Question

For some people, music is no fun at all. About four percent of the population is what scientists call “amusic.” People who are amusic are born without the ability to recognize or reproduce musical notes (音调). Amusic people often cannot tell the difference between two songs. Amusics can only hear the difference between two notes if they are very far apart on the musical scale.

As a result, songs sound like noise to an amusic. Many amusics compare the sound of music to pieces of metal hitting each other. Life can be hard for amusics. Their inability to enjoy music set them apart from others. It can be difficult for other people to identify with their condition. In fact, most people cannot begin to grasp what it feels like to be amusic. Just going to a restaurant or a shopping mall can be uncomfortable or even painful. That is why many amusics intentionally stay away from places where there is music. However, this can result in social isolation( 隔离). “I used to hate parties,” says Margaret, a seventy-year-old woman who only recently discovered that she was amusic. By studying people like Margaret, scientists are finally learning how to identify this unusual condition.

Scientists say that the brains of amusics are different from the brains of people who can appreciate music. The difference is complex, and it doesn’t involve defective hearing. Amusics can understand other nonmusical sounds well. They also have no problems understanding ordinary speech. Scientists compare amusics to people who just can’t see certain colors.

Many amusics are happy when their condition is finally diagnosed . For years, Margaret felt embarrassed about her problem with music. Now she knows that she is not alone. There is a name for her condition. That makes it easier for her to explain. “When people invite me to a concert, I just say, ‘No thanks, I’m amusic,’” says Margaret. “I just wish I had learned to say that when I was seventeen and not seventy.”

1.Which of the following is true of amusics?

A. Listening to music is far from enjoyable for them.

B. They love places where they are likely to hear music.

C. They can easily tell two different songs apart.

D. Their situation is well understood by musicians.

2.According to paragraph 3, a person with “defective hearing” is probably one who _________.

A. dislikes listening to speeches

B. can hear anything nonmusical

C. has a hearing problem

D. lacks a complex hearing system

3.In the last paragraph, Margaret expressed her wish that __________.

A. her problem with music had been diagnosed earlier

B. she were seventeen years old rather than seventy

C. her problem could be easily explained

D. she were able to meet other amusics

4.What is the passage mainly concerned with?

A. Amusics’ strange behaviours.

B. Some people’s inability to enjoy music.

C. Musical talent and brain structure.

D. Identification and treatment of amusics.

Answer

1.A

2.C

3.A

4.B

【解析】

试题分析:文章讲述的是世界上有一群天生不喜欢听音乐的人，被称之为amusic，这些人听力上没有任何问题，只是不喜欢听音乐，也无法欣赏音乐。很多人在之前都因此而苦恼，现在有了科学的解释，他们可以摆脱那种尴尬、不自在的处境了。

1.A推理判断题。根据第一段“For some people, music is no fun at all”可知，A项正确，意为，“对于某些人来说，听音乐并不是开心的事情”和A项的听音乐对他们来说远非是愉快的相同。因此，B项也是错误的。根据第一段的“People who are amusic are born without the ability to recognize or reproduce musical notes (音调). Amusic people often cannot tell the difference between two songs. ”可知，CD两项错误，故选A。

2.C词义猜测题。该段前两句讲的是不爱听音乐的人和喜欢听音乐的人是不同的，他们之间的区别很复杂，但是那have no problems understanding ordinary speech. ”又讲到了这些不爱听音乐的人在理解其他非音乐的声音或者演讲的时候是没有问题的，目的是为了强调他们是正常的，没有什么缺陷的，因此defective hearing指的是C项的a hearing problem,即听觉有问题。句意为，他们之间的区别是很负责的，但并不包括听觉有问题这种情况，故选C。

3.A细节理解题。根据I just wish I had learned to say that when I was seventeen and not seventy.意为，我希望我在十七岁的时候就学会了这样说（指的是No thanks, I’m amusic这句，意为，谢谢你，我是一个不喜欢听音乐的人），而不是到了七十岁才学会。从最后一段我们知道，their condition is finally diagnosed (诊断)他们的这种状况终于最后确诊了，他们都属于amusic，但是这来的太迟了，对于Margaret来说，因为之前她总是Margaret felt embarrassed about her problem感到很尴尬，因此她希望她年轻的时候，就可以有现在这样的诊断，故选A。

4.

考点：考查科教类短文阅读

【名师点睛】

科教类阅读应对策略：

1、要想做好科普英语阅读理解题，同学们就要注意平时多读科普知识类文章，学习科普知识，积累常见的科普词汇，从根本上提高科普英语的阅读能力。

2、要熟悉科普类文章的结构特点。科普类文章一般由标题(Head line)，导语(Introduction)，背景(Back ground)，主体(Main body)和结尾(End)五部分构成。标题是文章中心思想高度而又精辟的概括，但根据历年的高考情况来看，这类阅读理解材料一般不给标题，而要同学们选择标题。导语一般位于整篇文章的首段。背景交待一个事实的起因。主体则对导语概括的事实进行详细叙述，这一部分命题往往最多，因此，阅读时，同学们要把这部分作为重点。结尾往往也是中心思想的概括，并与导语相呼应，命题者常在此要设计一道推理判断题。

3、在进行推理判断时，同学们一定要以阅读材料所提供的科学事实为依据，同时所得出的结论还应符合基本的科普常识。如第24小题，题干为Which of the following is true of amusics，可只要根据文中的线索得出答案，通过推理判断可知For some people, music is no fun at all”有些人不喜欢音乐，A项正确。

任何一种阅读方法或技巧的使用，都是由篇章特点和试题本身的要求决定的，应根据不同的体裁和试题要求采取不同的策略。

1、浏览。浏览的主要目的就是确定文章的体裁。如果文章属于人物传记、记叙文、故事、科普小品和有关社会文化、文史知识的文章，一般来说，应该先看看文章的试题考查内容，对题目类型做到心中有数，针对不同问题，在通读时有粗有细地去阅读，这样不仅能把握篇章的基本结构和逻辑线索，也能做好有关具体事实信息考查的试题。

2、挖掘寓意，掌握中心思想，推出结论。任何文章，作者在行文时都有一定的写作目的和主要话题。在通读篇章时应该吃透作者的写作意图，抓住文章的主题句，充分发挥自己的想象力和概括力，作出对中心思想的归纳和结论的推断。 如第27小题，题干为What is the passage mainly concerned with?，可知要求同学们掌握文章的主体意思，通读全文可知全文主要讲述的是不喜爱听音乐的一类人，被称之为amusic，他们之前都没有得到统一的诊断或者认识，直到现在，选B项。

3、把握篇章结构，利用上下文进行推测。高考中的阅读理解篇章往往是一个较完整的短文，其结构、思想，前后上下连贯统一。考试时应充分利用这一特点推测一些生词、短语在句中的含义，切莫盲目孤立猜测。

4、综观全篇，前后呼应。这是阅读理解的最后一步，在做完阅读理解题后，要立足于文章整体，再迅速读一遍短文，短文中的问题和答案的设置前后都是相关联的，有着一定的连续性，体现着文章的基本脉络。