There is no doubt that music plays a powerful role in our lives. It can calm our tired nerves after a busy day of work. Music even has the power to move us to tears when it stirs(激起) an emotional reaction. How then, does music play a role in special education?
If music has the ability to touch those hidden places we all carry inside, it proves an important tool for the special education teacher. For students with emotional problems, music can help soothe(抚慰) sadness. Consider the child that arrives in class depressed and upset. If music can indeed relax and calm him, he is more likely to focus and participate in class.
Dr. R. Joseph, author of Behavioral Neurology, writes, “It is well recorded that patients with left hemisphere(大脑半球) damage, who may be unable to speak or recognize words, can sing a melody(曲调).”
For this reason, some special education teachers have found it helpful to set their lessons to music. When students cannot understand or remember certain things, singing them helps make it easier.
Nature magazine reported “Music training helps underachievers. In Rhode Island, researchers studied eight public school first grade classes. Half of the classes became ‘text-arts’groups, receiving ongoing music training. After seven months, the students were given a test. The tested group had caught up with their fellow students in reading and surpassed(超过) their classmates in math by 22 percent. In the second year of the project, the tested students widened this even further. Students were also tested on attitude and behavior. Classroom teachers also noted improvement in these areas.”
It seems music does, indeed, play an important role in education. For the special education teacher, this is especially encouraging.
小题1:The first paragraph is mainly about _______.
A．the role of music in education
B．the importance of music in life
C．the relationship between music and work results
D．the relationship between music and behavior小题2:For students with emotional problems, music might be _______.
A．a toy
B．a punishment
C．a medicine
D．a puzzle小题3:According to Dr. R. Joseph, people with left hemisphere damage _______.
A．are unable to recognize people
B．can produce some musical sounds
C．can become special education teachers
D．might suffer right hemisphere damage too小题4:The tested students mentioned in the fifth paragraph _______.
A．behaved badly after the study
B．Didn’t show any difference after the study
C．had done well in their reading and math before
D．received certain music education during the study小题5:What is the text mainly about?
A．The meaning of special education.
B．The history of music education.
C．The problem in music education.
D．The role of music in special education
