Beyond Baby Mozart, Students Who Rock
Music education hasn’t changed much since the 1970s. Students are still taught to read notation(乐谱) so they can recite compositions that they would never listen to on their MP3 players or play with friends. Playing music enriches life. The question is: Why do schools teach music in a way that turns off so many young people rather than catch their imagination? Can we do a better job of using the power of music to get kids excited about school?
The experience of an organization called Little Kids Rock suggests the answer is yes — if we change the way music is taught. Little Kids Rock has helped music programs in over a thousand public schools and served 150,000 children. The organization has given 30,000 free instruments out, mainly guitars, and trained 1,500 teachers to run music classes in which students quickly experience the joys of playing their favorite songs, performing in bands(乐队), and writing their own music.

The key to Little Kids Rock is that it teaches children to play music the way many musicians learn to play it — not by notation, but by listening, imitation(模仿) and meaningful experimentation. “The knowledge you need to get started playing rock music is very limited,” explains Dave Wish, the founder of Little Kids Rock. “In high school, my friend Paul taught me a couple of chords(和弦) and my life was changed forever. On the first day of class, Little Kids Rock teachers place guitars in the hands of their students and get them practicing chords that will enable them to play thousands of songs. The kids decide what songs they want to learn and the class is off and running. Their progress is surprising. Within a year, eight and nine-year-olds are playing musical instruments, and giving concerts, even performing their own songs.
One of the biggest advantages that music offers is the ability to encourage students who are otherwise bored by school. “I’ve had students start coming back to school because of this program,” said Adkison Thomas, who heads up music for the Dallas Independent School District. He added, “One of the best things is that the teachers discover a new side of their students. They see kids become successful who weren’t before.”
【小题1】The expression “turn off” in Paragraph 1 means “______”.

阅读短文，根据短文内容回答问题。

Do you want to keep your brain active and your memory strong? Here are some useful ways:

Choose the Brain Food

A proper diet will help keep your mind running strong all day long. Make sure to include plenty of fruits and green vegetables. Some of the best foods include: blueberries, blackberries, fish and fish oil, eggs, strawberries and so on.

Exercise

Get your body moving and your memory will soon follow. Exercise improves the heart’s blood flow. This, in turn, helps the brain function better and stay sharper.

Pick up a Book

The key to keeping your memory quick is to continue to challenge it. Try to always have a book in hand. After you’ve done reading a section or two, question and review the material you’ve read. Try to imagine what you’re reading. Discuss what you’ve read, and talk about it with friends or join a book club.

Develop Interest

We remember new things because we enjoy them. Find ways to make a boring subject fun by connecting it to something you already know. You can use your imagination and create a fun story behind a subject to help make it easier to remember.

Repeat after Me

When learning new information, the more you repeat it, the more likely you will be able to remember that information. Practice is the key to lasting memory.

Share with Others

Don’t keep your knowledge stored up. Teaching others is another great way to improve memory skills. Don’t be afraid of taking on new challenges. After learning something, it’s necessary to put the new information to use.

1What will help keep the mind running strong?

2 What’s the key to keeping your memory quick?

3Why do you remember new things?

4 How many useful ways are mentioned in the passage?

5What does the writer tell us in the passage?

Health is very important. How can we stay healthy? Look at the three children. They'll tell you what helps them stay healthy.

    Xiao Ping: Well, I like eating vegetables and fruit. I never eat unhealthy snacks（快餐）. I drink a glass of milk before I go to bed and I get up on time every morning, I also join a dance club. I practice dancing a lot after school. My good lifestyle helps me keep healthy.

    Katrina: My room helps me stay healthy. She always makes me go to bed early on weekdays. She tells me not to eat too much junk food. My morn also gives mc a lot of work around the house. Sometimes I don't like that, but I do it all. This work keeps me busy, and it is like exercise. And I like any kind of exercise.

    Zhao Gang: Well, I like sports. I go swimming in summer and running or skating in winter. I don't watch TV too much, but I read a lot of books. I learn a lot from the books. I also drink a lot of milk and eat lots of fruit. They help me become strong and keep me healthy and happy.

（   ）1．What's the passage about?

A．How to eat things every day.                B．How to keep healthy.

      C．How to exercise every day.                  D．How to study well.

（   ）2．Xiao Ping ________.

A．eats a lot of snacks every week       B．drinks some milk for breakfast every day

      C．gets up late every morning               D．practices dancing a lot after school

（   ）3．Katrina's morn helps her ________.

      A．study hard                                 B．eat lots If junk food

      C．work around the house                    D．have a good lifestyle

（   ）4．ZhaoGang gets a lot of knowledge （知识） by_______.

      A．doing sports                              B．watching TV

      C．reading books                            D．listening to the radio