Learning to play a musical instrument can change your brain, with a US review finding musical training can lead to improved speech and foreign language skills.
Although it was suggested in the past that listening to Mozart’s music or other classical music could make you smarter, there has been little evidence to show that music can boost(使增长) brain power.
But a data-driven review by Northwestern University has pulled reaserch together that links musical training to learning that spills over into (波及) skills including language, speech, memory, attention and even vocal emotion.
Researcher Nina Kraus said the data strongly suggested that the nervous connections made during musical training also prepared the brain for other aspects of human communication.
“ The effect of musical training suggests that, like physical exercise and its effect on body fitness, music is a resource that tones the brain for auditory fitness and thus requires society to re-examine the role of music in shaping individual development, ” the researchers said in their study.
Kraus said learning musical sounds could improve the brain’s ability to adapt and change and also enable the nervous system to provide constructing patterns that are important to learning.
The study, published in Nature Review Neuroscience , looked at the explosion of research in recent years focusing on the effect of musical training on the nervous system which could have impacts for education.
The study found that playing an instrument prepares the brain to choose what is related in a complex process that may involve reading or remembering a score, timing issues and coordination with other musicians.What is the text mainly about ?
| A．The effect of physical exercise. | B．The researcher named Kraus. |
| C．The benefit of musical training. | D．Musicians’ improved skills. |
The underlined word “ auditory ” in Paragraph 5 probably means “ __________”.
| A．of the body | B．connected with seeing |
| C．of the mind | D．connected with hearing |
It was believed but not proved that listening to classical music could __________.
| A．add to your intelligence | B．improve your speech |
| C．boost your memory | D．make you think faster |
According to Kraus, musical training contributes to the following EXCEPT __________.
| A．body fitness | B．the way to speak |
| C．langugage learning | D．mental concentration |
Most people feel lonely sometimes, but it usually only lasts between a few minutes and a few hours. This kind of loneliness is not serious. In fact, it is quite normal. For some people, though, loneliness can last for years. Now researchers say there are three different types of loneliness.
The first kind of loneliness is temporary(暂时的). This is the most common type. It usually disappears quickly and does not require any special attention. The second kind, situational loneliness, is a natural result or a particular situation---- for example, a family problem, the death of a loved one, or moving to a new place. Although this kind of loneliness can cause physical problems, such as headaches and sleeplessness, it usually does not last for more than a year.
The third kind of loneliness is the most severe. Unlike the second type, chronic(长期的) loneliness usually last more than two yeas and has no specific cause. People who experience habitual loneliness have problems socializing and becoming close to others. Unfortunately, many chronically lone people think there is little or nothing they can do to improve their condition.
Psychologists (心理学家)agree that one important fact in loneliness is a person’s social contacts（接触）, e.g, friends, family members, co-workers, etc. We depend on various people for different reasons. For instance, our families give us emotional support, our parents and teachers give us guidance, and our friends share similar interests and activities. However, psychologists have found that, though lone people may have many social contacts, they sometimes feel they should have more. They question their own popularity.
Psychologists are trying to find ways to help habitually lonely people for two reasons: they are unhappy and unable to socialize and there is a connection between chronic loneliness and serious illness such as heart disease. While temporary and situational loneliness can be a normal, healthy part of life, chronic loneliness can be a very sad, and sometimes dangerous condition..How would you treat temporary loneliness according to the passage?
| A．Talk to friends | B．Just ignore it |
| C．Go to see a doctor | D．Ask your teachers for guidance |
. The topic of the 4th paragraph is that _______________.
| A．lonely people don’t have many friends |
| B．lonely people don’t have many social problems |
| C．one problem of loneliness is a person’s social contacts |
| D．we depend on various people for different reasons |
Why do psychologists want to help chronically lonely people?
| A．Chronic loneliness can cause family problems |
| B．Chronic loneliness can cause serious illness |
| C．Chronic loneliness cannot be overcome |
| D．A, B, and C are all correct |
.What is the best title of the passage?
| A．Three kinds of Loneliness | B．Loneliness and Diseases |
| C．Loneliness and Social Contacts | D．Chronic Loneliness |
We have been providing performing arts information for over 14 years. Here you can search for plays, musicals, concerts and operas across the UK.
 Bob the Builder—Spud’s Big Mess at Apollo TheatreChildren will be happy to see and sing along with their favorite characters. Bob, with his hard-working team, builds a new eco-centered wind farm in Sunflower Valley. This show is full of fun, and provides an educational message to help children learn about caring about the environment, recycling and, of course, teamwork. [Kids show] Dates: From 1st November, 2009 to 8th May, 2010, at 19:00. Price information:￡20.00 to ￡40.00 |
The Lion King at Sunny Theatre It is taken from an African story. A young lion grows up and learns that taking over the pride requires wisdom. [Musical]Dates: From 24th September, 1999 to now. Tuesday to Saturday at 14:00. Sunday at 15:00. Not on show on Monday. Price information: ￡22.5 to￡65.00 |
| Mother Courage and Her Children at National Theatre Mother Courage sells food and clothing to soldiers and tries to keep her business and children alive at all costs during the war. Her encouraging story is told through humor and song. [Play]  Dates: From 9th September, 2009 to 8th December, 2009Price information: ￡10.00 |
 Duke Bluebeard’s Castleat Coliseum TheatreFull of curiosity, Judith persuades her husband to give her the keys only to discover a glowing jewel house, a garden of flowers, a kingdom, and a lake of tears. But what is behind them? [Opera] Dates: From 6th November, 2009 to 28th November, 2009 Nov 6, 10, 12, 20, 25 at19:30. Nov 14, 28 at 18:30 Price information: ￡22.00 to ￡50.00 |
The main purpose of the text is to inform readers of____.
| A．film posters |
| B．performance information |
| C．the theatre’s advice |
| D．picture exhibitions |
Which performance will be on show for the shortest period of time?
| A．Bob the Builder—Spud’s Big Mess |
| B．The Lion King |
| C．Mother Courage and Her Children |
| D．Duke Bluebeard’s Castle |
What can we learn from the text?
| A．The first three shows are inspiring. |
| B．The shows are intended for children. |
| C．All of them have won many awards. |
| D．The characters in the shows are brave. |
Swimming is one of those activities that can be learned early in life. Little children can learn to swim as soon as they walk. In fact, you need the same skills in walking as in swimming. However, I believe that five is the best age to learn. By five or six, a child knows fear of water, a very important thing to know. It's wise to be afraid, to recognize true danger. Young ones understand that the water can sometimes be very dangerous.
To really benefit from swimming, every swimmer should learn, as soon as possible, these four basic strokes; butterfly, backstroke, Breaststroke, and crawl. I feel that one of these-the breaststroke-is different from the others, since some young swimmers use this stroke naturally, without any training.
In swimming there are certain rules every swimmer should follow:
1). Never swim alone! No matter how good you are in the water, don’t risk drowning by swimming alone. If you swim by yourself, with no life guards or friends with you, you may get into trouble.
2). Don't go beyond your abilities. Most swimmers know enough not to swim too far from the bank or the beach, Showing off by doing dangerous tricks is no good. Swim safely and you will continue to swim and alive.
3). Don't smoke. Swimming depends on a healthy body; good lungs are part of it.
4). Work at any activity that builds muscles. Little children can learn to swim as soon as _____.
| A．they can talk |
| B．they start walking |
| C．they have no fear of the water |
| D．they are five or six years old |
The author believes that fear of water is_____.
| A．stupid | B．sensible | C．dangerous | D．not smart |
The stroke that some young swimmers use first is_____.
| A．butterfly | B．backstroke | C．breaststroke | D．crawl |
According to the passage, you should not swim alone because_____.
| A．the water is too cold |
| B．your parents would not be happy |
| C．something in the water might attack |
| D．you might drown |
In the 1960s, many young Americans were dissatisfied with American society. They wanted to end the Vietnam War and to make all of the people in the U.S. equal. Some of them decided to "drop out" of American society and form their own societies. They formed utopian communities, which they called “communes”, where they could follow their philosophy of “do your own thing”. A group of artists founded a commune in southern Colorado called "Drop City." Following the ideas of philosopher and architect Buckminster Fuller, they built dome-shaped houses from pieces of old cars. Other groups, such as author Ken Kesey’s Merry Pranksters, the followers of San Francisco poet Steve Gakin, and a group that called itself the Hog Farm, lived in old school houses and traveled around the United States. The Hog Farm became famous when the
y helped organize the Woodstock Rock Festival in 1969. Steve Gaskin’s followers tried to settle down on a farm in Tennessee, but they had to leave when some members of the group were arrested for growing marijuana.
Not all communes believed in the philosophy of “do your own thing”. However, Twin Oaks, a commune founded in Virgiania in the late 1960s, was based on the ideas of psychologist B.F.Skinner. The people who lived at Twin Oaks were carefully controlled by Skinner’s “conditioning” techniques to do things that were good for the community. In 1972, Italian architect Paolo Soleri beg
an to build Arcosanti, a utopian city Arizsona where 2500 people will live closely together in one large building called an “archeology”. Soleri believes that people must live closely together so that they will all become one.Why did some young Americans decide to “drop out” of society during the 1960s?
| A．They were not satisfied with American society. |
| B．They wanted to grow marijuana. |
| C．They wanted to go to the Vietnam War. |
| D．They did not want all people to be equal. |
Where did the members of the Hog Farm commune live?
| A．In dome-shaped house. | B．In old school houses. |
C．On a farm  in Tennessee. |
D．In an archeology in Arizona. |
Who gave the people of Drop City the idea to build dome-shaped house?
A. Paolo Soleri. B. B.G.Skinner.
C. Steve Gaskin. D. Buckminster Fuller. What was the Twin Oaks commune based on?
| A．The philosophy of “do your own thing”. |
| B．Virginia in the late 1960s. |
| C．The ideas of psychologist. |
| D．The belief that people must live closely together. |
What is an “archeology”?
| A．A person who studies archaeology. |
| B．A large building where people live closely together. |
| C．A city in Arizona. |
| D．A technique to control people. |
The food we eat seems to have profound effects on our health. Although science has made enormous steps in making food more fit to eat, it has, at the same time, made many foods unfit to eat. Some research has shown that perhaps eighty percent of all human illnesses relate to diet and forty percent of cancer relates to the diet as well, especially cancer of the colon. Different cultures are more likely to cause certain different illnesses because of the food that is characteristic in these cultures.
That food is connected with illness is not a new discovery. In 1945, about 35 years ago, government researchers realized that nitrates, commonly used to preserve color in meats, and other food additives, caused cancer. Yet, these carcinogenic additives remain in our food, and it becomes more difficult all the time to know which things on the packaging labels of processed food are helpful or harmful. The additives which we eat are not all so direct. Farmers often give penicillin to beef and living animals, and because of this, penicillin has been found in the milk of treated cow. Sometimes similar drugs are given to animals not for medical purposes, but for financial reasons. The farmers are simply trying to fatten the animals in order to obtain a hi
gher price on the market. Although the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has tried repeatedly to contr
ol these procedures, the practices continue. What is the best possible title of the passage?
| A．Drug and Food | B．Cancer and Health |
| C．Food and Health | D．Health and Drug |
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．Drugs are always given to animals for medical reasons. |
| B．Some of the additives in our food are added to the food itself and some are given to the living animals. |
| C．Researchers have known about the potential dangers of food additives for over thirty-five years. |
| D．Food may cause forty percent of cancer in world. |
How has science done something harmful to mankind?
| A．Because of science, diseases caused by polluted food haven’t been virtually eliminated. |
| B．It has caused a lack of information concerning the value of food. |
| C．Because of the application of science, some potentially harmful substances have been added to food. |
| D．The scientists have preserved the color of meat, but not of vegetables. |
What are nitrates used for?
A. They preserve flavor in packaged fo
ods.
B. They preserve the color of meats.
C. They are the objects of research. The word ‘carcinogenic’ most nearly means ‘_________’.
| A．trouble-making | B．color-maintaining |
| C．money-making | D．cancer-causing |