云南红河州泸西县泸源普通高级中学 陈光和

What would life be like without music?Songs and tunes fill our lives,affecting our emotions,bringing back memories and sometimes making us dance.There is a song for everyone and for every occasion,but it seems that it's sad music that moves us most.

Sad music certainly does its job in making us depressed,emotional,and causing us to sob—it's something we might listen to after a break-up,for example.And a recent study has shown why some people are hooked on sad music.Professor David Huron from Ohio State University conducted the research and looked at the difference between people who love to listen to sad music and those who can't stand it.

He told the BBC radio programme The Why Factor that it comes down to a natural hormone called prolactin（催乳激素）.He said， “As you might have guessed from the name,it's associated with‘lactation’ from breast-feeding.When people cry,they also release prolactin.And,there are circumstances in which prolactin seems to have this comforting effect.”It seems that people who like sad music are maybe getting too much prolactin,or more than is normal,and when they hear sad and downbeat（悲观的）music,it gives them a good feeling.But if prolactin isn't released,or there isn't enough of it,some people find that sad sounds don't help to cheer them up.

Previous research by Durham University has also suggested that listening to sad music can trigger（引发）pain and sadness;but it can also provide comfort and even enjoyment.A high number of people they surveyed were cheered up by listening to supposedly sad songs.Though the feeling may not be exactly the same as happiness,it may be the ability to cope with the sadness that gives the feeling of comfort.

So,reacting to sad music on the radio may have nothing to do with the melancholic（忧郁的）sound of a string quartet or a singer who's got the blues,but rather a natural chemical reaction taking place in our bodies.Maybe that explanation is music to your ears if you're wondering why you've be listening to Adele on repeat!

Reading Check

1.What does the underlined word “hooked” in paragraph 2 mean?

A.Doubtful. B.Addicted. C.Adapted. D.Overreacting.

2.Why do some people love to listen to sad music?

A.They don't get enough natural hormone.

B.Sad music exactly causes the same feeling as happiness.

C.Sad music makes them depressed,emotional,and causes them to sob.

D.Sad music can deal with the sadness and it gives the feeling of comfort.

Language Study

Difficult sentence

Though the feeling may not be exactly the same as happiness,it may be the ability to cope with the sadness that gives the feeling of comfort.

【翻译】___________________________________________________________________________

【点石成金】本句是一个复合句。Though引导的是让步状语从句；it may be the ability to cope with the sadness that gives the feeling of comfort是主句，属于强调句型，被强调的成分是the ability to cope with the sadness。