The Biology of Music

The Biology of Music
Humans use music as a powerful way to communicate. It may also play an important role in love. But what is music，and how does it work its magic？Science does not yet have all the answers.
What are two things that make humans different from animals？One is language，and the other is music. It is true that some animals can sing （and many birds sing better than a lot of people）。

However，the songs of animals，such as birds and whales，are very limited. It is also true that humans，not animals，have developed musical instruments. 1
Music is strange stuff. It is clearly different from language. However，people can use music to communicate things — especially their emotions. When music is combined with speech in a song，it is a very powerful form of communication. But，biologically speaking，what is music？
If music is truly different from speech，then we should process music and language in different parts of the brain. The scientific evidence suggests that this is true.
Sometimes people who suffer brain damage lose their ability to process language. However，they don‘t automatically lose their musical abilities. For example，Vissarion Shebalin，a Russian composer，had a stroke in 1953. It injured the left side of his brain. He could no longer speak or understand speech. He could，however，still compose music until his death ten years later. On the other hand，sometimes strokes cause people to lose their musical ability，but they can still speak and understand speech. This shows that the brain processes music and language separately.
By studying the physical effects of music on the body，scientists have also learned a lot about how music influences the emotions. But why does music have such a strong effect on us？That is a harder question to answer. Geoffrey Miller，a researcher at University College，London，thinks that music and love have a strong connection. Music requires special talent，practice，and physical ability. That‘s why it may be a way of showing your fitness to be someone’s mate. For example，singing in tune or playing a musical instrument requires fine muscular control. You also need a good memory to remember the notes. And playing or singing those notes correctly suggests that your hearing is in excellent condition. Finally，when a man sings to the woman he loves （or vice versa），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.
词汇：
automatically adv.自动地
note n.音符
stroke n.中风
注释：
1.It is also true that humans，not animals，have developed musical instruments：人研制出了乐器，而动物则不能。

Develop：研制，例如：Scientists are developing new drugs to treat cancer.科学家们正在研发新药用以治疗癌症。

练习：
1.Humans，but not animals，can sing.
A Right
B Wrong
C Not mentioned
2.People can use music to communicate their emotions.
A Right
B Wrong
C Not mentioned
3.We use the same part of the brain for music and language.
A Right
B Wrong
C Not mentioned
4.Geoffery Miler has done research on music and emotions.
A Right
B Wrong
C Not mentioned
5.It‘s hard for humans to compose music.
A Right
B Wrong
C Not mentioned
6.Memory is not an important part in singing in tune.
A Right
B Wrong
C Not mentioned
7.Scientists does not know all the answers about the effects of music on humans.
A Right
B Wrong
C Not mentioned
答案与题解：
1.B 第二段的第三句：It is true that some animals can sing （and many birds sing better than a lot of people）。

可以看出有些动物会唱歌，而不只人类会唱歌。

2.A 第三段的第三句：However，people can use music to communicate things — especially their emotions.这句清楚表明，人们可以用音乐来表达情感。

3.B 第四段说明：科学证明人们用大脑的不同区域处理语言和音乐。

在第五段，作者用Vissarion Shebalin的例子进一步说明人脑处理语言和音乐的位置不同，Shebalin中风以后不能讲话也听不懂别人的话，但他却能创作乐曲。

4.A 第六段的第四句：Geoffrey Miller，a researcher at University College，London，thinks that music and love have a strong connection.这句说明Miller对音乐和爱（情感）的关系进行了研究，他得出的结论是：音乐和爱有密切的关联。

5.C 文中没有提及创作乐曲是否困难。

6.B 第六段有一句：You also need a good memory to remember the notes.此句说明必须具备好的记忆力记音符才能唱得符合调子。

7.A 最后一段讲的是：科学家们需要做更多的研究才能解释为什么有些声音影响我们的情感会如此之深。

也就是说，科学家不能全部解释音乐对人类的影响。