What are the two different things that make humans different from other animals? One is language, and the other is music. It is true that some animals can sing. However, the songs of animals are very simple. It is also true that humans, not animals, have developed musical instruments.
Music is clearly different from language. However, people can use music to communicate with others, especially expressing their emotions. When music is combined with speech, it’s a very powerful form of communication.
If music is truly different from speech, then we should process music and language in different parts of the brain. The scientific studies have proved that it is true. For example, Vissarion Shebalin, a Russian composer, had a stroke (中风) in 1953. It injured the left side of his brain. He couldn’t speak or understand speech. However, he still could compose music until his death. On the other hand, sometimes strokes cause people to lose their musical ability, but they can still speak and understand speech.
Why does music have a strong effect on us physically and emotionally? That’s a hard question to answer. Geoffrey Miller, a researcher at a university, thinks that music and love have a strong connection. Music requires a special talent, practice and physical ability. For example, playing a musical instrument requires fine muscular control. You also need good memory to remember the notes. And playing those notes correctly suggests that your hearing is in excellent condition. Finally, when a man sings to the woman he loves, it may be a way of showing off.
However, Miller’s theory still doesn’t explain why certain combinations of sounds influence our emotions so deeply. For scientists, this is clearly an area that needs further research.
【小题1】What is the purpose of the first paragraph?| A．To introduce the main topic. |
| B．To show the author’s attitude. |
| C．To analyse causes. |
| D．To describe a process. |
| A．is translated into a language |
| B．is combined with speech |
| C．is sung by some famous musicians |
| D．is mixed with the cry of an animal |
| A．he is one of the luckiest persons |
| B．he is really interested in composing music |
| C．the brain processes music and language separately |
| D．music and language are two different things for some |
| A．The effects of music on humans’ works. |
| B．The studies on how music affects our works. |
| C．The reasons why music affects us. |
| D．The ways of using music in daily life. |
