(2016·郑州质量预测) In all the world's cultures, people sing, play instruments, and celebrate with music.It plays such an important role in our lives that all fields focus on its study, including one looking at the biology of music.Experts are finding that because of the way our brains process music, learning to play an instrument or just listening to music can have a wide range of benefits. Music education has received a lot of attention.Learning to play an instrument can help children improve math, science, and language skills.One study in Canada tracked children's IQ scores for nine months, discovering that children who studied music had the biggest test score improvements.The secret may lie in the way reading music and playing notes uses several areas of the brain, increasing our ability to learn school subjects.For example, reading notes improves spatial reasoning skills, which are helpful in solving math problems like fractions.
Music is also used for medical purposes, such as the treatment of diseases which affect memory.The secret lies in the way the brain processes music.One area near the forehead, the medial prefrontal cortex, connects music with memories stored in two other areas：the amygdale and hippocampus.That's why an old song can remind you of something that happened years ago.For patients suffering from diseases like Alzheimer's, listening to music can help unlock buried memories by strengthening musical pathways to memories.
With the evidence of music's benefits pouring in, it's no wonder some countries make music study a part of their education systems.People are recognizing that more than just a form of entertainment, music is also great for the brain.
1.Scientists are studying music because ________. A.music can be used for medical treatments B.music plays a very important role in our lives C.our brains can process music in different ways D.music education has received a lot of attention
2.According to the Canadian study, which children had increased IQ scores? A.Those who already had high IQs. B.Those who had always played music.
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C.Those who could not play any instrument. D.Those who studied music for a period of time. 3.Which of the following is a kind of disease? A.Spatial reasoning. B.Alzheimer's.
C.The amygdale and hippocampus. D.The medial prefrontal cortex.
4.What can be the best title for the text? A.Music and health B.Music and the mind C.Music and education D.Music and instruments
1．解析：选B 细节理解题。根据第一段第二句可知音乐在我们的生活中发挥着重要的作用，因此人们热衷于对它的作用进行研究。
2．解析：选D 细节理解题。根据第二段的“...discovering that children who studied music had the biggest test score improvements”可知加拿大的研究证明了学习音乐的孩子学习成绩会进步。
3．解析：选B 细节理解题。根据倒数第二段的“For patients suffering from diseases like Alzheimer's, listening to music can help unlock buried memories”可知B项是一种疾病，即老年痴呆症。
4．解析：选B 标题归纳题。本文主要讨论了音乐对于人们思想的影响，涉足音乐可以促进我们智力的提高，以及改进我们的记忆等情况，因此B项符合题意。
【2016模拟题】阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。
For traveling foodies, local cuisine is as important as the destination itself when planning a trip. Recently, CNN readers have voted for the top 10 destinations for food lovers. 1. Taiwan: 8,242 votes
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The island’s food is a mix of the cuisine of the Min Nan(闽南), Teochew（潮州）along with Japanese cooking.
There are around 20 streets for snacking in Taipei. And Tainan, Taiwan’s oldest city, which is often referred to as its food capital.
Every time you think you’ve found the best stinky tofu (臭豆腐) or beef noodle, there’s always another Taiwanese food shop that surpasses it. 2. Philippines: 1,528 votes
Filipino food isn’t as well known as the other cuisines on this list, but the country has some delicious dishes of its own.
Adobo, for instance, is a dish cooked in every householdin the Philippines. It’s Mexican in origin, but Filipinos cook it with some special sauce.
Lechon, meanwhile, is the Philippines’ most popular party guest. An entire pig is roasted over coals, ending with the crisp(脆的), golden-brown skin 3. Italy: 810 votes
Italian food has attracted food lovers around the world for centuries，with its famous pizza，pasta and tomato sauce.
Whether you visit Sicily to taste arancini(a kind of rice ball), make a special trip to Naples to sample the world’s best pizza or take a train to Modena to taste the world’s finest Parmigiano-Reggiano (帕马森干酪), no corner of Italy will leave your stomach disappointed. 4. Thailand: 470 votes
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With influences from China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar and a royal culinary tradition, Thai cuisine is one of the best in the world.
The combination of so many herbs and spices in each dish produces complex flavors. Everyone’s familiar with dishes like green curry and pad Thai(泰式炒面). 5. Japan: 443 votes 6. Malaysia: 265 votes 7. Hong Kong: 236 votes 8. India: 205 votes 9. Greece: 167 votes 10. Vietnam: 162 votes
1. In which of the following places can people taste the world’s finest Parmigiano-Reggiano”? A. Sicily B. Modena C. Naples D. Mexico 2. What does the word “it” in Paragraph 4 refer to? A. Japanese cooking
B. a mix of the cuisine of Min Nan and Teochew C. the oldest city in Taiwan-Tainan D. the best stinky tofu or beef noodle
3. Which of the following was originally from Mexico? A. stinky tofu B. Adobo C. beef noodle D. arancini
4. Which of the following statements about the green curry and pad Thai is true? A. They have been cooked by Philippines with special sauces. B. They are a mix of the cuisine of Min Nan and Teochew
C. They have complex flavors because of the combination of so many herbs and spices. D. They are roasted over coals, ending with the crisp(脆的), golden-brown skin.
1. B. 细节理解题。根据第“3”节中的信息“…or take a train to Modena to taste the world’s finest Parmigiano-Reggiano (帕马森干酪)”，可知， 答案应为B项。
2. D. 代词指代题。该下划线所在句子意义为：每次你认为你已经发现了最好的臭豆腐或牛肉面，总有一家台湾美餐馆会超越它（即你所发现的你认为是最好的臭豆腐或牛肉面）。故答案应为D项。
3. B. 细节理解题。根据第“2”节中第二段的信息“Adobo, for instance, is a dish cooked in every household in the Philippines. It’s Mexican in origin,…”可知，答案应为B项。
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4. C. 细节理解题。根据第“4”节中第二段的信息可知，答案应为C项。
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