Question

Powering up with a Catchy Tune

When watching sports events, we often notice athletes with their earphones on while preparing in the locker room or entering the stadium. They keep their eyes shut, and gently nod along the beats. It seems as if the music is empowering them and toughening （使更堅強）them up for the competition. We sometimes do the same. You might have a list of favorite songs for your morning exercises. But is there any science behind such practices?

According to a recent research, it turns out there is. Music actually does make us feel powerful, but not all songs have the same effect.

The research was led by Dennis Hsu of the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in the US. His team had people listen to 31 songs of different types. The listeners felt powerful after listening to some songs, such as Queers We will Rock You and 2 Unlimited-Get Ready for This.

Researchers also found that high-power music made people want to take control in social events and come first in competition. That matters a lot in sports. " It's commonly said that sports are 90 percent mental and only 10 percent physical,” The HuffPost reported.

Great athletes know this idea well. Former NBA player Kobe Bryant, for example, often put on big headphones and even did a little meditation to boost his game and ease his anxiety.

As for the reason for music's magical power, Hsu's team came up with one possible explanation: when people hear music that expresses a sense of power, they mimic （模擬）these feelings in their mind.

When choosing music, we also need to look at the type of music, according to researchers.

In previous research by the Music in Exercise and Sport Group at Brunel University in London, they found that pop was perfect for slower, more repetitive-type tasks. If you're warming up or cooling down after exercises, pop songs are the correct choice.

Dance music was found to be best suited to strength and weight training because it's "fast and rhythmical （有節(jié)奏感的）".

During high-intensity （高強度的）workouts, though, you'd better not listen to rock. Its different changes in tempo （節(jié)拍）can affect your rhythm.

1.What is the main purpose of the first paragraph?

A.To introduce favorite songs for morning exercises.

B.To lead in the topic that music matters in sports.

C.To give an example of athletes’ daily life.

D.To explain how to choose music.

2.According to the passage, Dennis Hsu probably agrees that .

A.listening to music always makes athlete relaxed

B.powerful music can make people produce similar feelings in their mind

C.the result of a game is mainly affected by the physical condition of the players

D.most athletes still don't know the effects of high-power music on their performance

3.The word "boost” in Paragraph 5 probably means " "?

A.control B.lose C.continue D.improve

4.What can we learn from the passage?

A.Pop music is a reasonable choice for high intensity workouts.

B.Rock music helps people keep their rhythms when exercising.

C.People are advised to listen to pop music before and after exercises.

D.People should dance to music while doing strength and weight training

Answer 1