Question

For some people, music is no fun at all. About four percent of the population is what scientists call “amusic.” People who are amusic are born without the ability to recognize or reproduce musical notes (音調). Amusic people often cannot tell the difference between two songs. Amusics can only hear the difference between two notes if they are very far apart on the musical scale.

As a result, songs sound like noise to an amusic. Many amusics compare the sound of music to pieces of metal hitting each other. Life can be hard for amusics. Their inability to enjoy music set them apart from others. It can be difficult for other people to identify with their condition. In fact, most people cannot begin to grasp what it feels like to be amusic. Just going to a restaurant or a shopping mall can be uncomfortable or even painful. That is why many amusics intentionally stay away from places where there is music. However, this can result in withdrawal and social isolation. “I used to hate parties,” says Margaret, a seventy-year-old woman who only recently discovered that she was amusic. By studying people like Margaret, scientists are finally learning how to identify this unusual condition.

Scientists say that the brains of amusics are different from the brains of people who can appreciate music. The difference is complex, and it doesn’t involve defective hearing. Amusics can understand other nonmusical sounds well. They also have no problems understanding ordinary speech. Scientists compare amusics to people who just can’t see certain colors.

Many amusics are happy when their condition is finally diagnosed (診斷). For years, Margaret felt embarrassed about her problem with music. Now she knows that she is not alone. There is a name for her condition. That makes it easier for her to explain. “When people invite me to a concert, I just say, ‘No thanks, I’m amusic,’” says Margaret. “I just wish I had learned to say that when I was seventeen and not seventy.”                                                                                                                       (335 words)

1.Which of the following is true of amusics?

A．Listening to music is far from enjoyable for them.

B．They love places where they are likely to hear music.

C．They can easily tell two different songs apart.

D．Their situation is well understood by musicians.

2.According to paragraph 3, a person with “defective hearing” is probably one who __________.

A．dislikes listening to speeches

B．can hear anything nonmusical

C．has a hearing problem

D．lacks a complex hearing system

3.In the last paragraph, Margaret expressed her wish that __________.

A．her problem with music had been diagnosed earlier

B．she were seventeen years old rather than seventy

C．her problem could be easily explained

D．she were able to meet other amusics

4.What is the passage mainly concerned with?

A．Amusics’ strange behaviours.

B．Some people’s inability to enjoy music.

C．Musical talent and brain structure.

D．Identification and treatment of amusics.

 

Answer 1

【答案】

1.A

2.C

3.A

4.B

【解析】

【文章大意】文章講述的是世界上有一群天生不喜歡聽音樂的人，被稱之為amusic，這些人聽力上沒有任何問題，只是不喜歡聽音樂，也無法欣賞音樂。很多人在之前都因此而苦惱，現在有了科學的解釋，他們可以擺脫那種尷尬、不自在的處境了。

1.根據第一段“For some people, music is no fun at all”可知，A項正確，意為，“對于某些人來說，聽音樂并不是開心的事情”和A項的聽音樂對他們來說遠非是愉快的相同。因此，B項也是錯誤的。根據第一段的“People who are amusic are born without the ability to recognize or reproduce musical notes (音調). Amusic people often cannot tell the difference between two songs. ”可知，CD兩項錯誤。

2.該段前兩句講的是不愛聽音樂的人和喜歡聽音樂的人是不同的，他們之間的區別很復雜，但是那have no problems understanding ordinary speech. ”又講到了這些不愛聽音樂的人在理解其他非音樂的聲音或者演講的時候是沒有問題的，目的是為了強調他們是正常的，沒有什么缺陷的，因此defective hearing指的是C項的a hearing problem,即聽覺有問題。句意為，他們之間的區別是很負責的，但并不包括聽覺有問題這種情況。

3.I just wish I had learned to say that when I was seventeen and not seventy.意為，我希望我在十七歲的時候就學會了這樣說（指的是No thanks, I’m amusic這句，意為，謝謝你，我是一個不喜歡聽音樂的人），而不是到了七十歲才學會。從最后一段我們知道，their condition is finally diagnosed (診斷)他們的這種狀況終于最后確診了，他們都屬于amusic，但是這來的太遲了，對于Margaret來說，因為之前她總是Margaret felt embarrassed about her problem感到很尷尬，因此她希望她年輕的時候，就可以有現在這樣的診斷。

4.全文主要講述的是不喜愛聽音樂的一類人，被稱之為amusic，他們之前都沒有得到統一的診斷或者認識，直到現在。因此選擇B項，Some people’s inability to enjoy music意為，一些人無法欣賞音樂。A項，錯在strange behaviors，文章只是說他們不喜歡有音樂的地方，并沒有講到他們其他的一些奇怪的舉動。C項Musical talent and brain structure音樂天賦和大腦構造，明顯與文章大意不符。D項中錯在treatment，意為治療，文章并沒有講到如何幫助這些人治療他們的問題。因此排除D。