Music cures our brains音乐治愈大脑

李奕群

1 What ＇s unusual is that， while many people with aphasia （失語症） cant speak，some can still sing— thanks to how musical memories are stored in the brain.

2 While your brain mostly processes language onthe left side， it uses both sides to process music andstore musical memories. So if people have damage onthe left side of their brains and struggle to put originalthoughts into words， they might still be able to use theright side of their brains to sing a favorite song. Andbecause of this connection between music and language，therapists can use music to train the right part of the brain to recover lost languageskills. This process is called melodic intonation therapy （音乐疗法）.

3 To start off， the therapist typically asks the patient to sing a short sentence like“ Niceto meet you”， using a melody that copies the natural intonation of the phrase. Gradually，they move on to saying the sentence with a sing?song intonation， and then speaking thesentence，“ Nice to meet you！ Nice to meet you. Nice to meet you. Nice to meet you.”

4 When there＇s less damage in the brain， music therapy can be used to strengthen connectionsin the injured area of the brain. For example， it can be used to treat problemscaused by moderate brain injury or TBI. In one study， scientists recruited seven patients.During the eight?week study， the scientists gave the patients two piano lessons a weekand instructed them to practice at home each day. Afterwards， the patients listened tomusic in an FMRI scanner while the scientists monitored the activity in different regions oftheir brains.

5 So， for those who can experience it， music is not only relaxing， uplifting and fun，but also stimulates their brains to create new connections and pathways.

Reading Check

1. Why can a person with aphasia sing songs？

A. Music is much easier than speaking.

B. Music is more interesting than speaking.

C. The brain uses both sides to process music.

D. The brain processes language on the right side.

2. What does paragraph 3 mainly talk about？

A. The process of melodic intonation therapy.

B. The function of melodic intonation therapy.

C. The purpose of melodic intonation therapy.

D. The significance of melodic intonation therapy.

3. How does the author explain his opinion in paragraph 4？

A. By using an example. B. By making comparisons.

C. By listing numbers. D. By quoting opinions.

4. What do we know about melodic intonation therapy？

A. It can cure our brains in a short time.

B. It is more useful to the less damaged brain.

C. It can cure persons losing the ability to sing.

D. It is based on the connection between music and language.

语篇解码

本文是一篇说明文。实验证明音乐疗法可以帮助失语症患者重拾语言能力，也可以帮助治疗受损的大脑。

语言学习

Ⅰ. 语料荟萃

Ⅱ. 语句分析

1. Whats unusual is that， while many people with aphasia cant speak， some can stillsing—thanks to how musical memories are stored in the brain. 不同寻常的是，虽然许多失语症患者不能说话，但（他们之中的）有些人仍然能唱歌——这要归功于音乐记忆存储在大脑中的方式。

【点石成金】本句中，What引导主语从句；that引导表语从句；while表示前后意义上的对比或转折，意为“尽管”；破折号在这里起解释说明的作用。

2. So， for those who can experience it， music is not only relaxing， uplifting and fun，but also stimulates their brains to create new connections and pathways. 所以，对于那些能感受到音乐的人来说，音乐不仅能让他们放松、振奋和感到快乐，还能刺激大脑创造新的连接和通路。

【点石成金】本句中，who引导了定语从句；not only...， but also...意为“不仅……，而且……”。

语言运用

Ⅰ. 例句仿写

1. 尽管她缺乏经验，但她工作热情高涨。

____________________________， she has real enthusiasm for the work.

2. 昨天打来电话的女士想买这栋房子。

The lady____________________________wants to buy the house.

Ⅱ. 写作实践

假定你是李华，你的外国朋友Smith的弟弟头部轻微受伤，于是他写信向你咨询音乐疗法。请你就此给他写一封回信，内容包括：

1. 音乐疗法的步骤；

2. 音乐疗法的作用；

3. 表达祝愿。

注意：

1. 詞数80左右；

2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

Dear Smith，

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yours，

Li Hua