One of the first attempts to peer into the living human brain was carr

One of the first attempts to peer into the living human brain was carried out by a neurosurgeon named Wilder Penfield in the 1950. Penfield opened the skulls of conscious epileptic patients under local anesthesia, and A induced a mild electric current into their brains in an attempt to pinpoint the source of seizure activity and then remove that piece of tissue. What he found was even more remarkable than what he initially set out to do. By stimulating different points on the lower parts of the brain (the temporal lobes), he elicited distinct and vivid memories in his patients. These memories were more precise than usual memories, and incorporated different modalities such as visual and auditory sense impressions. Penfield’s patients reported different types of memories (a moment from childhood, a recollection of a tune). When the same location in the temporal lobe was stimulated again the same memory reappeared. Could it be that a physical map of memories exists with in our brains?

One might mistakenly conclude from Penfields experiment that particular memories are stored in specific sites in the brain such that the memory of ones grandmother is stored in one area and the memory of what one had for dinner is stored in another. While this description is imprecise, the alternative theory, that memory is stored in a unitary superstructure, is also inaccurate. Although it is true that the temporal lobes play a critical role in memory processes, evidence from brain imaging studies strongly indicates that memory is divided among a range of distinct but interacting neural systems, each contributing to a unique feature of memory. One system may be involved to a larger extent in encoding or retrieval, while another may deal with the process of consolidating memory. One specific structure is more active in emotional memory, while others are employed in working memory, semantic memory, and episodic memory. These multiple memory systems are constantly sharing information and modulating one another.

1. A good title for this passage would be

A. The Life and Work of Neurosurgeon Wilder Penfield
B. The Physical Organization of Memory in the Human Brain
C. The Cognitive Functions of the Temporal Lobes
D. Historical Progress in the Search for an Epilepsy Cure
E. Where Are Childhood Memories Located in the Brain?


2. Which of the following is mentioned in Paragraph 2 with regard to the neural systems of memory?

A. A specific brain structure cannot be involved in more than one aspect of memory.
B. The same neural system is primarily involved in both emotional memory and semantic memory.
C. The lower parts of the brain play a critical role in memory processes.
D. There is a specific brain region that stores the memory of last nights dinner.
E. Epilepsy will affect the storage and retrieval of memories.


3. When the author talks about a “unitary superstructure,” (Highlighted) he is referring to

A. the brain as a whole
B. a theory of memory organization preferred by most scientists
C. the cortex of the brain
D. a specific brain region in which all memories are stored
E. the sum of all memory processes, such as encoding, retrieval, and consolidation


4. All of the following are mentioned in Paragraph 1 as part of the surgical procedure Penfield performed on his patients EXCEPT

A. Penfield stimulated different points in his patients' temporal lobes.
B. Penfield's epileptic patients were not totally anesthetized during the surgery.
C. The patients' brains were given small electric shocks during surgery.
D. Penfield removed the pieces of tissue responsible for inducing seizures in his patients.
E. The patients' skulls were wide open throughout the surgery.