Songs of ourselves

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题目与答案

1. a reference to the traditional view that music is less important than language for understanding intelligence.
   • A
   • B
   • C
   • D
   • E
   • F

   答案：A

   原文定位：While language has long been considered essential to unlocking the mechanisms of human intelligence, music is generally treated as an evolutionary frippery, mere auditory cheesecake

   同义替换：「less important」↔「generally treated as」，「understanding」↔「unlocking the mechanisms of」

2. details of the method used by Duke University researchers to test their hypothesis.
   • A
   • B
   • C
   • D
   • E
   • F

   答案：C

   原文定位：To test this hypothesis, they analysed hundreds of recordings of English, Mandarin, and other languages, measuring the frequencies of sound waves produced by speakers

3. examples of practical applications arising from the connection between music and speech.
   • A
   • B
   • C
   • D
   • E
   • F

   答案：F

   原文定位：If music is indeed rooted in the sounds of speech, it may have practical applications in education and therapy

   同义替换：「music」↔「sounds」，「arising from the connection between」↔「rooted in」

4. the suggestion that music and language may share a common evolutionary origin.
   • A
   • B
   • C
   • D
   • E
   • F

   答案：E

   原文定位：Some researchers have even suggested that music and language evolved from a common ancestor, a kind of protolanguage that combined elements of both

   同义替换：「origin」↔「from」

5. an explanation of how music can evoke emotion through its resemblance to speech patterns.
   • A
   • B
   • C
   • D
   • E
   • F

   答案：D

   原文定位：If music is built from the same acoustic building blocks as language, it may tap into neural circuits that evolved to process emotional cues in speech

6. the conclusion that music reflects the identity of its creators.
   • A
   • B
   • C
   • D
   • E
   • F

   答案：G

   原文定位：As the Duke researchers conclude, the songs we sing may ultimately be songs of ourselves

   同义替换：「conclusion」↔「conclude」，「music reflects the identity of its creators」↔「songs of ourselves」

7. Music is a universal human ability, yet its purpose has been harder to explain than that of 33_____, which clearly aids survival and communication.

   答案：language

   原文定位：Language, by contrast, is also everywhere but for reasons that are more obvious;music isn't necessary for getting through the day

8. Traditionally, music has been dismissed by some scientists as evolutionary 34_____.

   答案：frippery

   原文定位：music is generally treated as an evolutionary frippery, mere auditory cheesecake

   同义替换：「dismissed by some scientists」↔「generally treated as」

9. However, recent research suggests a deep connection between music and speech. David Schwartz and his colleagues proposed that the 35_____ used in music are not arbitrary but reflect those found in speech.

   答案：intervals

   原文定位：They suggested that the intervals we hear in music are not arbitrary inventions but rather reflections of the intervals we hear in speech

   同义替换：「found」↔「hear」

10. They analysed recordings of different languages and found that the distribution of tonal intervals in speech matched those in the musical scales of the corresponding 36_____.

    答案：cultures

    原文定位：They discovered that the distribution of tonal intervals in speech closely matched the distribution of intervals used in the musical scales of the corresponding cultures

11. This connection may explain why music evokes powerful emotional responses, as it mimics the expressive patterns of the 37_____.

    答案：human voice

    原文定位：The emotional content is carried not by lyrics but by the musical intervals themselves, which mimic the expressive patterns of the human voice

12. 38 What did the Duke University researchers discover about the relationship between music and language?
    • Music and language evolved completely independently.
    • The intervals used in music are arbitrary cultural inventions.
    • The tonal intervals in speech correspond to those in music.
    • All cultures use the same musical intervals regardless of language.

    答案：The tonal intervals in speech correspond to those in music.

    原文定位：They discovered that the distribution of tonal intervals in speech closely matched the distribution of intervals used in the musical scales of the corresponding cultures

    同义替换：「correspond」↔「matched」

13. 39 According to the passage, why can instrumental music move us emotionally?
    • It reminds us of songs we heard in childhood.
    • It uses intervals that mimic the human voice.
    • It follows strict mathematical rules.
    • It is always accompanied by visual images.

    答案：It uses intervals that mimic the human voice.

    原文定位：The emotional content is carried not by lyrics but by the musical intervals themselves, which mimic the expressive patterns of the human voice

14. 40 What practical benefit of music therapy is mentioned in the passage?
    • It can help children improve their mathematical skills.
    • It can assist stroke patients in recovering speech.
    • It can prevent dementia in elderly people.
    • It can cure language disorders completely.

    答案：It can assist stroke patients in recovering speech.

    原文定位：Stroke patients who have lost the ability to speak may retain the ability to sing, and music therapy can sometimes help them recover language function

    同义替换：「assist」↔「help」