If you want to increase your vocabulary, the best way to do it might be to pick up a guitar, or learn the violin. A new study shows that learning to play a musical instrument makes the brain more able to remember words.
“Grown-ups with music training in their childhood can have better memory for words,” said Dr Agnes Chan of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, who did the research. “They can remember things that you tell them better than those who did not have music training when they were young.”
It seems that one can remember spoken words because his brain has a special part. “That part of the brain is larger in musicians than in non-musicians,” Dr Chan told BBC. “If that part of the brain is larger, it may be better developed and so this explains very nicely our results.”
Dr Chan and her workmates came to their conclusion after studying students. Their research is reported in the latest edition of the journal(雜志) Nature. “We did the experiment with 60 girl college students from our university and 30 of them have at least six years training with one western musical instrument (such as the violin and the piano) before the age of 12. The other 30 had received no music training. We tested their memory by reading them some words and asking them to remember these words—a very common test for memory. We found that people who have had music training can remember about 70% more information than those who have not had any music training.”
Dr Chan thinks the process(過程) of learning is more important than the actual instrument used. She also believes if one is able to remember words through learning to play instruments, he or she could have some very real benefits. Dr Chan thinks this could be developed into a medical way for patients who are suffering from memory loss.
小題1: According to the writer, learning to play a musical instrument helps to ______.
A.get more knowledge
B.live more happily
C.remember more words
D.make one become a musician
小題2:Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A.Dr Chan thinks people should have music training when they grow up.
B.Dr Chan thinks the special part of the brain doesn’t need developing.
C.Dr Chan thinks people should have music training when they are young.
D.Dr Chan thinks musicians have a larger brain than non-musicians.
小題3:How many students took part in Dr Chan’s research?
A.30 girl students.B.60 girl students.
C.17% of his students.D.60 girl and boy students.

小題1:C
小題2:C
小題3:B

小題1:細(xì)節(jié)題:從第一段的句子:A new study shows that learning to play a musical instrument makes the brain more able to remember words.可知學(xué)習(xí)一種樂器有助于記憶單詞。選 C
小題2:細(xì)節(jié)題:從第二段的句子:“They can remember things that you tell them better than those who did not have music training when they were young.”可知Dr Chan認(rèn)為人在年輕的時(shí)候要接受音樂訓(xùn)練。選C。
小題3:細(xì)節(jié)題:從第四段的句子:We did the experiment with 60 girl college students from our university and 30 of them have at least six years training with one western musical instrument (such as the violin and the piano) before the age of 12. 可知60個(gè)女學(xué)生參加了陳教授的調(diào)查。選B
練習(xí)冊系列答案
相關(guān)習(xí)題

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Bruce Alberts, the former President of the National Academies (USA), has now taken over as Editor-in Chief of Science. Judging by his editorial in this week’s issue Considering Science Education there could be some interesting times ahead in Science offices.
Here’s part of what Bruce has to say about science education…
I consider science education to be critically important to both science and the world, and I shall frequently deal with this topic on this page. Let’s start with a big-picture view. Science has greatly advanced our understanding of the natural world and has enabled the creation of countless medicines and useful devices. It has also led to behaviors that have improved lives. The public appreciates these practical benefits of science, and science and scientists are generally respected, even by those who are not familiar with how science works or what exactly it has discovered.
But society may less appreciate the advantage of having everyone acquire the ways of thinking and behaving that are central to practice of successful science: scientific habits of mind. These habits include a critical attitude toward established claims and a strong desire for logic and evidence. As famous astronomer Carl Sagan put it, science is our best detector (檢測器). Individuals and societies clearly need a means to logically test the constant clever attempts to operate our purchasing and political decisions. They also need to challenge what is unreasonable, including the intolerance that led to so many regional and global conflicts.
So how does this relate of science education? Might it be possible to encourage, across the world, scientific habits of mind, so as to create more rational (理性的) societies everywhere? In principle, a strong expansion of science education could provide the world with such an opportunity, but only if scientists, educators, and policy-makers redefine (重新定義) the goals of science education, beginning with college-level teaching. Rather than only conveying what science has discovered about the natural world, as is done now in most countries, we should provide first all students with the knowledge and practice of how to think like a scientist.
小題1: Which of the following is NOT included in the “scientific habits of mind”?
A.A critical attitude toward established claims.B.A strong desire for logic.
C.A clever and active mind.D.A strong desire for evidence.
小題2: What does the underlined phrase “such an opportunity” refer to in the last paragraph?
A.To create more rational societies everywhere.
B.To relate decision-making to science education.
C.To encourage science education around the world.
D.To set right goals of science education.
小題3:In Bruce Alberts’ opinion, which is the most important in science education?
A.Offering all students enough practice to drill their mind.
B.Equipping all students with a thinking model of a scientist.
C.Telling students what science has discovered about the natural world.
D.Advising all students to challenge all established scientific achievements.
小題4:Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
A.Bruce Alberts, a great science educator
B.Science education and world peace
C.The government and science education
D.Bruce Alberts’ opinion on science education

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

閱讀下面短文,從每題所給的四個(gè)選項(xiàng)中,選出最佳答案。
Hi, dear boys and girls! Do you know how to be a healthy kid? Here are some rules you should follow.
First, eat different foods, especially fruit and vegetables. You may have a favorite food, but you'd better eat something different, if you eat different foods, you will probably get more nutrients (營養(yǎng)物質(zhì)) your body needs.
Then, drink water and milk as often as possible. When you're really thirsty, cold water is the No. l choice. Milk is a great drink that can give you more calcium (鈣) your body needs to grow strong bones .
Next, listen to your body. How do you feel when you are full? When you are eating, notice how your body feels and when your stomach feels comfortably full. Eating too much will not make you feel comfortable and make you fat.
Afterwards, limit (限制) screen time. Screen time is the time you watch TV, DVDs and videos, or using computers. It is good to take more exercise such as basketball, bike riding and swimming. You can't watch TV for more than two hours a day.
Finally, be active. One thing you'd like to do as a kid is to find out which activity you like best. Find ways to be active every day.
Follow these rules and you can be a healthy kid.
小題1:You have to eat different kinds of foods especially _________.
A.meatB.hamburgers C.sweetsD.fruit and vegetables
小題2:Which kind of drinks can give you more calcium?
A.Juice.  B.Milk.C.Cold water.D.Tea.
小題3:According to the passage, how many rules should you follow if you want to be healthy?
A.Five.  B.Nine.     C.Fifteen.D.Thirteen.
小題4:According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
A.When you're eating, you don't have to pay attention to how your body feels.
B.You can eat your favorite food as much as you can .
C.You can watch TV whenever you like to get more information.
D.We should try to live in an active way in our life.
小題5:Which is the best title of the passage?
A.How to make yourself popularB.How to be a healthy kid
C.How to be a popular kidD.How to make your parents healthy

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

The key to reaching or staying at a healthy weight is regular exercise and good eating habits. Teens should get 60 minutes or more of physical activity a day. Note the word “activity”. As long as you’re getting your body moving, it doesn’t have to mean doing complicated exercises or going to the gym (體育館) every day. All that matters is that each week you get the right balance of activity, including aerobic (有氧健身法的) strength building, and flexibility (柔韌性) exercise. Make exercise a habit by scheduling some every day.
On days when you have soccer practice or an aerobics class, you may have no trouble exercising for an hour or more. But most of us are busy, and 60 minutes a day of activity seems like a lot of time. The good news is that it’s OK to divide it into shorter “exercise breaks” throughout the day. Just as you might have a healthy snack to stop yourself getting hungry, exercise snacks can keep energy level high. So get up 15 minutes earlier and do some yoga or other stretching (伸展) activity. Fast walk or jog (慢跑) for 15 minutes at lunch. Do the same thing after school ­­­­­or walk or bike home. Add to that taking the stairs, gym class, and walking between classes during the day, and you’ve probably reached your 60 minutes.
Here are 5 simple ways to make an exercise lifestyle change:
1. Start today. Go outside for a walk.
2. Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
3. Instead of driving, walk or bike to places like school or a friend’s house.
4. Clean your room or wash the car.
5. Limit your time watching TV, using the computer, or playing video games--and when you do play, try some games that get you moving.
小題1: The underlined phrase “exercise snacks” in the second paragraph probably means ________.
A.food eaten before exercise
B.food eaten during exercise
C.shorter “exercise breaks”
D.a(chǎn) new kind of exercise
小題2:Why should we have exercise snacks every day?
A.Because they can stop us getting hungry
B.Because they can keep energy level high
C.Because they can include many kinds of sports
D.Because they are more likely to relate to our daily life
小題3:Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?
A.To go hiking on your holidays
B.To spend less time on computer games
C.To go to school on foot or by bike
D.To do some housework at home
小題4:What will be most probably discussed in the following paragraph?
A.Losing weightB.Good eating habitsC.Exercising your brainD.Outdoors exercise
小題5: What would be the best title for this passage?
A.Regular exerciseB.School exerciseC.Indoors exercise D.Difficult exercises

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Not all think laughter is the best medicine, but it seems to help.So scientists carried on a new study of diabetes (糖尿。 patients who were given a good dose of humor for a year to prove it.
Researchers divide 20 high-risk diabetic patients into two groups.Both groups were given standard diabetes medicine.Group L viewed 30 minutes of humor of their choice, while Group C, the control group, did not.This went on for a year of treatments.
By two months into the study, the patients in the laughter group had lower level of the hormones epinephrine (腎上腺素), considered to cause stress, which is known to be deadly.After the 12 months, HDL cholesterol rises 26 percent in Group L but only 3 percent in Group           C.In another measure, C-reactive proteins, a maker of heart disease, drop 66 percent in the laughter group but only 26 percent in the control group.
“The best doctors believe that there is a physical good brought about by the positive emotion, happy laughter,” said study leader Lee Berk of Loma Linda University.And other research has found that humor makes us more hopeful.Still, more study is needed, Berk said.The research by Berk found that humor can bring about similar changes in body chemistry, which was proved in the new study.The research result will be presented this month at the meeting in the US.Research at the University of Maryland School of Medicine shows that laughter causes the inner lining of blood vessels to expand, increasing blood flow in a way thought to be healthy.
“Lifestyle choices have an important effect on health and these are choices which we and patients should pay attention to, rather than prevention and treatment,” Berk said in a statement this week.
小題1:Why did the scientists carry on the new research?
A.To find out if laughter was good to health.
B.To discover the best medicine to cure diabetes.
C.Because the number of diabetic patients is the largest in the world.
D.Because diabetic patients need more laughter than other patients.
小題2:After 12 months into the study, ___________.
A.C-reactive proteins increase 66 percent in Group C
B.the level of the hormones epinephrine stays the same in both groups
C.the level of the hormones epinephrine has dropped
D.C-reactive proteins reduced 66 percent in Group L
小題3:The underlined part “HDL cholesterol” in Paragraph 3 must be _______.
A.something bad to our healthB.something good to our health
C.a(chǎn) kind of wonderful medicineD.a(chǎn) kind of dangerous disease
小題4:In what way does laughter benefit people’s health?
A.Blood is made thick by laughter.B.Laughter makes blood vessels thin.
C.Laughter increases blood pressure.D.Laughter makes blood flow fast.
小題5:According to Berk, we should _________.
A.choose lifestyles carefullyB.change our lifestyles
C.prevent our lifestyles in advance D.pay less attention to the positive emotion

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Traditional surgical procedures require surgeons to make large incisions(傷口) in a patient’s body in order to gain access to the internal organs. It was once common for heart surgeons, who perform highly specialized and complex procedures, to make long incisions in a patient’s chest and then split the breastbone to reach the heart. Patients who undergo surgery are often at the risk of infection, as bacteria can infect the cut in the skin. In addition, there is often a lengthy recovery period.
A surgical technique known as “keyhole surgery” has become more common in recent years. In general, the surgeon will make a couple of small incisions around the area where the operation is going to be performed. Tubes are pushed into the holes, and a tiny camera, which is called an endoscope, is put into the body. The camera is attached to a large monitor screen that is positioned so that the doctor can see it while he performs the operation. In addition to the camera, doctors also push their tiny surgical instruments through the tubes. The awkward part of keyhole surgery is that it is counterintuitive; that is to say, if a surgeon wants to move the tool to the left, he or she must push it to the right.
Other advancements in technology are also being used today in the OR (operation room). A new machine called the “da Vinci Surgical System” has been tested in hospitals in the U.S.. Unlike keyhole surgery, the da Vinci’s robot’s moving parts are designed to imitate the natural hand and wrist movement of a surgeon, thus providing better control and sensitivity. The system is controlled by a surgeon from a console(控制臺). Sitting at a console a few feet from the patient, the surgeon can perform an operation by holding and moving highly sensitive pads that enable him or her to control the instruments. The area of the body on which the surgeon is working is enlarged on a screen, which is attached to the console. This gives surgeons a realistic three-dimensional view of the area — similar to what they would see during a traditional surgical procedure.
Although the da Vinci Surgical System is undergoing some trials for some procedures, it has been welcomed as revolutionary by many surgeons. Patients with serious illnesses must still undergo major surgery, but the smaller incisions and less invasive procedures typically mean that a shorter recovery time is needed. In some cases, the patient’s stay in the hospital has been cut in half when the da Vinci Surgical System was used. On the downside, some operations have taken up to fifty minutes longer because surgeons are inexperienced at using the new technology. As surgeons become more familiar with the machines, the time needed for surgical procedures is likely to decrease.
小題1:What can be learned about the traditional surgery according to the passage?
A.The cost of the traditional surgery is very high.
B.It often leaves a large wound in a person’s body.
C.Long incisions are made in a patient’s chest.
D.The incision is often infected after the operation.
小題2: Which of the following is one DISADVANTAGE of keyhole surgery?
A.It requires the use of long, thin tools and a tiny camera.
B.The doctor can not view the inside of the patient’s body clearly.
C.The direction in which a doctor moves the surgical tools is reversed.
D.An endoscope has to be inserted into the patient’s body in advance.
小題3: The da Vinci Surgical System differs from keyhole surgery in that _______.
A.requires that a surgeon make more small incisions on a patient
B.reduces the amount of time it takes to perform a surgical procedure
C.a(chǎn)llows the surgeon to use the surgical instruments more sensitively
D.eliminates the need for surgeons to make large incisions on patients
小題4: The passage mainly tells the reader ________.
A.the challenges brought about by new technology
B.the benefits and drawbacks of the da Vinci Surgical System
C.the reflections on the development in medical science
D.the application of new technologies in modern surgery

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Your chair is your enemy. That is the conclusion of several recent studies. Among people who sit in front of the television for more than three hours each day, those who exercise are as fat as those who don’t.
So what’s wrong with sitting? The answer seems to have two parts. The first is that sitting is one of the most passive things you can do. Compared to sitting, standing in one place is hard work. To stand, you have to tense your leg muscles, and engage the muscles of your back and shoulders; while standing, you often shift from leg to leg. All of this burns energy.
You may think you have no choice about how much you sit. But this isn’t true. Suppose you sleep for eight hours each day, and exercise for one. That still leaves 15 hours of activities. Even if you exercise, most of the energy you burn will be burnt during these 15 hours, so weight gain is often the cumulative(累積的) effect of a series of small decisions: Do you take the stairs or the elevator? Do you walk to the corner store, or drive?
But it looks as though there’s a more sinister aspect to sitting. Some evidence suggests that when you spend long periods sitting, your body actually does things that are bad for you.
Lipoprotein lipase(蛋白脂酶) is a molecule that plays a central role in how the body processes fats. Low levels of lipoprotein lipase are associated with a variety of health problems. Studies in rats show that leg muscles only produce this molecule when they are actively being moved. The result is that when you sit, an important part of your metabolism(新陳代謝) slows down. You may also have a higher risk of suffering from diabetes(糖尿病).
Some people have advanced radical solutions to the sitting syndrome(綜合癥): replace your sit-down desk with a stand-up desk, or watch television in a rocking chair. But whatever you choose, know this. The data is clear; look out for your chair.
小題1:What would be the best title of this passage?
A.Become an Athlete to Be Healthy.
B.Choose a Better Chair for You.
C.How to Speed Up Your Metabolism.
D.Stand Up While You Read This.
小題2:Paragraphs 2 and 3 tell us that         .
A.taking too much exercise harms people’s health
B.sitting a lot reduces the benefits of taking exercise
C.people needn’t depend on exercise to keep healthy
D.healthy people are those who sit less and stand more
小題3:Which of the following is the best advice on how to control our weight?
A.Exercising at least an hour a day.
B.Standing as long as possible.
C.Using our energy actively in daily life.
D.watching TV in a rocking chair.
小題4:The author mentions lipoprotein lipase mainly to          .
A.show that it plays a big part in keeping us healthy
B.tell us that it isn’t produced while we are sitting
C.suggest that we should take less exercise to be healthy
D.prove sitting for long is bad for our body

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

閱讀文章后,從第55至58題所給A、B、C、D四個(gè)選項(xiàng)中,選出最佳答案
America’s No.1 health problem?A report published by the American Institute of Stress claims the biggest threat to health today is neither cancer nor AIDS.The report says:“it has been estimated that 75-90 percent of all visits to primary care physicians are for stress-related problems.’’
It is no exaggeration(夸張)to say that people today are being attacked by stress.According to the National Consumers League,“Work is the top source of stress for adults who have problems and stress in their lives(39%).Other sources include health(10%),concern about the economy(9%)and concern about international conflict and terrorism(4%)”
However, stress is hardly unique to the United States A British survey in 2005 estimated that ‘‘over half a million individuals in Britain believed in 2004 that they were experiencing work-related stress at a level that was making them ill”.As a result of“work-related stress,depression or anxiety”, there are“an estimated thirteen and a half million reported lost working days per year in Britain”
The picture is no less bleak in mainland Europe. According to the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work.“work-related stress has been shown to affect millions of European workers across all types of employment sectors’’ One survey revealed that there are “about 41 million workers affected by work-related stress each year.”
What about Asia?A report issued by a conference held in Tokyo concluded,“Job stress is a common concern among many countries in the world,both developing and industrialized countries”.The report observed that“several countries in East Asia,including China and Korea, have rapidly industrialized and economically grown”.These countries now have a lot of concerns on job stress and its harmful effects on workers’ health.
小題1:Which of the followings is NOT true?
A.Cancer and AIDS are not so threatening as health problems caused by stress.
B.Stress is always from working and living pressure.
C.More than one third of adults suffer from stress problems in America.
D.Stress has become a world-wide problem.
小題2:What does the sentence“The picture is no less bleak in mainland Europe’’ probably mean?
A.There is no hope for mainland Europe.
B.There is no working stress in mainland Europe.
C.The picture in mainland Europe is very beautiful.
D.The stress situation in mainland Europe is serious too.
小題3:We can infer from the last paragraph that      
A.Asian people lead a better life
B.industry and economy have grown rapidly in China
C.some Asians have health problems from employment stress
D.the rapid economical development is the main reason for stress
小題4:What would be the best title for the text?
A.Attacked by StressB.Attention to Health
C.Effects of Stress D.Health Report

查看答案和解析>>

科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解


I have a close friend who has a good family tradition, that is, each year after Thanksgiving dinner, all of the people sit around in the living room and each person takes a few minutes and gives thanks for what really matters and what has added value to their life over the last year. This is something I valued and followed. I have thought about a lot in the last year, and I finally came up with two things.
The first one is the healthiness of my daughter. She’s as healthy as she can be, and her weight and height are in good condition and she has no illnesses or genetic diseases. I am so thankful for having this wonderful baby in my life, and thankful that she has the gift of good health.
Secondly, I am thankful for the discovery of the value of writing in my life. A year ago, my website. The simple Dollar was only a few weeks old and was far from popular, but on Thanksgiving Day Last year it had about three score readers who ordered it in advance. The process of writing was bringing me enjoyment, but I hadn’t yet realized that I could be successful in it and attract many readers. This past year showed me a lot and I am deeply thankful for it.
After thinking for a while, I began to realize that it was a very powerful and wonderful positive exercise. You spend time reflecting deeply on the positive things in your life, and you often realize that even when things are bad, you do have a lot to be thankful for because there is lots of good in your life, and it can shine a bright light even in a dark spot in your life.
72.What is the good family tradition of the author’s friend’s?
A.Learning from the past and planning for the future.
B.Taking about the things that are most worth appreciation.
C.Learning from the strong points of other family members.
D.Having Thanks giving dinner together with family members.
73.The author is thankful for all the following thins EXCEPT      .
A.her success with writing  B.the enjoyment in writing
C.the healthiness of her daughter       D.the founding of a magazine
74.How many people had ordered The simple Dollar by Thanksgiving Day last year?
A.About 30. B.About 20. C.About 60. D.About 40.
75.What’s the purpose of this passage? It tells us that people should         .
A.hold a positive attitude    B.reflect on their mistakes
C.have low expectations of life   D.neglect their disadvantages

查看答案和解析>>

同步練習(xí)冊答案