Beam Me Up, Smellie!

Read the sentence from paragraph 5 of “Beam Me Up, Smell­ie!”

“But the vividness of memory—its sensation of accuracy

—is an illusion created by that rush of emotion.”

What is the meaning of illusion as it is used in the sentence?

• a specific feeling

• a reference to something

• something that can be seen

• something that is misleading

Which statement shows how psychologists played a role in the study of the human nose in “Beam Me Up, Smell­ie!”?

• They determined which sense is the strongest.

• They examined the connection of emotion to scents.

• They examined all parts of the body including the nose.

• They determined which scents prompt certain memories.

Read the sentence from paragraph 5 in “Beam Me Up, Smell­ie!”

The architecture of the brain explains the Proust

phenomenon, Herz thinks.

Why does the author use “architecture” to describe the brain in the sentence?

• to compare the brain and designer’s purposes

• to compare the artistry of brains and buildings

• to compare the brain’s design to a building’s design

• to compare the brain’s components to a building’s

  components

Which statement best describes how the author develops the central

idea that sense of smell is an important part of memory recall in “Beam Me Up, Smell­ie!”?

• by describing experiments scientists have done about

  memory and smells

• by sharing stories about how smells triggered memories

  for certain people

• by illustrating a specific example of how a smell triggered

  a memory in an individual

• by explaining the scientific connection between the

  human brain and the sense of smell

Read the quotation from paragraph 5 of “Beam Me Up, Smell­ie!”

“I believe that the Proust phenomenon can be subtly

redefined,” Herz says. “Odors may trigger a memory of

uncommon emotional power, it is true. But the vividness

of memory—its sensation of accuracy—is an illusion

created by that rush of emotion.”

How does the author use the quotation to support her argument in the passage?

• to add to the Proust phenomenon experience by stating

  odors retrieve old memories

• to support the Proust phenomenon experience by

  agreeing that odor retrieves old memories

• to modify the Proust phenomenon experience by

  combining odors and emotions to retrieve old memories

• to disprove the Proust phenomenon experience by stating

  that emotions are what retrieves old memories

The following question has two parts. First, answer Part A. Then,

answer Part B.

Part A

Identify one claim made by the author in “Beam Me Up, Smell­ie!”

• Smells bring back childhood fears.

• Smell has a special connection to feelings.

• Vision is the most important sense for memory recall.

• Findings of past research are incorrect and need to be

  revised.

Part B

Which quotation from the passage supports the answer to Part A?

• “The same sights, sounds, and odors that are present

  when we learn something new help us to recall it later.”

  (paragraph 2)

• “Odor cues brought back older memories—things that

  happened when the respondents were ages 6 to 10.”

  (paragraph 3)

• “Subjects rated their smell­cued memories as more

  emotional and richer in detail than the word­ or picture-

  stimulated ones.” (paragraph 3)

• “Regardless of whether they had smelled the odor or just

  heard the word, people were no more accurate in

  remembering the painting.” (paragraph 4)

Which quotation should be included in an accurate summary of the passage “Beam Me Up, Smell­ie!”?

• “Talk about instant travel in space and time!”

  (paragraph 1)

• “In our everyday experience, it seems that nothing jogs

  the memory better than a smell.” (paragraph 2)

• “The researchers gave people tests of facts about the

  museum, asking what they remembered about their

  visits. . . .” (paragraph 2)

• “Odors are processed and memories are retrieved (but

  not stored) in the brain’s right half.” (paragraph 5)