1 . Many people love to listen to music while driving. Thanks to the world’s musical roads, drivers now don’t need to turn the radio on.     1    

A musical road can create music when a car tires go over grooves (凹槽) on the road. To produce beautiful music, drivers must pass over the grooves at a certain speed. Signs often tell drivers the right speed.

    2    . Since the mid-1990, musical rads have appeared in many different countries.     3    . To warn drivers to the incoming music, all the roads are marked by colored musical notes that are painted on these roads. Drivers can decide whether to go over the grooves or not because they are set on the side of the road.

In Hungary, there is a musical road in honor of one of the country’s most popular musical performers — Laszlo Bodi. Bodi was the lead singer for the band Republic.     4    . Sadly, Bodi passed away in 2013. But people still remember him as there’s a road where drivers can hear 30 seconds of the Republic song “Road 67”.

    5    . In Indonesia, a road plays the first six notes of “Happy Birthday”. The fifth note is a little out of tune, though. This “mistake” keeps drivers awake and aware, and it has reduced the number of traffic accidents. Such is the power of music and musical roads.

2 . Music transcends time and culture, touching the depths of our emotions and stirring our souls. Its ability to convey meaning and evoke powerful sensations makes it a universal language of the heart. In this article, we explore the transformative power of music and its impact on individuals and society.

The first notes of a melody can transport us to different fields, stimulating memories of joy or sorrow. Whether it’s a melancholic symphony (交响乐) or an upbeat pop song, music has the remarkable ability to connect with our emotions. It has the power to heal, uplift, and even bring solace in times of depression.

Music is also a channel for self-expression. Through songwriting and performances, artists have the opportunity to share their deepest thoughts and emotions with the world. In turn, listeners relate to the lyrics and melodies, finding solace in knowing they are not alone in their experiences.

Furthermore, music has the power to shape social narratives and bring about social change. Throughout history, anthems (赞美诗) and protest songs have united groups and sparked movements. The lyrics and melodies become rallying cries, inspiring individuals to stand up for justice and equality.

In addition to its emotional and societal impact, music has been proven to have cognitive benefits. Studies have shown that learning and playing musical instruments enhance cognitive skills, including memory and attention. Music education in schools has been linked to improved academic performance and overall brain development.

In conclusion, music is a powerful force that transcends boundaries. It has the capacity to evoke emotions, amplify voices, and cultivate our minds. Whether as a listener or performer, music has the ability to transform our existence and make a lasting impact on individuals and society.

3 . Music can relax the mind, energize the body, and even help people better manage pain.     1     Music therapy (疗法) is an intervention sometimes used to promote emotional health, help patients cope with stress, and boost psychological well-being.

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Research suggests that background music improves mental performance. Playing more positive music leads to improvements in processing speed. So next time you are working on a task, turn on a little music in the background for a boost in your mental performance.

Music can help you eat less.

Music can be a helpful weight-loss tool. To lose weight, listen to soft music and dim the lights. According to one study, people eating at low-lit restaurants where soft music was played consumed less food.     3     where participants may consume their food more slowly and feel full sooner.

Music can help you sleep better

    4     While there are many approaches to treating this problem, research has demonstrated that listening to relaxing classical music can be a safe, effective, and affordable therapy.

Music can help you manage pain

Research has shown that music can be very helpful in the management of pain. One study of fibromyalgia (纤维性肌痛) patients found that those who listened to music for one hour a day experienced a significant reduction in pain.     5    

4 . The day I first came across a harp (竖琴) is a memory stored by all my senses. In contrast to the vivid color in which I recall this first encounter, I still remember my parents faces turning pale when I announced “I’m going to play the harp!” My parents’ faces reflected then financial fears. But they still rented me a little harp and hired a man to teach me.

I felt complete every time I played the harp. Then something happened: sheet music. Suddenly I had to learn this foreign language in order to continue to play. What was once an effortless pleasure turned into a constant struggle. My dyslexic (诵读困难的) brain fed on the beauty of the music but fought with the way it was taught. I soon found myself stuck in a love-hate relationship.

For my 16th birthday, my parents used their savings to buy me a harp, in the hope that it might settle my relationship with it. But in the weeks that followed the harp exploded.

The remains of the harp sat at the bottom of our stairs for several weeks. Eventually, my father and I built a fire to burn it. It felt strange to burn something that once represented so much, and we both sat there staring in silence. My father said “I know you find it hard to read music. But have you ever thought about just playing?” What he said changed everything for me, “Yeah, but I don’t have a harp anymore.”

Two weeks later, an old and small harp turned up. I threw away all my music books and started playing by ear and from the heart. All the passion came back. Music is so much more than dots (小圆点) on a page. If you feel it and are excited by it, stick to it. Had I let traditional music teaching techniques put me off playing the harp, I would have lost a part of myself.

5 . Can people who understand the emotions of others better interpret emotions conveyed through music? A new study by an international team of researchers suggests the abilities are linked.

The study’s results provide a foundation for future research that could test the impact of socially engaged music listening on social cognitive ability, and whether listening to music can be added to therapeutic (治疗的) techniques used in social skills training for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (孤独症谱系障碍).

The findings were published recently in a scientific journal of the American Psychological Association. The study was led by Benjamin A. Tabak, assistant professor of psychology. “Empathy (共情) is most often thought of in the context of social interactions, but there are many other forms of social communication, including music,” Tabak said. “Music can convey meaning and emotion and also bring emotional responses, but what is responsible for its emotional power is poorly understood.”

Tabak and his colleagues wanted to test their theory about empathy and music. For the purposes of this study, they measured the ability to correctly understand others’ thoughts and feelings — empathic accuracy — and the extent to which one feels the emotions that another feels.

“We thought it would be interesting to study whether people who more accurately under-stand others’ thoughts and feelings might also be more accurate in understanding what musicians are intending to convey through music,” Tabak said. “Similarly, we wanted to know whether people who tend to feel the emotions that others are experiencing also tend to feel the emotions conveyed through music.”

The initial set of findings found support for both hypotheses. In particular, the results suggest that empathic accuracy as a skill extends beyond interpersonal interactions into music. Tabak believes that the study provides tentative support for the theory that music is first and foremost a social behavior that gradually develops to help individuals connect with others and better understand and manage their social environment.