主题三 音乐

Ⅰ. 阅读理解

Music is not just a set of sounds and rhythms. Its influence on the brain is much deeperthan any other human experience. Music always has amazing power.

A recent study suggests that preterm （早产的） babies appear to experience less painand feed more when listening to music. Experts led by Dr Manoj Kumar of the University ofAlberta， Canada， found that music had a beneficial effect on reducing pain for preterm babiesexperiencing painful medical tests. It also appeared to benefit full‑term babies duringoperations.

Many people experiencing brain damage have speech and movement‑related problems.Music can help recover from brain injuries. As a different and effective treatment，doctors often advise such patients to listen to good music to improve the parts of the brainresponsible for these two functions. When people with neurological （神经学的） disordershear a musical beat， it helps them to regain a balanced walk.

Though music cannot make deafness disappear， it really can stave off the loss of hearing.There was an experiment involving 163 people where 74 were musicians. Participantswere asked to do some listening tests. Musicians heard the sounds better than nonmusicians，and this difference gets clearer with age. This means that a 70‑year‑old musicianhears better than a 50‑year‑old non‑musician， even in a noisy environment.

Besides， music mends a broken heart. It is not about a thrown‑away love， but about aheart attack. The fact is that music can help people recover from a heart attack or heart operationby reducing blood pressure， slowing down the heartbeat rate， and reducing anxiety.Listening to the quality music produces positive emotions， improves the movement of blood，and expands blood vessels， thus， promoting quick recovery of the whole cardiovascular （心血管的） system.

1. How does music affect preterm babies？

A. It helps repair their neurological systems.

B. It helps develop their potential in music.

C. It helps improve their hearing systems.

D. It helps reduce their pain.

2. What does the underlined phrase“stave off”in paragraph 4 mean？

A. Prevent. B. Increase. C. Lead to. D. Break into.

3. Why can music mend a broken heart？

A. It helps make a person feel optimistic about life.

B. It can help people prevent diseases caused by anxiety.

C. It has a positive effect on human body systems work.

D. It can help patients recover in a slow way.

4. What can be the best title for the text？

A. How music affects our mind and body

B. The best time to listen to music

C. The way to choose quality music

D. Who can benefit from music

Ⅱ. 补全信息

The health benefits of music

Music can have a big impact on your mental health. 1 But it can actually domore than just change your state of mind—music has an impact on you physically， too.Here are just a few of the transformative effects of music on your health！

It improves the cardiovascular health. Good music may just help your heart to behealthier. 2 One study found that music reduced the levels of the stress hormonecortisol in people's systems， and reduced blood pressure.

If you're looking to take your exercise performance to the next level， youmay need to consider doing it with the help of music. Studies have found listening to musicas you exercise improves endurance， productivity and strength. If youve ever wonderedwhy professional athletes don't listen to music during a race， it's because they arent allowedto—for this very reason！

It boosts your immune system. With cold and flu season on the horizon， you may needto make sure you've got all your favorite songs downloaded.

It helps you sleep better. 5 A study showed that students who listened to relaxingclassical music for 45 minutes before turning in slept significantly better than before.If you're having trouble sleeping， try listening to a little soft music before bedtime.

It's safe to say the next time you need a little pick‑me‑up， turning on your favorite tuneis the smartest option—and the healthiest， too！

A. It enhances your performance.

B. It might help improve your creativity.

C. Over 30% of Americans suffer from poor sleep.

D. There has been a link found between heart health and music.

E. It can make you relaxed， increase your focus and help you deal with stress.

F. Some studies have found that music can change how people look at their lives.

G. Studies have found that listening to music helps to prevent infection and illness.

Ⅲ. 完形填空

João， who is in his eighties， is a great Brazilian classical pianist. At the age of 8， hehad already won a contest 1 Bach. He could play 21 notes per second at the2 of his skills.

However， fortune wasnt 3 to João. At 24 years old， he suffered an accidentthat 4 the nerves in three of his fingers. And at 55， he was struck in the head，leaving him with brain injuries that completely paralyzed （使瘫痪） his 5 .