Question
QUESTION 1: READING FOR MEANING AND UNDERSTANDING
Read TEXTS A and B and answer the set questions.
TEXT A
THE SCIENCE OF FORGETTING:
WHY WE’RE ALREADY LOSING OUR PANDEMIC MEMORIES
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
How much do you remember about the past three years of pandemic life?
How much have you already forgotten?
A lot has happened since the “Before Times.” Cancelled proms, toilet paper
shortages, nightly applause for health workers, new vaccines, waitlists for
getting the first jab, and more.
COVID-19 disrupted everyone’s lives, but it was truly life-changing for only a
sizable subset of people: those who lost someone to Covid, healthcare
workers, the immunocompromised or those who developed long Covid,
among others.
For the rest of us, over time, many details will probably fade because of the
quirks and limitations of how much our brains can remember.
“Our memory is designed not to be computer-like,” said William Hirst,
professor of psychology at the New School for Social Research in New York.
“It fades.”
Forgetting is inextricably intertwined with memory. “A basic assumption
that we can make is that everybody forgets everything all the time,” said
Norman Brown, cognitive psychology professor researching
autobiographical memory at the University of Alberta. “The default is
forgetting.”
To understand why we may forget parts of pandemic life, it helps to
understand how we hold onto memories in the first place. Your brain has
at least three interrelated phases for memory: encoding, consolidation and
retrieval of information.
1
5
10
15
20
4
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
When we encounter new information, our brains encode it with changes in
neurons in the hippocampus, an important memory centre, as well as
other areas, such as the amygdala for emotional memories. These neurons
embody a physical memory trace, known as an engram.
Much of this information is lost unless it is stored during memory
consolidation, which often happens during sleep, making the memories
more stable and long-term. The hippocampus essentially “replays” the
memory, which is also redistributed to neurons in the cortex for
longer-term storage. One theory is that the hippocampus stores an index
of where these cortical memory neurons are for retrieval — like Google
search.
Finally, during memory retrieval, the memory trace neurons in the
hippocampus and cortex are reactivated. Memories are not fixed and
permanent. The memory is subject to change each time we access and
reconsolidate it.
What we remember tends to be distinctive, emotionally loaded and
deemed worthy of processing and reflecting upon in our heads after the
event happened. Our memories are centred on our life stories and what
affected us the most personally.
New memories, which happen by simply living more life, interfere with
memories of older events. New events are more salient and easier to
remember because we are more likely to talk about them and “rehearse”
them, by repeatedly remembering and reconsolidating them. Stress,
something the pandemic produced in abundance, also interferes with the
creation of new memories.
The pandemic was monotonous for many people stuck at home. “It was
very much the same thing over and over again,” said Dorthe Berntsen,
professor of psychology specialising in autobiographical memory at Aarhus
University.
When events are uniform, they are harder to recall. “The memory puts it
together as almost one event,” she said. “Therefore, I think we will have
quite unclear memories from those specific years. ”Covid affected
everyone but the mark it left on our lives and, thus, our memories will vary
drastically.
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
5
15
16
17
18
“I would say the pandemic, for many people, will be remembered as this
kind of grey interlude,” Brown said. “And for some people, it will be a
life-changing kind of event or period. And they’ll remember differently.”
How society decides to commemorate the pandemic will probably affect
whether and how it lives in our society’s collective memory, and what
future generations learn from our experiences.
While parents pass along their knowledge and family history to offspring,
these communicative memories only last for two or three generations: we
may know something about our grandmothers or even our
great-grandmothers, but almost nothing further up our family tree.
Without cultural artefacts — books, movies, statues, museums — the same
may happen for memories of the covid pandemic, consigned to the
entropic dustbin of history. As of now, there are no official permanent
memorials for the pandemic. Governments and institutions have the
resources and intragenerational structure key to keeping collective
memories alive.
60
65
70
Sourced and adapted from: Sima, R. 2023. Science of forgetting: Why we’re already losing our
pandemic memories. 13 March 2023. (Online) [Accessed 9 August 2024].
AND
6
TEXT B
Text reads: COVID-19 Memory Box, The Box, Plymouth City Council
Note: The Box is Plymouth's award-winning museum, art gallery and archive.
Sourced from: Plymouth.gov.uk. 2020. Covid-19 Memory Box - Be part of history and share your
story, 17 July 2020. (Online) [Accessed 9 August 2024].
QUESTIONS: TEXT A
1.1 Identify the type of questions that are asked in paragraph 1. (1)
1.2 Refer to paragraph 1, lines 1–2. Why does the writer start the article by
posing two questions? (2)
1.3 Refer to paragraph 2, line 3. Account for the use of inverted commas in
“Before Times”. (2)
1.4 Refer to paragraph 3. What do the subset of people mentioned in line 7
have in common? (2)
1.5 In your own words, define the term “fades” in paragraph 5 (line 14). (2)
7
1.6 Refer to paragraph 9. What is the effect of sleep on memory? Quote from
the text to support your answer. (2)
1.7 Refer to paragraph 11. Name three characteristics of the things that we
are more likely to remember. (3)
1.8 Refer to paragraphs 12–14. Explain how the pandemic interfered with the
creation of new memories. (3)
1.9 Refer to paragraph 15. Account for the writer’s description of the
pandemic as a “grey interlude” (line 59). (2)
1.10 Refer to paragraph 18, line 68. In your opinion, will a collection of cultural
artefacts help people remember the pandemic years more easily? (2)
QUESTIONS: TEXT B
1.11 State the purpose of the advertisement. (2)
1.12 Discuss how the visuals support the text. Provide reasons for your
answer (refer to both visuals and text). (3)
QUESTION: TEXT A AND B
1.13 To what extent does Text B support Text A? Substantiate your answer
with close reference to both texts. (4)
TOTAL SECTION A: 30
Read TEXTS A and B and answer the set questions.
TEXT A
THE SCIENCE OF FORGETTING:
WHY WE’RE ALREADY LOSING OUR PANDEMIC MEMORIES
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
How much do you remember about the past three years of pandemic life?
How much have you already forgotten?
A lot has happened since the “Before Times.” Cancelled proms, toilet paper
shortages, nightly applause for health workers, new vaccines, waitlists for
getting the first jab, and more.
COVID-19 disrupted everyone’s lives, but it was truly life-changing for only a
sizable subset of people: those who lost someone to Covid, healthcare
workers, the immunocompromised or those who developed long Covid,
among others.
For the rest of us, over time, many details will probably fade because of the
quirks and limitations of how much our brains can remember.
“Our memory is designed not to be computer-like,” said William Hirst,
professor of psychology at the New School for Social Research in New York.
“It fades.”
Forgetting is inextricably intertwined with memory. “A basic assumption
that we can make is that everybody forgets everything all the time,” said
Norman Brown, cognitive psychology professor researching
autobiographical memory at the University of Alberta. “The default is
forgetting.”
To understand why we may forget parts of pandemic life, it helps to
understand how we hold onto memories in the first place. Your brain has
at least three interrelated phases for memory: encoding, consolidation and
retrieval of information.
1
5
10
15
20
4
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
When we encounter new information, our brains encode it with changes in
neurons in the hippocampus, an important memory centre, as well as
other areas, such as the amygdala for emotional memories. These neurons
embody a physical memory trace, known as an engram.
Much of this information is lost unless it is stored during memory
consolidation, which often happens during sleep, making the memories
more stable and long-term. The hippocampus essentially “replays” the
memory, which is also redistributed to neurons in the cortex for
longer-term storage. One theory is that the hippocampus stores an index
of where these cortical memory neurons are for retrieval — like Google
search.
Finally, during memory retrieval, the memory trace neurons in the
hippocampus and cortex are reactivated. Memories are not fixed and
permanent. The memory is subject to change each time we access and
reconsolidate it.
What we remember tends to be distinctive, emotionally loaded and
deemed worthy of processing and reflecting upon in our heads after the
event happened. Our memories are centred on our life stories and what
affected us the most personally.
New memories, which happen by simply living more life, interfere with
memories of older events. New events are more salient and easier to
remember because we are more likely to talk about them and “rehearse”
them, by repeatedly remembering and reconsolidating them. Stress,
something the pandemic produced in abundance, also interferes with the
creation of new memories.
The pandemic was monotonous for many people stuck at home. “It was
very much the same thing over and over again,” said Dorthe Berntsen,
professor of psychology specialising in autobiographical memory at Aarhus
University.
When events are uniform, they are harder to recall. “The memory puts it
together as almost one event,” she said. “Therefore, I think we will have
quite unclear memories from those specific years. ”Covid affected
everyone but the mark it left on our lives and, thus, our memories will vary
drastically.
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
5
15
16
17
18
“I would say the pandemic, for many people, will be remembered as this
kind of grey interlude,” Brown said. “And for some people, it will be a
life-changing kind of event or period. And they’ll remember differently.”
How society decides to commemorate the pandemic will probably affect
whether and how it lives in our society’s collective memory, and what
future generations learn from our experiences.
While parents pass along their knowledge and family history to offspring,
these communicative memories only last for two or three generations: we
may know something about our grandmothers or even our
great-grandmothers, but almost nothing further up our family tree.
Without cultural artefacts — books, movies, statues, museums — the same
may happen for memories of the covid pandemic, consigned to the
entropic dustbin of history. As of now, there are no official permanent
memorials for the pandemic. Governments and institutions have the
resources and intragenerational structure key to keeping collective
memories alive.
60
65
70
Sourced and adapted from: Sima, R. 2023. Science of forgetting: Why we’re already losing our
pandemic memories. 13 March 2023. (Online) [Accessed 9 August 2024].
AND
6
TEXT B
Text reads: COVID-19 Memory Box, The Box, Plymouth City Council
Note: The Box is Plymouth's award-winning museum, art gallery and archive.
Sourced from: Plymouth.gov.uk. 2020. Covid-19 Memory Box - Be part of history and share your
story, 17 July 2020. (Online) [Accessed 9 August 2024].
QUESTIONS: TEXT A
1.1 Identify the type of questions that are asked in paragraph 1. (1)
1.2 Refer to paragraph 1, lines 1–2. Why does the writer start the article by
posing two questions? (2)
1.3 Refer to paragraph 2, line 3. Account for the use of inverted commas in
“Before Times”. (2)
1.4 Refer to paragraph 3. What do the subset of people mentioned in line 7
have in common? (2)
1.5 In your own words, define the term “fades” in paragraph 5 (line 14). (2)
7
1.6 Refer to paragraph 9. What is the effect of sleep on memory? Quote from
the text to support your answer. (2)
1.7 Refer to paragraph 11. Name three characteristics of the things that we
are more likely to remember. (3)
1.8 Refer to paragraphs 12–14. Explain how the pandemic interfered with the
creation of new memories. (3)
1.9 Refer to paragraph 15. Account for the writer’s description of the
pandemic as a “grey interlude” (line 59). (2)
1.10 Refer to paragraph 18, line 68. In your opinion, will a collection of cultural
artefacts help people remember the pandemic years more easily? (2)
QUESTIONS: TEXT B
1.11 State the purpose of the advertisement. (2)
1.12 Discuss how the visuals support the text. Provide reasons for your
answer (refer to both visuals and text). (3)
QUESTION: TEXT A AND B
1.13 To what extent does Text B support Text A? Substantiate your answer
with close reference to both texts. (4)
TOTAL SECTION A: 30
Answers
Answered by
GPT-4o mini
Certainly! Below are the responses to the questions based on Text A and Text B as requested.
**QUESTIONS: TEXT A**
1.1 Identify the type of questions that are asked in paragraph 1. (1)
- The questions posed in paragraph 1 are rhetorical questions. They are meant to engage the reader and provoke thought rather than seek direct answers.
1.2 Refer to paragraph 1, lines 1–2. Why does the writer start the article by posing two questions? (2)
- The writer starts with two questions to engage the reader's interest and to encourage them to reflect on their own memories of the pandemic. This approach sets the stage for the article's exploration of how collective and individual memories of the pandemic are formed and may fade over time.
1.3 Refer to paragraph 2, line 3. Account for the use of inverted commas in “Before Times”. (2)
- The use of inverted commas around "Before Times" suggests that it is a term coined to signify a particular period before the pandemic, emphasizing its distinctiveness and the cultural shift that occurred after its onset. It denotes a sense of nostalgia and highlights the changed state of life that followed.
1.4 Refer to paragraph 3. What do the subset of people mentioned in line 7 have in common? (2)
- The subset of people mentioned in line 7—those who lost someone to Covid, healthcare workers, the immunocompromised, or those who developed long Covid—share the common experience of being deeply affected by the pandemic’s impact, whether through loss, health challenges, or direct involvement in combating the virus.
1.5 In your own words, define the term “fades” in paragraph 5 (line 14). (2)
- "Fades" refers to the gradual process of forgetting or losing the clarity and detail of memories over time, indicating that without active reinforcement or significance, memories can diminish until they become less accessible.
1.6 Refer to paragraph 9. What is the effect of sleep on memory? Quote from the text to support your answer. (2)
- The effect of sleep on memory is that it aids in the consolidation of memories, making them more stable and long-term. The text states, “Much of this information is lost unless it is stored during memory consolidation, which often happens during sleep,” highlighting sleep's critical role in memory retention.
1.7 Refer to paragraph 11. Name three characteristics of the things that we are more likely to remember. (3)
- The three characteristics of things we are more likely to remember are:
1. They tend to be distinctive.
2. They are emotionally loaded.
3. They are deemed worthy of processing and reflecting upon after the event.
1.8 Refer to paragraphs 12–14. Explain how the pandemic interfered with the creation of new memories. (3)
- The pandemic interfered with the creation of new memories by making life monotonous and uniform for many people, leading to repetitive experiences that were harder to differentiate. This lack of variation resulted in new events being grouped together and remembered as a singular event rather than distinct moments. Additionally, the stress associated with the pandemic further hindered the process of forming new memories.
1.9 Refer to paragraph 15. Account for the writer’s description of the pandemic as a “grey interlude” (line 59). (2)
- The writer describes the pandemic as a “grey interlude” to convey its dull and monotonous nature, suggesting that it was a period lacking in vibrant or memorable experiences. This description implies that, for many, it may not evoke strong feelings or clear memories, as it was overshadowed by the uniformity of daily life during lockdowns.
1.10 Refer to paragraph 18, line 68. In your opinion, will a collection of cultural artefacts help people remember the pandemic years more easily? (2)
- Yes, a collection of cultural artefacts could help people remember the pandemic years more easily. Such artefacts serve as tangible reminders of specific events, feelings, and experiences during that time, allowing individuals and society to reflect on and process what they went through, thereby reinforcing memories and narratives surrounding the pandemic.
**QUESTIONS: TEXT B**
1.11 State the purpose of the advertisement. (2)
- The purpose of the advertisement is to encourage individuals to contribute their personal stories and experiences related to the COVID-19 pandemic to the "COVID-19 Memory Box," thereby capturing history and fostering a shared collective memory of the pandemic for future generations.
1.12 Discuss how the visuals support the text. Provide reasons for your answer (refer to both visuals and text). (3)
- Although the specific visuals from Text B are not available here, generally, effective visuals in a memory box advertisement would likely include imagery related to the pandemic—such as photos of empty streets, masked individuals, or community support efforts—that resonate with the text's theme of documenting personal experiences. Such visuals would evoke emotions and memories, encouraging viewers to participate by adding their narratives, thereby supporting the text's call for collective memory creation.
**QUESTION: TEXT A AND B**
1.13 To what extent does Text B support Text A? Substantiate your answer with close reference to both texts. (4)
- Text B supports Text A by providing a practical outlet for the memories discussed in Text A. While Text A explores the psychology of forgetting and how the pandemic will be remembered differently by individuals, Text B emphasizes the importance of recording and sharing personal stories to preserve collective memory. For instance, Text A mentions that without cultural artefacts, memories of the pandemic may be lost: "Without cultural artefacts — books, movies, statues, museums — the same may happen for memories of the covid pandemic." Text B directly addresses this concern by inviting people to contribute to a “Covid-19 Memory Box,” thereby creating a physical repository for these collective memories. Both texts highlight the significance of personal stories in safeguarding against forgetfulness.
**TOTAL SECTION A: 30**
**QUESTIONS: TEXT A**
1.1 Identify the type of questions that are asked in paragraph 1. (1)
- The questions posed in paragraph 1 are rhetorical questions. They are meant to engage the reader and provoke thought rather than seek direct answers.
1.2 Refer to paragraph 1, lines 1–2. Why does the writer start the article by posing two questions? (2)
- The writer starts with two questions to engage the reader's interest and to encourage them to reflect on their own memories of the pandemic. This approach sets the stage for the article's exploration of how collective and individual memories of the pandemic are formed and may fade over time.
1.3 Refer to paragraph 2, line 3. Account for the use of inverted commas in “Before Times”. (2)
- The use of inverted commas around "Before Times" suggests that it is a term coined to signify a particular period before the pandemic, emphasizing its distinctiveness and the cultural shift that occurred after its onset. It denotes a sense of nostalgia and highlights the changed state of life that followed.
1.4 Refer to paragraph 3. What do the subset of people mentioned in line 7 have in common? (2)
- The subset of people mentioned in line 7—those who lost someone to Covid, healthcare workers, the immunocompromised, or those who developed long Covid—share the common experience of being deeply affected by the pandemic’s impact, whether through loss, health challenges, or direct involvement in combating the virus.
1.5 In your own words, define the term “fades” in paragraph 5 (line 14). (2)
- "Fades" refers to the gradual process of forgetting or losing the clarity and detail of memories over time, indicating that without active reinforcement or significance, memories can diminish until they become less accessible.
1.6 Refer to paragraph 9. What is the effect of sleep on memory? Quote from the text to support your answer. (2)
- The effect of sleep on memory is that it aids in the consolidation of memories, making them more stable and long-term. The text states, “Much of this information is lost unless it is stored during memory consolidation, which often happens during sleep,” highlighting sleep's critical role in memory retention.
1.7 Refer to paragraph 11. Name three characteristics of the things that we are more likely to remember. (3)
- The three characteristics of things we are more likely to remember are:
1. They tend to be distinctive.
2. They are emotionally loaded.
3. They are deemed worthy of processing and reflecting upon after the event.
1.8 Refer to paragraphs 12–14. Explain how the pandemic interfered with the creation of new memories. (3)
- The pandemic interfered with the creation of new memories by making life monotonous and uniform for many people, leading to repetitive experiences that were harder to differentiate. This lack of variation resulted in new events being grouped together and remembered as a singular event rather than distinct moments. Additionally, the stress associated with the pandemic further hindered the process of forming new memories.
1.9 Refer to paragraph 15. Account for the writer’s description of the pandemic as a “grey interlude” (line 59). (2)
- The writer describes the pandemic as a “grey interlude” to convey its dull and monotonous nature, suggesting that it was a period lacking in vibrant or memorable experiences. This description implies that, for many, it may not evoke strong feelings or clear memories, as it was overshadowed by the uniformity of daily life during lockdowns.
1.10 Refer to paragraph 18, line 68. In your opinion, will a collection of cultural artefacts help people remember the pandemic years more easily? (2)
- Yes, a collection of cultural artefacts could help people remember the pandemic years more easily. Such artefacts serve as tangible reminders of specific events, feelings, and experiences during that time, allowing individuals and society to reflect on and process what they went through, thereby reinforcing memories and narratives surrounding the pandemic.
**QUESTIONS: TEXT B**
1.11 State the purpose of the advertisement. (2)
- The purpose of the advertisement is to encourage individuals to contribute their personal stories and experiences related to the COVID-19 pandemic to the "COVID-19 Memory Box," thereby capturing history and fostering a shared collective memory of the pandemic for future generations.
1.12 Discuss how the visuals support the text. Provide reasons for your answer (refer to both visuals and text). (3)
- Although the specific visuals from Text B are not available here, generally, effective visuals in a memory box advertisement would likely include imagery related to the pandemic—such as photos of empty streets, masked individuals, or community support efforts—that resonate with the text's theme of documenting personal experiences. Such visuals would evoke emotions and memories, encouraging viewers to participate by adding their narratives, thereby supporting the text's call for collective memory creation.
**QUESTION: TEXT A AND B**
1.13 To what extent does Text B support Text A? Substantiate your answer with close reference to both texts. (4)
- Text B supports Text A by providing a practical outlet for the memories discussed in Text A. While Text A explores the psychology of forgetting and how the pandemic will be remembered differently by individuals, Text B emphasizes the importance of recording and sharing personal stories to preserve collective memory. For instance, Text A mentions that without cultural artefacts, memories of the pandemic may be lost: "Without cultural artefacts — books, movies, statues, museums — the same may happen for memories of the covid pandemic." Text B directly addresses this concern by inviting people to contribute to a “Covid-19 Memory Box,” thereby creating a physical repository for these collective memories. Both texts highlight the significance of personal stories in safeguarding against forgetfulness.
**TOTAL SECTION A: 30**
There are no human answers yet. A form for humans to post answers is coming very soon!