Ielts Academic Reading Practice Test 167 18983ccbe4

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Why does music move us?

Reading Passage

Why does music move us?

Roger Highoeld is perplexed as to how the amalgam of sound waves we call music can have

such an impact.

A.Sound, at its most elemental, is a pressure wave propagating through air. So how can the

combination of sound waves we call music become, as Tolstoy put it, "the shorthand of

emotion"? Or, to rephrase the question, how can mechanical vibrations have such a major

impact?

B.The author of The Music Instinct, Philip Ball, contends that the key is not in the notes

themselves, but in our own imaginations. At a recent session I co-organized with him at the

Royal Institution, he highlighted the extent to which contemporary popular music takes as much

concentration as classical composers such as Bach and Beethoven.

C.Regardless of one's musical preferences, the brain must work hard. The astounding

harmonics-packed richness of a note played on a piano or flute will suddenly collapse in your

head, allowing you to perceive only a single note rather than a forest of Overtones, due to your

mind's incredible talent for pattern recognition.

D.My acquaintance stated that people are hardwired to seek order and that music facilitates the

recognition of these patterns. We are packed with a variety of mental shortcuts to assist us to

interpret the world around us. These rules represent the neurological mechanisms that enable

us to classify and comprehend musical sounds.

E.Medical imaging has demonstrated that the questioned brain activity does not occur in

isolation. Different musical aspects stimulate distinct parts of the brain. The temporal lobe
processes melody and pitch, the hippocampus retrieves musical memories, and

'rhythm-processing circuits' are recruited to conduct motor responses.

F.Curiously, when the brain encounters nonsensical sentences, it emits the same signal of

confusion that it emits when the grammar of music sounds incorrect or when chords in a piece

of music do not complement one another. The octave, the gap in which one note is exactly twice

as high in frequency as the one preceding it, occupies a special position, according to research

examining our responses to musical patterns.

G.However, Harvard University's Steven Pinker describes music as "auditory cheesecake,"

therefore the essential question is whether or not the human brain is designed to process it.

According to him, the pleasure that our brains derive from sounds is completely accidental. The

hearing system evolved to process a variety of stimuli.

H.The unfortunate truth may be that we simply do not know. We do know, however, that our

upbringing has a substantial effect on how we develop a taste for music. A few years ago, Philip

Ball discovered that music appears to have a national character, most likely due to the rhythms

and cadences of the numerous languages spoken in each situation. Composers in the English

tradition frequently employ rhythms and interludes that mirror the English tendency to vary pitch

and duration in speech more than the French. According to this criterion, Elgar is frequently

utilized as background music for important national pageants, as he is considered by some to

be the most "English" composer.

I.As with acoustics, the convention is the determining element for what is considered harmonic.

The elderly believe that contemporary music contains dissonant, startling tones that are

unpleasant to listen to. However, musical discord has always existed. Both Beethoven and

Chopin are unworthy of serious consideration. It is contingent upon the existing norms of the

time. In the Middle Ages, what we now consider consonant was considered dissonant.

Historically, the augmented fourth was referred to as "Diabolus in musica" because of its
demonic nature. Even now, it has a disturbing effect on us, which may explain its prevalence in

heavy metal.

J.Near the end of my interview with Philip Ball, I asked if the good effects of music on the brain

could be utilized. This was the perfect chance for him to examine the so-called "Mozart effect,"

the belief that early exposure to classical music helps infants acquire an appreciation and

respect for information. According to a 1996 study, rock music for infants is more beneficial to

their brain development than classical music. The impact of the music on the mood of the

children was more significant than the music itself.

K.According to Ball, we all have a natural inclination to make the world more musical. It's difficult

to claim "I am not musical," even if that's how you feel whenever you're dragged along to sing

karaoke. Only a small portion of the general population may be described as being completely

tone-deaf.

Why does music move us reading questions

Questions 1 - 6

Complete each sentence with the correct ending A-l from the box below. Write the correct letter

A-l in boxes 1-6 on your answer sheet.

1.The perception of mechanical vibrations

2.enjoying popular music

3.Identifying patterns

4.Listening to the music we prefer.

5.The songs are non-sensical

6.Taking in some octave-discordant tunes


A.Is intrinsic and facilitates the brain's ability to simplify complex musical combinations.

B.Is a skill that few individuals possess.

C.Can have a very profound effect on humans.

D.Stimulates our temporal lobe.

E.Has a distinct effect on the majority of listeners.

F.Engages the hippocampus.

G.Is more difficult than most people believe.

H.Depends on the type of music you enjoy the most.

I.Have the same impact as reading incomprehensible sentences.

Questions 7-9

7. These rules represent the ______ that allows us to categorize and understand musical

sounds.

8. However, Steven Pinker of Harvard University characterizes music as _________, therefore

the fundamental question is whether or not the human brain is suited to process it.

9. Philip Ball noticed a few years ago that music appears to have a national identity, most likely

as a result of the___________ of the many languages spoken in each circumstance.

Question 10-13

Do the following statements agree with the information given in the Reading Passage? In boxes

10-13 on your answer sheet, write

TRUE - if the statement agrees with the information.

FALSE - if the statement contradicts the information.

NOT GIVEN - if there is no information on this.

10. Older individuals prefer classical music over popular music.

11. In heavy metal music, the effect of a particular note is recognized.


12. Philip Ball emphasizes the importance of youngsters listening to classical music and the

benefits it provides.

13. People who are not particularly musically inclined are likely to be drawn to karaoke.

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