Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Remember Numbers [Two]

Review the following 40 numbers in 5 minutes and try to memorize them! As in Remember Numbers [One], the order is not important for this practice:

  1. 4999
  2. 6220
  3. 7737
  4. 8588
  5. 9772
  6. 1040
  7. 3112
  8. 6627
  9. 7330
  10. 8995
  11. 9365
  12. 4925
  13. 6146
  14. 7663
  15. 8514
  16. 9698
  17. 1003
  18. 1928
  19. 5369
  20. 6590
  21. 7293
  22. 8107
  23. 8958
  24. 9328
  25. 1558
  26. 3186
  27. 5406
  28. 7034
  29. 7404
  30. 8144
  31. 9069
  32. 9439
  33. 1706
  34. 3223
  35. 5443
  36. 7071
  37. 7441
  38. 8181
  39. 9106
  40. 9476




Now, read the following paragraphs to spend some a short time before switching back to the above practice:

The Alphabet system is another Peg system similar in construction
to the Number-Shape and Number-Sound systems; but
instead of using numbers, it uses the 26 letters of the alphabet.
Its advantage is that it enables you to remember 26 objects,
its only disadvantage being that most people find it hard to reel
off the alphabet in reverse order, or to know immediately the
number order of a given letter in the alphabet.
As with the two number systems, I suggest you first construct
your own list, then compare it with alternative suggestions,
and finally select your own list to be entered in the
memory box.
The method of constructing your Alphabet memory system
is as follows: Select a word that starts with the actual sound of
the letter, is visually outstanding, and comes first in the
dictionary.
For example, for the letter 'L' it would be possible to use
elastic, elegy, elephant, elbow, and elm, etc. If you were
looking up these words in the dictionary, the first one you
would come to would be elastic, and that is therefore the word
you would choose.
The reason for this rule is that if you should ever forget your
alphabet word, you can mentally flick through the letters in
order, rapidly arriving at the correct word. In the example
given, if you had forgotten your word, you would try el'a' and
would immediately be able to recall your first word—elastic!
Another rule in the construction of the Alphabet memory
system is that if the letter itself makes a word (for example 'I'
makes 'eye') then that word should be used. In some cases it is
possible to use meaningful initials instead of complete words,
for example D.D.T. [source: SPEED MEMORY by Tony Buzan]



Take a pen and paper; in 4 minutes, try to recall and write down the above numbers as many as you can; during this 4 minutes you should not be interrupted by any external or personal agents!



OK, now, check the numbers and give yourself +2 for each correct number you recalled, -1 for each wrong number you wrote and -2 for any number that you missed to write on the paper!

What is your total score?

61-80 Excellent!
46-60 Not too bad!
If less than 46 then you need to do the memory exercises more seriously!

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