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(zhǎng)) 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.
小題2:The underlined word “ auditory ” in Paragraph 5 probably means “ __________”.
A．of the bodyB．connected with seeing
C．of the mindD．connected with hearing
小題3:It was believed but not proved that listening to classical music could __________.
A．a(chǎn)dd to your intelligenceB．improve your speech
C．boost your memoryD．make you think faster
小題4:According to Kraus, musical training contributes to the following EXCEPT __________.
A．body fitnessB．the way to speak
C．langugage learningD．mental concentration

小題1:C
小題1:D
小題1:A
小題1:A
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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：完形填空

It is interesting how NASA(美國(guó)航天航空局) chose their astronauts for landing them on the moon. They chose men   36  the ages of twenty and thirty-five. There were about fifty of them. Some were   37  air pilots, and  38  were scientists with two or three degrees. NASA telephoned each man they were going to choose, told him the plans and the   39  they might get into. They then asked him if he was willing to be trained as an astronaut, “How could any man   40  such an exciting job?” One of them said, “Dangerous? Of course. It’s dangerous   41  most exciting.”
The health and physical condition of the people was,  42 , very necessary. Only those in very good health and physical condition were   43 .
While being trained to be astronauts, they went through many   44 . They studied the star and the moon, and they also studied geology, the science of rocks. This was necessary   45  astronauts would have to look for rocks on the moon. They would try to find rocks which might help to tell the   46  of the moon. They were all   47  to fly in helicopters. There helicopters landed straight down to give them some   48  of the way the spaceship would actually land on the   49 . They were also taught the known facts about the   50  in space. They learnt about all the scientists and engineers who   51  spaceships. They visited the   52 where spaceships were repaired. They learnt how every   53  of a spaceship and its instruments work. They also learnt every detail of ground-control   54 .
In a word, to be chosen as astronaut, one must be in good   55 , well-informed in science and good at piloting.
小題1:
A．a(chǎn)tB．betweenC．ofD．on
小題2:
A．experiencedB．oldC．handsomeD．retired
小題3:
A．noneB．fewC．othersD．both
小題4:
A．dangersB．sadnessC．realityD．protection
小題5:
A．shareB．treatC．offerD．refuse
小題6:
A．butB．ifC．thoughD．when
小題7:
A．in allB．of courseC．so farD．a(chǎn)t last
小題8:
A．noticedB．chosenC．praisedD．examined
小題9:
A．jobsB．placesC．coursesD．ways
小題10:
A．soB．because C．a(chǎn)s ifD．even though
小題11:
A．sizeB．sceneC．a(chǎn)geD．name
小題12:
A．shownB．trainedC．toldD．a(chǎn)llowed
小題13:
A．a(chǎn)dviceB．experienceC．surpriseD．thought
小題14:
A．waterB．rockC．moonD．earth
小題15:
A．secretsB．traditionsC．theoriesD．conditions
小題16:
A．drewB．developedC．designedD．discovered
小題17:
A．officesB．shopsC．collegesD．factories
小題18:
A．partB．movementC．stepD．body
小題19:
A．methodB．difficultyC．systemD．trick
小題20:
A．shapeB．positionC．orderD．health

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

We know the famous ones—the Thomas Edisons 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 stormy, 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
小題2:Professor Joan McLean’s course aims to_____.
A．a(chǎn)dd 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
小題3:Tommy Lee’s invention of the unbreakable umbrella was _________.
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
小題4:Which 0f the following can best serve as the title of this passage?
A  How to Help Students to Sell Their Inventions to Producers?
B  How to Design a Built-in Device for Cleaning the Window?
C  Shouldn’t We Know Who Invented the Windshield Wiper?
D  Shouldn’t We Develop Invention Courses in Universities?  

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Can you understand the beginning of this essay?
“My smmr hols wr CWOTT. B4, we usd 2go2 NY 2C my bro, his GF & 3 kds FTF.”
The Scottish teacher who received it in class had no idea what the girl who wrote it meant. The essay was written in a form of English used in cell phone text messages. Text messages (also called SMS2) through cell phones became very popular in the late 1990s. At first, mobile phone companies thought that text messaging would be a good way to send messages to customers, but customers quickly began to use the text messaging service to send messages to each other. Teenagers in particular enjoyed using text messaging, and they began to create a new language for messages called texting.
A text message is limited to 160 characters, including letters, spaces, and numbers, so messages must be kept short. In addition, typing on the small keypad of a cell phone is difficult, so it’s common to make words shorter. In texting, a single letter or number can represent a word, like “r” for “are,”“u” for “you,” and “2” for “to.” Several letters can also represent a phrase, like “l(fā)ol” for “l(fā)aughing out loud.” Another characteristic of texting is the leaving out of letters in a word, like spelling “please” as “pls.”
Some parents and teachers worry that texting will make children bad spellers and bad writers. The student who wrote the essay at the top of this page said writing that way was more comfortable for her. (The essay said, “My summer holidays were a complete waste of time. Before, we used to go to New York to see my brother, his girlfriend, and their three kids face to face.”)
Not everyone agrees that texting is a bad thing. Some experts say languages always evolve, and this is just another way for English to change. Other people believe texting will disappear soon. New technology for voice messages may soon make text messages a thing of the past.
小題1:What is the writer’s opinion of text messaging?
A．It is fun and easy to do.
B．It is not bad for children.
C．It will make children bad writers.
D．The writer does not give an opinion.
小題2:Which characteristic of texting is NOT described in the passage?
A．Using phrases to represent essays
B．Using numbers to represent words
C．Using letters to represent phrases
D．Using letters to represent words
小題3:Which of the following was most probably the title of the student’s essay?
A．My Gr8 TchrB．CU in LAC．My GFD．My Smmr Hols
小題4:   Why do some people think that texting is bad?
A．It costs too much.B．It’s too difficult to type.
C．Children won’t learn to write correctly.D．It’s not comfortable.
小題5:Why aren’t some people worried about the effect of texting?
A．Not many people use texting.
B．Spelling in English is too difficult.
C．Children quickly become bored with texting.
D．Texting will disappear because of new technology.

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Do you know that many clowns go to school to learn how to be funny? How would you like to go to that school? You could learn how to walk and talk like a clown. Then you could make people laugh.
Clowns may go to school for a year. There they learn to move in funny ways. They learn to run and jump like different animals. They also learn how to fall down in a special way. They make sure they don’t get injured. They make every move look easy. But really it’s hard work.
In a school clowns decide how they will look. They make funny pants and tops. Then clowns have their funny long shoes made. They also learn to make up their faces. Clowns carefully put special paint on, so they look silly.
They start by making every part of their feces white. Then they use red paint around their mouths to make them look big. Clowns may paint re spots on each side of their faces, too. Big red noses are added. They put on funny hair or funny hats.
Now they look silly. They are ready to go to work! You can see clowns at the circus or parade. They do funny things to surprise people. Ten big clowns may get out of a very small car. Or they may walk on a high rope. Then they almost fall. The faces they make when they try to stand up again make people laugh.
小題1:The word “clown” in this passage refers to ____.
A．a(chǎn) person who tries to make people laugh by this funny looks, clothes and tricks and actions
B．a(chǎn) person who copies others in speaking, actions and way of walking
C．a(chǎn) person who gives performances only to make people laugh.
D．a(chǎn) person whose job is very easy to do.
小題2:Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?
A．Clowns learn to be funny at school to make people laugh
B．Clowns wear strange pants and tops and funny long shoes.
C．Clowns don’t feel frightened when they walk on a high rope.
D．Clowns put on funny hair and hats and make faces
小題3: From the passage, we can learn that clowns play at ____.
A．a(chǎn) paradeB．the circusC．schoolD．both A and B
小題4:From the passage, we can infer that _______.
A．there are quite a number of clown schools in the world
B．people laugh when they watch clowns play at the circus
C．clowns like animals very much so they jump like different animals
D．clowns make people laugh but they seldom laugh

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

There were two interesting pieces of news items in the paper a few years ago. One was about a man who received a bill from the telephone company for $ 2,000 a month for doing nothing.
　　The connection between the two news items is simple; computers-the best invention of the 20th century. The telephone bill came from a computer which made a terrifying mistake; that man’s bill was only $ 23.26. The other item was not as amusing. A man walked into the unguarded computer room of a large packaged food company and expertly programmed the computer to pay him $ 2,000 a month for raw meat which he “supplied ” to the company. Of course he never sent the meat, but he certainly received the money . The computer wrote out a bill, and even “signed ” it. It was only a random (隨便) check that uncovered the trick. It could be happening in thousands of other companies all over the world.
　　Computers are not the magical workers that some people say they are. They make mistakes, they’re sometimes slower than human beings and they’re easily fooled.
　　The US used to conscript (征兵) people with the help of a computer. The army sent out a card, which had to be filled in and sent back. It was easy to avoid being called up simply by spreading candle-wax(臘) on the card. The computer couldn’t read the card, and did nothing with it.
　　It’s in our everyday life that computers cause many problems. Let’s get back to using people instead of computers, before a mistake that we can’t put right.
小題1:In the first paragraph we can conclude ______.
A．the paper is telling a lieB．the first sentence is the topic sentence
C．the two news items made people surprised
D．if a man did nothing at all for the telephone company, he would still get $2,000 a month
小題2:The main idea of the second paragraph is _______.
A．the computers are magical workers
B．the computers can do anything as well as man
C．the computers can write out the bill and even sign it
D．the computers sometimes also make mistakes
小題3:Computers ______.
A．were used to conscript peopleB．a(chǎn)re usually faster than human beings
C．a(chǎn)re not so magical as people expect
D．were not easily controlled and always fooled human beings
小題4:The writer thinks _______.
A．we’d better use people instead of computers in our everyday life
B．we should not use computers because they always make mistakes
C．computers are widely used in our everyday life
D．if we want to work well, don’t use the computers

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

While reading a book in English, every few lines, you run across a word or two that you don't know. You look up every new word in the dictionary. Bad move. All that does is slow you down. Even electric or CD-ROM dictionaries can get in the way of your reading progress. A dictionary is like a road map. It can help you if you get lost and point you in the right direction. But if you stop to look at the "map" each time you take a step, you'll get nowhere fast.
On your English learning "journey", a dictionary can be a helpful "travel companion"—if it's not overused. To help you start thinking in English, use an English-to-English dictionary. Otherwise, you'll always depend on your native language and end up translating in your head.        
A good dictionary can help you do more than just find the meaning of a word. It can help you verify (test and check) spelling, check word forms and grammar usage, find example sentences and learn pronunciation. Some dictionaries even provide exercises to teach you how to use their resources.
Take time to get to know your dictionary. Learn the pronunciation symbols. Understand what the abbreviations(縮寫字) mean. Become familiar with the grammar codes that explain the usage for each word. Look for charts, diagrams and lists that might be useful in the future. You'll discover how rewarding it can be to make friends with your dictionary. And as they say, "A friend in need is a friend indeed".
小題1: The underlined word "that" used in the last paragraph refers to ________.
A．chart, diagrams and lists
B．a(chǎn)bbreviations and the usage for each word
C．the meaning of a word, spelling and grammar usage
D．pronunciation symbols and grammar codes
小題2:Why do you want to buy a good English-to-English dictionary?
A．Because it is a good friend if we use it often.
B．Because it can help us to find the right direction if we get lost.
C．Because it can help us to start thinking both in English and in Chinese.
D．Without it we'll depend on our native language and end up translating in our head.
小題3:Which of the following statements does the writer lead you to believe? 
A．The more you use a dictionary, the better you can understand the article you read.
B．The more you use the resources in the dictionary, the more you can benefit from it.
C．The more you use a dictionary, the faster you may read.
D．The better a dictionary is, the more expensive it is.
小題4: The best title of the passage may be _______.
A．Dictionary is Like a Road Map While We Are Traveling
B．Use a Dictionary When Necessary
C．How Important a Good English-to-English Dictionary is
D．A Dictionary is a Friend Indeed

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

In 1963,former Senator Gaylord Nelson began to worry about our planet (A senator is a person that the people of the United States have chosen to help make the laws.). Senator Nelson knew that our world was getting dirty and that many of our plants and animals were dying .He wondered why most people weren’t trying to solve these problems. He talked to other lawmakers and to the President. They decided that the President would go around the country and tell people about these concerns（關(guān)系重大之事）. He did, but still not enough people were working on the problem.
Then, in 1969, Senator Nelson had another idea. He decided to have a special day to teach everyone about the things that needed changing in our environment .He wrote letters to all of the colleges and put a special article in Scholastic Magazine to tell them about the special day he had planned (Most of the schools got this magazine) and he knew that kids would help him.
On April 22,1970, the first Earth Day was held .People all over the country made promises to help the environment. Everyone got involved and since then, Earth Day has spread all over the planet. People all over the world know that there are problems we need to work on and this is our special day to look at the planet and see what needs changing. Isn’t it great? One person had an idea and kept working until everyone began working together to solve it. See what happens when people care about our world?
小題1:The passage mainly talks about _________.
A．the importance of Earth Day
B．the person who planned the Earth Day
C．the history of Earth Day
D．the first Earth Day
小題2:Why did Senator Gaylord Nelson worry about our planet?_________
A．The world was getting dirty.
B．Many plants and animals were dying.
C．Few people cared about the earth.
D．All of the above.
小題3:From the text, we know that _________ helped him most .
A．the president B．the other lawmakers
C．the collegesD．the students
小題4:It took Nelson ______ years to get the people pay much attention to the earth.
A．10B．7C．6D．1

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Contrary to many people believe, highly intelligent children are not necessarily certain to achieve academic success. In fact, so-called gifted students may fail to do well because they are unusually smart. Ensuring that a gifted child reaches his or her potential requires an understanding of what can go wrong and how to satisfy the unusual learning requirements of extremely bright young people.
One common problem gifted kids face is that they, and those around them, place too much importance on being smart. Such an emphasis can encourage a belief that bright people do not have to work hard to do well. Although smart kids may not need to work hard in the lower grades, when the work is easy, they may struggle and perform poorly when the work gets harder because they do not make the effort to learn. If the academic achievement of highly intelligent children remains below average for an extended period, many teachers will fail to recognize their potential. As a result, such students may not get the encouragement they need, further depressing their desire to learn. They may fall far behind in their schoolwork and even develop behavior problems.
IQ is just one element among many in the recipe for success—Children develop well or struggle in school for a host of reasons apart from IQ. These include motivation and persistence, social competence, and the support of family, educators and friends.
Because highly gifted children solve the most varied thought problems faster and more thoroughly than those with more average talents do, they need additional intellectual stimulation while they wait for the rest of the kids to learn the basics. Two central approaches are used to satisfy the educational needs of such children: acceleration and enrichment. Acceleration means studying material that is part of the standard subjects for older students. Enrichment involves learning information that falls outside the usual subjects.
A child might skip one or more grades as a way of accelerating in school. But being with older children for the entire school day—and perhaps for grade-based extracurricular activities such as sports—can make a child feel inferior in every filed outside of academics. One very bright fourth-grader who had skipped two grades remained far ahead of his classmates intellectually, but as his classmates reached adolescence, his social and other shortcomings became painfully apparent. While acceleration is not an option, or not a good one, enrichment can be. After all, school is not a race but an adventure in learning. As such, the goal is not finishing first but absorbing as much knowledge as possible in the time assigned. Thus, providing opportunities for a child to study topics outside the regular subjects can be at least as valuable as pushing him or her through the required material faster.
小題1:What is the basic reason for the low academic achievement of highly intelligent children?
A．Teachers’ failure to recognize their potential.
B．Too much emphasis on being intelligent.
C．Studying topics outside the regular subjects.
D．Lack of encouragement from teachers.
小題2:According to the passage, which of the following belongs to enrichment activities for talented children?
A．Skipping one of more grades and studying together with older children.
B．Learning the same material in the standard subjects for older students.
C．Learning information that is not included in the regular subjects.
D．Learning how to read with fluency even in their pre-school days.
小題3:Which of the following statements do you think is true about the writer?
A．He is in favor of enrichment rather than acceleration.
B．He is in favor of acceleration rather than enrichment.
C．He speaks highly of both enrichment and acceleration.
D．He thinks neither enrichment nor acceleration is a good choice.
小題4: In this article, the writer wants to ______.
A．point out the weaknesses of acceleration for gifted children
B．compare acceleration with enrichment for gifted children
C．stress the importance of enrichment for gifted children
D．discuss how to bring out gifted children’s potential

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