challenged to memorise rows of 40-digit numbers and the names of 110 people after looking at their photographs and memorise the sequence of packs of playing cards. No-one has ever managed this last feat in under 30 seconds and so this has become the target for 'mental athletes'. Even so, most contestants in the memory championships claim to have just average memories and scientific testing confirms that this is indeed true. Their feats are based on tricks that capitalise on how the human brain encodes information. They have the potential to perform just as well if we are taught certain strategies.

Psychologists Eleanor Maguire and John Wilding recently teamed up with Eleanor Maguire, a neuroscientist at University College London, to study eight of these contestants. They wondered if their brains were different in some way. They put the contestants and a group of control subjects into an MRI machine and asked them to perform several different memory tests while their brains were being scanned. When it came to memorising sequences of three-digit numbers, the difference between the subjects was, as anticipated, immense. However, the MRI scans revealed something unexpected. When the memory contestants were performing the tasks, certain regions of their brains—specifically the medial parietal cortex, retrosplenial cortex, and the right posterior hippocampus—were far more active than in the control subjects. These areas are known to be involved in spatial memory and navigation. This finding suggested that the contestants were not relying on raw brainpower or any innate genetic advantage. Instead, they were unconsciously employing a particular technique that engaged spatial learning pathways, even when the task itself had no spatial component whatsoever.

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The technique in question is ancient, known formally as the "method of loci" or more colloquially as the "memory palace". Its origins can be traced back to the Greek poet Simonides of Ceos around 500 BCE. According to legend, Simonides was attending a banquet when he was called outside. Moments after he left, the building collapsed, crushing all the guests beyond recognition. Simonides found he could identify the bodies by mentally walking through the ruined hall and recalling exactly where each guest had been sitting. From this traumatic experience, he formulated a principle that would shape memory training for millennia: that we are exceptionally good at remembering places and the images we associate with them. The method of loci involves visualising a familiar journey or architectural space—such as your childhood home, your daily walk to work, or a imagined palace with many rooms—and mentally placing the items to be remembered at specific locations along the route. When you need to recall the information, you simply take that mental walk again and "see" what you have stored in each location.

This technique exploits a fundamental feature of human cognition. Evolutionarily speaking, our ancestors needed excellent spatial memory to survive—to remember where water sources were located, where dangerous animals lurked, and how to find their way back to shelter. Consequently, the neural architecture dedicated to spatial processing is remarkably powerful and efficient. By converting abstract, hard-to-remember information into vivid, concrete mental images and anchoring them to spatial locations, we can hijack this ancient brain system for modern memory tasks. The more bizarre, emotional, or sensory-rich the mental image, the more memorable it becomes. For instance, to remember a shopping list including milk, bread, and eggs, a memory athlete might visualise a giant bottle of milk dancing on their front doorstep, a loaf of bread with legs sitting on the hallway chair, and a chorus line of eggs performing on the living room sofa.

Returning to the MRI study, Maguire and Wilding followed up their initial findings by interviewing the contestants in detail about their mental strategies. Every single one of them reported using the method of loci or a variation of it, often combined with other mnemonic systems for encoding numbers and faces. The control subjects, by contrast, reported trying to memorise the information through rote repetition, a far less efficient strategy. This confirmed that the brain activation patterns observed were not a sign of innate superiority but rather reflected the application of a learned technique. A subsequent study by Maguire's team scanned the brains of memory champions before and after they underwent intensive training in the method of loci. After several weeks of practice, not only did their memory performance improve dramatically, but their brain scans during memory tasks began to resemble those of the seasoned champions, with increased activation in the same spatial processing regions. This provided powerful evidence that the technique itself reshapes how the brain approaches memory challenges.

The implications of this research are profound. It suggests that exceptional memory is not a gift bestowed upon a lucky few but a skill that can be acquired through training. Anyone with a functioning brain and the dedication to practice can construct their own memory palaces and achieve feats that would seem miraculous to the untrained observer. Indeed, many of the world's leading memory champions started as ordinary individuals with no particular memory prowess. The current world record holder for memorising a deck of cards, for example, was an engineering student who simply became fascinated by the techniques and devoted hours each day to practice. His achievement of just over 13 seconds for a full deck would have seemed impossible a generation ago, yet it stands as a testament to what systematic training can accomplish. >> 🔥 Nhắn zalo 0905834420 join group zalo Hóng đề thi máy 4 skills để cập nhật đề thi thật 4 kĩ năng hằng ngày [Kèm giải & đề làm online]

Of course, not all memory is the same. The method of loci is exceptionally effective for memorising lists, sequences, and structured information, but it may be less applicable to other forms of memory, such as procedural memory for skills like playing a musical instrument, or semantic memory for understanding concepts and meanings. Moreover, the technique requires considerable mental effort and concentration to deploy effectively. It is not a passive shortcut but an active cognitive strategy that demands engagement. Nevertheless, for students preparing for examinations, professionals needing to master large volumes of information, or older adults hoping to maintain cognitive vitality, learning the method of loci can be transformative. Educational institutions are beginning to take notice, with some incorporating mnemonic training into their curricula to help students learn more efficiently.

The World Memory Championships continue to grow in popularity, with competitors from dozens of nations testing the limits of human recall. The disciplines have expanded to include abstract images, binary digits, spoken numbers, and historical dates, but the underlying techniques remain remarkably consistent. As neuroscience advances, we may discover even more effective ways to enhance memory, perhaps through brain stimulation or cognitive-enhancing drugs. However, for now, the humble memory palace, invented by a Greek poet over two millennia ago, remains the most powerful tool available for turning an ordinary memory into an extraordinary one. It demonstrates that with the right strategy, the human brain's potential is far greater than most of us ever imagine.

Questions 27–32

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 3?
In boxes 27–32 on your answer sheet, write

TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

1. No competitor has ever managed to memorise a sequence of playing cards in under 30 seconds.

2. The control subjects in the MRI study were also experienced memory athletes.

3. The medial parietal cortex is involved in processing auditory information.

4. Simonides of Ceos developed the method of loci after a building collapsed at a banquet he was attending.

5. The current world record for memorising a deck of cards is approximately 13 seconds.

6. Educational institutions have universally adopted mnemonic training in their curricula. >> 🔥 IELTS TUTOR gợi ý tham khảo CẦN VIẾT & THU ÂM BAO NHIÊU BÀI ĐỂ ĐẠT 8.0 SPEAKING & 7.0 WRITING?

Questions 33–37

Complete the summary below.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 33–37 on your answer sheet.

The MRI study revealed that memory contestants activated brain regions associated with 33 __________ memory, even though the tasks were not spatial. This suggested they were using a technique rather than relying on genetic gifts. The technique, known as the method of loci or the 34 __________, involves placing items to be remembered in familiar locations. This works because human ancestors needed excellent spatial memory for 35 __________, making these brain pathways highly efficient. To make memories stronger, experts recommend creating images that are bizarre, emotional, or 36 __________. A later study showed that after training in this method, the brain scans of ordinary subjects began to resemble those of 37 __________.

Questions 38–40

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C, or D.
Write your answers in boxes 38–40 on your answer sheet.

1. According to the passage, what was significant about the follow-up study where ordinary subjects were trained in the method of loci?
   A. It proved that some people are naturally better at spatial memory.
   B. It showed that brain activation patterns can change with learning.
   C. It demonstrated that rote repetition is more effective than mnemonics.
   D. It confirmed that memory champions have larger hippocampi.

2. The passage suggests that the method of loci is particularly effective for memorising
   A. how to play a musical instrument.
   B. the meaning of complex concepts.
   C. lists and sequences of information.
   D. physical movements and procedures.

3. What is the main conclusion of the passage regarding exceptional memory?
   A. It is primarily determined by genetics and cannot be taught.
   B. It remains a mysterious phenomenon that science cannot explain.
   C. It is a skill that can be developed through learned strategies and practice.
   D. It depends entirely on the size and structure of the hippocampus.

27. TRUE

28. FALSE

29. FALSE

30. TRUE

31. TRUE

32. FALSE

33. spatial

34. memory palace

35. survive

36. sensory-rich

37. seasoned champions

38. B

39. C

40. C
 

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