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(培养) 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(观看者)”, a researcher said.
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
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
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
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.
J.K. Rowling set children’s imaginations on fire. Can the creator of Harry Potter do the same for a grown-up audience? The British author will find out on September 27, when more than 2 million hardcover(精装书) copies of her first novel for adults hit bookstores in the UK and the US, along with the digital edition. Set in a little English town, The Casual Vacancy is about an election held after an unexpected death.
Michael Pietsch, Rowling’s US publisher, says the novel reminded him of Dickens “because of the humanity, the humor, the social concerns, the intensely real characters”. No magic though, apparently: “This book isn’t Harry Potter”, says Pietsch. “It is a completely different concern”. As with Harry Potter, there are no advance copies for the media, no early reviews. To date, the seven-book series has sold more than 450 million copies worldwide, and it became one of the most successful movie franchises in July 21, 2007.
Back then, fans could buy books at midnight parties hosted by bookstores. But recent years have seen a great challenge for brick-and-mortar(实体的) bookstores. People are still buying books, indeed more books than in 2007, according to figures released by the Association of American Publishers. But they are reading them in a new format(样式)—the e-book. The Harry Potter series just became available digitally for the first time in April. It will be different for The Casual Vacancy, with the publisher simultaneously releasing an e-book. For Rowling fans who once queued up for Harry Potter, this means that instant satisfaction is now only a click away.
Moving from children’s books to adult literature is a big transition. Will Rowling’s new book be successful? Arthur Levine, the US co-editor of the Harry Potter books, seems confident: “If you read or re-read the Harry Potter books, you can see that Rowling has all the strengths she needs for great success as a fiction writer –you have great characters, an involving plot, a sense of humor and great empathy”.
1.In Paragraph 2, what Michael Pietsch says means that_____.
A. Dickens’ works are too impressive to forget.
B. J.K. Rowling has all the strengths of Dickens.
C. The new book is similar to Dickens’ works in some way.
D. The new book is quite different from the works of Dickens.
2.The underlined word “simultaneously” has the closest meaning with“______”.
A. willingly B. meanwhile C. especially D. eventually
3.What’s the main purpose of Paragraph 3?
A. To explain why the new book will have a digital edition.
B. To show the Harry Potter series are popular with readers.
C. To compare J.K. Rowling’s old books and her new book.
D. To clarify the great challenges for brick-and-mortar bookstores.
4.What do the Harry Potter series and The Casual Vacancy have in common?
A. They are both intended for children.
B. They both show the author’s great talent.
C. Their characters both have magical power.
D. Both of them won’t be read on the Internet.
At the age of 11, Peter Lynch started caddying(当球童) at Brae Burn Country Club in Newton, Mass. “It was better than a newspaper carrier, and much more profitable,” the Fidelity vice chairman recalls. He kept it up during the summers for almost a decade. “You get to know the course and can give the golf players advice about how to approach various holes,” he says. “Where else, at age 15 or 16, can you serve as a trusted adviser to high-powered people?”
One of those people was George Sullivan, then president of Fidelity’s funds, who was so impressed with Lynch’s smarts that he hired him in 1966. “There were about 75 applicants for 3 job openings,” Lynch says now. “But I was the only one who had caddied for the president for 10 years.”
In between caddying and managing money, Lynch went to Boston College on a scholarship from a program called the Francis Ouimet Fund. Named after the 1913 winner of the U.S. Open, the fund launched in 1949 which is open to Massachusetts kids only. Ouimet executive director Robert Donovan says, “Help with college is a logical extension of friendly relation between golfers and their favorite caddies, because there is a close tie to train up them to be excellent that happens between the players and the kids who carry their golf poles. And for the teens, caddying is all about being around successful role models.”
It is obvious that caddies who are finally successful include all kinds of outstanding personnel, from actor Bill Murray, to New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, to former GE chairman and CEO Jack Welch.
Of course, the great number of financial giants who caddied in their youth might be coincidence, but Dick Connolly thinks not. “Caddying life teaches you a lot about business, and about life,” he says. “You learn to show up early and look people in the eye when you shake their hand, and you learn how to read people -- including who’s likely to cheat and who isn’t.” Connolly is a longtime investment advisor at Morgan Stanley’s Boston office, a former Ouimet scholarship student and, along with Peter Lynch and Roger Altman, one of the program’s biggest supporters. He wants to share the most important lesson he learned on the links, so he says: “One golfer I caddied for told me that if you want to succeed in any field -- golf or business -- you have to spend a lot of lonely hours, either practicing or working, when you’d rather be partying with your friends. That’s true, and it stuck with me.”
1.Which of the following may Peter Lynch agree about caddying?
A. He could have a relaxing job as a caddie.
B. He could make more money from the golf players.
C. His duty was to advise the players how to play golf.
D. His caddying experiences contributed to his later career.
2.Why was the Francis Ouimet Fund set up to support Massachusetts kids only?
A. Because of the advice from the rich golf players.
B. Because of those giants with caddying experiences.
C. Because of the great success the caddies have achieved.
D. Because of the friendly relation between golfers and their caddies.
3.According to Dick Connolly, caddying experience in your youth_____.
A. helps you learn to live with loneliness
B. teaches you a lot about business and life
C. makes it possible to meet with great people
D. offers you chances to communicate with others
4.Which of the following may be the best title for the passage?
A. Legend of Peter Lynch.
B. An introduction of Golf Caddying.
C. Golf Caddying into Future Success.
D. Five Giants with Caddying Experiences.
There are two things I can count on my dad asking every time he calls me: “Is there anything I can do for you?” and “How’s the car?” I guess he asks what he can do for me because his dad (an air force officer) was never really there for him, and he’s determined to provide me with the support he lacked. During my youth he never missed a school play or softball game. In fact, he was so supportive that I sometimes longed for one of those dads who dressed better and cared less. But my dad would forever be the guy wearing shorts with dress shoes and black socks, cheering me on, expecting greatness.
His other standard question—How’s the car? -- used to strike me as a waste of long-distance dollars from a man who once suggested making a list of what you want to talk about before calling someone out of state. What I now realize is that “How’s the car?” is not about the car. It’s a father’s way of asking his adult daughter how she is doing. The advantage is that if there’s something wrong with the car, he knows what to do about it and how much it will cost, whereas if you’re having problems about marriage or doubting a career choice, he might have to act Mom on the line.
At age thirty I finally took the plunge(跳进) into adulthood by renting a car without my dad’s help or advice. I’m sure my dad was hurt rather than proud. Though a daughter’s independence is evidence of a job well done, it still implies the job’s done, and many fathers are unwilling to retire. Even when my dad was overworked, he’d happily jump on a plane if I said I needed help. His frequent question “Is there anything I can do for you?” underlines the fact that he wishes there was still something he could provide. It’s interesting: Even though we’re tied by blood and I love him no matter what, he still seems to need a concrete function -- suggesting stocks, finding the cheapest plane fare -- to feel he has a role in my life.
1.In the author’s opinion, her father always attended her school plays or softball games to_____.
A. satisfy any demand she made to him
B. show his interest and watch them for fun
C. make up what he was previously short of
D. expect his daughter would be great in games
2.The author has learned that by asking “How is the car?”, her father is actually_____.
A. reminding her not to waste money
B. asking how his daughter is getting along
C. expressing his concern for her daughter’s safety
D. asking his daughter if the car breaks down or not
3.According to the author, her father, like many other fathers, is unwilling to retire probably because_____.
A. he wants to continue to earn money
B. he is doubtful of children’s independence
C. he won’t put an end to caring for his children
D. he is afraid of losing connection with children
4.We can safely draw a conclusion from the story that in the author’s eye her father_____.
A. has a strong passion for his work
B. has the deepest love for his children
C. has great interest in his daughter’s car
D. has too much control over his children
Three boys and three girls boarded the bus to Fort Lauderdale, dreaming of golden beaches as the gray cold of New York disappeared behind them. They noticed an old man, who sat in front of them, dressed in a plain, ill-fitting suit, never , and his dusty face his age.
He was in his seat like a stone, and the young people began to about him, trying to his life and his age. Deep into the night, outside Washington, one of the girls went up to him and introduced herself. “Want some wine?” He took the glass and drank.
Slowly and he told his story. His name was Vingo, he had been in in New York for the past four years, and now he was going home. “When I was in prison I wrote to my wife,” he said. “I told her that I was going to be away for a long time, and that if she couldn't it, if the kids kept asking questions, if it too much, she could just forget me, I'd understand.”
“Last week, knowing I would be , I wrote her again. We used to live in Brunswick and there's a big oak tree just as you come into town. I told her that if she would me back, she should put a yellow handkerchief on the tree, and I'd and come home with her. If she didn't me, forget it, no handkerchief, and I'd go on through.”
“Wow,” the girl exclaimed. She told the others, and soon all of them put their faces against the window, waiting for the of Brunswick.
Then Brunswick was ten miles, and then five. Then, suddenly, all of the young people were up out of their seats, screaming , all except Vingo. Vingo sat there , looking at the oak tree. It was almost with yellow handkerchiefs, 20 of them, 30 of them, maybe hundreds, a tree that stood like a huge flag of , blowing in the wind. As the young people shouted, the old man rose and his way to the front of the bus to go home.
1.A. moving B. leaning C. stopping D. heading
2.A. proved B. masked C. betrayed D. abandoned
3.A. rooted B. annoyed C. relaxed D. alarmed
4.A. hear B. care C. wonder D. speak
5.A. bother B. describe C. imagine D. know
6.A. away B. in C. out D. over
7.A. terribly B. eagerly C. painfully D. casually
8.A. hospital B. prison C. company D. work
9.A. support B. believe C. stand D. ignore
10.A. lasted B. influenced C. cost D. hurt
11.A. hopeless B. convenient C. successful D. free
12.A. take B. refuse C. call D. write
13.A. get out B. get off C. get on D. get in
14.A. remember B. believe C. miss D. accept
15.A. entrance B. beauty C. existence D. approach
16.A. amazingly B. joyfully C. definitely D. desperately
17.A. shocked B. puzzled C. terrified D. depressed
18.A. covered B. surrounded C. spotted D. dotted
19.A. wishes B. welcome C. victory D. success
20.A. felt B. forced C. made D. pushed
The closer the blood relationship between two people, the closer they are in intelligence. If we take two unrelated people _____, their degree of intelligence might be completely different.
A. at ease B. at random C. in the flesh D. in many ways
