The Last Human - Chapter 3
“Memory tests your ability to recall and retain information from various sources and formats. You will be presented with various texts, images, sounds, or videos. Then, you have to answer questions about them. You will not be able to review the sources once they are gone. Are you ready?” Alice asked.
“Yes,” Anna said.
“Good luck,” Alice said.
The computer screen showed the first source:
A text that read:
The Declaration of Independence is a document that announced the separation of the thirteen American colonies from Great Britain in 1776. It was written by Thomas Jefferson and signed by 56 representatives of the colonies. It contains a preamble that explains the reasons for the declaration, a list of grievances against the British king, and a conclusion that declares the colonies to be free and independent states.
Anna read the text and tried to memorize as much as she could. She knew it was an important document in American history, but she had never studied it in detail.
The text disappeared. The computer screen showed the first question:
Q1: In what year was the Declaration of Independence written and signed?
A) 1775
B) 1776
C) 1781
D) 1783
Anna read the question and thought for a moment. She remembered that the text had mentioned the year 1776. She knew that this was the correct answer.
She clicked on B) 1776 and moved on to the next question.
Q2: Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?
A) Benjamin Franklin
B) John Adams
C) Thomas Jefferson
D) George Washington
Anna read the question and thought for a moment. She remembered that the text had mentioned Thomas Jefferson as the writer. She knew that this was the correct answer.
She clicked on C) Thomas Jefferson and moved on to the next question.
Q3: How many representatives signed the Declaration of Independence?
A) 13
B) 26
C) 39
D) 56
Anna read the question and thought for a moment. She remembered that the text had mentioned 56 representatives as the signers. She knew that this was the correct answer.
She clicked on D) 56 and moved on to the next question.
Q4: What was the name of the British king who was accused of tyranny in the Declaration of Independence?
A) George I
B) George II
C) George III
D) George IV
Anna read the question and thought for a moment. She remembered that the text had mentioned grievances against the British king, but she didn’t remember his name. She tried to guess based on logic and common sense. She knew that George I and George II were too early for this period, and George IV was too late. She guessed that it was George III since he was the most likely option.
She clicked on C) George III and moved on to the next question.
Q5: What was the main idea of the preamble of the Declaration of Independence?
A) That all men are created equal and have certain rights that cannot be taken away
B) those governments are instituted to secure these rights and can be changed or abolished if they fail to do so
C) That the colonies have suffered a long history of abuses and injuries by the British government
D) That the colonies have a right and a duty to declare themselves free and independent states
Anna read the question and thought for a moment. She remembered that the text had mentioned a preamble that explained the reasons for the declaration, but she didn’t remember its main idea. She tried to recall what she had read and what she knew about American history. She eliminated option C since it sounded more like part of the list of grievances than part of the preamble. She also eliminated option D, since it sounded more like part of the conclusion than part of the preamble. She was left with options A and B, which both sounded plausible. She decided to go with option A since it seemed more general and fundamental than option B.
She clicked on A) That all men are created equal and have certain rights that cannot be taken away and moved on to the next source.
She continued answering questions like these from different sources for the next 15 minutes until she heard Alice’s voice in her ear.
“Time’s up,” Alice said. “You have completed the memory part of the test.”
“How did I do?” Anna asked.
“You did very well,” Alice said. “You answered 18 out of 20 questions correctly.”
“Really?” Anna said, feeling surprised and happy.
“Yes,” Alice said. “You have a great memory.”
“Thank you,” Anna said.
“You’re welcome,” Alice said. “Now let’s move on to creativity.”
To be continued…