Our love of music and appreciation of musical harmony is learnt and not based on natural ability, a new study by University of Melbourne researchers has found. The researchers said previous theories about how we appreciate music were based on the physical functions of sound, the ear itself and a born ability to hear harmony.
The study shows that musical harmony can be learnt, and it is a matter of training the brain to hear the sounds. So if you thought that the music of some foreign culture (or Jazz) sounded like the crying of cats, it’s simply because you haven’t learnt to listen by their rules.
The researchers used 66 volunteers with a range of musical training and tested their ability to hear combinations of notes(音符) to determine if they found the combinations familiar or pleasing. They found that people needed to be familiar with combinations of notes. If they found the notes unfamiliar they also found the sound unpleasant. This finding put an end to centuries of theories claiming that physical functions of the ear determine what we find attractive.
The study found that trained musicians were much more sensitive to unpleasant notes than non-musicians. When they couldn’t find the note, the musicians reported that the sounds were unpleasant, while non-musicians were much less sensitive. This shows the importance of training or nurturing(培養(yǎng)) the brain to like particular sound of combinations of notes, like those found in jazz or rock.
Depending on their training, a strange chord(和弦) sound was pleasant to some musicians, but very unpleasant to others. This showed us that even the ability to hear a musical note is learnt.
To confirm this finding, they trained 19 non-musicians to find the notes of a random selection of western chords. Not only did the participants’ ability to hear notes improve rapidly, afterward they reported that the chords they had learnt sounded more pleasant -- regardless of how the chords were played.
The question of why some combinations of musical notes are heard as pleasant or unpleasant has long been debated. “We have shown in this study that for music, beauty is in the brain of the beholder(觀看者)”, a researcher said.
小題1:According to the study, people find foreign music quite unpleasant because_____.
A．they hear the music much too often
B．they don’t like the person playing it
C．they have no idea about how to listen
D．they have no born musical ability at all
小題2:Although non-musicians were less sensitive to music, they can still_____.
A．be trained to like particular music
B．make friends with real musicians
C．find the beauty of chords without training
D．enjoy the beauty of music when played by musicians
小題3:The 19 non-musicians were trained in order to show_____.
A．the brain likes particular combinations of notes
B．not a strange note was pleasant to all musicians
C．how the chords were played was very important
D．people’s ability to hear a musical note can be learnt
小題4:What is the main idea of the passage?
A．Love of musical harmony can’t be taught.
B．Love of music is not natural but nurtured.
C．Listening to music can improve your brain.
D．You can be a musician without being trained.

小題1:C
小題2:A
小題3:D
小題4:B

試題分析: 本文是說明文，提到對音樂的喜愛是可能過能培養(yǎng)獲得。
小題1:C細節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)第二段提到if you thought that the music of some foreign culture (or Jazz) sounded like the crying of cats, it’s simply because you haven’t learnt to listen by their rules.如果你認(rèn)為外國的音樂象貓叫，那就是僅僅因為你聽不懂他們的規(guī)則，所以選C項。
小題2:A細節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)第四段提到This shows the importance of training or nurturing(培養(yǎng)) the brain to like particular sound of combinations of notes, like those found in jazz or rock.這就表明訓(xùn)練與后天培養(yǎng)的重要性，所以選A項。
小題3:D 細節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)第六段提到Not only did the participants’ ability to hear notes improve rapidly, afterward they reported that the chords they had learnt sounded more pleasant -- regardless of how the chords were played.不僅是參與者聽記迅速提高超過十短的會話能力，之后他們說他們已經(jīng)知道和弦聽起來更加愉快——不管和弦進行調(diào)整所以選D項。
小題4:B 主旨大意。本文開篇提到對于音樂的愛好不僅僅是天生的，還是可能通過培養(yǎng)與訓(xùn)練能得到，通過舉例及對于研究對象的分析，The study found that trained musicians were much more sensitive to unpleasant notes than non-musicians.被訓(xùn)練的音樂人能對不是那么動聽的音樂比不被訓(xùn)練的人更為敏感，所以B項對于音樂的愛好不是天生的而是可有后天培養(yǎng)出來的。
考點 ：科普類閱讀。
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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

(2013·高考四川卷，E)Fear may be felt in the heart as well as in the head，according to a study that has found a link between the cycles of a beating heart and the chance of someone feeling fear.
Tests on healthy volunteers found that they were more likely to feel a sense of fear at the moment when their hearts are contracting(收縮) and pumping blood around their bodies，compared with the point when the heartbeat is relaxed.Scientists say the results suggest that the heart is able to influence how the brain responds to a fearful event，depending on which point it is at in its regular cycle of contraction and relaxation.
Sarah Garfinkel at the Brighton and Sussex Medical School said：“Our study shows for the first time that the way in which we deal with fear is different depending on when we see fearful pictures in relation to our heart.”
The study tested 20 healthy volunteers on their reactions to fear as they were shown pictures of fearful faces.Dr Garfinkel said，“The study showed that fearful faces are better noticed when the heart is pumping than when it is relaxed.Thus our hearts can also affect what we see and what we don’t see－and guide whether we see fear.”
To further understand this relationship，the scientists also used a brain scanner(掃描儀) to show how the brain influences the way the heart changes a person’s feeling of fear.
“We have found an important mechanism by which the heart and brain ‘speak’to each other to change our feelings and reduce fear，”Dr Garfinkel said.
“We hope that by increasing our understanding about how fear is dealt with and ways that it could be reduced，we may be able to develop more successful treatments for anxiety disorders，and also for those who may be suffering from serious stress disorder.”
小題1:What is the finding of the study?
A．One’s heart affects how he feels fear.
B．Fear is a result of one’s relaxed heartbeat.
C．Fear has something to do with one’s health.
D．One’s fast heartbeats are likely to cause fear.
小題2:The study was carried out by analyzing________.
A．volunteers’ heartbeats when they saw terrible pictures
B．the time volunteers saw fearful pictures and their health conditions
C．volunteers’ reactions to horrible pictures and data from their brain scans
D．different pictures shown to volunteers and their heart­brain communication
小題3:Which of the following is closest in meaning to“mechanism” in Paragraph 6?
A．Order. B．System.
C．Machine. D．Treatment.
小題4:This study may contribute to________.
A．treating anxiety and stress better
B．explaining the cycle of fear and anxiety
C．finding the key to the heart­brain communication
D．understanding different fears in our hearts and heads

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Each new school year brings fresh reminders of what educators call the summer learning gap. Some call it the summer learning setback（退步）. Simply speaking, it means the longer kids are out of school, the more they forget. The only thing they might gain is weight.
Most American schools follow a traditional nine-month calendar. Students get winter and spring breaks and about ten weeks of summer vacation. Some schools follow a year-round calendar. They hold classes for about eight weeks at a time, with a few weeks off in between. The National Association for Year-Round Education says there were fewer than three thousand such schools at last count. They were spread among forty-six of the fifty states.
But many experts point out that the number of class days in a year-round school is generally the same as in a traditional school. Lead researcher Paul von Hippel said, “Year-round schools don't really solve the problem of the summer learning setback. They simply spread it out across the year.”
Across the country, research shows that students from poor families fall farther behind over the summer than other students. Experts say this can be prevented. They note that many schools and local governments offer programs that can help.
But calling them “summer school” could be a problem. The director of the summer learning center at Johns Hopkins, Ron Fairchild, said research with groups of different parents in Chicago and Baltimore found that almost all strongly disliked the term “summer school”. In American culture, the idea of summer vacation is connected to beliefs about freedom and the joys of childhood. The parents welcomed other terms like “summer camp”, “enrichment”, “extra time” and “hands-on learning”.
小題1:According to the first paragraph the summer learning gap          .
A．helps children to gain weight
B．leads children to work harder
C．improves children’s memories
D．a(chǎn)ffects children’s regular studies
小題2:Compared to traditional schools, students in the year-round ones           .
A．perform better and have more learning gains
B．have much less time for relaxation every year
C．have generally the same number of class days
D．hold more classes with more free weeks off
小題3:Which of the following statements is true?
A．Students from poor families often fall behind after the vacation.
B．Year-round schools can solve the problem of the learning gap.
C．There are schools in each state following a year-round calendar.
D．Nothing can help the students who fall behind after the vacation.
小題4:Why did almost all parents dislike the term “summer school”?
A．They cherish the children’s rights of freedom very much.
B．They are worried about the quality of the “summer school”.
C．They want their children to be forced to make up the gap.
D．They can’t afford the further study during vacation.
小題5:What would be the best title of this passage?
A．Opening Summer Camps
B．Forbidding Summer Schools
C．Spreading Year-Round Education
D．Minding the Summer Learning Gap

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

It is generally believed that we are getting cleaned when we step under a shower. We are, but we’re also giving a home to lots of tiny little creatures we didn’t even know about. A showerhead carries thousands of bacteria called Mycobacterium．These can cause problems like coughs and tiredness, and a general feeling of poorliness (身體不舒服). When you turn on the water, the bacteria go from the showerhead onto and into your body.
This is a finding of Norman R. Pace and his team at the University of Colorado, in the US. The scientists investigated bacteria in all kinds of human environment, including showers．Pace's team looked at 45 showerheads in nine American cities. They discovered that 30 percent of them had large amounts of flying Mycobacterium.
But Pace said that they pose few threats to the health．Only those with a weak immune system might need to worry．He told the New York Times that the bacteria are not as unpleasant as might be thought．He said that having a shower is no more dangerous than anything else we do in the morning．
But for those who feel sick about the idea of all those microorganisms (微生物), he had some advice. Let the water run for 30 seconds before getting into the shower. Why? The number of bacteria is smaller than that when the water is just turned on. If that seems like a waste of water, he added that you could also change your showerhead every few months.
However, Pace had good news too. He has also been testing the air in US subways. Apart from iron particles (粒子), which are ground off the track by the wheels of trains, subway air is fresh. The reason is that a train’s movement pumps fresh outdoor air into the tunnels.
Pace explained that he wanted to understand the natural microbial environments of public places. This kind of knowledge might help discover the microbes to be used in a bioterrorist (生物恐怖分子) attack.
小題1:From the finding of Norman R. Pace, after taking a shower, we might cough or feel tired because      .
A．it’s easy to get a cold when taking a bath
B．the showerhead carries many bacteria causing illness
C．we don’t get cleaned while showering
D．we don’t get a weak immune system
小題2:According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
A．Hot water could kill most of bacteria in showerheads.
B．Of 45 showerheads surveyed in nine cities, 30 carried large amounts of Mycobacterium.
C．Changing showerheads is the only way to avoid microorganisms.
D．Shower water contains much less bacteria after being left to run for 30 seconds.
小題3:We can learn from the third paragraph that       .
A．having a shower in the morning is more dangerous than at other time
B．the bacteria always threat people’s health
C．there is no reason to fear microorganisms for people with strong immune system
D．it is better to do some exercise in the morning than have a shower
小題4:The underlined word “pose” in the third paragraph probably means “______”．
A．cause B．a(chǎn)void C．describeD．promise
小題5:What contributes to fresh air in US subways?
A．The train’s movement.B．Iron particles．
C．Train wheels.D．Air conditioners on the trains．

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Around the world coral reefs(珊瑚礁) are facing threats(威脅) brought by climate change and great changes in sea temperatures. While ocean warming has been the primary focus for scientists and ocean policy managers, cold events can also whiten corals. A new study by scientists compared damaged to corals exposed to heat as well as cold stress. The results show that cool temperatures can cause more damage in the short term, but heat is more destructive(破壞性的) in the long run.
Climate change is widely known to produce warming conditions in the oceans, but extreme cold-water events have become more frequent and serious as well. In 2010, for example, coral reefs around the world faced on of the coldest winters and one of the hottest summers on record.
During a unique experiment, corals under cold temperatures suffered greater damage in just days compared with heat treated corals. Yet the researchers found that corals were eventually able to adjust to the cold conditions, make their health stable and continue to grow. However, over the long term corals subjected to heat suffered more greatly than those in cold, with evidence of severe whitening and growth stoppage, which leads to death.
The coral’s ability to adjust to cool temperatures surprised the researchers, who say the study’s results show the complexities(復(fù)雜性) of monitoring coral health in response to different environmental factors(因素).
“Global warming is associated with increases but also decreases of temperatures,” said Deheyn, one of the researchers. “Not much has been known about the comparative effects of temperature decrease on corals. These results are important because they show that corals react differently to temperature differences, which is important for future management of coral reefs in the field of climate change.”
小題1:Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A．Corals are unable to adjust to temperature changes.
B．Cold temperature causes greater damage to corals.
C．Hot temperature helps coral reefs to grow quickly.
D．Heat and cold damage corals in their own ways.
小題2:We can learn from the passage that         .
A．scientists used to pay no attention to the effect of cold events on corals
B．2010 witnessed one of the greatest temperature differences on record
C．corals prefer warmer conditions to cold temperatures in the long run
D．global warming has nothing to do with the decrease of temperature
小題3:According to the research,            .
A．corals may continue to grow in cold events after a few days
B．cold events help corals grow more quickly in a short time
C．corals show no response to hot temperatures in the first days
D．corals are whitened mainly because of warm temperatures
小題4:Scientists reached the conclusion through              .
A．news reportB．scientific studyC．great imaginationD．natural conditions

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

New crime prediction software should reduce not only the murder rate, but the rate of other crimes. Developed by Richard Berk, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, the software has already used in Baltimore and Philadelphia to predict which individuals on probation(緩刑) or parole(假釋) are most likely to murder and to be murdered.
“When a person goes on probation or parole he is supervised(監(jiān)督) by an officer. The question is ‘what level of supervision is appropriate?’” said Berk. It used to be that parole officers used the person’s criminal record, and their judgment to make decisions.
“This research replaces those seat-of-the –pants calculations,” he said.
Technology helps determine level of supervision. On average there is one murder for every 100,000 people. Even among high-risk groups the murder rate is one in 100. Predicting such a rare event is very difficult, but advances in computer technology works.
Years ago, the researchers made a dataset of more than 60,000 various crimes. Using the software they developed, they found some much more likely to commit murder when paroled or probated. They could identify eight future murderers out of 100.
Berk’s software examines roughly two dozen variables(可變因素), from criminal record to geographic location. The type of crimes, and more importantly, the age at which that crime was committed, were two of the most predictive variables.
“People assume that if someone murdered then they will murder in the future,” said Berk. “ What really matters is what that person did as a young individual. Predicting future crimes sounds well. But we aren’t anywhere near being able to do that.”
“Berk’s scientific answer leaves policymakers with difficult questions. By labeling one group of people as high risk, and supervise them closely, there should be fewer murders, which the potential victims should be happy about. It also means that those high-risk individuals will be supervised more aggressively. For human rights advocates, that means punishing people who, most likely, will not commit a crime in the future,” said Bushway. “It comes down to a question of whether you would rather make these errors or those errors.”
小題1:The underlined words(in Para.3) probably mean___. 
A．calculations based on subjective opinions
B．calculations based on widespread voting
C．calculations made by advanced technology
D．calculations based on serious considering
小題2:For 650 people with crime records, how many potential murderers would the software find?
A．6.5.B．13.C．52.D．65.
小題3:From Para 7, we can infer that______.
A．the technology developed by Richard Berk will soon be widely used in the US
B．the technology would not be widely accepted in the short term
C．whether a person murders or not largely decided by his upbringing while young
D．if a person murdered when he was fifty, he is sure to murder again while on probation
小題4:Bushway’s attitude to the technology put forward by Richard Berk is ____.
A．positiveB．negativeC．objectiveD．indifferent
小題5:Which would be the best title for the passage?
A．Closely Supervise Potential Murders
B．Measures Taken to Prevent Criminal Behavior
C．Technology Revolutionizes Judges’ Way of Working
D．Software is Developed to Predict Criminal Behavior

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

An estimated 80 percent of American adults think music lessons, though at times boring and challenging in the eyes of some kids, improve children’s ability to learn or their performance in school . They say that the satisfaction for learning to play a new song helps a child express creativity.
Researchers at Harvard University, however, have found that there’s one thing musical training does not do. Samuel Mehr, the leading researcher of the new study, said it is wrong to think that learning to play a musical instrument improves a child’s intellectual development. The evidence comes from studies that measured the mental ability of two groups of 4-year-olds and their parents. One group attended music class; the comparison group went to a class that places importance on the optical arts-arts that can be seen.
“We found no evidence for any advantage on any of these tests for the kids participating in these music classes,” said Mehr.
Samuel Mehr says researchers have carried out many studies in an effort to learn whether musical training can make children smarter. Only one study seems to show a small percentage increase in IQ, intellectual scores among students after one year of music lessons.
He does not believe that IQ is a good measure of a child’s intelligence. Therefore, the researchers in his study compared how well children in the musical training group did on mental processing tasks, then the results were compared to those of children who did not take lessons.
Music lessons may not offer children a fast easy way to gain entry to the best schools later of their life, but the training is still important.
Mr Mehr notes that the works of writer William Shakespeare are not taught , so the children will do better in physics. He says Shakespeare is taught because it is important for cultural reasons.“And I don’t think music needs to be any different than that.”
小題1:What attitude do most American grown-ups have towards music lessons? _________
A．Uninterested B．Approving C．Doubtful D．Uncertain
小題2:The underlined word“optical”in Paragraph 2 probably means       .
A．visual B．colorful C．traditional D．serious
小題3:According to Samuel Mehr, _________ .
A．many studies show that music training can improve IQ
B．IQ is a good measure of a child’s intelligence
C．music can enable a child to go to a better school
D．music should be taught for cultural reasons
小題4:The study shows that       .
A．early music training has negative effects
B．musical lessons should be stopped at school
C．musical training doesn’t improve kids’ intelligence
D．playing musical instrument makes kids more creative

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Chinese parents are very generous when it comes to educating their children. Not caring about the money, parents often send their children to the best schools or even abroad to England, the United States or Australia. They also want their children to take extra-course activities where they will either learn a musical instrument or ballet, or other classes that will give them a head start in life. The Chinese believe that the more expensive an education is, the better it is. So parents will spend an unreasonable amount of money on education. Even poor couples will buy a computer for their son or daughter.
However, what most parents fail to see is that the best early education they can give their children is usually very cheap.
Parents can see that their children’s skills vary, skilled in some areas while poor in others. What most parents fail to realize, though, is that today’s children lack self-respect and self-confidence.
The problem is that parents are only educating their children on how to take multiple-choice tests and how to study well, but parents are not teaching them the most important skills they need to be confident, happy and clever.
Parents can achieve this by teaching practical skills like cooking, sewing and doing other housework.
Teaching a child to cook will improve many of the skills that he will need later in life. Cooking demands patience and time. It is an enjoyable but difficult experience. A good cook always tries to improve his cooking, so he will learn to work hard and gradually finish his job successfully. His result, a well-cooked dinner, will give him much satisfaction and a lot of self-confidence.
Some old machines, such as a broken radio or TV set that you give your child to play with will make him curious and arouse his interest. He will spend hours looking at them,tying to fix them ,your child might become an engineer when he grows up. These activities are not only teaching a child to read a book, but rather to think, to use his mind. And that is more important.
小題1:Parents in China according to this passage    .
A．a(chǎn)re too strict with their children
B．a(chǎn)re too rich to educate their children
C．have some problems in educating their children correctly
D．have no problems in educating their children strictly
小題2:The writer of the passage does not seem to be satisfied with    .
A．the parents’ ideas of educating their children
B．the education system of the school
C．children’s skills in cooking at home
D．children’s hobbies in the classroom
小題3:Doing some cooking at home helps children    .
A．learn how to serve their parents
B．learn how to become strong and fat
C．get a lot from it and prepare themselves for the future
D．make their parents believe that they are clever
小題4:According to the last paragraph we can conclude that    .
A．broken radios and television sets are useful
B．one’s interest and curiosity may be useful for his later life
C．a(chǎn)n engineer must fix many broken radios
D．a(chǎn) good student should spend much time repairing radios

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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

There is some unwelcome news for students preparing for exams and officers putting in long hours-----you don't need the break as much as you may think that makes you feel less tired.
Scientists have long assumed that willpower (意志力) is a limited resource, which is why you feel the need to have a rest, have a snack and come back to a task when you're feeling better. They argued that the only way to restore willpower was by rest, food or entertainment.
But psychologists have challenged this theory, saying weak willpower is all in your head. They found that people's beliefs in willpower determine how long and how well they'll be able to work on a tough mental exercise. "If you think of willpower as something that's limited, you're more likely to be tired when you perform a difficult task," said Prof.Veronika Job. "'But if you think of willpower as something that is not easily used up, you can go on and on."
The researchers designed four experiments to test students'-beliefs in willpower. After a tiring task, those, who believed or were led to believe that willpower is a limited resource, performed worse on standard concentration tests than those who thought of willpower as something they had more control over. They also found that leading up to final exam week, students who believed the limited resource theory ate junk food 24 percent more often than those who believed they had more control in resisting temptation (誘惑).
Mr. Job said. "The theory that willpower is a limited resource is interesting, but it has had unintended consequences. Students who may already have trouble studying are being told that their power of concentration is limited, and they need to take frequent breaks. But a belief in willpower as a non-limited resource makes people stronger in their ability to work through challenges.'"
The findings could help people who are" battling temptation. Willpower isn't driven by a biologically based process as much as we used to think. The belief in it is what influences your behavior.
小題1:The theory that willpower is limited supports that _________.
A．people must eat snacks when they feel tired
B．people do need a break to restore their willpower
C．there’s no way to strengthen people’s willpower
D．weak willpower doesn’t affect people’s life much
小題2:What have the scientists long believed regarding willpower?
A．It is in the charge of people.
B．It is a limited resource.
C．There is no way to restore willpower.
D．It doesn’t easily run out.
小題3:Which of the following best helps the students to prepare better for their exams?
A．Push themselves even if they want to take a break.
B．Don’t eat fast food while studying.
C．Remind themselves willpower is not limited.
D．Stay in a comfortable and quiet place.
小題4:The following groups can benefit from the findings except
A．patients following strict diets
B．children liking to watch TV
C．smokers trying to give up smoking
D．employees facing a new but well-paid task
小題5:What’s the best title for the passage?
A．A new theory about willpowerB．How to build strong willpower
C．The great influence of willpowerD．Willpower doesn’t last long

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