Any foreigner who has tried to learn Chinese can tell how hard it is to master the tones required to speak and understand. And anyone who has tried to learn to play the violin or other instruments can report similar challenges.
Now researchers have found that people with musical training have an easier time learning Chinese. Writing in the online edition of Nature Neuroscience,researchers from Northwestern University say that both skills draw on the same parts of the brain that help people discover changes in pitch(音調(diào)).
One of the study’s authors,Nina Kraus,said the findings suggested that studying music “actually tunes our sensory system”.This means that schools that want children to do well in languages should hesitate before cutting music programs,Dr.Kraus said. She said music training might also help children with language problems.
Mandarin(普通話)speakers have been shown to have a more complex encoding(編碼) of pitch patterns in their brains than English speakers do. This is because in Mandarin and other Asian languages,pitch plays a central role. A singlesyllable word can have several meanings depending on how it is intoned.
For this study,the researchers looked at 20 nonChinese speaking volunteers,half with no musical background and half who have studied an instrument for at least six years.
As they were shown a movie,the volunteers also heard an audio tape of the Mandarin word “mi” in three of its meanings:squint,bewilder and rice. The researchers recorded activities in their brain stems to see how well they were processing the sounds. Those with a music background showed much more brain activities in response to the Chinese sounds.
The lead author of the study,Patrick C.M.Wong,said it might work both ways. It appears that native speakers of tonal languages may do better at learning instruments.
1. When learning Chinese,a foreigner will find ________.
A.he has a difficult time learning music at the same time
B.he has an easier time learning music at the same time
C.it is hard to master the tones required to speak and understand
D.it is easy to use the brain to help him discover changes in pitch
2.Why does Chinese learning have something to do with music training?
A.Because there is the same difficulty in learning Chinese and music.
B.Because skills to learn the two make use of the same parts of the brain.
C.Because music training might help people with language study.
D.Because people who do well in Chinese study do well in music.
3.The underlined word “intoned” in the fourth paragraph can be replaced by the word “____”.
A.created B.spelled
C.seemed D.pronounced
4.What would be the best title for this passage?
A.Mandarin Speakers Are Smarter than English Speakers
B.Skilled Ear for Music May Help Language Study
C.Pitch Plays a Central Role in Chinese Learning
D.Schools Need to Develop Music Programs
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M:Excuse me. Can you give me some information about active holidays?
W: ___1_____ Would you please tell exactly what you mean?
M: OK. When I go on holidays, I’d like to take exercise. _2_____ What I mean is that I’m the sort of man who enjoys swimming, skiing and those sorts of things.
W: __3____ Um…. active holidays, let me see. What about diving, sir? We can offer you two weeks off the coast: one week diving and one week fishing with the local fishermen. But you only need to pay $800 for it. __4____
M: Fishing? Is there any chance of getting in a bit of sailing?
W: 5____ They are mostly organized by the sailing school. But rowing, yes. Are you interested in rowing, sir?
M: Well, I did a lot of rowing when I was at university.
I hate sitting around and doing nothing.
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While on holiday
Many of the things you can do to the greener on holiday will be the same things you can do at home—but there are also some extra things too, like avoiding gifts made from endangered plants and animals. Here are some suggestions:
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Endangered species(物種)
Some gifts and foods available in some countries can be made from endangered plants or animals. Check before you buy, but if you doubt, avoid animal and plant gifts. More details of the types of products to avoid any illegal trade hotspots can be found on the Souvenir Alert webpage.
Making a positive contribution to the place you are visiting.
There are ways in which your holiday can help support local people and the environment.
●There are many opportunities to volunteer and help with projects that conserve and improve natural habitats.
●When you are away, or if you are looking for somewhere to visit, you can support projects or attractions which protect wildlife, such as nature reserves and conservation projects.
According to the passage, we can to help reduce climate change effect.
A. make good use of water B. buy local food and drink
C. save electricity D. go around on foot
We should check the gifts and foods before buying because ______.
A. sometimes they are of poor quality
B. they may not be typical local products
C. some of them will do harm to our health
D. they may be made from endangered animals or plants
We can infer from the passage that ______.
A. it is not easy for people to travel abroad
B. not everyone can tell an illegal souvenir
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D. volunteer work is a must for protecting natural habitats
The passage is mainly about ______.
A. travel enjoyment B. the harm to the environment
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