If you want to increase your vocabulary, the best way to do it might be to pick up a guitar, or learn the violin. A new study shows that learning to play a musical instrument makes the brain more able to remember words.
“Grown-ups with music training in their childhood can have better memory for words,” said Dr Agnes Chan of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, who did the research. “They can remember things that you tell them better than those who did not have music training when they were young.”
It seems that one can remember spoken words because his brain has a special part. “That part of the brain is larger in musicians than in non-musicians,” Dr Chan told BBC. “If that part of the brain is larger, it may be better developed and so this explains very nicely our results.”
Dr Chan and her workmates came to their conclusion after studying students. Their research is reported in the latest edition of the journal(杂志) Nature. “We did the experiment with 60 girl college students from our university and 30 of them have at least six years training with one western musical instrument (such as the violin and the piano) before the age of 12. The other 30 had received no music training. We tested their memory by reading them some words and asking them to remember these words—a very mon test for memory. We found that people who have had music training can remember about 70% more information than those who have not had any music training.”
Dr Chan thinks the process(过程) of learning is more important than the actual instrument used. She also believes if one is able to remember words through learning to play instruments, he or she could have some very real benefits. Dr Chan thinks this could be developed into a medical way for patients who are suffering from memory loss.
【小题1】 According to the writer, learning to play a musical instrument helps to .A．get more knowledgeB．live more happilyC．remember more wordsD．make one bee a musician【小题2】Which of the following is true according to the passage?A．Dr Chan thinks people should have music training when they grow up.B．Dr Chan thinks the special part of the brain doesn’t need developing. C．Dr Chan thinks people should have music training when they are young.D．Dr Chan thinks musicians have a larger brain than non-musicians.【小题3】How many students took part in Dr Chan’s research?A．30 girl students.B．60 girl students.C．17% of his students.D．60 girl and boy students.C
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(答案→)C
解析：
【小题1】细节题：从第一段的句子：A new study shows that learning to play a musical instrument makes the brain more able to remember words.可知学习一种乐器有助于记忆单词。选 C
【小题2】细节题：从第二段的句子：“They can remember things that you tell them better than those who did not have music training when they were young.”可知Dr Chan认为人在年轻的时候要接受音乐训练。选C。
【小题3】细节题：从第四段的句子：We did the experiment with 60 girl college students from our university and 30 of them have at least six years training with one western musical instrument (such as the violin and the piano) before the age of 12. 可知60个女学生参加了陈教授的调查。选B