The cancer death rate in the U.S. fell by the most on record as advances in treatments for lung tumors （肿瘤） like video-assisted surgery helped prolong the lives of patients.
The death rate from cancer has been gradually declining for 26 years, thanks in large part to fewer people smoking cigarettes. But from 2016 to 2017, the most recent period available, it dropped by 2.2%, the most ever in a single year, according to a report released Wednesday by the American Cancer Society. That compares with an average 1.5% yearly decline over the decade. The drop translates to roughly 2.9 million fewer cancer deaths than would have occurred had death rates remained at their peak. For lung cancer specifically, the death rate declined 4.3% annually from 2013 to 2017.
"It is really lung cancer that is driving this," said Rebecca Siegel, scientific director of surveillance research at the American Cancer Society, and lead author on the new study. "We found increases in survival for lung cancer at every stage in diagnosis.”, She attributed the lower deaths to improvements in treatments, including video-assisted surgery that enables more patients with early lung tumors to become eligible for operations; more precise radiation treatment; and better scanning technology that allows doctors to better assess the stage of tumor, so the patient gets the best treatment right away. At later stages of illness, new, targeted drugs that aim at specific disease-causing genes are helping patients whose tumors have those genetic flaws （缺陷）.Overall, lung cancer death rates have dropped by 51% for men since their peak in 1990, and by 26% for women since their peak in 2002.
There's the potential for more progress in future reports. That's because the latest death-rate statistics go only through 2017, and likely don't include the potential impact in lung cancer death from immune-therapy drugs. They became widely used in lung cancer only in the past few years.
The report, based on U.S. government data, isn't all good news. Prostate （前列腺）cancer death rates have leveled off recently after a period of decline. That may be because many doctors pulled back on using the controversial prostate-specific antigen test, or PSA, which can spot the disease but can lead to over-treatment of men who may never have died from their tumors.
"Though it was definitely causing harm, it was also contributing to declines in death," Siegel said. What's needed now is better screening tests to detect only the prostate cancers that will go on to cause harm.
Population death rates are considered one of the most reliable ways of measuring progress in cancer treatment and prevention. By contrast, cancer survival rates can sometimes be influenced by improvements in diagnosing tiny, early stage tumors that wouldn't necessarily be deadly.
1. According to paragraph 2, ______.| A．cancer death rate reached its peak in 2017 |
| B．death rate decreases over the past 2 decades |
| C．2.9 million people die of cancer in America every year |
| D．most of the cancer patients in America suffer from lung cancer |
| A．female death rate of lung cancer drops more than that of male |
| B．targeted drugs have led to rapid increase in cancer death rates |
| C．better scanning technology will lead to improvement in treating genetic flaws |
| D．improper use of prostate-specific antigen test can lead to over-treatment of men |
| A．remain unchanged | B．show up |
| C．take off | D．become sharp |
| A．Medical Progress Prolonging Patients’ Lives |
| B．Cancer Death Rates Dropping at the Fastest Pace |
| C．Significant Improvement in Treating Lung Cancer |
| D．Advanced Technologies Applied in Cancer Treatment |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】We’ve all checked on the bathroom for our scheduled cleaning only to find some mold(霉菌). Sometimes it can also be found in basements since mold loves dark and damp areas.
A 2022 case explained why a British kid Awaab Ishak died when he was just two years old.
For most people, mold might cause coughs and stuffy noses, but nothing worse than that. However, for those with weak immune systems and certain allergies (过敏症), things could be much worse.
These specific types of mold can be found in 47% of homes, and there are some concerns that climate change will further increase it. Weather changes have made floods, damp weather, and warm temperatures much more common.
To get rid of mold, it’s important to find the root cause of the issue and fix that promptly. Next, it’s vital to thoroughly clean anything impacted by the mold.
| A．It’s highly likely that it is mold. |
| B．Most people regard it as simply an annoyance. |
| C．It can be very difficult to prevent mold from growing. |
| D．It pointed to exposure to mold in his family’s apartment. |
| E．And such environments are ideal for mold to grow rapidly. |
| F．Mold has a structure that allows some bacteria to grow on it. |
| G．Some types of mold can produce something even deadly to humans. |
【推荐2】Scientists have developed a blood test to diagnose (诊断) Alzheimer’s disease without the need for expensive brain imaging or a painful lumbar puncture (腰椎穿刺), where a sample of CSF (脑脊椎液) is drawn from the lower back. If effective, the test could enable faster diagnosis of the disease, meaning treatments could be done earlier.
Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia (痴呆), but diagnosis remains challenging — particularly during the earlier stages of the disease.
Current guidelines recommend detection of three distinct symptoms: abnormal accumulations of amyloid and tau proteins proteins, as well as neurodegeneration — the slow and progressive loss of neuronal cells in specified regions of the brain. This can be done through a combination of brain imaging and CSF analysis. However, a lumbar puncture can be painful and people may experience headaches or back pain after the procedure, while brain imaging is expensive and takes a long time to schedule.
Prof. Thomas Karikari at the University of Pittsburgh, in Pennsylvania, US, who was involved in the study, said: “A lot of patients, even in the US, don’t have access to MRI and PET scanners. Accessibility is a major issue.”
The development of a reliable blood test would be an important step forwards. “A blood test is cheaper, safer and easier to administer, and it can improve clinical confidence in diagnosing Alzheimer’s and selecting participants for clinical trial and disease monitoring,” Karikari said.
The next step will be to confirm the test in a broader range of patients, including those from varied racial and ethnic backgrounds, and those suffering from different stages of memory loss or other potential dementia symptoms.
Karikari also hopes that monitoring levels of brain-derived tau in the blood could improve the design of clinical trials for Alzheimer’s treatments.
1. What can we learn about blood test from Paragraph 1?| A．It can cause financial problems. | B．It is helpful to start treatment earlier. |
| C．It is helpful to control the medicine. | D．It can increase lower back’s pain. |
| A．CSF analysis. | B．A lumbar puncture. | C．Blood test. | D．Brain imaging. |
| A．By expanding more clinics. | B．By raising patients’ confidence. |
| C．By testing in diverse groups. | D．By monitoring memory’s stages. |
| A．An Approach to Diagnose Alzheimer’s Disease |
| B．Some Different Symptoms of Detecting the Disease |
| C．The Potential Problems of Alzheimer’s Disease |
| D．A Few Guidelines to Use the Medical Devices |
【推荐3】UK physicist Isaac Newton once said, “ Nature is pleased with simplicity and nature is no dummy （傻子）.” Indeed, Mother Nature can provide almost everything human beings need if we follow her rules. But if we break the rules, she is likely to be cruel.
The outbreak of the novel coronavirus pneumonia （新型冠状病毒肺炎，NCP） in China and some other countries at the beginning of this year is an example. According to Xinhua News Agency ,the new coronavirus is similar to a virus found in a bat in 2017 and probably has an intermediate host （中间宿主）.If it is believed that the virus originated from the Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan, Hubei province, where live wild animals were sold.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Dr Peter Daszak, president of the US-based health organization EcoHealth Alliance, said, “This outbreak is a lesson for us. On a global scale, human population density （密度），wildlife diversity, and land use change are what drive new pandemics （流 行病）.”
In ancient times, people needed to rely on nature to survive so they held it in awe （敬畏）. For example, the American Indians believed that humans are a part of nature and nature is a pail of humans. Chinese ancients always pursued the harmony between nature and human beings.
However, as human beings master more knowledge and make more advanced tools, people try to change and even conquer nature. They use more land to make buildings, genetically modify plants, capture some wild and rare animals to suit their own needs. In this process, humans gradually lose contact with nature and even throw it out of balance. For example, cutting a large number of forests means carbon dioxide must build up in the atmosphere and it contributes to global warming.
Although we don't know for sure what first caused the NCP outbreak, Brian Lamacraft at Medium said it's time for people to'' reflect on our relationship with our plant" reconnect with this world and everything that we've been given". After all, according to US poet Gary Snyder, " Nature is not the place to visit. It's our home."
1. Why does the author give the example of the NCP in Paragraph 2?| A．Because it results from humans going against nature. |
| B．Because it has caused widespread suffering. |
| C．Because it broke out at the beginning of this year. |
| D．Because it is similar to another pandemic. |
| A．Bats are one of the most dangerous wild animals. |
| B．It's impossible to prevent new pandemics globally. |
| C．We should stop the wildlife trade around the world. |
| D．Humans should live peacefully with nature. |
| A．How human beings become their own masters. |
| B．How human activities cause global warming. |
| C．How human beings break the balance of nature. |
| D．How humans use technology to improve their lives. |
| A．To reflect on the NCP outbreak. |
| B．To explain what led to the NCP outbreak. |
| C．To describe experts, predictions on new pandemics. |
| D．To compare ancient and modern attitudes toward nature. |
【推荐1】Music will not earn an income unless it is well marketed. No matter how good you are at songwriting, composing music, playing instruments and everything on the creative side of music, you will never earn money without marketing it to your customers.
Let’s look at the steps in marketing and apply (应用) it to the online business world to make an effective marketing plan for your music.
Find out customer’s need
Before you can discover, you need to make it clear who your customers are, by answering the following questions:
First, what industry do your customers belong to? For example, if you are a music producer, your customers will most likely be recording companies.
Second, what field are you in? Music is broad; you need to specialize. Are you a rock songwriter, a pop producer or a jazz musician?
You then need to judge your customer’s need by examining those things already commonly accepted in the marketplace: the lyrics and melodies that are popular.
In this stage, you should examine your competitors by visiting their websites to learn from them. What is done by your competitors in the marketplace (where your business belongs) is most likely to meet your customer’s need.
Predict customer’s need
What you have to predict are the things that even your competitors may not have realized. These can be discovered by doing a survey or interviewing your customers. For example, you need to ask them directly, “What things are you looking for in a music publisher? When you are searching for music online, what would be the best presentation of music material to make you interested?”
Now that you have known what your customers expect from your music, you need to write your music with the goal of meeting their expectations. This time your marketing efforts will most likely pay off.
1. We can learn from the first paragraph that________.| A．musicians usually have little income |
| B．music won’t be popular if it is too creative |
| C．to earn money musicians have to give up the creative side of music |
| D．it is not enough to only have good music if musicians want to earn money |
| A．interview a music producer | B．join a recording company |
| C．decide the kind of music you will make | D．listen to popular songs in all fields |
| A．Change the customers’ attitudes. | B．Admit your own style. |
| C．Meet the customers’ need. | D．Try to get in touch with the customers. |
| A．Famous musicians. |
| B．Recording companies. |
| C．Managers of big companies selling music instruments |
| D．Music-makers expecting to earn money. |
A Bite of China Season Two(《舌尖上的中国 》第二季) is coming! The program is shown at 9:00 on CCTV-1 every Friday night from April 18 to June 6, 2014. There are altogether eight episodes (集), all about history andculture of food, eating and cooking in China. The directors spent one year visiting more than 150 different parts of China. More than 300 types of food are covered in the documentary.
As an old Chinese saying goes, food is what matters most to people. It plays an important role in our daily life, and the rich food culture is also one of the most important parts of Chinese culture. A Bite of China Season Two wants to show the joys and sadness of ordinary (普通的) Chinese in changing times through food.
A Bite of China Season One was shown on CCTV in 2012. It attracted more than 100 million viewers. It is all about food, while the second season cares more about the relationship between the people and the food. For example, the first episode shows a young man spent four hours climbing a 40-metre-high tree to get something nice for his brother.
The show reminds viewers of their homes and the tastes of childhood. One Weibo user wrote, "A Bite o f China Season Two makes me have so many words to say. It makes me think of my parents and my grandmother. I haven't been home for a long time, so I have decided to go back in a few days." The show uses food as a window to introduce China to the world. Viewers can see how Chinese people love life by loving food. Anyone who wants to know more about Chinese culture and Chinese society (社会) should have a bite of the program.
1. How many types of food are covered in this program?
| A．150. | B．More than 150. |
| C．More than 300. | D．300. |
| A．a cartoon | B．a drama series |
| C．a chat show | D．a documentary |
| A．食物对于人类来说最麻烦。 | B．民以食为天。 |
| C．人类给食物制造了麻烦。 | D．食物很重要。 |
| A．the difference between Season One and Season Two |
| B．the rich types of food of China |
| C．the relationship between the people and the food |
| D．the details of the first episode |
【推荐3】The over 48,000 orange trees in Seville, Spain, not only fill the city’s air with the pleasant smell of orange blossoms in spring, but they also produce over 16,500 tons of fruit every winter. Though that makes the capital of southern Spain’s Andalusia region Europe’s top orange-producing city, the fruit is too sour to be consumed fresh. While some of the produce is used to make orange jam and an alcoholic drink, most of it ends up in Seville’s landfills (填埋场). However, that may change soon thanks to a clever idea to use the oranges to produce clean energy.
The trial programme is being launched by the city’s council and park department in cooperation with Emasesa, Seville’s water supply and sanitation (卫生) division. Juice from 38.6 tons of oranges will be left to ferment (发酵) in a specialised facility. The methane (甲烷) released from the fermented liquid will be captured and used to drive a generator to produce clean power. The officials estimate the test run will produce about 1,500 kWh of energy – enough to run one of Emasesa’s water purification plants. To ensure there is no waste, the orange skins, peels, and flesh will be used as fertiliser.
“It’s not just about saving money. The oranges are a problem for the city, and we’re producing added value from waste,” said Benigno Lopez, head of Emasesa’s environmental department.
If successful, by 2023, the city hopes to recycle all the oranges and add the electricity produced back into its power transmission network. In trial runs, one ton of oranges produced 50 kWh of clean energy – enough to cover the daily electricity needs of five homes. The project team estimates that if all the fruit is recycled, it will produce enough energy to power as many as 73,000 residences.
“This project will help us to reach our targets for reducing emissions, energy self-sufficiency, and the circular economy,” Juan Espadas Cejas, mayor of Seville, said in the press conference announcing the trial scheme.
1. What do we know about oranges in Seville?| A．They are usually picked in spring. |
| B．They are not recommended to be eaten fresh. |
| C．They are mostly used to make jams and juice. |
| D．They make Seville the world’s top orange-producing city. |
| A．Different uses of Seville oranges. |
| B．Ways to produce power from juice. |
| C．An introduction to the trial programme. |
| D．Reasons for launching the trial programme. |
| A．The energy produced will be used to purify water. |
| B．Seville hasn’t carried out the trial programme yet. |
| C．The electricity produced will go to Seville’s power plants. |
| D．14,600 tons of recycled oranges are needed to power 73,000 homes. |
| A．Seville Is Developing New Energy | B．Seville Is Turning Waste into Wealth |
| C．Seville Is Seeking Market for Oranges | D．Seville Is Contributing to Energy Saving |
Question: Could you introduce yourself first?
Answer: My name is Misbah, 27 years old．I was born in a war-torn area．Right now I’m a web designer．
Q: What are your great memories?
A: My parents used to take us to hunt birds, climb trees, and play in the fields．For me it was like a holiday because we were going to have fun all day long．Those are my great memories．
Q: Does your childhood mean a lot to you?
A: Yes．As life was very hard, I used to work to help bring money in for the family．I spent my childhood working, with responsibilities beyond my age．However, it taught me to deal with problems all alone．I learnt to be independent．
Q: What changes would you like to make in your life?
A: If I could change something in my life, I’d change it so that my childhood could have taken place in another area．I would have loved to live with my family in freedom．Who cares whether we have much money, or whether we have a beautiful house? It doesn’t matter as long as I can live with my family and we are safe．
Q: How do your get along with your parents?
A: My parents supported me until I came of age．I want to give back what I’ve got．That’s our way．But I am working in another city．My only contact with my parents now is through the phone, but I hate using it．It filters（过滤） out your emotion and leaves your voice only．My deepest feelings should be passed through sight, hearing and touch．
1. In Misbah’s childhood, ．
| A．he was free from worry |
| B．he liked living in the countryside |
| C．he was fond of getting close to nature |
| D．he often spent holidays with his family |
| A．Peace and freedom | B．A beautiful house． |
| C．A colorful life． | D．Money for his family． |
| A．By chatting on the Internet． | B．By calling them sometimes． |
| C．By paying weekly visits． | D．By writing them letters． |
| A．What was your childhood dream? | B．What is your biggest achievement? |
| C．What is your parents’ view of you? | D．What was your hardest experience in the war? |
【推荐2】Although social media allow us to become more connected to other people than at any time in history, a new study suggests that many Americans feel lonelier than ever before, which is weakening the nation’s mental and physical health.
The study conducted by the health insurer Cigna, found widespread loneliness, with nearly half of Americans reporting they feel alone, or left out at least some of the time. The nation’s 75 million millennials (ages 23 — 37) and Generation Z adults (ages 18 — 22) are lonelier than older generations. Besides, 54% of people surveyed said they feel no one knows them well, and four in ten reported they “lack companionship”, their “relationships aren’t meaningful” and they “are isolated (孤立的) from others”.
Douglas Nemecek, MD, Cigna’s chief medical officer for Behavioral Health, said the findings of the study suggest that the problem has become common, equaling the risks caused by tobacco and the nation’s ever-expanding waistline. “Loneliness has the same influence on health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, while obesity (肥胖) less than 10 cigarettes a day,” he said in releasing the report.
Nemeceks commentstallied withthose of other leading public health specialists, including former Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy, MD, who said loneliness should be targeted in public health campaigns like those designed to fight against smoking and obesity. “During my years caring for patients, the worst disease I saw was not heart disease diabetes; it was loneliness,” Murthy said in a recent cover story in the Harvard Business Review.
The new report, produced in Cigna’s partnership with the polling company Ipsos, is based on an online survey of more than 20,000 US adults using the well-regarded UCLA Loneliness Scale to see how widespread loneliness is in America.
1. What does the study conducted by Cigna find?| A．Older Americans feel much lonelier. |
| B．Social media do people more harm than good. |
| C．People become more connected to each other. |
| D．Social media increase levels of Americans’ loneliness. |
| A．Loneliness is not so harmful as smoking. |
| B．Loneliness is taken seriously by the public. |
| C．Loneliness is more dangerous than obesity. |
| D．Loneliness is targeted in public health campaigns. |
| A．Agreed with. | B．Varied with. | C．Contradicted. | D．Inspired. |
| A．To discuss health problems. | B．To present findings of a recent study. |
| C．To warn people about social media use. | D．To show threats to Americans’ health. |
【推荐3】Camp All-Star
One of a Kind Summer Camps for Kids
Welcome to Camp All-Star, your No. 1 summer sports camp for kids! Located on the famous Kents Hill School campus by the beautiful lake, Camp All-Star hosts kids from around the world. When thinking about your next overnight summer camp, consider the best—Camp All-Star!
Great Sports Summer Camps for Kids
Camp All-Star stands out among the successful camps in the U.S. We have the best sports fields and courts to make your child’s sports camp experience a successful one. Your child can enjoy playing for hours in any of our more than 30 sports and activities each day. Our camper to staff rate is three to one, which makes it possible for children to receive more careful instruction.
We have a wide variety of activities and sports to choose from: fishing, dance, basketball, soccer, baseball, and tennis. Boys and girls, aged 8-16, can customize their own schedules in our 2, 3, 4 or 6 week summer camp session for kids.
The aim of Camp All-Star is to develop athletic skills, encourage abilities in leadership, fair play and team work, and provide a fun, rewarding and memorable summer sports camp experience. Our staff have the experience and qualified training necessary to ensure that your child has a successful, memorable and enjoyable time at our summer camp.
Call Today About Our Overnight Summer Camps for Kids
Don’t let your kids waste another summer playing video games and sitting around. Let them enjoy their time and get some exercise at our exciting and friendly summer sports camp. Information for our upcoming camps can be found on our website. For additional information or questions, contact us today. We hope your kids can join us at Camp All-Star!
1. Camp All-Star stands out among the others because it ______.| A．is surrounded by a beautiful lake |
| B．provides various activities and sports |
| C．offers timely information on its website |
| D．allows children to play outside all day long |
| A．fire kids’ imagination | B．build up kids’ confidence |
| C．develop kids’ leadership skills | D．promote kids’ self-control |
| A．parents | B．coaches |
| C．staff | D．campers |
【推荐1】For 63 percent of Americans, coffee is one of their daily essentials. This number has been this high since 2017, according to the National Coffee Association. The rise of coffee is due to its numerous benefits like preventing DNA damage, but it works best if you do this simple thing first: Eat.
“Drinking coffee on an empty stomach, or early in the morning before you’ve had breakfast, can raise the level of cortisol (皮质醇) in your body. From the moment you open your eyes in the morning, your body starts releasing cortisol. It’s a hormone (激素) that’s responsible for ruling your immune response, metabolism (新陈代谢), and stress response,” says Dr. Nikola Djordjevic, MD.
“If you pump your body with caffeine(咖啡因) when your cortisol is at its peak,” Djordjevic says, “you’ll be forcing your body to bear even more stress.” In a study that evaluated preference for caffeinated drinks among medical students, it’s shown that 25 percent of students drank coffee in the morning on an empty stomach.
These students are at an increased risk of mood changes and possible long-term effects on their health, as explained in the study. “Drinking coffee on an empty stomach can greatly encourage the acid in your stomach, producing a more acidic environment,” says Dr. Jamie Long, a licensed clinical psychologist. Thus, a full stomach is important to control the amount of stomach acid produced.
Since coffee increases your stomach acid, you’re highly likely to experience heartburn and even develop gastric ulcers (胃溃疡), Djordjevic says. Clearly, drinking coffee on an empty stomach affects physical health. But it does harm to mental health, too. The overproduction of acid in the stomach can cause mood swings, nervousness, shaking and other withdrawal symptoms (症状). “And if you’ve already had the sign of experiencing anxiety, you’re even more possible to be attacked by the effects of coffee,” says Long.
Base line: Know your limits so you can fully experience what coffee can offer, because here’s exactly what happens to your body when you drink coffee daily.
1. What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 1 refer to？| A．The coffee. | B．The DNA damage. |
| C．The stomach. | D．The National Coffee Association. |
| A．It can help to reduce our stress. |
| B．It will slow down our metabolism. |
| C．It might contain some kind of hormone. |
| D．It may increase the cortisol in our bodies. |
| A．Cortisol in the body is at a high level in the morning. |
| B．75 percent of the medical students dislike coffee. |
| C．Medical students usually suffer more stress. |
| D．Most people drink coffee in the afternoon. |
| A．be good for our hearts | B．make us feel less hungry |
| C．relieve our nervousness and anxiety | D．harm our physical and mental health |
| A．Why so many Americans are coffee lovers. |
| B．What you can do to keep your stomach healthy. |
| C．Why you shouldn’t drink coffee on an empty stomach. |
| D．How you can control the level of cortisol in your body. |
【推荐2】More than half of the birds in Washington are at risk of extinction because of climate change. That's according to a new national report from the Audubon Society, which gives detailed analysis of climate effects on about 600 species of North American birds.
It's based on more than 140 million observations of birds across the US, Mexico and Canada. Audubon scientists looked at the likely effects of sea-level rise, urbanization, drought, extreme spring heat, increased fires, heavy rain and other factors.
But it doesn't just spell out a doomsday scenario (世界末日).Instead, it offers a range of effects and warming, depending on how much carbon humans add to the atmosphere.
"It is truly an existential threat (威胁), not only to birds but to people,” said Doug Santoni, board chair of Audubon Washington, who looked into the report as soon as it came out.
Santoni says he was struck to see the vulnerability (脆弱)of a common “ backyard bird" , the dark-eyed junco. It's one that many first-time birders become familiar with as they learn how to identify species based on their markings and other traits. Currently in Washington, you can count on juncos to show up at your feeder, year round. Extreme spring heat, increased fires and heavy rain are the kinds of changes that will force birds like these north, or kill them off if they fail to adapt.
Trina Bayard, director of bird conservation at Audubon’s Washington chapter, says, "It's certainly a very serious warning report," but adds that there’s still hope. “If we can stabilize current temperatures and decrease our emissions (排放), we can really reduce the effects to these birds …that's very motivating. ”
1. What can we know about the new report?| A．It analyses the species of birds in detail. |
| B．It's issued by watching 600 bird species. |
| C．It shows the end of North American birds. |
| D．It reports the threat some birds are facing. |
| A．Climate change is a threat only to birds. |
| B．It's too late to take action to save the birds. |
| C．The current situation of the birds is worrying. |
| D．It's common that birds are affected by climate change. |
| A．Lowering present temperatures. |
| B．Reducing our daily emissions. |
| C．Making them adapt to climate change. |
| D．Encouraging people to protect them. |
| A．Climate change threatens many Washington bird species. |
| B．A new report about 600 species of North American birds. |
| C．Different attitudes towards the situation of bird species. |
| D．Climate change makes different kinds of species at risk. |
【推荐3】Can you imagine a world without music? Studies show that public schools across the country are cutting back on music classes to save money. Even worse, some schools have never had music classes to begin with. But without them, students’ academic (学术的) growth and spiritual health could suffer. In fact, music classes are necessary for all students in schools.
Recent studies Brown University have shown that students who received music education classes were better in math and reading skills than those without music classes. Another study by The College Board found that students taking music and art classes got higher points. Students’ academic success seems to depend on their taking part in music education..
Music programs in public schools also help to add to a student’s sense of pride and self-confidence. Teens today have too many learning tasks. Besides, they have family problems, self-confidence problems, relations hip troubles, and choices about smoke and alcohol (酒精). All of these can stop academic success, but music education can help. A study by The Texas Commission on Drug and Alcohol Abuse found that students who took part in school music programs were less likely to turn to smoke. Music programs encourage students to work together to produce an excellent performance.
Music crosses language, class and culture. Music allows students from different countries to connect. For example, at a school talent show, a new Japanese student played a piano duet (二重奏) with an American classmate. Two students from different cultures worked as a team with self-confidence and common purpose through music.
The gift of music is priceless. We need to be sure to have necessary music classes for all students. The world is losing its music, and putting music into schools is the first step to get it back.
1. The two studies seem to show that ________.| A．students with great success attend music lessons |
| B．music classes play an important role in students’ growth |
| C．not all students could have music classes at school |
| D．students who have music classes do better in all subjects |
| A．music makes cross-cultural communication possible |
| B．different cultures have different styles of music |
| C．Japan has a good relationship with America |
| D．Japanese and American students are good at playing the piano |
| A．It allows schools to make more money. |
| B．It can cause a lot of academic problems. |
| C．It will affect the world cultural communication greatly. |
| D．It does good to students’ academic success and spiritual health. |
| A．The Importance of Music Classes in School |
| B．Music—A Bridge to Understanding |
| C．Studies on Music Education |
| D．How to Get Music Back |
