Question

【题目】 If you ever have the desire to break out into song—in the shower，in the car，maybe at your neighbor's karaoke night—you should embrace it whole—heartedly. This ancient art not only makes you feel good，it can also improve your well-being，reduce your feelings of pain，and even extend your life.

Using your voice to sing，rather than simply carryout a conversation，offers unique benefits because singing affects our bodies. Also，studies link singing with a lower heart rate，decreased blood pressure and reduced stress according to Patricia Preston-Roberts，a music therapist（治疗专家）. （1）

Singing，particularly in a group，seems to benefit the elderly particulartly well. As part of a three一year study examining how singing affects the health of those fifty-five and older，a Senior Singers Chorus was formed by the Levine School of Music in Washington.D.C. The seniors involved in the chorus，as well as seniors in two separate arts groups about writing and painting，showed significant health improvements compared to those in the control groups（对照组）. Obviously，the arts groups reported thirty fewer doctors' visit，fewer eyesight problems，less depression，and less need for medication. （2）

Even lead researcher Dr.Gene D.Coben，director of the Center on Aging at George Washington University，was surprised at how big an effect the seniors' arts participation had on their health. Coben said，“The average age of all the subjects was eighty. This is higher than life expectancy. So，if an effect were to be achieved，one would ordinarily expect to see less decline（下降）compared to the control group. The fact that there was so much improvement in many areas was the surprising factor.” （3） The seniors also noticed health improvements and they reported feeling better both in daily life and while singing.

The part of the brain that works with spech is diferent from the part that processes music.“People seem to enjoy doing something jointly with other people. There are a lot of facts that being socially involved is good for people with dementia（老年痴呆）.” Ballard said.

The arts are showing up as a treatment tool in hospitals across the country. （4） If you are thinking of volunteering，singing at a hospital may be a good choice—not only for the patients，but also for yourself.

【1】Why was Coben surprised at the results of the study？

A. The study was not expensive as expected.

B. Arts acted as a treatment tool in hospitals.

C. People's health in the arts group improved greatly.

D. The seniors themselves noticed health improvements.

【2】What is the author's attitude towards arts？

A. Doubtful.B. Positive.

C. Negative.D. Worried.

【3】Where should the following sentence be put？

“She uses song to help patients who suffer from a variety of problems.”

A. （1）B. （2）

C. （3）D. （4）

【4】What would be the best title for the passage？

A. How to Avoid Getting Dementia.

B. How Seniors Live a Healthy Life.

C. How to Keep Our Brains Healthy.

D. How Singing Improves Your Health.

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】C

【2】B

【3】A

【4】D

【解析】

本文是一篇议论文。主要内容是论证歌唱有助于身体健康，并且作者提供了大量的论证来证明歌唱是如何提高身体健康的。

【1】推理判断题。根据第四段的Even lead researcher Dr.Gene D.Coben，director of the Center on Aging at George Washington University，was surprised at how big an effect the seniors' arts participation had on their health.以及The seniors also noticed health improvements可知，老年人参与艺术与他们的健康有很大的影响，Dr.Gene D.Coben表示非常惊讶，并且老年人都注意到了健康状况的改善，因此推断让Coben 吃惊的是艺术团体中的人们的健康状况有了很大的改善。故选C。

【2】推理判断题。根据第一段的This ancient art not only makes you feel good，it can also improve your well-being，reduce your feelings of pain，and even extend your life. 这种古老的艺术不仅能让你感觉良好，它还可以改善你的健康，减少你的疼痛的感觉，甚至延长寿命。可推之，作者对待艺术的态度是积极的，故选B。

【3】推理判断题。根据文章第二段的Also，studies link singing with a lower heart rate，decreased blood pressure and reduced stress according to Patricia Preston-Roberts，a music therapist. 根据一位音乐治疗师Patricia Preston-Roberts，研究把唱歌和降低心率、降低血压、减少压力连接起来，故可知此处she指代音乐治疗师，她用歌曲来帮助患有各种疾病的病人。与 上文内容联系紧密，故选A。

【4】主旨大意题。通读全文以及根据第二段主旨句Using your voice to sing，rather than simply carryout a conversation，offers unique benefits because singing affects our bodies.第三段主旨句Singing，particularly in a group，seems to benefit the elderly particularly well.第四段的was surprised at how big an effect the seniors' arts participation had on their health.第五段的The part of the brain that works with speech is different from the part that processes music.可知，本文着眼于论证歌唱有助于身体健康，并且作者提供了大量的论证来证明歌唱是如何提高身体健康的，故D项能够概括文章大意，故选D。