Whether it's a carol(圣诞颂歌) service or an evening of karaoke down the pub, many people will
enjoy a good old singsong this Christmas. Singing aloud will not just lift the spirits-it's good for your
physical health as well. Filling the lungs with air, increasing the heart rate and getting blood pumping
round the body faster can all help our physical health.
For the past few years Heart Research UK has been running a Christmas campaign aimed at getting
people singing, simply for the benefit it can bring. The organizer of the campaign says singing is a safe,
simple and social activity that everyone can enjoy. "Singing is linked to long life, stress reduction, and
general health protection. It also brings a great amount of happiness. It is impossible to sing well with a
long face because it affects your pitch (音高). "
Professor Graham Welch, who leads the International Music Education Research Centre at the
University of London, has spent more than 30 years studying the effects of singing. He says that singing
is a form of exercise. It means we're also having a strong aerobic activity (有氧运动) when we're
singing, which results in increasing the feeling of pleasure while decreasing that of stress.
"And communal singinglike in a singing group, a church service or even a singsong in the pubhelps
improve our sense of selfrespect. It increases our sense of satisfaction with ourselves, a greater sense
of feeling included. "
Helen Astrid, a singing teacher, also sees the great effects that singing brings. "It lifts us up on a
spiritual level, it helps our selfrespect, and it's great for all ages from small kids to grannies-you can
have a good sing and let_your_hair_down. "
But she warns people not to have too many beers or glasses of wine, though a glass may help them
gather courage before taking to the stage during the holidays.
1. Heart Research UK holds a campaign to ________.
A. encourage people to sing for God at Christmas
B. study the effects of singing on people
C. get people to sing and improve their health
D. bring happiness to people celebrating the holiday
2. What are the benefits of singing according to Graham Welch?
a. Singers' living longer.
b. Singers' general health protection.
c. Singers' feeling happier.
d. Singers' stress reduced.
e. Singers' selfrespect improved.
A. a, b, c
B. b, c, d
C. c, d, e
D. e, a, b
3. The underlined part "let your hair down" probably means ________.
A. feel at ease
B. protect yourself
C. dress casually
D. cover your nervousness
4. What can we infer from the passage?
A. Singing at Christmas is good for health.
B. In a low mood one is not able to sing well.
C. Experts have disagreements on singing.
D. Singing is the same as other aerobic activities.
5. Which is the BEST title of the passage?
A. Karaoke-Best Place for Singing!
B. Christmas-Best Time for Singing!
C. Singing-Healthy but not Easy!
D. For health-Let's Sing!
6. 用30词左右概括文章大意
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
