music and the mind.......reading2

UNIT TWO: MUSIC AND THE MIND

PRE-READING QUESTIONS

 1. Do you play any musical instruments? If not, would you like to learn one?

2. Does listening to music make it easier for you to work or study?

3. Some people say learning to play an instrument can make you smarter. Do you agree or disagree?

Vocabulary Warm-up Try to match the words numbered in letters with the ones numbered in figures.

 a. Ability

 b. anticipate

 c. Concentrate

 d. discover

e. evidence

f. expert

 g. instrument

 h. no wonder

 i. organize

j. pour in

k. region

l. remind

 m. role

n. track

o. unique

1. Arrange

2. arrive in large numbers

3. of course; that’s why

4. find out

5. help someone remember

 6. skill

 7. purpose; function

8. focus

9. follow; keep up with

10. proof

Music and the Mind In all the world’s cultures, people sing, play instruments, and celebrate with music. It plays such an important role in our lives that whole fields are dedicated to its study, including one looking at the biology of music. Experts are finding that because of the way our brains process music, learning to play an instrument or just listening to music can have a wide range of benefits. Music education has received a lot of attention. Learning to play an instrument can help children improve math, science, and language skills. One study in Canada tracked children’s IQ scores for nine months, discovering that children who studied music had the biggest test score improvements. The secret may lie in the way reading music and playing notes uses several regions of the brain, boosting our ability to learn school subjects. For example, reading notes improves spatial reasoning skills, which are helpful in solving math problems like fractions. Music is also used for medical purposes, such as the treatment of diseases which affect memory. The secret lies in the way the brain processes music. One area near the forehead, the medial prefrontal cortex, connects music with memories stored in two other areas: the amygdala and hippocampus.

That’s why an old song can remind you of something that happened years ago. For patients suffering from diseases like Alzheimer’s, listening to music can help unlock buried memories by strengthening musical pathways to memories. Studies of the music/brain connection often focus on classical music, since it activates both the left and right sides of our brains. One study using MRI scans observed subjects’ brain activity as they listened to music by composer William Boyce. It found that activity was highest during the short breaks between the movements of a piece. During each pause, the person’s brain anticipated what would come next, while organizing what he or she had just heard. This process of sorting beginnings and endings is similar to the way our brain organizes information. It may explain why classical music can help improve memory.

Some people are taking the brain/music connection to another level by listening to personalized “brain music.” First, a person’s brainwaves (which are unique to each of us) are measured. Then, using a mathematical procedure, the brainwaves are turned into short pieces of music. Listening to a “relaxing” piece (based on slower brainwaves) can slow one’s heart rate and lower one’s blood pressure. A person’s “activating” piece (based on faster waves) can help a person concentrate and prepare for a difficult task. It’s amazing how attuned our brains are to music. Some scientists like Daniel Levitin even think we’re born with the ability to learn music, just as we all have the skills to learn language. After all, children without any training frequently make up songs while they play. With the evidence of music’s benefits pouring in, it’s no wonder countries like Japan and Hungary make music study a part of their education systems. People are recognizing that more than just a form of entertainment, music is also great for the brain.

ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:

 1. How can reading music make us better at math? 2. What parts of the brain store memories?

 3. How are a person’s brainwaves turned into music?

4-Does music have advantages in our life?

5-Is learning music useful to children? In what aspects?

 6-Does learning music improve children’s intelligence? Give an example?

7-Explain how playing music notes help children with math problems.

 8-Is there a relation between music learning and memory? How?

9-Give an example of a disease that can be treated by music?

10-What does a composer do?

11-What kind of activity does the brain make in music intervals(pauses)?

 12-Can we turn brain waves into music? How is this useful to us?

13-Should our government make music a school course in the education system? Why?

 14-Name two countries that use music a t schools. 15- From the passage, find words similar in meaning to the following words/phrases.

 1-a way of living

 2- music tool

3-give a party

4-certain part

5-support

 6-the structure and analytic nature of

7- focus on

8-inability to remember

9- expect

10- link

 11- proof

12-the ability to remember

Complete each sentence with a target word or phrase. Remember to use the correct word form.

1. If we want to expand our business in Europe, we’ll need to hire someone who is a(n) __________ in the market.

2. My favorite __________ is the piano, but my sister prefers the violin.

3. Because the singer’s voice is so ___________________, it’s easy to identify songs by her.

4. I don’t ________ any bad weather, but take an umbrella just to be safe.

5. That _______ of the world is famous for having many active volcanoes.

Choose the answer that means the same as the word or phrase underlined.

1. The police do not usually arrest someone without evidence that the person has committed a crime.

A. Range        B. activity              C. proof

2. Airports can track planes all the way from take off to landing.

A. Follow                B. suffer                 C. celebrate

3. In that region of the country, the temperature often falls to 10 degrees below zero.

A. Movement                   B. attention                   C. area

4. Considering all the money they’re losing, it’s no wonder they’re going out of business.

A. so unfortunate               B. very recent              C. not surprising

5. Computers are great at helping people organize digital photos.

A. Relax                     B. sort                  C. concentrate

Complete each sentence with the best word or phrase. Remember to use the correct word form. (Instrument------ pour in ------ role ------unique ------ ability )

 1. After the scientist won the Nobel Prize for chemistry, job offers and research opportunities ___________________.

 2. The gallery sells ___________________ works of art from Mexico.

3. My ___________________ in the company is making sure shipments arrive on time at their intended destinations.

4. People do not have the ___________________ to breathe underwater. 5. Orchestras include string ___________________ such as the violin, cello, and viola.