In all the world’s cultures, people sing, play instruments, and celebrate with music. It plays such an important role in our lives that whole fields work hard at its study, including one looking at the biology of music. Experts are finding that because of the way our brains process(处理)  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 （追踪）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, helping develop our ability to learn school subjects.

   Music is also used for medical purposes, such as the treatment of diseases which affect memory. Scientists explain that one area near the forehead connects music with memories. That’s why an old song can remind you of something that happened years ago. For patients suffering from certain diseases, listening to music can help unlock memories by building up musical pathways to memories.

Studies of the music-brain connection often concentrate on classical music, since it activates both the left and right sides of brains. One study found the brain activity was the highest during the short breaks between the movements of a piece of music. During each break, the person’s brain predicted what would come next, while organizing what he had just heard. This process is similar to the way our brain organizes information. It may explain why classical music can help improve memory. Some people take the music- brain connection to another level by listening to personalized “brain music.” which can help a person concentrate and prepare for a difficult task.

It’s amazing how attuned our brains are to music. Some scientists even think we’re born with the ability to learn music, just as we all have the skills to learn language. After all, children without any training often make up songs while playing. 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 realizing that music is more than just a form of entertainment.

56. In the study in Canada, who had the biggest IQ score increase?

   A. The children who did well in science.

   B. The children who had good memories.

   C. The children who had fun learning languages.

   D. The children who studied music for some time.

57. The writer probably agrees that                 .

   A. we get a lot from teaching children to make up songs.

   B. it takes steps to make full use of music-brain connection.

   C. memory can be improved by training to organize information

   D. music treatment helps build up unlocked pathways to memories

58. What does the underlined sentence in the last paragraph mean?

   A. It’s great that our brains go well with music.

   B. It’s wonderful for us to listen to brain music.

   C. It’s surprising that music makes our brains active.

   D. It’s fantastic to know how brains work with music.

59. What may be the best title for the passage?

A. Music and Memory           B. Music and the Mind

C. The Biology of Music         D. The Benefits of Music

完型填空。

Is He Only One Day Older than You?      Joan and Alice are in Grade One. They    1    in the same building and they're good    2   .They go to school and come home together (一起). After    3    they sing, play, read or do their homework in front of the building.      It's Joan's birthday today. Joan    4   Alice to her party. The little girl went there at six. The party    5    and all the people said,"Happy birthday to you, Joan!" She was very    6   . Joan's parents brought some food and the children thought it was very delicious, so they    7    much. After that they began to play in the room. They    8    a good time there.      "Weren't you at home yesterday?" asked Alice.       "   9  " answered the girl. "It was my grandpa's birthday and I went there with my   10  ." "What?" the little girl said in surprise (惊讶地). "Is he only one day older than you?"

(     )1. A. work        (     )2. A. students    (     )3. A. class       (     )4. A. asked       (     )5. A. finished    (     )6. A. happy       (     )7. A. saw         (     )8. A. gave        (     )9. A. Yes, I was  (     )10. A. doctor

B. live           B. teachers       B. breakfast      B. let            B. started        B. sorry        B. carried        B. got            B. No, I wasn't  B. driver

C. walk            C. classmates      C. school          C. told            C. left            C. free            C. found           C. had             C. Yes, we were   C. family

D. run              D. friends          D. meeting          D. hoped            D. lifted           D. busy             D. ate              D. heard              D. No, we weren't D. cleaner