Question

    Music. We hear it everywhere, every day. Getting into a lift, going around a supermarket or simply relaxing at home, music is our constant companion. And music can have a significant effect on the way we think and feel, so it's worth paying attention to what we're listening to.

Music can have a powerful effect on our moods, in terms of both reducing and increasing stress. Listening to calm gentle music in bed can help us drop off to sleep. Some airlines play smoothing music on board planes at take-off and landing, to calm nervous travelers. Athletes often listen to fast loud music to help them prepare for games. The American swimmer Michael Phelps is known to listen to rap music before important races to help pump him up.

The mood-altering effect of music can be especially acute for the people who actually play the music. Musicians who do not have high self-esteem (自尊心) can suddenly overflow with confidence once they go on stage. It's as though the music gives them a different personality.

And it's not only those who feel ill at ease with themselves who can benefit. Scientists have conducted research into the effect of music on students studying for exams. They found that listening to calm music with a regular beat can actually help students recall facts and improve their performance in exams. Classical music, preferably something by Mozart, seems to have the most beneficial effect. A word of caution, however: it's best not to over-rely on this method, as you won't be able to listen to music in an exam.

For most of us though, music is one of life's great pleasures. And it's a pleasure that endures. Researchers have found that we don't often grow out of the music that we love as teenagers, because our musical tastes are such a huge part of our identity, personality and outlook on life. So don't delete those songs you downloaded when you were fifteen - you'll probably still love them when you're fifty.

1.What would be the best kind of music to play to nervous drivers stuck in traffic jam?

A.Rap music. B.Gentle classical music.

C.Cheerful folk music. D.Heavy metal music.

2.The word "acute" in paragraph 3 most probably means _______ in the passage.

A.powerful B.controllable

C.complex D.opposite

3.Which of the following statements about music is true according to the passage?

A.Pop music improves students' academic performance.

B.Music has magic power to change musicians' personality.

C.Music generally influence people's thoughts and emotions.

D.Sportsmen listen to fast music to relieve their stress before games.

4.What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A.Musical tastes affect our characters to a great extent.

B.We have to find ways to make the pleasure of music last.

C.We will be fond of different kinds of music as we grow up.

D.A part of our personality and tastes are well developed in our teens.

Answer

1.B

2.A

3.C

4.A

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。文章主要说明了音乐对人的思想和情感有很大的影响。文章说明了不同的音乐对人们情绪的影响不同，以及研究人员还发现音乐在很大程度上能影响人们的性格。

1.推理判断题。根据第二段中Some airlines play smoothing music on board planes at take-off and landing, to calm nervous travelers. (一些航空公司在飞机起飞和降落时播放舒缓的音乐，以安抚紧张的旅客)可推知，对于堵车的司机来说，听温和舒缓的古典音乐最好。故选B。

2.词义猜测题。根据后文Musicians who do not have high self-esteem can suddenly overflow with confidence once they go on stage. It's as though the music gives them a different personality. 可知，没有高度自尊的音乐家一旦走上舞台就会突然充满自信。就好像音乐赋予了他们不同的个性。即音乐对情绪的改变作用对于真正演奏音乐的人来说尤其强大。故划线单词意思是“强大的”。故选A。

3.细节理解题。根据第一段中And music can have a significant effect on the way we think and feel, so it's worth paying attention to what we're listening to. (音乐对我们的思想和感受有很大的影响，所以我们应该注意听什么)可知，音乐通常影响人们的思想和情感。故选C。

4.推理判断题。根据最后一段中Researchers have found that we don't often grow out of the music that we love as teenagers, because our musical tastes are such a huge part of our identity, personality and outlook on life. (研究人员发现，我们在青少年时期喜欢的音乐并不多，因为我们的音乐品味在我们的身份、个性和人生观中占了很大一部分)可推知，音乐品味在很大程度上影响我们的性格。故选A。