NOT all memories are sweet. Some people spend all their lives trying to forget b

NOT all memories are sweet. Some people spend alltheir lives trying to forget bad experiences. Violence and traffic accidentscan leave people with terrible physical and emotional scars. Often they relivethese experiences in nightmares.

Now American researchers think they are close todeveloping a pill, which will help people forget bad memories. The pill isdesigned to be taken immediately after a frightening experience. They hope itmight reduce, or possibly wipe out, the effect of painful memories.

In November, experts tested a drug on people in the USand France. The drug stops the body releasing chemicals that fix memories inthe brain. So far the research has suggested that only the emotional effects ofmemories may be reduced, not that the memories are wiped out. They are not sureto what degree people’s memories are affected.

The research has caused a great deal of argument. Somethink it is a bad idea, while others support it.

Supporters say it could lead to pills that prevent ortreat soldiers' troubling memories after war.

They say that there are many people who suffer fromterrible memories.

"Some memories can ruin people's lives. They comeback to you when you don't want to have them in a daydream or nightmare. Theyusually come with very painful emotions," said Roger Pitman, a professorof psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. "This could relieve a lot of thatsuffering."

But those who are against the research say that maybethe pills can change people’s memories and changing memories is very dangerousbecause memories give us our identity. They also help us all avoid the mistakesof the past.

"All of us can think of bad events in our livesthat were terrible at the time but make us who we are. I'm not sure we want towipe those memories out, "said Rebecca Dresser, a medical ethicist.

1.The passage is mainly about              .

A. a new medical invention

B. a new research on the pill

C. a way of wiping out painful memories

D. an argument about the research on the pill

2.The drug tested on people can           .

A. cause the brain to fix memories

B. stop people remembering bad experiences

C. prevent body producing certain chemicals

D. wipe out the emotional effects of memories

3.We can infer from the passage that           .

A. people doubt the effects of the pills

B. the pill will certainly stop people's emotionalmemories

C. taking the pill will do harm to people's physicalhealth

D. the pill has already been produced and used by thepublic in America

4.Which of the following does Rebecca Dresser agreewith in the last paragraph ?

A. some memories can ruin people's lives.

B. people want to get rid of bad memories.

C. experiencing bad events makes us different fromothers.

D. the pill will reduce people's sufferings from badmemories.

试题答案

【答案】

1.D

2.C

3.A

4.C

【解析】

试题