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(使增長) 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.
【小題1】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. |
| A．of the body | B．connected with seeing |
| C．of the mind | D．connected with hearing |
| A．add to your intelligence | B．improve your speech |
| C．boost your memory | D．make you think faster |
| A．body fitness | B．the way to speak |
| C．langugage learning | D．mental concentration |
科目：高中英語 來源：江西省吉水中學2010屆高三上學期第三次月考英語試題 題型：030
對話填空。閱讀下列對話，掌握其大意，并根據首字母的提示，寫出一個英語單詞的完整，正確形式，使對話通暢。
H－Henry T－Tom
H：Good morning, Tom, I hear your sister has found a good job in a foreign company．
T：Yes, she works as a translator after learning(1)E________ for four years in college．
H：That sounds exciting．I wonder what her everyday work is．
T：Well, putting English into Chinese and Chinese into English is her(2)d______ job．
H：Personally, I like jobs like that．I’ve been learning English for(3)n_______ six years, but I find English difficult to(4)i________．
T：Well, stick to it and never(5)g________ it up．The more you practice, the better you’ll learn．
H：What if I make mistakes while(6)u________ the English language?
T：Don’t worry, One learnes a language by(7)m________ mistakes and correcting them．
H：Can you give me any(8)a_________ on English learning?
T：Sure, First of all, keep reading as much as(9)p______．second, it’s helpful to learn some grammar in and out of class．
H：Do I have to learn English words by(10)h________, too?
T：Yes, As is often said, without grammar, one can learn little English, but without words, one can learn no English．
H：I see, Thank you so much for your advice．
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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
Mary Cassatt is one of the first great women American painters. At first her father did not want her to become an artist. But she followed her dreams and became an artist.She was born on
May 22, 1844, and lived in Europe for several years as a child.
Her family returned to the United States and, at age 16, Mary attended the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Four years later she decided she couldn't learn anything fresh and practical in Philadelphia, so she returned to Europe. There she studied the skills of the masters in Rome, Seville, Antwerp, and Paris.
Mary received the chance of a lifetime at the age of 33 when the famous French painter, Edgar Degas, asked her to join a group of painters that included now-famous artists like Manet and Renoir. Their style of painting is called Impressionism. They used primary colors and short brush strokes(筆畫) in their work. They recognized Mary 's spirit and powerful talent and invited her to exhibit in the Impressionist art shows.
Mary painted what she saw: gardens, and paintings of persons , especially of mothers and children involved in everyday living. One of her paintings, "Young Mother and Two Children," was given to the White House in 1954 where it hangs today.
Mary never married and, in 1877, her parents and sister moved to Europe to join her. Mary devoted much of her time to them for the next 18 years to their care. Mary painted until 1914 when her failing eyesight made it impossible to continue. She spent the later years of her life in Paris. She died in 1926 at the age of 82. Unfortunately,all her life, she refused to accept students.
Mary left Pennsylvania for Europe at age 20 mainly because_____.
A. she wanted to learn another style of paintings
B. she didn’t learn anything in Pennsylvania
C. her desire for the learning wasn’t satisfied well
D. her father didin’t want her to learn painting again
Which year was the most critical to her career and life?
A. 1860 B. 1864 C. 1877 D. 1914
Which of the statements about Mary Cassatt is supported by the passage?
A. Her father had a decisive effect on her painting
B. Her painting featured scenes of everyday living
C. She used various colors and long lines in her works
D. She studied the paintings of the masters in U.S.A
Mary Cassatt stopping painting because of_____.
A. her poor eyesight B. her old age C.lack of interest D. her family
It can be inferred from the passage that _____.
A. during the last ten year of life, she painted nothing.
B. the paintings of Edgar Degas belong to realism
C. her works were controversial though highly recognized
D. her students showed great respect for her
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科目：高中英語 來源：2011年江蘇普通高等學校招生統一考試英語試卷 題型：閱讀理解
We know the famous ones—the Thomas Ediso
ns and the Alexander Graham Bells —but what about the less famous inventors? What about the people who invented the traffic light and the windshield wiper(雨刮器)？Shouldn’t we know who they are?
Joan Mclean think so. In fact, Mclean, a professor of physics at Mountain University in Range, feels so strongly about this matter that she’s developed a course on the topic. In addition to learning “who” invented “what”, however, Mclean also likes her students to learn the answers to the “why” and ”how” questions. According to Mclean,” When students learn the answers to these questions, they are better prepared to recognize opportunities for inventing and more motivated to give inventing a try.”
So, just what is the story behind the windshield wiper? Well, Mary Anderson came up with the idea in 1902 after a visit to New York City. The day was cold and st
ormy, but Anderson still wanted to see the sights, so she jumped aboard a streetcar. Noticing that the driver was struggling to see through the snow covering the windshield, she found herself wondering why there couldn’t be a built-in device for cleaning the window. Still wondering about this when she returned home to Birmingham, Alabama, Anderson started drafting out solutions. One of her ideas, a lever(操作桿)on the inside of a vehicle that would control an arm on the outside, became the first windshield wiper.
Today we benefit from countless inventions and innovations，It’s hard to imagine driving without Garrett A. Morgan’s traffic light. It’s equally impossible to picture a world without Katherine J. Blodgett’s innovation that makes glass invisible, Can you picture life without clear windows and eyeglasses?
【小題1】
By mentioning “traffic light” and “windshield wiper”, the author indicates that countless inventions are .
| A．beneficial, because their inventors are famous |
| B．beneficial, though their inventors are less famous |
| C．not useful, because their inventors are less famous |
| D．not useful, though their inventors are famous |
| A．add colour and variety to students’ campus life |
| B．inform students of the windshield wiper’s invention |
| C．carry out the requirements by Mountain University |
| D．prepare students to try their own invention |
| A．not eventually accepted by the umbrella producer | |
| B．inspired by the story behind the windshield wiper | C．due to his dream of being caught in a rainstorm |
| D．not related to Professor Joan McLean’s lectures |
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科目：高中英語 來源：北京市日壇中學2009-2010學年高二下學期6月檢測試題（英語） 題型：閱讀理解
That cold January night, I was growing sick of my life in San Francisco. There I was, walking home at one in the morning after a tiring practice at the theatre. With opening night only a week away, I was still learning my lines. I was having trouble dealing with my part-time job at the bank and my acting at night at the same time. As I walked, I thought seriously about giving up both acting and San Francisco. City life had become too much for me.
As I walked down empty streets under tall buildings, I felt very small and cold. I began running, both to keep warm and to keep away from any possible robbers (搶劫犯). Very few people were still out except a few sad-looking homeless people under blankets.
About a block from my apartment (公寓房間), I heard a sound behind me. I turned quickly, half expecting to see someone with a knife or a gun. The street was empty. All I saw was a shining streetlight. Still, the noise had made me nervous, so I started to run faster. Not until I reached my apartment building and unlocked the door did I realize what the noise had been. It had been my wallet falling to the sidewalk.
Suddenly I wasn’t cold or tired anymore. I ran out of the door and back to where I’d heard the noise. Although I searched the sidewalk anxiously for fifteen minutes, my wallet was nowhere to be found.
Just as I was about to give up the search, I heard the garbage truck (垃圾車) pull up to the sidewalk next to me. When a voice called from the inside, “ Alisa Camacho?” I thought I was dreaming. How could this man know my name? the door opened, and out jumped a small red-haired man with an amused look in his eyes. “Is this what you’re looking for?” he asked, holding up a small square shape.
It was nearly 3 A.M. by the time I got into bed. I wouldn’t get much sleep that night, but I had gotten my wallet back. I also had gotten back some enjoyment of city life. I realized that the city couldn’t be a bad place as long as people were willing to help each other.
1. How did the writer feel when she was walking home after work?
A. Cold and sick B. Fortunate and helpful
C. Satisfied and cheerful D. Disappointed and helpless
2. From the first paragraph, we learn that the writer was busy ______.
A. solving her problem at the bank B. taking part in various city activities
C. learning acting in a n evening school D. preparing for the first night show
3. On her way home the writer _______.
A. lost her wallet unknowingly B. was stopped by a garbage truck driver
C. was robbed of her wallet by an armed man D. found some homeless people following her
4. In the fifth paragraph, why did the writer say she was dreaming?
A. Someone offered to take her back home. B. A red-haired man came to see her.
C. She heard someone call her name D. Her wallet was found in a garbage truck.
5. From the text, we can infer that the writer _________.
A. would stop working at night B. would stay on in San Francisco
C. would make friends with cleaners D. would give up her job at the bank
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科目：高中英語 來源：廣東省汕頭市蘇北中學2010屆高三第四次月考英語試卷 題型：閱讀理解
第三部分：閱讀 (共兩節，滿分40分)
第一節閱讀理解 (共15小題；每小題2分，滿分30分)
閱讀下列短文，從每題所給的A、B、C和D項中，選出最佳選項，并在答題卡上將該項涂黑。
A
Here’s an unusual story: a diamond ring was recently found in an egg. The magician, Liu Qian, discovered it in front of an audience of millions at CCTV’s Spring Festival Gala. Liu’s magic tricks have made the centuries – old art of magic fashionable once again, and made him the hottest magician in China.
As a seasoned magician from Taiwan, Liu is popular worldwide for his magic shows. Countries he has performed in include the United States, Japan, South Korea and the UK.
Witnessing something impossible happen right before your eyes is the root of people’s love for magic.
Liu is known for his interaction with his audiences. He has a unique understanding of showmanship(演出技巧)。
“It’s actually thinking rather than one’s manipulation (處理) skills that is more important to achieving a successful magic show. We think carefully about how to design the shows creatively, to make them appear more interesting,” Liu said.
Liu Qian’s success dated back to his childhood. Born in 1976 in Taiwan, he found himself attracted to a magic toy in a shop when he was seven years old. At the age of 12, he won Taiwan’s Youth Magic Contest, which was judged by the great American magician, David Copperfield.
Yet, Liu never planned on becoming a professional magician. He studied Japanese literature at university and only hoped to be an amateur magician in his spare time. However, his failure to find a proper job after graduation pushed him towards magic as a career.
To refine his performing skills, he has performed on streets, roads and fields, for passersby, policemen and farmers.
“Street shows are the biggest challenge for us magicians. We have to deal with unexpected situations and tough crowds,” Liu said.
41. The story is about ________.
A. why people love magic B. how Liu Qian became China’s hottest magician
C. how fashionable magic is D. what magic tricks are
42. People love to watch magic because ________.
A. they love watching magicians make the impossible happen
B. it arouses their curiosity
C. they can’t figure out the secret of magic
D. it is a centuries – old art
43. Which of the following is the key reason that Liu Qian decided to make magic his career?
A. He was interested in magic when he was little.
B. He had won Taiwan’s Youth Magic Contest.
C. He couldn’t find an acceptable job after graduation.
D. He became an amateur magician in his spare time.
44. What does the underlined word “seasoned” in Paragraph2 mean?
A. experienced B. freshman C. amateur D. unskillful
45. Liu Qian improved his performing skills by ______.
A. learning from David Copperfield.
B. learning magic in a university
C. performing in public on streets
D. joining in Taiwan’s Youth Magic Contest
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