阅读理解。
NOT all memories are sweet. Some people spend all their lives trying to
forget bad experiences. Violence and traffic accidents can leave people with
terrible physical and emotional scars. Often they relive these experiences in
nightmares.
Now American researchers think they are close to developing a pill, which
will help people forget bad memories. The pill is designed to be taken
immediately after a frightening experience. They hope it might reduce ,or
possibly erase(抹去),the effect of painful memories.
In November, experts tested a drug on people in the US and France. The
drug stops the body releasing chemicals that fix memories in the brain. So far the
research has suggested that only the emotional effects of memories may be
reduced, not that the memories are erased.
The research has caused a great deal of argument. Some think it is a bad
idea, while others support it.
Supporters say it could lead to pills that prevent or treat soldiers' troubling
memories after war. They say that there are many people who suffer from terrible
memories.
"Some memories can ruin people's lives. They come back to you when you
don't want to have them in a daydream or nightmare. They usually come with
very painful emotions,” said Roger Pitman, a professor of psychiatry at Harvard
Medical School. “This could relieve a lot of that suffering."
But those who are against the research say that changing memories is very
dangerous because memories give us our identity (特质). They also help us all
avoid the mistakes of the past.
"All of us can think of bad events in our lives that were horrible at the time
but make us who we are. I'm not sure we want to wipe 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 erasing 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 stop people's bad experiences
C. taking the pill will do harm to people's health
D. the pill has probably been produced in America
4. Which of the following does Rebecca Dresser agree with?
A. Some memories can ruin people's lives.
B. People want to get rid of bad memories.
C. Experiencing bad events makes us different from others.
D. The pill will reduce people's sufferings from bad memories.
