Masters of Memory

Every year, hundreds of so-called 'memory athletes' sign (1) …1. A — over1. B — in1. C — off1. D — up for international championships, competing to memorise packs of playing cards, long strings of numbers and even entire poems within minutes. Their secret rarely lies in natural talent; instead, most champions swear (2) …2. A — by2. B — to2. C — on2. D — at a technique called the 'memory palace', in which facts are attached to an imaginary journey through a familiar building. Critics once dismissed this approach as a mere party trick, but neuroscientists have since come (3) …3. A — into3. B — across3. C — about3. D — up with a convincing explanation for why it works. Training sessions are gruelling: competitors clock (4) …4. A — up4. B — off4. C — out4. D — down hours of practice every day, steadily cutting their times from minutes to mere seconds. What makes the sport so compelling is that almost anyone can take (5) …5. A — on5. B — over5. C — up5. D — in memory sport as a new hobby, provided they are willing to put (6) …6. A — in6. B — up6. C — down6. D — forward the practice. (7) …7. A — However7. B — Moreover7. C — Therefore7. D — Meanwhile, researchers warn that the skills rarely transfer automatically to everyday forgetfulness, so a champion might still misplace their keys. (8) …8. A — Ultimately8. B — Alternatively8. C — Additionally8. D — Consequently, memory sport is less about raw genius than about patient, methodical training.