吉林梅河口市第五中学 李 琳

Schools are under constant pressure to make budget cuts,and music programs are often first on the chopping block.However,a recent study from the University of British Columbia(UBC)in Canada has shown that students who took music lessons in high school performed better in subjects such as English,science,and math.

The researchers collected data from over 100,000 students at public high schools across the province of British Columbia.Some of them took music lessons during high school while others never attended them.Comparing the test scores of students who took music classes with those of their peers,the study found that students who took music lessons got higher grades in a range of different school subjects.

Research like this has been done before,but as for the number of respondents,this study is much larger,and it took into account other factors that may have affected the results.For example,perhaps students who took music classes were encouraged to do so because they already had good grades.This UBC study rules out a number of other factors that could explain why music students performed better academically,and the researchers still find a clear effect of music lessons on academic performance.

Not only did music students perform better than those who didn't take music classes,but students who played an instrument did even better than those who sang. “Learning to play a musical instrument and playing in an ensemble(乐 团 )is very rewarding,” says Martin Guhn,one of the researchers.“A student can learn to read music notes,achieve eye-hand-mind coordination,develop keen listening skills and establish interpersonal relationships.”

What this study doesn't tell us,though,is why music makes these students perform better academically,but the research paper mentions a few possible explanations.Music practice is linked with neurological(神经系统的)changes and improves certain brain functions,affecting memory and planning skills.Besides,there is a possible motivational factor.Students who take music lessons see a tangible(实际的)result from practice—they get better—and they might apply that to their other work.And the non-competitive team aspect of making music together could strengthen students'social development,which would also help them in other fields.

Reading Check

1.How did the researchers find the result of the research?

A.By building models.

B.By conducting tests.

C.By analyzing causes.

D.By making comparisons.

2.How is the recent study different from previous ones?

A.It produced a more convincing result.

B.It allowed for students who sang.

C.It covered more school subjects.

D.It was carried out nationwide.

3.Why does the author mention Martin Guhn's words in paragraph 4?

A.To explain why music helps students perform better.

B.To present the benefits of playing instruments.

C.To encourage students to join an ensemble.

D.To speak highly of music students.

4.What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A.Singing can't make any difference in improving students'memory.

B.Music practice can make an overall improvement in students'brain.

C.Progress made in music may motivate students to work harder at math.

D.Playing in an orchestra could make students less competitive in other fields.

Language Study

Difficult sentence

Some of them took music lessons during high school while others never attended them.

【翻译】___________________________________________________________________________

【点石成金】句中while用作并列连词，意为“而”或“然而”，表示前后意义上的对比或转折。