What are two things that make humans different from animals? One is language and the other is music. It’s true that some animals can sing. However, the songs of animals like birds are very limited. It’s also true that humans, not animals, have developed musical instruments.
Music is a strange thing. It’s clearly distinct from language. However, people can use music to communicate things — especially their emotions. When music is combined (组合) with speech in a song, it’s a very powerful form of communication.
If music is truly different from speech, then we should process music and language in different parts of the brain. The scientific evidence suggests that this is true. For example, Vissarion Shebalin, a Russian composer, had a stroke (中风) in 1953. It injured the left side of his brain. He could no longer speak or understand speech. He could, however, still compose music until his death ten years later. On the other hand, sometimes strokes cause people to lose their musical ability, but they can still speak and understand speech.
By studying the physical effects of music on the body, scientists have also learnt a lot about how music influences the emotions. But why does music have such a strong effect on us? That is a harder question to answer.
Geoffrey Miller, a researcher at University College, London, thinks that music and love have a strong connection. Music requires special talent, practice and physical ability. That’s why it may be a way of showing your fitness to be someone’s mate. For example, playing a musical instrument requires fine muscular control. You also need a good memory to remember the notes. And playing those notes correctly suggests that your hearing is in excellent condition. Finally, when a man sings to the woman he loves, it may be a way of showing off.
However, Miller’s theory still doesn’t explain why certain combinations of sounds influence our emotions so deeply. For scientists, this is clearly an area that needs further research.
1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?| A．Music is a common language. | B．Humans are advanced animals. |
| C．Music is closely related to humans. | D．Animals can use music to communicate. |
| A．Different. | B．Direct. | C．Free. | D．Far. |
| A．Music is another form of language. |
| B．Music can inspire people’s creativity. |
| C．Gifted people have more opportunities to succeed. |
| D．’The brain processes music and language separately. |
| A．It was advanced at that time. | B．It made a valuable contribution. |
| C．It sill needs to be improved. | D．It will be confirmed by younger scientists. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】If you feel like you’ve been listening to the same three songs on a loop（循环地）, maybe it’s time to discover some new songs. With these apps (almost all of which are free, by the way) and some patience, you might just find your new favorite songs:
Indie shuffle
Allows you to browse through lesser-known artists’ music based on genre（类型）, release date and various other categories（类别）. You can save songs or artists you like and find bands with similar sounds.
Rormix
Rormix searches your music library to find out what genres and artists you already listen to. Based on its findings, the app suggests music videos you might like just as much. It’s an easy way to find new artists without getting too far away from the genres you know and love.
Band of the day
Provides you with new lesser-known artists and groups to listen to every single day! Download the app, turn on notifications, and you’ll get a daily recommendation.
Bandsintown
If you live for live music, Bandsintown will automatically download your library and suggest concerts you might like based on that list. If a new concert is announced in your area, you will get an automatic e-mail with the details. Basically, you will never miss another show. Here is the best part: You can buy tickets through the app.
Soundcloud
It is the place to find up-and-coming musicians and remixed singles. Anyone can share and ad music, leading to endless possibilities. The app is a streaming（流媒体）service, online community, and creative outlet. For fans, it makes it possible to keep up with your favorite artists’ latest releases.
1. What do Indie shuffle and Band of the day have in common?| A．They can both provide lesser-known artists. |
| B．They can both offer live music show. |
| C．Downloading music is free. |
| D．They are the most popular. |
| A．Indie shuffle. | B．Rormix. |
| C．Band of the day. | D．Bandsintown. |
| A．It provides you with new lesser-known artists and groups. |
| B．You can save songs or artists you like. |
| C．It is an online community. |
| D．It is the favorite of those who love live music. |
| A．Science fiction. | B．A biography. |
| C．An advertisement. | D．A travel guide |
【推荐2】Tracey’s husband told her, “If you build it, they will come.” So Tracey built a dance studio four years ago, and he was right.
Tracey built Revere Dance Studio in an old large church in Cincinnati, Ohio. It may seem like an odd place to run a dance studio, but this church was disability accessible and that’s just what Tracey was looking for. Tracey needed a new home for her wheelchair dance students after the studio that was hosting the classes closed.
Now Tracey has been teaching free dance classes to students in wheelchairs for over four years. This season, her class is made up of six boys and girls ranging in age from 6 to 11 who attend dance rehearsals (排练) twice a month. Tracey says these classes are about more than the dancing. “For any child to get out on stage is an accomplishment,” Tracey said. Tracey has always considered the students in her “Wonders on Wheels” class to be talented, but this week she got to share their talents with the world. On Sunday, the WOW class debuted (初次登台) a dance routine they’ve been working on since October.
Last October, one week before the dance class reunited for a new season, one of the WOW children, Katie, passed away unexpectedly. Her teammates were heartbroken. They decided to honor their friend by giving this season’s dance to her. Everyone knew how much Katie loved Celine Dion, so the group chose the song My Heart Will Go On for the dance routine.
The six WOW dancers, dressed in white, were surrounded by fourteen dancers dressed in black. These “shadows” are high school girls who volunteer to dance alongside the children in wheelchairs, helping them move across the dance floor. As the song came to an end, a huge round of applause erupted from the audience.
1. Why did Tracey build the dance studio in the church?| A．It is free of charge. | B．It is near her home. |
| C．It’s easy for the disabled to use. | D．It is big enough to hold dancers. |
| A．Brave and determined. | B．Talented and strict. |
| C．Devoted and hopeful. | D．Generous and kind. |
| A．Tracey and her Dancing Career |
| B．A Wonderful Dance Performance |
| C．Children in Wheelchairs Struggle in the Dance Studio |
| D．Children in Wheelchairs Realize Dancing Dreams |
【推荐3】The word “music” is easier to use in practice than to explain. Music is a reminder (提醒物) of how things once were, a symbol of how things are and a view of where society is headed. Music can bring us back to memories we wish to never forget, or bring us hope when we feel that all is lost. According to Nietzsche, “Nothing is worth living for without music.” And Albert Einstein once said, “Without the music education in my childhood, I would succeed in nothing.”
Most of us enjoy different kinds of music just to entertain (娱乐). Are there other reasons for us to listen to music? Some types of music can make us feel relaxed. After a long workday, classical music or certain types of jazz can physically relax our bodies and take our attention away from the cares of the day—at least for a while. On the other hand, loud, fast music with a strong beat can excite us. In fact, sometimes we may prefer one kind of music, but at other times, that’s the last thing we want to listen to.
Music also affects our feelings. Movie music can most clearly show this. If you close your eyes in an action movie or a disaster movie, you can pretty much tell what’s happening on the screen by the music alone. The same is true for a love story. Film composers (作曲家) such as John Williams get paid big money for their ability to change your feelings from moment to moment. So what’s going on between you and music? Clearly, music and feelings are closely connected in some non-physical way.
1. Why are Nietzsche and Albert Einstein mentioned in Paragraph 1?| A．To show music helps people succeed. | B．To show the development of music. |
| C．To show the importance of music. | D．To show music is everywhere. |
| A．Classical music is more popular than jazz. |
| B．Entertainment is the whole story of music. |
| C．An artist’s character decides his music style. |
| D．People need different music at different times. |
| A．They can introduce different music to people. |
| B．They can produce an effect on people’s feelings. |
| C．They can connect with people non-physically. |
| D．They can help people become confident. |
| A．The Power of Music | B．Different Kinds of music |
| C．The True Meaning of Music | D．The Entertainment Value of music |
【推荐1】Red squirrels are said to be smarter than other squirrels. They claim to fame — and perhaps a sign of their intelligence — involves maple trees. Red squirrels are known for harvesting sap in the late winter and turning it into a kind of maple syrup. Their maple sugaring technique is quite simple. In a study in the 1990s, scientists observed red squirrels making chisel-like grooves in the bark of a maple tree. After making the grooves in the tree, the squirrels left the tress! They returned to the tree about 24 hours later and licked up the sap that remained on the tree. By this time the water in the sap had evaporated leaving behind a high concentration of maple sugar.
Folklore even credits red squirrels with the origin of maple syrup. There is an Iroquois folktale that explains that Native Americans initially observed a red squirrel cutting into the tree bark with its teeth and later returning to lick the sap. An Iroquois youth observed this behavior and decided to use his knife to cut into the bark of a tree… thus discovering the maple tree’s sweet secret. A different legend relates the experience of an Algonquin chief. He struck a maple tree with his axe one day. His wife saw the tree wound dripping. She collected the sap in a wooden bucket and used it to boil the meat for supper. Both the chief and his wife were amazed at the sweetness of the meat that night.
Native Canadians and Native Americans showed the first settlers how to tap trees, harvest syrup and boil it. Maple syrup and sugar soon became an integral part of American colonial life. In 1685, a quote from the British Royal Society newspaper read: “The savages of Canada, in the time that the sap rises, in the maple, make an incision in the tree, by which it runs out, and after they have evaporated eight pounds of liquor, there remains one pound that is sweet.” Soon maple sugar was the early colonists’ only sweetener, and this ended their dependence on foreign sugar.
Maple sugar is an excellent source of energy and flavoring, and even more important, it doesn’t spoil so that it is a source of food that lasts all year, until the next sugaring season. Today Canada makes more than 80% of the world’s maple products.
1. What can we learn about red squirrels’ maple sugaring technique?| A．Red squirrels boiled the sap to harvest maple sugar. |
| B．Red squirrels remained on the tree to collect the sap. |
| C．Red squirrels made grooves to ensure water evaporation. |
| D．Red squirrels spent at least one day obtaining maple sugar. |
| A．By using statistics. | B．By giving examples. |
| C．By making comparisons. | D．By explaining the cause and effect. |
| A．Cut | B．Check | C．Mark | D．Hole |
| A．It became the only source of food for early colonists. |
| B．It led to a change in the early colonist’ eating habit. |
| C．It put an end to relying on sugar from foreign countries. |
| D．It gave rise to more sweeteners to satisfy colonists’ needs. |
【推荐2】Sleep problems in early childhood may be linked to the development of certain mental health disorders in adolescence, according to a new research.
A study of 7,155 children in the United Kingdom found that waking up frequently during the night and irregular sleep routines as babies and toddlers was linked to psychotic experiences in children aged 12 and 13. Also, children who slept for shorter periods at night were more likely to be associated with borderline personality disorder at ages 11 and 12.
The research, published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, was the first time possible links between early childhood sleep problems and adolescent psychotic experiences and borderline personality disorder (BPD) symptoms have been examined.
“We know from previous research that persistent nightmares in children have been associated with both psychosis and borderline personality disorder,” said lead author Isabel at the Institute of Mental Health at the University of Birmingham.
“But nightmares don’t tell the whole story. We’ve found that, in fact, a number of behavioral sleep problems in childhood can point towards these problems in adolescence,” she said.
Adolescence, typically defined as the ages between 10 and 19, is a key period in human development because of brain and hormonal changes, and it is now thought to be when many mental health problems start.
Prior research in Australia found that babies with persistent severe sleep problems in their first year were at greater risk for anxiety and emotional issues in later childhood. Sleep problems in children and adolescents have been shown to predict the development of various emotional and behavioral problems, including depression, anxiety, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, risk-taking and aggression. However, findings have been inconsistent, especially when based on objective measurements of sleep, rather than parental reports.
Sleep and mental health are closely connected in adults, with sleep problems increasing the risk for developing particular mental illnesses as well as resulting in mental health issues.
1. What can we know from paragraph 3?| A．Childhood sleep problems probably cause youth mental health problems. |
| B．Severe sleep problems in childhood lead to emotional issues. |
| C．Persistent nightmares in children are closely related to psychosis. |
| D．The research has not been known to the public. |
| A．Adolescence. | B．Key period. | C．Human development | D．Hormonal change. |
| A．grow slowly | B．develop attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder |
| C．do badly in lessons | D．suffer from anxiety |
| A．A Study About Childhood Sleep Problems Is Under Progress |
| B．Pay Attention to Children Who Lack Sleep |
| C．Childhood Sleep Issues Linked to Adolescent Mental Health Problems |
| D．How to Help Children Develop a Good Sleep Habit |
【推荐3】Earth’s second-longest man-made structure, though, is not a wall, but a fence. It spreads about 5,614 km across eastern Australia and is intended to stop the country’s dingoes (野犬) from hunting sheep, which are farmed mainly to the south.
Australia’s dingo fence does not stand alone. There are millions of kilometres of fences in the world. Some are aimed to limit the movement of animals, some the movement of people, and some only to mark the boundary (界限).
Recently things have been changed by a report from Professor Alex Mclnturff. One discovery he has made is that more than half of the fence research studies focus on just five countries-America, Australia, Botswana, China and South Africa. A second is that only a third of those examined the impact of fences on target species involved, meaning the animals purposely intended to be kept in or out.
In fact, Australian fences intended to keep out dingoes are also barriers (障碍) to long-necked turtles, which travel great distances over land when moving between nesting sites. In Botswana fences built to prevent cattle from wildlife-borne disease influence the migration routes of wildebeest.
Fences are not so bad for every creature. Hawks in Montana gladly sit on newly built fences to hunt small animals, while fence-based spiders in South Africa achieve better results than their tree-based cousins when it comes to catching insects.
Often, though, the winners are creatures that cause trouble for ecological environment. Keeping dingoes out of large parts of Australia has allowed red foxes to increase greatly. Native rodents (啮齿类动物) have suffered as a result. Some have been brought to the edge of extinction.
1. Which is the purpose of building fences in Australia?| A．To lengthen the boundary. | B．To help people move around freely. |
| C．To protect farm animals. | D．To stop wild animals from being hunted. |
| A．Fence research studies. | B．The five countries. |
| C．Target species. | D．The impact of fences. |
| A．Long-necked turtles in Australia. | B．Cattle in Botswana. |
| C．Tree-based spiders in South Africa. | D．Red foxes in Australia. |
| A．The Report by Alex Mclnturff |
| B．Fences-Barriers to Wildlife |
| C．Earth’s Longest Man-made Structure |
| D．Rodents-in Danger of Extinction |
【推荐1】Attending a concert is an activity appealing to many. However, as a first-timer, you probably feel anxious about entering a heavily crowded space with overexcited music enthusiasts. The following tips may help you enjoy the experience.
Buy tickets in advance.
Wear comfortable clothes.
Attending a concert will be an exhausting experience.
Waiting outside the venue for eight hours is not what you should do, but you should be reasonable and get to the venue ahead of time. Getting there early will have its own advantages.
Have your phone fully charged.
You’ll want your phone fully charged for taking photos and videos, contacting any friends you’ll be attending with, booking a ride home, and other necessary tasks on the day of the concert.
| A．Head to the venue early |
| B．Research the venue ahead of time |
| C．You can find a good spot for yourself |
| D．If the concert is of music by a popular artist |
| E．Since there probably won’t be any plugs at the venue |
| F．Because you book your ticket from a reliable company |
| G．You may have to stand the whole night and wait in long queues |
【推荐2】Are you aware of how you are breathing? A study by the Federal University Sergipe in Brazil showed a higher occurrence of learning disabilities among mouth breathers, concluding that mouth breathers are more likely to have learning difficulties than nasal (鼻的) breathers.
While smell is a very important sense, the nose has other important responsibilities. When someone breathes through the mouth, they are ignoring several important functions of the nose. To name a few, the nose warms and wets the air you breathe to make it more suitable for your lungs. Nasal breathing also increases levels of nitric oxide (一氧化氮), a key molecule (分子) used throughout the body. Another very important function of the nose is that it controls airflow and helps prevent over-breathing. So how can you over breathe? Breathing in and out more air than necessary results in a state of reduced carbon dioxide (二氧化碳) in the blood. Brain function will be damaged when you breathe too much. The loss of carbon dioxide from improper breathing isn’t serious enough to be easily noticeable. But over time the habit can take its toll on the brain and body.
Patrick McKeown, author of the Oxygen Advantage explains that if we breathe a relatively small amount of air by breathing slowly through the nose, we increase the amount of carbon dioxide inside us and can deliver more oxygen to our muscles and organs, including the heart and the brain. Scott Jurek, one of the famous marathon runners in the world, says that for runners，one of the most important things to learn is to practice nasal breathing. Anthropologist (古人类学家) Wade Davis has studied and lived with fifteen different groups of native people. Davis was most impressed by the fact that these hunters never opened their mouths to breathe during the hunt.
In the animal world, mouth breathing is rarely seen unless it is falling ill. In humans, chronic (长期的) mouth breathing can lead to cavities (龋洞), gum disease, lowered immune function, digestive disturbances, poor sleep quality, and can result in crooked teeth and even poorly developed facial structure.
1. What does the underlined phrase probably mean?| A．benefit | B．have a great influence on |
| C．damage | D．do good to |
| A．Why the nose is critical to our body | B．How breathing patterns affect the body |
| C．How the brain takes in oxygen | D．What over-breathing is |
| A．To illustrate breathing patterns |
| B．To raise the awareness of the importance of running |
| C．To stress the significance of nasal breathing |
| D．To remind readers to breathe more |
| A．warm and wet the air you breathe | B．increase levels of nitric oxide |
| C．prevent over-breathing | D．lead to lowered immune function |
【推荐3】The world’s most breathtaking clifftop hotels
Angama Mara, Kenya
Perched 1, 000 feet above the Maasai Mara, Angama Mara is on the edge of the Great Rift Valley. The site served as a location for the 1985 film “Out of Africa. “ Guests can expect top-quality game viewing, including Africa’s Big Five, every month of the year, both on game drives and on walking safaris. Amenities include a photography studio, fitness center, an art gallery, a 40-foot-long swimming pool and a studio.
Angama Mara: Suswa Mara Triangle, Kenya; +254 730 630630
Monastero Santa Rosa Hotel & Spa, Amalfi Coast, Italy
Formerly a monastery dating back to the 17th century, the family-run Monastero Santa Rosa clings to the side of a cliff overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea and Gulf of Salerno. With 20 rooms, it has an infinity pool, five tiers of landscaped gardens and a Michelin-starred restaurant. The spa is the best on the Amalfi Coast and features treatments using local herbs and plants.
Monastero Santa Rosa Hote1& Spa: Via Roma, 2, 84010 Conca dei Marini SA, Italy; +39 089 832 1199
Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar Resort, AI Jabal Al Akhdar, Nizwa, Oman
Towering 6, 000 feet above sea level on the curving rim of a canyon, Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar overlooks Oman’s mountainous landscape. It’s an area that Prince Charles and the late Diana, Princess of Wales, visited in 1986. The resort has 115 rooms, a cliff-edge infinity pool, six restaurants and lounges and a spa. Guests can hike through valleys, mountain bike or visit ancient mountainside villages and nearby historic sites.
Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar Resort: No 110, Al Jabal Al Akhdar, Nizwa 621, Oman; +968 25 218000
1. Where will you go if you are interested in walking safaris?| A．Suswa Mara Triangle, Kenya. |
| B．Tyrrhenian Sea and Gulf of Salerno. |
| C．No 110, Al Jabal Al Akhdar, Nizwa 621, Oman. |
| D．Via Roma, 2, 84010 Conca dei Marini SA, Italy. |
| A．Each of the three hotels has a large pool. |
| B．Each of the three hotels has an art gallery. |
| C．All of the three hotels are visited by Prince and Princess. |
| D．All of the three hotels are famous for the spa using herbs. |
| A．A fiction. |
| B．A textbook. |
| C．A history book. |
| D．A tourist guidebook. |
