OG9 阅读 Q13

Choice D is the best answer. In the third paragraph, the author outlines Wegner's theory of a "transactive memory source." According to Wegner, transactive memory is a "network of memory," where an individual can access information that he or she can't personally recall from a particular source. The author illustrates this idea in the second sentence of this paragraph, with the example of "a husband [who] relies on his wife to remember a relative's birthday." Thus, the reference to remembering a relative's birthday mainly serves to illustrate the concept of a transactive memory source using a familiar situation.
Choice A is incorrect. Although the situation of a husband relying on his wife's memory does suggest that closely related people tend to have shared memories, this isn't the main purpose of this reference in the context of the passage. Choice B is incorrect because the example doesn't demonstrate how people initially developed external sources of memory. Choice C is incorrect because the function of the example isn't to emphasize the effectiveness and accuracy of transactive memory sources. Instead, its function is to make the abstract concept of transactive memory more easily understandable.