In all the world’s cultures, people sing, play instruments, and celebrate with music. It plays such an important role in our lives that whole fields work hard at its study, including one looking at the biology of music. Experts are finding that because of the way our brains process(处理)  music, learning to play an instrument or just listening to music can have a wide range of benefits.

Music education has received a lot of attention. Learning to play an instrument can help children improve math, science, and language skills. One study in Canada tracked （追踪）children’s IQ scores for nine months, discovering that children who studied music had the biggest test score improvements. The secret may lie in the way reading music and playing notes uses several areas of the brain, helping develop our ability to learn school subjects.

   Music is also used for medical purposes, such as the treatment of diseases which affect memory. Scientists explain that one area near the forehead connects music with memories. That’s why an old song can remind you of something that happened years ago. For patients suffering from certain diseases, listening to music can help unlock memories by building up musical pathways to memories.

Studies of the music-brain connection often concentrate on classical music, since it activates both the left and right sides of brains. One study found the brain activity was the highest during the short breaks between the movements of a piece of music. During each break, the person’s brain predicted what would come next, while organizing what he had just heard. This process is similar to the way our brain organizes information. It may explain why classical music can help improve memory. Some people take the music- brain connection to another level by listening to personalized “brain music.” which can help a person concentrate and prepare for a difficult task.

It’s amazing how attuned our brains are to music. Some scientists even think we’re born with the ability to learn music, just as we all have the skills to learn language. After all, children without any training often make up songs while playing. With the evidence of music’s benefits pouring in, it’s no wonder some countries make music study a part of their education systems. People are realizing that music is more than just a form of entertainment.

56. In the study in Canada, who had the biggest IQ score increase?

   A. The children who did well in science.

   B. The children who had good memories.

   C. The children who had fun learning languages.

   D. The children who studied music for some time.

57. The writer probably agrees that                 .

   A. we get a lot from teaching children to make up songs.

   B. it takes steps to make full use of music-brain connection.

   C. memory can be improved by training to organize information

   D. music treatment helps build up unlocked pathways to memories

58. What does the underlined sentence in the last paragraph mean?

   A. It’s great that our brains go well with music.

   B. It’s wonderful for us to listen to brain music.

   C. It’s surprising that music makes our brains active.

   D. It’s fantastic to know how brains work with music.

59. What may be the best title for the passage?

A. Music and Memory           B. Music and the Mind

C. The Biology of Music         D. The Benefits of Music

任务型阅读

There are many things you can do to improve your memory(记忆力). Among them are many kinds of useful ways are well as taking special care of your health.

It is important that you make yourself excited to make your memory more active. You can do this by doing some new activities and by changing your daily habits（习惯）. Learning a new skill helps your brain（大脑）to develop. When trying to remember something, you should pay special attention to the most important things about it .Do not allow other thoughts to enter your mind because this will reduce your chances of making right memories. An excellent way to help memory is to connect information with pictures. Try to see the pictures in your mind. Taking notes and keeping a diary will also be helpful.

Healthy food and plenty of vitamins are necessary for your memory to work well. Drinking a lot of water also helps keep your memory. You must allow your brain to have enough sleep and rest. When you are asleep, your brain stores memory. Not enough sleep can cause problems with storing information .And being tired will also stop you from being able to think clearly and well.

In order to keep your mind on your work, you must be free from worry. Generally keeping fit and normal health checks are both important as well-not just for improving your memory.

Tony is reading an advertisement in a magazine.  It is about different evening classes or weekend classes.

The Learning Centre, Garden City

We have evening and weekend courses on ...

test preparation            friends and meeting people

jobs and making money     cooking and language learning

Some of this month's courses:

1. Get good grades!

Do you forget information and do poorly on tests? In this course, learn to...

※ remember more (95 percent of what you read).

※ think quickly and read fast (400 words per minute!).

※ do well on tests and get high scores.

2. Find true love...today!

Are you single and shy? Is it hard for you to talk to people?

In this course, learn to...

talk lo people; start a conversation with a man or woman.

be more friendly and outgoing.

※ understand a person's body language.

3. You are on TV!

Many actors get their start in television. You can too! In this course, learn to...

※ act in TV ads.

※ use your voice on the radio.

※ get TV and radio jobs.

4. Cook delicious and healthy food!

Are you interested in cooking? Do you want to keep healthy? In this course, learn to...

※ keep a balanced diet.

※ cook delicious traditional Chinese food.

※ make western-style food. This course is also online al www. dffh. net. cn.

1.In the Learning Center, you won't learn how to______.

A. prepare for a test    B. make money

C. learn a language     D. get along well with others

2. After taking course 1, you can't_______.

A. think quickly

B. improve your memory

C. remember everything you read

D. finish reading a 200-word passage in 30 seconds

3.After taking course 3, you can learn how to_______.

A. become an actor (actress)   B. become a radio reporter

C. become a TV host (hostess)   D. get a job in a radio station

4.Which course is allowed to take online?

A. Course 4.   B. Course 3.   C. Course 2.   D. Course 1.

5.What's the advertisement about?

A. Finding true love.         B. Getting good jobs.

C. Cooking delicious food.     D. Different evening and weekend classes.

The human brain weighs about 1.4 kilograms, but it can hold much more information than most computers. However, there is another difference between humans and computers. Computers don't forget information they are given, but humans often do. No one remembers everything, and luckily we don't usually have to. But everyone can improve their memory if they want to. Here are some suggestions.

◆Try to use new information immediately. For example, if you meet someone who says “Hi! I'm Carlos,” don't just say “Hello.” Repeat the person's name. Say“__________”.

◆Break a big number into smaller parts. For example, it's hard to memorize (记忆) 109244153. But if you break it into three parts--109/244/153—it becomes easier.

◆Write out what you need to remember over and over again. This will help you keep it in mind longer, especially for memorizing formulas (公式) or facts.

◆Always review information. If you bring what you've learned back to your mind, they become easier to remember. For example, before you go to sleep, it’s a good idea to review the new things you learned that day.

◆Discuss with a friend. It is always easier to remember things through discussions. You can have a discussion about what’s right and what's wrong, and it will lead to the right answer.

◆Never tell yourself that you have a bad memory. You can always do something to help improve your memory. And everyone's memory gets better if they use it often enough.

All of the suggestions are helpful. If you follow them, you are certain to improve your memory.

1.Which should be put in the blank (空格) in Paragraph 2？

A. Hello, Carlos.                                                    B. How do you do?  

C. Hello, I am Sophia.                                              D. Glad to meet you!

2.How many suggestions are mentioned in the passage?

A. Three.         B. Four.             C. Five.             D. Six.

3.What can help memorize a big number more easily according to the passage?

A. To store it in a computer.               B. To break it into stunner parts.

C. To discuss it with a friend.             D. To review it before you sleep.

4.What does the sentence “Never tell yourself that you have a bad memory” mean?

A. You should tell others about your bad memory.

B. You should believe in other people all the time.

C. You should ask others to improve their memory.

D. You should be confident in your memory ability.

5.Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A. Discussing with friends can help you remember things.

B. Always reviewing information can help you fall asleep.

C. Formulas and facts can help you learn about your brain.

D. Human beings can improve their memory by computer.

Tony Buzan’s grades were going down at university. Disappointed with his low marks, he went to the library to find a book on how to use his brain. He was directed to the medical section. Confused, he said to the librarian, “I don’t want to take my brain out, I just want to learn how to use it.” Her reply was simple: “There’s no book on that.”
“I thought to myself,” says Buzan, “if I buy a little radio, I get an instruction manual (说明书). If I buy a microwave, I get an instruction manual. But for the most important machine in the world, no instruction manual?”
Fifty years later, Buzan has become the world’s leading speaker on the brain and learning. In the late 1960s, he invented the mind map, a visual representation of thought processes.
This kind of thinking has become a popular tool for planning, organizing, problem solving, and communicating across the world. He has since authored and co-authored over 100 books that have appeared in more than 30 languages.
“I think in most cases, people use less than 1 percent of their brains,” he says.
But how do you expand this 1 percent? How do you become the best student you can be?
According to Buzan, the answer is simple. You take a section of whatever it is that you are trying to learn, he says, and you read it for its essence (精髓、要素). Then you make a mind map of all the important details. For a truly effective mind map, you start with a colored image in the center of your page. Draw the first image that comes to mind on the topic you are mind mapping. Branch off from your central image and create one of your main ideas. From your main branches draw some sub-branches and from those sub-branches you can draw even more branches. He emphasizes that you should use plenty of images and colors as these help with memory recall and encourage creativity.
By using this visual format (形式), according to Buzan, your mind will begin to make associations that will help you remember more information for longer periods of time.
Buzan believes that traditional note-taking methods, such as lists and summaries, do not stimulate the brain’s recall capacity or ability in the same way. Because of this, students will often find themselves locked away in their rooms for hours, trying hard to memorize separate details. Buzan believes that for a more effective and lasting way of studying, you must first understand how your brain works.
“Everyone is born smart,” he says. “You just have to learn how to learn.”
【小题1】What is the main purpose of the first two paragraphs?