Music is an art form which deals with the representation of emotion through the medium of sound. It can have a physical effect on us because it is closely linked with emotion, perhaps even more than the abstract nature of words. The number one reason why people listen to music is to adjust their emotional state. 1.
Numerous studies leave us in no doubt that music can affect our mood state and stress level. 2. For example, they have found that background music shuts out distractions. It calms them before a large task and then they can stay focused for longer. Also it can help their creativity and make studying more enjoyable.
3. Firstly, it depends on what the task it. The more difficult the challenge is, the more likely background music will interrupt the learning process. For less challenging learning tasks, music can greatly assist in providing a positive learning state. Secondly, it depends on the characteristics of the music we'll come to in a moment. And thirdly, extroverts(性格外向者)enjoy and often require more external stimulation(刺激)and are likely to handle background noise better than those who are quiet and shy.
Actually, it's not about the type of music, but the natural musical characteristics which aid or disrupt study. One of these characteristics is the tempo(拍子). The recommended tempo for background music is in the range 70-110 beats per minute, slightly faster than the heartbeat at rest. 4. And very slow music lowers the heartbeat, creating a state that might be too relaxed for study purposes.
In addition, lyrics are the most distracting aspect of background musical listening.5.More particularly, studies have found that the most distracting background is fast and familiar vocal music, chosen and liked by the listener.
A. Music is part of every culture in the world.
B. In a very real sense, music connects us with our inner selves.
C. They compete with the same brain regions that process language.
D. Music, like language, is a unique human form of communication.
E. Fast music raises the heartbeat , making one unable to focus on study.
F. There are a few factors that determine the effects of music on studying.
G. Moreover, those who like studying with background music have found a lot of benefits.
Modern inventions have speeded up people’s loves amazingly. Motor-cars cover a hundred miles in little more than an hour, aircraft cross the world inside a day, while computers operate at lightning speed. Indeed, this love of speed seems never-ending. Every year motor-cars are produced which go even faster and each new computer boasts (吹嘘) of saving precious seconds in handling tasks.
All this saves time, but at a price. When we lose or gain half a day in speeding across the world in an airplane, our bodies tell us so. We get the uncomfortable feeling known as jet-lag; our bodies feel that they have been left behind on another time zone. Again, spending too long at computers results in painful wrists and fingers. Mobile phones also have their dangers, according to some scientist; too much use may transmit harmful radiation into our brains, a consequence we do not like to think about.
However, what do we do with the time we have saved? Certainly not relax, or so it seems. We are so accustomed constant activity that we find it difficult to sit and do nothing or even just one thing at a time. Perhaps the days are long gone when we might listen quietly to a story on the radio, letting imagination take us into another world.
There was a time when some people’s lives were devoted simply to the cultivation of the land or the care of cattle. No multi-tasking there; their lives went on at a much gentler pace, and in a familiar pattern. There is much that we might envy about a way of life like this. Yet before we do so, we must think of the hard tasks our ancestor faced: they farmed with bare hands, often lived close to hunger, and had to fashion tools from wood and stone. Modern machinery has freed people from that primitive existence.
1.The new products become more and more time-saving because __________.
A.our love of speed seems never-ending
B.time is limited
C.the prices are increasingly high
D.the manufactures boast a lot
2.What does “the days” in Paragraph 3 refer to ?
A.Imaginary life.
B.Simple life in the past.
C.Times of inventions.
D.Time for constant activity.
3.What is the author’s attitude towards the modern technology?
A.Critical. B.Objective. C.Optimistic. D.Negative.
4.What does the passage mainly discuss?
A.The present and past times.
B.Machinery and human beings.
C.Imaginations and inventions.
D.Modern technology and its influence.
One way to prevent anxiety from getting out of control is to recognize its benefits. It is a mistake to think that we'd make better decisions if only we keep our feelings under control. Instead, a mix of feelings like anxiety and logical(合逻辑的) thinking leads to sound decision- making. It's true that there is plenty of research showing that higher levels of anxiety can make us more likely to avoid risks in our decision-making. There is also evidence that anxiety can increase the attention you pay to relevant information.
Recent studies have shown that people who are anxious about their relationship (for example, they fear to be abandoned) tend to be better at recognizing people who tell lies and are more likely to raise the alarm when danger is present.
In the real world though, it's worth realizing that feeling anxious once in a while is extremely common. It communicates to others that you care, and what's more, it's probably a sign that you are intelligent. At least two published studies have identified that people who score higher on measures of anxiety also tend to perform better on intelligence tests. This seems reasonable: if you're a thinker, you are sure to be always thinking about the future and imagine possible plots, including bad ones.
The important thing, if you are a worrywart (杞人忧天者) , is not to let your fear destroy your dreams. And don't bury your head in the sand. Instead, act on your fears — do the research as well as preparation, so rather than walking blindly into that which you fear, you meet the challenge in full readiness.
When anxiety beats you, or casts a shadow over your life, this is a serious problem. No one is denying that. But like everyday anxiety of this kind that you feel before a presentation or interview, you needn't see it as your enemy. Anxiety is an important feeling, developed through evolution. As for people who are fairly anxious by nature, there is reason for cheer, too. Your nerves (神经紧张) are a sign of your watchfulness. Listen to them and act on them. Then you can turn your nervousness into your advantage.
1.What can we infer from the first paragraph about anxiety?
A.It can enable us to be more focused.
B.It can stop us from thinking logically.
C.It can make us more willing to take risks.
D.It can be the only reason for all bad decisions.
2.What can we learn from the passage?
A.Anxious people are less sensitive to danger.
B.Anxious people have difficulty discovering liars.
C.Feeling anxious is more likely to put people at risk.
D.Feeling anxious occasionally is a sign of intelligence.
3.How should we deal with anxiety in the author's opinion?
A.Regard it as our enemy. B.Take action to control it.
C.Avoid being defeated by it. D.Treat it as a minor feeling.
4.What is the theme of the passage?
A.Effective ways to prevent anxiety. B.Unexpected benefits of anxiety.
C.Tips on how to keep a good mood. D.Common misunderstandings about anxiety.
At school, I was in the top set for maths. My teachers recommended that I study economics and statistics as my A-level subjects, but I had my mind set on a life fulfilled by the arts.
In fact, I was a victim of a gender stereotype made stronger since birth, that men do science and maths and women do arts or languages. Computer science, technology and physics just did not figure in my teenage world view. Nobody popular in my school chose to study those subjects.
Reality struck hard when I began attending job interviews and interviewers would say: “It’s great that you speak foreign languages, but what else do you do?” Nobody asked my friends who had studied science or technology those questions.
A survey recently showed that three of the best-paid jobs for women are in the technology sector. It’s a sector that really can change the world. We must show girls that technology has an effect on every industry out there, from fashion to architecture to journalism. Anybody can learn to code and these days it’s as important as reading and writing. I’ve realized that at university I’d achieved the wrong kind of literacy. Not being able to code limit your impact on the world far more than an ignorance of great literature.
Now I have a five-year-old daughter. I don’t want her to blindly follow gender roles the way I did. I want her to know the fact that a science or technical degree will not limit her creativity but expand it and broaden her horizons far more than my arts background could. I’m exposing her to Minecraft and apps, which help improve analytical thinking and problem solving skills. I’m hoping that my daughter will discover and accept her potentials in science and want to change the world.
1.What does the underlined phrase “gender stereotype” in Paragraph 2 refer to?
A.Personal learning style. B.Sex characteristic.
C.Conventional sex concept. D.Profession difference.
2.According to the author, which may be the benefit of learning science?
A.Increasing job possibility. B.Winning popularity.
C.Improving language competence. D.Enriching imagination.
3.How did the author feel for her major choice?
A.Satisfied. B.Active. C.Discouraged. D.Regretful.
4.What may be the best title for the text?
A.Art or Science, Either is OK B.Good Subjects, Good Future
C.Girls, Choose More Wisely D.Catch Chances, Change the World
Submission Guidelines
Before sending us a manuscript（稿件）, look through recent issues（刊物）of the Post to get an idea of the range and style of articles we publish. You will discover that our focus has broadened to include well-researched, timely and informative articles on finance, home improvement, travel, humor, and many other fields.
The Post’s goal is to remain unique, with content that provides additional understandings on the ever-evolving American scene.
In addition to feature-length（专题长度的）articles, the Post buys anecdotes, cartoons, and photos. Payment ranges from $25 to $400.
Our nonfiction needs include how-to, useful articles on gardening, pet care and training, financial planning, and subjects of interest to a 45-plus, home-loving readership. For nonfiction articles, indicate any special qualifications you have for writing about the subject, especially scientific material. Include one or two published pieces with your article. We prefer typed articles between 1000 and 2000 words in length. We encourage you to send both printed and online versions.
We also welcome new fiction. A light, humorous touch is appreciated. We are always in need of straight humor articles. Make us laugh , and we’ll buy it.
Feature articles average about 1000 to 2000 words. We like positive, fresh angles to Post articles, and we ask that they be thoroughly researched.
We normally respond to article submissions within six weeks. You are free to submit the article elsewhere at the same time.
Please submit all articles to Features Editor, The Saturday Evening Post, 1100 Waterway Boulevard, Indianapolis, IN 46202, (317)634-1100.
1.Before sending a manuscript to the Post, a contributor is advised to .
A.get a better understanding of American issues
B.find out the range of the articles in the post
C.increase his knowledge in many fields
D.broaden his research focus
2.to submit nonfiction articles，a contributor must_____.
A.provide his special qualification
B.be a regular reader of the post
C.produce printed version
D.be over 45 year old
3.from the passage we can learn that the post
A.allows article submission within six weeks
B.favor science articles within 2，000 words
C.have a huge demand for humorous works
D.prefers nonfiction to fiction article
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.What does the Golden Rule ask people to do?
A.Develop personal rules
B.Respect their families and ancestors
C.Treat others as they wish to be treated
2.Which is Confucius’ teaching?
A.Governments should be moral
B.Husbands should respect wives
C.People should memorize rules of behavior.
3.How did Confucius teach lessons?
A.Through arguments.
B.Through reasoning
C.Through personal examples
4.What does the speaker say about Confucius?
A.He used to be even more important.
B.He has influenced many cultures.
C.He has little effect on people today.
