Youtube Exercise » English Grammar Homework

Why Do We Dream?

Vsauce

11.3M views 15 years ago

Warm-up Questions

Why do you think people dream?
Do you usually remember your dreams in the morning? Why or why not?
What kinds of dreams do you think are most common: happy, strange, or frightening ones?

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Start With: Word Definition

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Why Do We Dream?

How scientists began studying dreams (00:00 – 01:46)

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1. Why did the scientific study of dreaming not really exist for most of history?

Because dreams only happen in childhood
Because scientists thought dreams were dangerous
Because people did not sleep enough
Because dreams are difficult to observe and measure

2. How much of our dreams is it estimated that we forget?

About 50%
About 75%
About 25%
About 95%

3. What did researchers find when they woke people during a certain stage of sleep?

They were unable to speak
They almost always reported dreaming
They were usually hungry
They immediately fell asleep again

Why Do We Dream?

REM sleep, lucid dreaming, and memory (01:46 – 04:23)

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1. What is lucid dreaming?

Waking up in the middle of the night
Knowing that you are dreaming while still inside the dream
Forgetting a dream immediately after waking
Dreaming without any images

2. What happened to mice when researchers did not allow them to reach REM sleep?

They stopped dreaming forever
They slept longer the next day
They had trouble remembering things
They became less active while awake

3. According to the speaker, what does the brain do during sleep after learning a difficult new task?

It creates a new personality
It replays the electronic impulses
It completely ignores the task
It erases unrelated memories only

Why Do We Dream?

Theories about why we dream (04:23 – 06:32)

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1. According to one theory, why are dreams often fantastic and seemingly random?

Because dreams predict the future
Because the cortex tries to create a story from unconscious brain activity
Because people choose random memories before sleeping
Because they are messages from outer space

2. According to the threat-preparation theory, what is the main purpose of dreams?

To prepare us for threats
To teach language
To stop all emotions
To help us sleep more deeply

3. What does the speaker say about scientific theories of dreams in the end?

Scientists fully agree on one explanation
There is no real consensus yet
Dreams have been completely explained
Dream theories are no longer being studied

Why Do We Dream?

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1. Which sleep stage is most strongly connected with dreaming in the video?

Deep non-REM sleep
REM sleep
Waking rest
The first minute of sleep only

2. What important function of REM sleep is strongly emphasized in the video?

Improving eyesight
Supporting memory
Lowering body temperature
Digesting food

3. What is the speaker's overall message about dreams?

They are simple and unimportant
They only happen during illness
They remain mysterious despite scientific study
Their purpose is fully known

Discussion Questions

Discuss the ideas from this video

Why Do We Dream?

Do you think dreams are mainly a side effect of brain activity, or do they have a real purpose? Why?
Would you like to learn how to have a lucid dream? Why or why not?
Why do you think so many dreams include fear, anxiety, or other negative emotions?
Do you think understanding dreams better could help people in everyday life? How?