EigoPro 2級 読解 — How Memory Works

How Memory Works Many people imagine that human memory works like a video camera, recording everything that happens and storing it safely for later. When we remember something, we simply press "play" and watch it again exactly as it was. Scientists who study the brain, however, have discovered that this comforting picture is almost completely wrong. In reality, memory is far more creative than a recording. Each time we remember an event, the brain does not replay a perfect copy; instead, it rebuilds the memory from pieces, filling in gaps with what seems likely. This is why two people can honestly remember the same event in very different ways, and why our memories of the distant past can change over the years without our noticing. A memory is less like a film and more like a story we retell, slightly differently, each time. Forgetting, too, is not simply a fault in the system. We often think of it as a weakness, but scientists believe it serves an important purpose. If we remembered every single detail of every day — every face in a crowd, every word of every conversation — our minds would be overwhelmed with useless information. By quietly letting go of what does not matter, the brain keeps the things that do, allowing us to think clearly and make sense of the world. Understanding how memory really works has practical value. Because memories can be unreliable, for example, witnesses to a crime may remember details wrongly, even when they are completely honest. It also explains why testing yourself is a better way to study than simply reading notes again: the act of pulling a memory out strengthens it. Far from being a simple recording machine, the memory is an active, living part of who we are.

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この単元の問題を3問、解説つきで公開しています

2級 · 読解 · 全5問

問 1

What is the main idea of the passage?

  • Scientists know nothing at all about how memory works.
  • Human memory works exactly like a perfect video camera.
  • Memory is not a perfect recording but is actively rebuilt each time we remember.
  • Memory plays back every event exactly as it happened.
Phrase

this comforting picture is almost completely wrong

この心地よいイメージはほぼ完全に誤り

2級読解科学記事主旨
⚡ひとことで

記事の主旨は「記憶はビデオのような正確な記録という通念は誤りで、実際は毎回断片から再構成される創造的なもの」。

選択肢の解説Choice Analysis

「Memory is not a perfect recording but is actively rebuilt each time we remember.」

正解

第1段落 "Many people imagine that human memory works like a video camera ... this comforting picture is almost completely wrong" + 第2段落 "memory is far more creative than a recording" が主旨。記事は再構成・忘却の役割・実用と展開。work like ~ = 「〜のように働く」、comforting = 「心地よい」。

  • 「Human memory works exactly like a perfect video camera that records all.」

    = 記憶は完璧なビデオのように働く ━ 本文 "this comforting picture is almost completely wrong" と矛盾。

  • 「Memory plays back every past event exactly as it originally happened.」

    = 出来事を起きた通り完璧に再生 ━ 本文 "does not replay a perfect copy" と矛盾。

  • 「Scientists know nothing at all about the way that human memory works.」

    = 科学者は記憶を全く知らない ━ 本文 "have discovered" と矛盾。

▦Collocation
パターン意味例
work like ~〜のように働くworks like a video camera
press play再生を押すpress 'play'
a comforting picture心地よいイメージthis comforting picture
store ~ safely〜を安全に保存するstoring it safely
far more creativeはるかに創造的far more creative than a recording
❝例文

  • People think memory is like a video.

    人は記憶をビデオのようと思う。

  • But that picture is wrong.

    だがそのイメージは誤りだ。

  • Memory is rebuilt each time.

    記憶は毎回再構成される。

💡Tip · 覚えるコツ

主旨設問の鉄則 ―― "Many people imagine X ... this picture is almost completely wrong" の通念否定が主旨の起点。誤答は本文が否定する通念 (完璧なビデオ / 完璧な再生) や本文と矛盾 (科学者は無知) で誘導。

問 2

According to the passage, how does remembering actually work?

  • The brain always recalls a perfect, unchanged copy.
  • Two people always remember an event in exactly the same way.
  • Memories of the distant past never change at all.
  • The brain rebuilds memories from pieces, so the same event can be recalled differently.
Phrase

rebuilds the memory from pieces, filling in gaps; like a story we retell slightly differently

断片から再構成し隙間を埋める、毎回少し違う形で語り直す物語のよう

2級読解科学記事詳細 (記憶は再構成)
⚡ひとことで

実際、記憶は記録よりずっと創造的。思い出すたび脳は完璧な複製を再生せず、断片から記憶を再構成し、もっともらしいもので隙間を埋める。だから二人が同じ出来事を違うように記憶し、遠い過去の記憶も気づかぬうちに年月で変わる。記憶は映画より、毎回少し違う形で語り直す物語に近い。

選択肢の解説Choice Analysis

「The brain rebuilds memories from pieces, so the same event can be recalled differently.」

正解

第2段落 "the brain does not replay a perfect copy; instead, it rebuilds the memory from pieces, filling in gaps with what seems likely. This is why two people can honestly remember the same event in very different ways" より、再構成 = 断片から再構成・隙間を補うため、同じ出来事も違って思い出される。fill in gaps = 「隙間を埋める」、retell = 「語り直す」。

  • 「The brain always recalls a perfect and completely unchanged copy of events.」

    = 常に完璧で不変の複製を思い出す ━ 本文 "does not replay a perfect copy" と矛盾。

  • 「Two different people always remember the same event in exactly the same way.」

    = 二人は常に全く同じに記憶する ━ 本文 "in very different ways" と逆。

  • 「Memories of the distant past never change at all, however old a person gets.」

    = 遠い過去の記憶は決して変わらない ━ 本文 "can change over the years" と矛盾。

▦Collocation
パターン意味例
rebuild ~ from pieces断片から再構成するrebuilds the memory from pieces
fill in gaps隙間を埋めるfilling in gaps
what seems likelyもっともらしいものwhat seems likely
retell a story物語を語り直すa story we retell
without noticing気づかずにwithout our noticing
❝例文

  • The brain rebuilds memories from pieces.

    脳は断片から記憶を再構成する。

  • Two people may remember it differently.

    二人は違って記憶しうる。

  • Memory is like a retold story.

    記憶は語り直す物語のようだ。

💡Tip · 覚えるコツ

詳細設問の鉄則 ―― "does not replay a perfect copy; instead, it rebuilds ... from pieces" の対比を拾う。誤答は本文を逆転 (完璧な複製 / 全く同じに記憶 / 変わらない) で誘導。再構成 → 個人差・変化が核。

問 3

What does the passage say about forgetting?

  • Forgetting is always a harmful fault with no purpose.
  • Forgetting is useful: by dropping unimportant details, the brain keeps what matters.
  • Remembering every single detail would help us think clearly.
  • The brain keeps useless details and drops important ones.
Phrase

forgetting serves a purpose; letting go of what does not matter keeps the things that do

忘却には目的があり、重要でないものを手放し重要なものを保つ

2級読解科学記事詳細 (忘却の役割)
⚡ひとことで

忘れることも単なる欠陥ではない。弱点と思われがちだが、科学者は重要な目的があると考える。毎日の細部を全て覚えていたら無用な情報で心が圧倒される。重要でないものを静かに手放すことで脳は重要なものを保ち、明晰に考え世界を理解できる。

選択肢の解説Choice Analysis

「Forgetting is useful: by dropping unimportant details, the brain keeps what matters.」

正解

第3段落 "Forgetting ... is not simply a fault ... it serves an important purpose. If we remembered every single detail ... our minds would be overwhelmed with useless information. By quietly letting go of what does not matter, the brain keeps the things that do" より、忘却の役割 = 重要でない細部を手放し、重要なものを保ち明晰に考えられる。serve a purpose = 「目的を果たす」、let go of ~ = 「〜を手放す」。

  • 「Forgetting is always a harmful fault in the brain that serves no purpose.」

    = 忘却は常に無目的な有害な欠陥 ━ 本文 "it serves an important purpose" と矛盾。

  • 「Remembering every single detail would help us to think much more clearly.」

    = 全細部を覚えると明晰に考えられる ━ 本文 "overwhelmed with useless information" と逆。

  • 「The brain keeps every useless detail and drops the ones that really matter.」

    = 脳は無用な細部を保ち重要なものを捨てる ━ 本文と逆 (重要なものを保つ)。

▦Collocation
パターン意味例
serve a purpose目的を果たすserves an important purpose
a fault in the systemシステムの欠陥a fault in the system
be overwhelmed with ~〜で圧倒されるoverwhelmed with ... information
let go of ~〜を手放すletting go of what does not matter
make sense of ~〜を理解するmake sense of the world
❝例文

  • Forgetting serves an important purpose.

    忘却は重要な目的を果たす。

  • Remembering everything would overwhelm us.

    全て覚えたら圧倒される。

  • The brain keeps what matters.

    脳は重要なものを保つ。

💡Tip · 覚えるコツ

忘却の役割設問の鉄則 ―― "Forgetting ... is not simply a fault ... serves an important purpose" の通念否定+理由を拾う。誤答は本文を逆転 (無目的な欠陥 / 全部覚えると明晰 / 重要なものを捨てる) で誘導。

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