# How did music begin - 科目：雅思阅读真题（Part 3） - 考频：超高频 - 最近考试：2026.5.23/2023.11.18 - 题目数：14 - 来源页：https://www.yaquan.site/paper/086188d4-5a0d-47ea-9b58-20a8e5c90c18（在线机考练习与音频请访问该页面） - 数据更新：2026-10-29 ## 题目原文 A Why is musical behavior universal? What could be its adaptive, or survival, value? And just what is music anyway? Like speech, it is not one identifiable cognitive capacity but is composed of multiple separate components. Pitch recognition varies from 'tone deaf to 'perfect' and influences abilities for musical memory, discrimination of melodies, awareness of changing harmony, and even the ability to keep time. Other components of music include perception of melody, meter, and rhythm. Often disregarded are additional important abilities to synchronize and take turns. Individuals vary in their endowment of these different features, and individual cultures vary in the importance they give to a particular musical feature. B Steven Mithen, a cognitive archeologist and professor of early prehistory at Reading University in England, has boldly tackled the difficult subject of the origin and adaptive value of human music. Whether or not one is convinced by his concluding hypothesis, his book The Singing Neanderthals is a treasure trove of information and analysis relevant to understanding the evolution of music. Anyone who subsequently proposes another hypothesis will not be able to neglect the knowledge and questions set forth by Mithen, nor can his conclusions be ignored, based as they are on careful consideration and synthesis of this vast range of specialist material. C Mithen rightly pays tribute to his predecessors in the study of the evolution of music, including John Blacking (1973) and Nils Wallin (1991). Although both contributed important insights and were themselves musically trained, they did not (and at the time could not) command the resources Mithen brings to bear. D Anthropologist and performing classical musician Blacking's ideas lacked evidence from archeology and neurology, while neuroscientist and musicologist Wallin neglected paleontology and ethnomusicology. Mithen considers ideas proposed in more recent comprehensive evolutionary hypotheses of music and incorporates them into the strands that he gradually weaves into two major themes. The first, proposed in a preliminary form by Steven Brown (2000), is the co-evolution of what we today call music and language. The second is a completely original hypothesis of the existence among Neanderthals of a proto-music language that was holistic (not composed of segmented elements), manipulative (influencing emotional states and hence responses of oneself and others), multimodal (using both sound and movement), musical (temporally controlled, rhythmic, and melodic), and mimetic (utilizing sound symbolism and gesture) - what Mithen terms 'the "Hmmmmm" communication system...a prelinguistic musical mode of thought and action.' E Mithen's hypotheses account for important aspects that are usually excluded in the majority of discussions of music: he appreciates that it typically includes bodily movement (toe-tapping, head-nodding, hand-clapping, and dance) and that 'musicmaking is first and foremost a share activity, not just in the modern Western world, but throughout human cultures and history.' Although he does not describe the musical behavior of Mbuti or Ba-Benjellé pygmies in Central Africa, or Kaluli villagers in the Southern Highlands of Papua New Guinea, as others have done, such small-scale societies well illustrate the ubiquity (and complexity) of communal singing during most daily activity - 'woven tapestries' (Meurant 1995) of sound that may even incorporate the natural sounds of the forest (Feld 2001). F Especially welcome to communication and cognitive studies in general is Mithen's emphasis on the importance of acquiring emotional intelligence - the ability to communicate one's feelings with face, voice, and body, and to decode the emotional signals of others in increasingly complex social interactions. Mithen proposes that 'vocal grooming' (Aiello and Dunbar 1993) would have promoted musical more than verbal. Rather than emphasizing the competitive advantages of comprehending the intentions and desires of others, Mithen points out that the emotional content of musical vocalizations would have been more 'honest' than words - contributing to social commitment and expressing, inducing, and sharing emotion, especially happiness, thereby promoting selectively advantageous cooperative behavior. G Mithen appreciates that behavior may have had more than one adaptive function -and admits that, at least in homo ergaster (a common ancestor of both Neanderthals and homo sapiens), 'singing and dancing may have provided both indicator and esthetic traits for females when choosing mates.' However, he disagrees completely with the now notorious pronouncement by Steven Pinker (1997) that music, although derived from other adaptive capacities, is itself peripheral and even nonadaptive - like a taste for sugar or fat. Music, says Mithen, is too different from language (or anything else) to be a spin-off. He makes the further point that the emotional power of music indicates a long evolutionary history, not a recent invention aimed at pleasure: 'We don't have emotions for fun.' H The book is both thought-provoking and informative, but some of Mithen's claims are questionable. He thinks that modern humans are relatively limited in their musical abilities compared to Neanderthals. He suggests that the evolution of language has inhibited the musical abilities that modern humans have inherited from the common ancestor that we share with Neanderthals. Y et here I think he slips into the Westernized assumptions about music that he decries elsewhere and reveals his own weak spot - insufficient acquaintance with the ethnomusicological literature. It is not the ability, but the factors in modernized societies that have made music a specialty -individuality, competitiveness, compartmentalization, and institutionalization reinforced by the high degree of literate training required to read (and compose) musical scores as well as literary texts. In small-scale pre-modern societies, everyone participates in music - regularly, spontaneously, and wholeheartedly - and benefits thereby from the many adaptive advantages Mithen recognizes and so expertly describes. ## 题目与答案 ### 27. In the first paragraph, what does the writer say about the nature of music? In the first paragraph, what does the writer say about the nature of music? - Music is not a universal phenomenon. - Music has little value for human survival. - Musical ability is made up of many different elements. - Speech and musical ability both require people to take turns. **答案**：Musical ability is made up of many different elements. 原文定位：Like speech, it is not one identifiable cognitive capacity but is composed of multiple separate components 同义替换：「composed of」↔「made up of」；「multiple separate components」↔「many different elements」 ### 28. 28 Who originally suggested that language and music developed at the same time? 28 Who originally suggested that language and music developed at the same time? - John Blacking - Nils Wallin - Steven Mithen - Steven Brown **答案**：Steven Brown 原文定位：The first, proposed in a preliminary form by Steven Brown (2000), is the co-evolution of what we today call music and language 同义替换：「developed at the same time」↔「co-evolution」 ### 29. 29 Mithen believes that Neanderthals' proto-music language was used to 29 Mithen believes that Neanderthals' proto-music language was used to - alert others to danger - develop a basic vocabulary - affect the behaviour of others - distinguish them from other creatures **答案**：affect the behaviour of others 原文定位：a proto-music language that was holistic;manipulative (influencing emotional states and hence responses of oneself and others) 同义替换：「affect」↔「influencing」 ### 30. 30 Mithen notes that, for an ancestor common to both Neanderthals and homo sapiens, musical ability may have been relevant when 30 Mithen notes that, for an ancestor common to both Neanderthals and homo sapiens, musical ability may have been relevant when - selecting a partner - concealing emotions - carrying out solitary tasks - competing for group leadership **答案**：selecting a partner 原文定位：at least in homo ergaster (a common ancestor of both Neanderthals and homo sapiens), 'singing and dancing may have provided both indicator and esthetic traits for females when choosing mates 同义替换：「selecting a partner」↔「choosing mates」 ### 31. The importance given to certain musical features The importance given to certain musical features - while useful, is limited because of the narrow scope of the investigation. - has been limited by the development of speech. - must be acknowledged by anyone putting forward an alternative explanation. - is not the same in all traditions. - is evidence that it has existed for a long time. - has been rejected by many authorities. **答案**：is not the same in all traditions. 原文定位：individual cultures vary in the importance they give to a particular musical feature 同义替换：「individual cultures」↔「all traditions」；「vary」↔「not the same」 ### 32. The contribution of previous researchers to the study of the evolution of music The contribution of previous researchers to the study of the evolution of music - while useful, is limited because of the narrow scope of the investigation. - has been limited by the development of speech. - must be acknowledged by anyone putting forward an alternative explanation. - is not the same in all traditions. - is evidence that it has existed for a long time. - has been rejected by many authorities. **答案**：must be acknowledged by anyone putting forward an alternative explanation. 原文定位：Anyone who subsequently proposes another hypothesis will not be able to neglect the knowledge and questions set forth by Mithen, nor can his conclusions be ignored 同义替换：「must be acknowledged」↔「not be able to neglect」；「putting forward an alternative explanation」↔「proposes another hypothesis」 ### 33. The contribution of previous researchers to the study of the evolution of music The contribution of previous researchers to the study of the evolution of music - while useful, is limited because of the narrow scope of the investigation. - has been limited by the development of speech. - must be acknowledged by anyone putting forward an alternative explanation. - is not the same in all traditions. - is evidence that it has existed for a long time. - has been rejected by many authorities. **答案**：while useful, is limited because of the narrow scope of the investigation. 原文定位：Blacking's ideas lacked evidence from archeology and neurology, while neuroscientist;Wallin neglected paleontology and ethnomusicology 同义替换：「narrow scope」↔「lacked evidence」 ### 34. Mithen argues that the strong emotional impact of music Mithen argues that the strong emotional impact of music - while useful, is limited because of the narrow scope of the investigation. - has been limited by the development of speech. - must be acknowledged by anyone putting forward an alternative explanation. - is not the same in all traditions. - is evidence that it has existed for a long time. - has been rejected by many authorities. **答案**：is evidence that it has existed for a long time. 原文定位：He makes the further point that the emotional power of music indicates a long evolutionary history, not a recent invention aimed at pleasure 同义替换：「emotional impact」↔「emotional power」；「indicates」↔「is evidence」；「long evolutionary history」↔「existed for a long time」 ### 35. The reviewer disagrees with Mithen's belief that musical ability The reviewer disagrees with Mithen's belief that musical ability - while useful, is limited because of the narrow scope of the investigation. - has been limited by the development of speech. - must be acknowledged by anyone putting forward an alternative explanation. - is not the same in all traditions. - is evidence that it has existed for a long time. - has been rejected by many authorities. **答案**：has been limited by the development of speech. 原文定位：He suggests that the evolution of language has inhibited the musical abilities that modern humans have inherited from the common ancestor that we share with Neanderthals 同义替换：「development of speech」↔「evolution of language」；「limited」↔「inhibited」 ### 36. 36 Most discussions of music ignore its association with physical movement. 36 Most discussions of music ignore its association with physical movement. - YES - NO - NOT GIVEN **答案**：YES 原文定位：Mithen's hypotheses account for important aspects that are usually excluded in the majority of discussions of music;he appreciates that it typically includes bodily movement 同义替换：「ignore」↔「usually excluded」；「physical movement」↔「bodily movement」 ### 37. 37 Evidence to support Mithen's view that music is a shared activity can be found in small communities in remote locations today. 37 Evidence to support Mithen's view that music is a shared activity can be found in small communities in remote locations today. - YES - NO - NOT GIVEN **答案**：YES 原文定位：such small-scale societies well illustrate the ubiquity (and complexity) of communal singing during most daily activity 同义替换：「shared activity」↔「communal singing」；「small communities」↔「small-scale societies」；「evidence」↔「well illustrate」 ### 38. 38 Mithen believes that the musical quality of adult speech directed at babies is similar to the musical communication of Neanderthals. 38 Mithen believes that the musical quality of adult speech directed at babies is similar to the musical communication of Neanderthals. - YES - NO - NOT GIVEN **答案**：NOT GIVEN ### 39. 39 Mithen's hypothesis about the adaptive function of music supports that of Steven Pinker. 39 Mithen's hypothesis about the adaptive function of music supports that of Steven Pinker. - YES - NO - NOT GIVEN **答案**：NO 原文定位：However, he disagrees completely with the now notorious pronouncement by Steven Pinker (1997) that music;is itself peripheral and even nonadaptive 同义替换：「supports」↔「disagrees completely」 ### 40. 40 Modernised societies rely too heavily on electronically produced music. 40 Modernised societies rely too heavily on electronically produced music. - YES - NO - NOT GIVEN **答案**：NOT GIVEN --- 以上内容由鸭圈雅思真题库（www.yaquan.site）提供，收录近期雅思考试真题回忆，支持在线机考模式免费练习。