1 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Music is one of the most     1     (power) things in my life. Listening to music can help to motivate me in trying time. When younger, I     2     (have) no great love for music as I do now. I mainly listened to what my parents were listening to. Whether I was in the car, the house,     3     anywhere else there was sure to be some Beatles, or Buddy Holly constantly playing in the background. Now as I’m     4    (old), I enjoy it for the reason that it allows me to remember my childhood.

I believe music has the power     5     (express) all sorts of emotion. The song “A little bit longer” by Nick Jonas is     6     an emotional and inspiring song that when I hear it, I always come close to     7     (drop) down tears, especially when I watch it being played live. The effect     8     music can have on our emotions is great, as it can bring people to floods of tears or bursts of     9     (laugh).

I believe music affects people in many ways. To me, music is     10     (extreme) important in my life. I think it brings me closer to my friends and family.

2 . Listening to music is considered a good thing for adults. Indeed it is. Scientific studies have proved it. Music has so many good effects on our body, mind and mood that this world will certainly not be a good place without music. Then, is music good for children? Some parents think so and let their children learn or listen to music. But some parents don't know the importance of music to children. Here are some reasons why music is important to children.

First, music is good for children’s intelligence. Studies have proved that children who learn music are likely to have higher intelligence than those who have no interest in or dislike music. This is because the brain gets stimulated (刺激) by the rhythm and tone of music.

Music also has soothing (抚慰的) effect on children and helps remove their stress. Today’s children are under a lot of stress from schoolwork. Being under too much stress impairs children’s health. Luckily，listening to music can help them feel better.

Music can improve children’s moods. Some children are sad by nature. They seem to be lost in their own thoughts and don’t take interest in their surroundings. In such cases，a method known as “music therapy” comes to their rescue. It changes their moods and places a new kind of spirit in them.

Music is also a universal language that children ought to learn. Our world has become a global village. People are getting more and more interested in other cultures and countries. Music can help them in understanding foreign cultures.

Now we can say that music is very important not only to adults but also to children. So children should be encouraged to learn music or listen to music.

1. By mentioning scientific studies in Paragraph 1, the author wants to show       .

A．Children should listen to music

B．Why adults should listen to music

C．Listening to music is only good for adults

D．Why scientists are interested in music

2. What does the underlined word “impairs” in Paragraph 3 mean?

A．shows.	B．changes.
C．improves.	D．harms.

3. The last but second paragraph shows that listening to music means       .

A．Understanding foreign cultures better

B．Learning languages better

C．Accepting the fast developing world easily

D．Showing greater interest in other cultures

4. What would be the best title for the passage?

A．Why do Children Love Music?

B．How to Choose Music for Children

C．Why is Music Important to Children?

D．How to Teach Children Music Easily

3 . Music is an art form which deals with the representation of emotion through the medium of sound. It can have a physical effect on us because it is closely linked with emotion, perhaps even more than the abstract nature of words. The number one reason why people listen to music is to adjust their emotional state.     1    

Numerous studies leave us in no doubt that music can affect our mood state and stress level.     2     For example, they have found that background music shuts out distractions. It calms them before a large task and then they can stay focused for longer. Also it can help their creativity and make studying more enjoyable.

    3     Firstly, it depends on what the task it. The more difficult the challenge is, the more likely background music will interrupt the learning process. For less challenging learning tasks, music can greatly assist in providing a positive learning state. Secondly, it depends on the characteristics of the music we'll come to in a moment. And thirdly, extroverts(性格外向者)enjoy and often require more external stimulation(刺激)and are likely to handle background noise better than those who are quiet and shy.

Actually, it's not about the type of music, but the natural musical characteristics which aid or disrupt study. One of these characteristics is the tempo(拍子). The recommended tempo for background music is in the range 70-110 beats per minute, slightly faster than the heartbeat at rest.     4     And very slow music lowers the heartbeat, creating a state that might be too relaxed for study purposes.

In addition, lyrics are the most distracting aspect of background musical listening.    5    More particularly, studies have found that the most distracting background is fast and familiar vocal music, chosen and liked by the listener.

A．Music is part of every culture in the world.

B．In a very real sense, music connects us with our inner selves.

C．They compete with the same brain regions that process language.

D．Music, like language, is a unique human form of communication.

E．Fast music raises the heartbeat , making one unable to focus on study.

F．There are a few factors that determine the effects of music on studying.

G．Moreover, those who like studying with background music have found a lot of benefits.