4 . People love to sing! Whether you sing in the shower or with a chorus, raising your voice in song comes with some very surprising benefits. From improving your mood to making you healthier, there is scientific evidence that singing is good for your body and your mind.     1    

It helps relieve stress.

Singing can help relieve stress by reducing cortisol(皮质醇), a hormone that is known as the “stress hormone”.     2     Too much cortisol is very bad for your health. A study measured the amount of cortisol in the participants before and after singing. The researchers found that cortisol levels were lower after singing.

    3    

People who sing use deep breathing and control the use of the muscles in their breathing systems. While singing cannot treat lung diseases, anything that helps to strengthen the throat muscles could help people breathe easier.

It helps you have a sound sleep.

If your sleep is interrupted by snoring(打鼾), try singing.     4     A 2008 UK study about the effect of singing on snoring compared singers with non-singers. The researchers found that far fewer singers snored, and they recommend singing as a potential treatment for snoring.

It may improve memory.

    5     A study found that besides remembering the lyrics(歌词), singing brought back other memories too. The researchers found that singing songs that were learned in childhood actually caused a return of very specific memories and that gave the participants a feeling of hope and positivity.

A．It may improve lung function.

B．It helps improve mood.

C．It makes no difference whether they sing alone or in a group.

D．So go ahead and sing to your heart’s content.

E．Older people with memory loss can often recall song lyrics.

F．That’s because singing strengthens throat muscles, which in turn reduces snoring.

G．It is naturally produced by your body.

6 . What’s On?

Electric Underground

7.30pm－1.00am   Free at the Cyclops Theatre

Do you know who’s playing in your area? We’re bringing you an evening of live rock and pop music from the best local bands. Are you interested in becoming a musician and getting a recording contract? If so, come early to the talk at 7.30 pm by Jules Skye, a successful record producer. He’s going to talk about how you can find the right person to produce your music.

Gee Whizz

8.30pm-10.30pm   Comedy (喜剧)at Kaleidoscope

Come and see Gee Whizz perform. He’s the funniest stand-up comedian on the comedy scene. This joyful show will please everyone, from the youngest to the oldest. Gee Whizz really knows how to make you laugh! Our bar is open from 7.00pm for drinks and snacks(快餐).

Simon’s Workshop

5.00pm-7.30pm   Wednesdays at Victoria Stage

This is a good chance for anyone who wants to learn how to do comedy. The workshop looks at every kind of comedy, and practices many different ways of making people laugh. Simon is a comedian and actor who has 10 years’ experience of teaching comedy. His workshops are exciting and fun. An evening with Simon will give you the confidence to be funny.

Charlotte Stone

8.00pm-11.00pm     Pizza World

Fine food with beautiful jazz music; this is a great evening out. Charlotte Stone will perform songs from her new best-selling CD, with James Pickering on the piano. The menu is Italian, with excellent meat and fresh fish, pizzas and pasta(面食). Book early to get a table. Our bar is open all day, and serves cocktails, coffee, beer, and white wine.

1. Who can help you if you want to have your music produced?

A．Jules Skye.

B．Gee Whizz.

C．Charlotte Stone.

D．James Pickering.

2. At which place can people of different ages enjoy a good laugh?

A．The Cyclops Theatre

B．Kaleidoscope

C．Victoria Stage

D．Pizza World

3. What do we know about Simon’s Workshop?

A．It requires membership card.	B．It lasts three hours each time.
C．It is run by a comedy club.	D．It is held every Wednesday.

4. When will Charlotte Stone perform her songs?

A．5.00pm-7.30pm.

B．7.30pm－1.00am.

C．8.00pm-11.00pm.

D．8.30pm-10.30pm.

7 . I was 11 years old when I asked my mom for piano lessons in 2010. We were in the economic crisis. She said a polite “no”.

That didn’t stop me. I searched the measurements of a keyboard, drew the keys on a piece of paper and stuck it on my desk. I would click notes on an online keyboard and “play” them back on my paper one—keeping the sound they made on the computer in my head. I spent six months playing without touching a real piano. Once my mom saw that I was serious, she borrowed money and bought me 10 lessons.

I still remember the first one. I was struck by how real the sound of the piano was. I sat my grade one after eight lessons. Once I started secondary school, we couldn’t afford lessons again. I passed grade three, and then grade five, practicing only on my piece of paper.

One evening, when I was about 13, my mom said she had a surprise for me; it was an electronic keyboard, bought with more borrowed money. It was the first time I’d played for her. She was in shock.

My school didn’t offer music A-level. I found the Purcell School for young musicians. But I had to pass a difficult test. Some of the questions involved an evaluation of the composer or when some piece was written. I felt overwhelmed. To my amazement, I was offered a place.

At the Purcell School. I spent two years working as hard as I could, performed to raise money and saved enough to buy my first piano.

When I left the Purcell School, I was awarded the senior piano prize and senior academic music prize. I am now at the Guildhall School in London. I feel proud—it’s been 10 years since I drew my paper piano, and I’m at one of the world’s leading music schools.

The irony is that I continue to do a lot of my practice away from the piano--what we call mental practice. The paper piano helped arouse my curiosity about how music works and the building blocks that form the pieces.

1. Why did the author’s mom buy him lessons at last?

A．She was shocked by his first performance.

B．She had no doubt about his talent for piano.

C．She realized he meant what he said.

D．She suddenly made a fortune.

2. Which of the following can best describe the author?

A．Honest.	B．Determined
C．Humorous	D．Optimistic

3. What did the underlined word “irony” in the last paragraph show?

A．The author felt surprised.	B．The author felt proud.
C．The author felt satisfied	D．The author felt disappointed.

4. What’s the author’s main purpose of writing this article?

A．To introduce the method of mental practice.

B．To share how he convinced his mom to buy a piano.

C．To describe how costly it is to learn an instrument.

D．To encourage people to stick to their dreams.

8 . Music is not just a set of sounds and rhythms. Its influence on brain is much deeper than any other human experience. Keep on reading to know all these amazing power of music.

A recent study suggests that preterm (早产的) babies appear to experience less pain and feed more when listening to music. Experts led by Dr. Manoj Kumar of the University of Alberta,Canada,found that music had a beneficial effect on reducing pain for preterm babies experiencing painful medical tests. It also appeared to benefit full-term babies during operations.

Many people experiencing brain damage have speech and movement-related problems. Music can help recover from brain injuries. As a different and effective treatment, doctors often advise such patients to listen to good music to improve the parts of the brain responsible for these two functions. When people with neurological (神经的) disorders hear a musical beat, it helps them to regain a balanced walk.

Though music cannot make deafness disappear, it really can stave off the loss of hearing. There was an experiment involving 163 people where 74 were musicians. Participants were asked to pass some listening tests. Musicians heard the sounds better than non-musicians, and this difference gets clearer with age. This means that a 70-year-old musician hears better than a 50-year-old non-musician, even in a noisy environment.

Besides, music mends a broken heart. It is not about a thrown-away love,   but about a heart attack. The matter is that music can help people recover from a heart attack or heart operation by reducing blood pressure, slowing down the heartbeat rate, and reducing anxiety. Listening to the quality music produces positive emotions, improves the movement of blood, and expands blood vessels, thus, promoting quick recovery of the whole cardiovascular (心血管的) system.

1. How does music affect preterm babies?

A．It helps develop their potential in music.

B．It helps reduce their pain.

C．It helps improve their hearing systems.

D．It helps repair their neurological systems.

2. What does the underlined phrase “stave off” in Paragraph 4 mean?

A．Cause.	B．Increase.
C．Prevent.	D．Expand.

3. Why can music mend a broken heart?

A．It has a positive effect on human body systems’ work.

B．It can encourage people to do sports.

C．It helps make a person outgoing.

D．It helps patients recover more quickly than medicine does.

4. What may be the best title for the text?

A．People Who Can Benefit From music.

B．The Best Time to Listen to Music.

C．The Way to choose Quality Music.

D．How Music Affects Our Mind and Body.

9 . Amazing Benefits of Listening to Music during Meditation (冥想)

There are many benefits of listening to music during meditation. If you haven’t tried it yet, you should! It is not only relaxing but also beneficial for your mental health.     1    

Reduce Stress

One of its benefits is a reduction in the levels of stress and anxiety.     2     If your workload is very demanding, it is very natural for you to feel stressed-out often. When you listen to pleasant and soft music during meditation, you will feel calmer and remove stress from your life.

Balance Your Emotions

    3     Listening to music while meditating can help you balance your emotions. People who meditate while regularly listening to music can balance their lives. They are better in dealing with emotions. In fact, they can improve their relationships and heal wounds quicker than those who don’t take this beautiful practice.

Inspire You

When you listen to music while meditating, you feel inspired. This brings about a good feeling, and you can relax and enjoy yourself. You will also feel great about yourself. This is a great inspiration to someone who has lost hope in life.     4    

Wonderful, wasn’t it? The journey through music and meditation is something we should all try. Your body, mind, and soul will connect with each other.     5     Right from the moment you start meditating with the help of music, you will notice changes.

A．Your health will be harmed.

B．Here are some of the benefits.

C．Not only that, your quality of life will improve too.

D．Meditation can help you live a life free of anxiety.

E．Stress is one of the most common issues in today’s world.

F．Maintaining an emotional balance is very important.

G．You can recommend it to someone who is struggling with hopelessness.