阅读理解。
If music makes you smarter and exercise helps you to think, surely exercising to music can turn you into
an intelligent person.
A team of scientists from Ohio State University did experiments (试验) on 33 volunteers who were getting
better from heart disease following operation. They found that people who exercised while listening to Italian
musician Antonio Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons" did much better on language ability tests than without music.
"Facts suggest that exercise improves the learning ability of people with heart disease," said the psychologist
Charles Emery, who led the study." And listening to music is thought to enhance understanding. We just wanted
to put the two results together." he added.
The volunteers said they felt better emotionally and physically after working out with or without the music.
But their improvement on the test doubled after listening to music during exercise. Scientists have proved that
mu- sic can be good for health, education and well-being. It helps reduce stress, sadness and nervousness;
encourages relaxation or sleep; wakes up the body and improves memory and thoughts.
In medical fields, music is used widely for patients who have had head hurts before and after operation.
"The Four Seasons" was used because of its moderate tempo (舒缓的节拍) and positive results in earlier
research. "Exercise seems to cause positive changes in the nervous system (神经系统) and these changes may
have a direct result on learning ability," Emery said.
Scientists have been studying the results of music on understanding since the early 1950s. By 1990,
psychologists were using Mozart's music, especially his violin pieces, to help children with speech disorders.
Mozart was chosen because his music is not over-exciting and has clear structures. A study showed students
who listened to Mozart went on to score higher marks in an intelligence test. With important exams drawing
near, your parents will not probably allow you to listen to music. But perhaps now you have good reasons to
argue with them.
1. The underlined word enhance can be replaced by _____.
A. impress
B. improve
C. provide
D. produce
2. The text mainly tells us that _____.
A. music and exercise lead to relaxation or sleep
B. 33 volunteers work on music in medical fields
C. exercise to music makes people healthy and bright
D. scientists give suggestions on choosing music to exercise
3. It can be learned from the last paragraph(段落) that _____.
A. you are supposed to follow your parents' words
B. students should not listen to music before exams
C. you have no good reasons to exercise to music
D. music might help you to get higher grades in tests
4. Which of the following statements is true?
A. Exercise seems to cause negative changes without music.
B. Exercise reminds people with head huts of what they've learned.
C. Scientists often use Mozart's music, for it is not too exciting.
D. "The Four Seasons" is used to help children with speech disorders.
