Let’s say you took violin lessons all through elementary school, but you haven’t got the instrument out of its case for years. Were all those lessons a waste of your parents’ money because you didn’t become a violinist?
Even though it has been a long time since you played the violin, a new study shows that as little as one year of music training can have a positive impact (影响) on your brain that will last the rest of your life.
In an experiment, researchers compared children who had taken music lessons to those who hadn’t. Laurel Trainor, who studies music and the mind, discovered that the musically-trained children had better brain responses in certain sound recognition exams. Trainor’s findings show the possibility that musical education can actually improve the brain’s hearing cortex(大脑皮层). “The study’s results show that music training affects attention and memory, and helps children develop learning skills. In this way music training might lead to better learning across a number of fields,” Trainor said in a statement. The effects of music education are even more obvious on children with difficulty in reading and writing and other language-related disabilities.
So, whether you can play a good piece of music or not, it’s likely that your years of music lessons have prepared your brain for all the speeches, emails, and adult conversations that are part of your life today. We should help make sure that children today have the same opportunities for music, and help out by volunteering with or donating instruments to your school’s music education department.Compared with children who haven’t taken music lessons, musically-trained children _______.
| A．sing better | B．do better in exams |
| C．recognize sounds better | D．response more quickly |
According to the study, we know musical education can _____.
| A．change the structure of the brain |
| B．improve children’s learning skills |
| C．help children focus their attention |
| D．provide more memorizing methods |
What can we learn from the text?
| A．Adults should also take some music lessons. |
| B．The author has taken violin lessons when he was young. |
| C．Even a day’s music training can affect the human brain. |
| D．Music training can also help children with certain disabilities. |
Henry Edwards Huntington
Henry Edwards Huntington was born in 1850 in Oneonta，New York．In 1872 he went to work for his uncle，one of the owners of the Central Pacific Railroad．Twenty years later， Huntington moved to San Francisco at his uncle's request to share management of the Southern Pacific Railroad．On the way to San Francisco，he visited San Marino，and later bought it，which is home to his collections today．
In 1902，Huntington moved his business operations to Los Angeles，where he developed the street railway system that created the structure of the Los Angeles area．He greatly expanded the existing electric railway lines，creating an extensive inter-urban system providing the transportation necessary．Huntington’s business interests continued to grow particularly in the areas of water，power，and land development；at one time he served on as many as 60 corporate boards throughout the United States．
At the age of 60，he announced his decision to retire in order to devote time to his book and art collections and the landscaping of the 600一acre farm．In 1911 the large Beaux Arts building，in the charge of the architect Myron Hunt，was completed．
In 1913，Huntington married Arabella Duval Huntington．She shared his interests in collecting．As one of the most important art collectors of her generation，she was highly influential in the development of the art collection now shown in the former building．
In 1919，Henry and Arabella Huntington signed the agreement that conveyed their San Marino property and collections to a nonprofit educational trust，creating the Huntington，one of the world’s great cultural，research，and educational centers．
Henry E．Huntington died in 1927，leaving his great treasures the Huntington，including the world—famous H untington Library，Art Gallery，and Botanical Gardens in San Marino，California to the public，which hosts more than 500，000 visitors each year.What can you learn about Huntington from the first two paragraphs?
| A．He worked in many fields before he came to Los Angeles． |
| B．He built a house to store his art collection in San Marino． |
| C．H e did a lot to the USA railway development． |
| D．He founded the Central Pacific Railroad． |
What did Huntington do after his retirement?
| A．He devoted himself to his personal interests． |
| B．He worked part time for non—profit business． |
| C．H e was in charge of an educational center． |
| D．H e shared his wife’s interests with her． |
Which of the following can best describe Huntington?
| A．An excellent artist． | B．A talented architect． |
| C．An ambitious educator． | D．A successful businessman． |
This passage is most probably taken from
| A．a science fiction | B．a newspaper report |
| C．a novel | D．a biography |
Although websites such as Facebook and MySpace experienced rapid growth during the middle of the first decade of the 21st century, some users remain unaware of the fact that the information they post online can come back to haunt them. First, employers can monitor employees who maintain a blog, photo diary, or website. Employers can look for controversial(引起争议的) employee opinions, sensitive information disclosures, or wildly inappropriate conduct. For example, a North Carolina newspaper fired one of its features writers after she created a blog on which she wrote about the strange things of her job and coworkers without signing her real name.
The second unintended use of information from social networking websites is employers who check on prospective employees. A June 11, 2006 New York Times article reported that many companies use search engines and social networking websites such as MySpace, Xanga, and Facebook to conduct background checks on college campuses. Although the use of MySpace or Google to check a student’s background is somewhat unsettling to many undergraduates, the Times noted that the use of Facebook is especially shocking to students who believe that Facebook is limited to current students and recent alum(校友).
Corporate employers are not the only people interested in college students’ lives. The third unintended use of social networking websites is college administrators who monitor the Internet — especially Facebook — for student bad behavior. For example, a college in Boston’s Back Bay expelled (除名) its student Government Association President for joining a Facebook group highly critical of a campus police sergeant. In addition, fifteen students at a state university in North Carolina faced charges in court for underage drinking because of photos that appeared on Facebook.
Although more users of websites such as Facebook are becoming aware of the potential dangers of online identities, many regular users still fail to take there basic security precautions(警惕). First, only make your information available to a specific list of individuals whom you approve. Second , regularly search for potentially harmful information about yourself that may have been posted by mistake or by a disgruntled
(不满的)former associate. Thrid, never post obviously offensive material will likely make its way to the wider world. By taking these simple steps, members of the digital world can realize the many benefits of e-community without experiencing some of the damaging unintended consequences.The main purpose of the passage is to _____.
| A．explain the growth of the digital world from the view of privacy |
| B．discuss the risks of the digital world and suggest ways to protect yourself |
| C．propose steps Facebook, MySpace and Google can take to protect user privacy |
| D．illustrate(说明) potential unintended uses of private information |
The writer implies that users should take all of the following actions to protect their online privacy EXCEPT _____.
| A．know to whom you make your online information available |
| B．actively hunt for damaging information posted about you or under your name |
| C．speak with employers to inform them of any misinformation published about you |
| D．avoid uploading information that would be extremely damaging if it were discovered |
According to the passage, which of the following does the author imply?
| A．Information obtained unwillingly from the Internet is permitted in court. |
| B．It is impossible to protect yourself from unintended uses of information online. |
| C．Even if you restrict who can view your data, the government may still access it. |
| D．Done properly, posting offensive information about oneself brings no risk. |
In the last paragraph the author mainly _____.
| A．offers detailed examples to support previous viewpoints |
| B．further explores the ill-effects of the Internet on the protection of privacy |
| C．summarizes the points of the above paragraphs |
| D．provides suggestions to overcome the previously mentioned problems |
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Zeo Personal Sleep Coach is neither a medical device nor a medical program and is notintended for the treatment of sleep disorders. Zeo is a revolution in the science of sleep mainly because it _____.
| A．can record one’s sleep process |
| B．is the first product to manage one’s sleep |
| C．is free of medical risks |
| D．provides access to sleep fitness websites |
What is the most remarkable feature of Zeo?
| A．Its direct contact with sleep scientists. |
| B．Its individualized coaching program. |
| C．Its effectiveness in curing sleep disorders. |
| D．Its immediate analysis of sleep data. |
What customer service does Zeo provide?
| A．Cheap online tools. | B．A 30-day action plan. |
| C．Personalized bedside display. | D．Free delivery of the product. |
The passage is primarily written to _____.
| A．encourage people to try the new product |
| B．instruct people how to use a new tool |
| C．provide the latest health information |
| D．illustrate the importance of good sleep habit |
When you are little, it’s not hard to believe you can change the world. I remember my enthusiasm when, at the age of 12, I addressed delegates at the Rio Earth Summit. “I am only a child,” I told them .“Yet I know that if all the money spent on war was spent on ending poverty and finding environment answers, what a wonderful place this would be. In school you teach us not to fight with others, to work things out, to respect others, to clean up our mess, not to hurt other creatures, to share, not to be greedy. Then why do you go out and do the thing you tell us not to do ? You grown-ups say you love us, but I challenge you, please, to make your actions reflect your words.”
I spoke for six minutes and received a standing ovation. Some of the delegates even cried. I thought that maybe I had reached some of them, that my speech might actually spur(激励) action. Now, a decade from Rio, after I’ve sat through many more conferences, I’m not sure what has been accomplished. My confidence in the people in power and in the power of an individual’s voice to reach them has been deeply shaken.
When I was little, the world was simple. But as a young adult, I’m learning that as we have to make choices — education, career, lifestyle — life gets more and more complicated. We are beginning to feel pressure to produce and be successful. We are taught that economic growth is in progress, but aren’t taught how to pursue a happy, healthy or sustainable(可持续的) way of living. And we are learning that what we wanted for the future when we were 12 was ideal and innocent.
Today I’m no longer a child, but I’m worried about what kind of environment my children will grow up in. I know change is possible, because I am changing, still figuring out what I think. I am still deciding how to live my life. The challenges are great, but if we accept individual responsibility and make sustainable choices, we will rise to the challenges, and we will become part of the positive tide of change.The purpose of what the writer said at the age of 12 was to _____.
| A．end poverty and make school beautiful |
| B．find environmental answers and keep the words that they always told themselves |
| C．end poverty and solve the problems about environment |
| D．find a wonderful place and clean it up |
What does the underlined word “ovation” in the second paragraph refer to _____.
| A．a long period of laughing |
| B．a warm welcome |
| C．an expression used for greeting |
| D．a long period of clapping and applause |
It becomes clear that the writer is possibly _____ now.
| A．in his teens |
| B．in his twenties |
| C．in his thirties |
| D．in his forties |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．the writer thinks what he thought at the age of 12 is mature. |
| B．the writer’s children will certainly live in an ideal environment. |
| C．the writer’s confidence in the people in power has deeply shaken their voice. |
| D．the writer’s belief does not change when he grows up. |
Most parents and teachers would get angry when they hear that teenagers listen to their iPods while preparing for exams. But pupils who listen to music when doing their homework may be, in fact, working hard.
Thirty three schools have downloaded specially written pop and rock songs for their 10,000 pupils who are studying for GCSE (初级毕业证书). The professionally recorded music, based on texts in English literature, teaches teenagers about themes in the GCSE curriculum (课程). Two young men set up “Revise”, the company that produced the songs, and worked with teachers to make sure the lyrics (歌词) reflected the curriculum. Some of the songs were written by Geraint Brown, a director, and they are performed by professional singers and musicians.
Songs for the GCSE science and maths lessons are also being developed in 36 schools. They have also started using the program, called, “LearnThruMusic”.
Dave Matthews, the head of Hawthorn High School in the South Wales valleys, said the program aimed at helping teenagers who are unwilling to study. He said, “There are lots of pupils who don’t have a high level of home support. It’s almost cool to say you have no need to find a support and we have got to change that. With this, they don’t have to be sitting at their desk at home. They can be outside, walking around or even listening to it on the bus, which is very convenient for them.” Everyone has a phone, MP3 or CD player, and they’re more likely to listen to these than pick up a book. “I think everyone would agree that music had an important influence on us when growing up. Both boys and girls are very good at remembering the words and dancing to the music in the charts. There’s no one thing that will successfully engage (使…产生兴趣) every child, and some of them will make little or no use of this. But the fact that they don’t have to do any extra work makes this a very good deal for a kid,” Dave Matthews added.The pop and rock songs used in 36 schools ________.
| A．were written for the students to relax themselves |
| B．made most parents and teachers angry |
| C．were specially written for hardworking students |
| D．were closely related to the curriculum |
Which benefit of the program is NOT mentioned in the passage?
| A．It saves students much extra work. |
| B．It offers different ways of learning. |
| C．It makes remembering easier. |
| D．It improves family support to kids. |
Which of the following can be inferred in the passage?
| A．The program is not expected to have equal effect on every student. |
| B．Some students used the song as an excuse for not reading textbooks. |
| C．It’s more difficult to create songs for science and maths lessons. |
| D．Students involved in the program needn’t go to school every day. |
Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?
| A．Special-written Songs — A Reason Why Students Should Listen to IPods. |
| B．Special-written Songs — A New Way to Learn the Curriculum. |
| C．Special-written Songs — A Substitution for Textbooks. |
| D．Special-written Songs — Mothers’ New Concern. |