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.
高三英语阅读理解困难题
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.
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
Music for Humans and Humpback Whales
As researchers conclude in Science, the love of music is not only a universal feature of the human species, but is also deeply fixed in complex structures of the human brain, and is far more ancient than previously suspected.
In the articles that discuss the field of bio-musicology, the study of the biological basis for the creation and appreciation of music, researchers present various evidence to, show that music-making is at once an original human "business", and an art form with skillful performers throughout the animal kingdom.
The new reports stress that humans hold no copyright on sound wisdom, and that a number of nonhuman animals produce what can rightly be called music, rather than random sound. Recent in-depth analyses of the songs sung by humpback whales show that, even when their organ would allow them to do otherwise, the animals converge on the same choices relating to sounds and beauty, and accept the same laws of song composition as those preferred by human musicians, and human ears, everywhere.
For example, male humpback whales, who spend six months of each year doing little else but singing, use rhythms (节奏) similar to those found in human music and musical phrases of similar length—a few seconds. Whales are able to make sounds over a range of at least seven octaves (八度音阶), yet they tend to move on through a song in beautiful musical intervals, rather than moving forwards madly. They mix the sounds like drums and pure tones in a ratio (比例) which agrees with that heard in much western music. They also use a favorite technique of human singers, the so-called A-B-A form, in which a theme is stated, then developed, and then returned to in slightly revised form.
Perhaps most impressive, humpback songs contain tunes that rhyme. "This suggests that whales use rhyme in the same way we do: as a technique in poem to help them remember complex material," the researchers write.
1.The underlined words "converge on" in Paragraph 3 probably means__________.
A. tend towards B. refer to
C. turn into D. put forward
2.Which of the following shows the advanced musical ability in humpback whales?
A. They can remember complex material.
B. They can create pleasing patterns of music.
C. They can make sounds like drums continuously.
D. They can sing along with rhythms of western music.
3.What is the main idea of the article?
A. Animals are able to compose and enjoy music like humans.
B. Human beings borrow ideas in music from humpback whales.
C. Humpback whales are skillful performers in the animal kingdom.
D. Music-making it an ancient activity of both humans and animals.
4.The main purpose of the passage is to __________.
A. argue and discuss B. inform and explain
C. compare and advertise D. examine and assess
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Music for Humans and Humpback Whales As researchers conclude in Science, the love of music is not only a universal feature of the human species, but is also deeply fixed in complex structures of the human brain, and is far more ancient than previously suspected.
In the articles that discuss the field of bio-musicology, the study of the biological basis for the creation and appreciation of music, researchers present various evidence to show that music-making is at once an original human "business", and an art form with skillful performers throughout the animal kingdom.
The new reports stress that humans hold no copyright on sound wisdom, and that a number of nonhuman animals produce what can rightly be called music, rather than random sound.Recent in-depth analyses of the songs sung by humpback whales show that, even when their organ would allow them to do otherwise, the animals converge on the same choices relating to sounds and beauty, and accept the same laws of song composition as those preferred by human musicians, and human ears, everywhere.
For example, male humpback whales, who spend six months of each year doing little else but singing, use rhythms (节奏) similar to those found in human music and musical phrases of similar length—a few seconds.Whales are able to make sounds over a range of at least seven octaves (八度音阶), yet they tend to move on through a song in beautiful musical intervals, rather than moving forwards madly.They mix the sounds like drums and pure tones in a ratio (比例) which agrees with that heard in much western music.They also use a favorite technique of human singers, the so-called A-B-A form, in which a theme is stated, then developed, and then returned to in slightly revised form.
Perhaps most impressive, humpback songs contain tunes that rhyme."This suggests that whales use rhyme in the same way we do: as a technique in poem to help them remember complex material," the researchers write.
1.The underlined words "converge on" in Paragraph 3 probably means__________.
A.tend towards
B.refer to
C.turn into
D.put forward
2.Which of the following shows the advanced musical ability in humpback whales?
A.They can remember complex material.
B.They can create pleasing patterns of music.
C.They can make sounds like drums continuously.
D.They can sing along with rhythms of western music.
3.What is the main idea of the article?
A.Animals are able to compose and enjoy music like humans.
B.Human beings borrow ideas in music from humpback whales.
C.Humpback whales are skillful performers in the animal kingdom.
D.Music-making is an ancient activity of both humans and animals.
4.The main purpose of the passage is to __________.
A.argue and discuss
B.inform and explain
C.compare and advertise
D.examine and assess
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
She loves music and is now learning to play an ____________.
A.instrument | B.invitation | C.incident | D.evidence |
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
To our joy, the program teaching patients painting, dance, music and crafts is having _______ results through our consistent effort.
A. enjoyable B. outstanding C. reasonable D. reliable
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Language is part of our daily lives, no matter where we live in the world. It is the same with music, whether you listen to it on the radio on your drive to work or sit before an orchestra. Both language and music play a huge role in our culture. 1.
Both language and music have a writing system. In English we record language using the alphabet, which is a collection of letters. In the same way, we use notes to keep a record of music. Just as you are reading this collection of letters on the screen and find meaning in it, musicians read notes and create meaning in the form of music which we can hear.2. By writing pieces of text or music, we are able to share experiences through time. I can read the ideas or hear the composition of someone who lived hundreds of year ago, which is really quite exciting.
3. You can make a good guess at where someone is from by listening to the language they use. In the same way, we know that styles of music are different around the world, giving us the opportunity to explore many different cultures through their music and providing us with music for every situation.4. Even if you don’t like Britpop melodies, you may love the energy of Latin American salsa music.
Both share emotion. How do you know that I am angry? Of course you may be able to see it in my face, but you will know for sure through my words.5. Music can show you exactly how the composer was or is feeling, and allows us to share in that emotion. When you feel happy, you might want to sing and dance to a happy song to celebrate your happiness. In contrast, you have probably also listened to sad music when you were feeling down. I think we have all used music to express or process our emotions, often combining it with language in the form of song lyrics.
A. Both vary with culture.
B. Here are some of their similarities.
C. They have some distinguishing characteristics.
D. So just as you read English, you can read music.
E. Similarly, music can sound angry, sad or happy.
F. This also means that there is something for everyone!
高三英语七选五中等难度题查看答案及解析
Pop music is such an important part of society __ it has even influenced our language.
A. as B. that C. which D. where
高三英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析
Belgium is the land of music festivals. There are rock, pop, world, electronic music festivals and more, so you’re sure to find a festival that suits your taste.
Groezrock
Groezrock could be considered the opener of the festival season in Belgium. This festival grew from a small event to an international festival that had 33,000 visitors in 2016.
When? April 29-30, 2017. Where? Meerhout. Music? Punk, and rock. Free? No.
Sfinks Mixed
Sfinks is a world music festival that focuses on bringing culture together. There are also plenty of things to do besides watching the performances. Good to know for families: Sfinks is a kid-friendly festival, with workshops, storytelling and performances for children.
When? July 27-30, 2017. Where? Boechout. Music? World. Free? Yet.
Graspop Metal Meeting
As the name says, this festival is all about metal, rock and punk. In 2016 the festival received 140,000 visitors When? June 16-18, 2017. Where? Dessel. Music? Metal. Free? No.
Genk on Stage
Genk on Stage is a pop musical with not only a lot of Belgian artists. 80,000 people attended Genk on Stage in 2016.
When? June 23-25, 2017. Where? Genk. Music? Pop. Free? Yes.
1.Which festival may be enjoyed most by the kids?
A. Groezrock. B. Sfinks Mixed.
C. Graspop Metal Meeting. D. Genk on Stage.
2.What do we know about Groezrock?
A. It marks the end of the festival season
B. It attracts least people among all the festivals
C. It enjoys worldwide popularity
D. It offers free camping site
3.Where may lovers of the international pop stars likely to go?
A. Meerhout. B. Boechout.
C. Genk. D. Dessel.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Pop music is such an important part of society ______ it has even influenced our language.
A. as B. that C. which D. where
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Pop music is such an important part of society______ it has even influenced our language.
A. as B. that C. which D. where
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析