Why do we dream?

admin 2023年1月5日

Intermediate

Health & Lifestyle, Health & Lifestyle - Intermediate

Pre-reading questions

I will read each question. Then, please answer them.

Do you often remember your dreams? What can you say about them?
Why do you think some people remember their dreams while others do not?

Vocabulary

I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me.

recall /ri-KAWL/

[verb] – to bring the memory of a past event into your mind, and often to give a description of what you remember
I can’t recall exactly what happened.

theory /THEE-uh-ree/

[noun] – a formal statement of the rules on which a subject of study is based or of ideas that are suggested to explain a fact or event or, more generally, an opinion or explanation
Alex has a theory that a meteorite produced the hole.

evidence /EV-i-duhns/

[noun] – one or more reasons for believing that something is or is not true
The evidence and facts are crystal clear.

disrupt /dis-RUHPT/

[verb] – to prevent something, especially a system, process, or event, from continuing as usual or as expected
The agriculture economy may be disrupted by climate change.

predict /pri-DIKT/

[verb] – to say that an event or action will happen in the future, especially as a result of knowledge or experience
It’s incredibly challenging to predict earthquakes.

Article reading

Please read the whole article. Then, I will check your pronunciation and intonation.

Everyone dreams, but we often don’t recall them the next day. The specific reasoning behind our dreams is still unknown to experts. Let’s look at some popular explanations for why people dream.

Processes emotions
Dreaming might help the brain process emotions. Strong, unpleasant emotions like stress and worry are known to cause nightmares.

The “continuity hypothesis”
This theory holds that most of our dreams reflect the same concepts and problems as our waking lives. We might be able to identify our main worries by analyzing the themes or visuals in our dreams.

Consolidation of memory
Some researchers believe that dreams help people form memories. Evidence suggests that the brain organizes and stores information while we sleep, then turns it into memories.

Generalization
Over time, we react less to new experiences. According to this theory, the strangeness of dreams disrupts this cycle and keeps us alert.

No purpose
A few experts believe that dreams have no specific purpose. They explain that humans themselves developed the meanings of dreams, using them to predict the future or tell stories.

Why people dream is one of behavioral science’s greatest unsolved puzzles. How about you? Do you know why you dream?

Comprehension questions

I will read each question. Then, please answer them based on the article.

What does the first theory in the article say about dreams?
What is the continuity hypothesis?
According to the article, what does the brain do to information while we sleep?
According to the fourth theory, what disrupts our brain’s cycle?
Why do a few experts say that dreams do not have a specific purpose?

Discussion questions