73:READING II

Today, let's solve a few problems in reading comprehension. Though the passage is given first, we had better go to the problems first.

Visual recognition involves storing and retrieving memories. Neural activity, triggered by the eye, forms an image in the brain's memory system that constitutes an internal representation of the viewed object. When an object is encountered again, it is matched with its internal representation and thereby recognized. Controversy surrounds the question of whether recognition is a parallel, a one-step process, or a serial, step-by- step one. Psychologists of the Gestalt school maintain that objects are recognized as wholes in a parallel procedure: the internal representation is matched with the retinal in a single operation. Other psychologists have proposed that internal representation features are matched serially with an object's features. Although some experiments show that, as an object becomes familiar, its internal representation becomes more holistic and the recognition process correspondingly more parallel, the weight of evidence seems to support the serial hypothesis, at least for objects that are not notably simple and familiar.

1. The author is primarily concerned with

(A) explaining how the brain receives images. (B) synthesising hypotheses of visual recognition (C) examining the evidence supporting the serial - recognition hypothesis. (D) discussing visual recognition and some hypotheses proposed to explain it (E) reporting on recent experiments dealing with memory systems and their relation ship to neural activity.

The question asks us to get the primary concern. Since this is a one-paragraph essay, we had better read each sentence. First three statements talk about how visual recognition happens. Fourth statement states that there is some disagreement about how exactly this recognition happens. Fifth statement introduces the hypothesis by some psychologists, and the sixth statement states the theory of other psychologists. At last, the writer concludes in favor of one hypothesis. Now, we can see that choices (A), (B), (C), and (E) cannot be the answer. 2. According to the passage, Gestalt psychologists make which of the following suppositions about visual recognition?

I. A retinal image is in exactly the same form as its internal representation. II. An object is recognized as a whole without any any need for analysis into component parts. III. The matching of an object with its internal representation occurs only in one step. (A) II only, (B) III only, (C) I and III only , (D) II and III only , (E) I, II, III Gestalt psychologists appear in the fifth statement. It reads thus:

Psychologists of the Gestalt school maintain that objects are recognized as wholes in a parallel procedure: the internal representation is matched with the retinal in a single operation . Statement II in the problem, an object is recognized as a whole without any any need for analysis into component parts, matches withobjects are recognized as wholes. Statement III, The matching of an object with its internal representation occurs only in one step, matches withthe internal representation is matched with the retinal in a single operation . Statement I has no matching statement in the reference to the Gestalt psychologists.

Hence, the answer is (D).

3. In terms of its tone and form, the passage can best be characterized as

(A) biased exposition. (B) a speculative study. (C) a dispassionate presentation. (D) an indignant denial (E) a dogmatic explanation.

This problem is about the tone of the passage. The author does not show any partiality to any theorist. So, we cannot call him\her biased. Hence, (A) cannot be correct. The author is not philosophising. So, we cannot call him\her speculative. Hence, (B) cannot be the answer. The author does not show any anger. So, we cannot call him\her indignant. Hence, (D) is ruled out. The author is not stubborn. Hence, we cannot call him\her dogmatic. So, (E) cannot be correct. The author is very neutral and objective, hence we can call him\her dispassionate.