1、Text The diva within Music can literally change the way you think, discovers archaeologist Steven Mithen when he learns to sing.1 Can anyone learn to sing? Its a question that haunted me as I was writing my most recent book The Singing Neanderthals. My research had persuaded me that musicality is de

2、eply embedded in the human genome, with far more ancient evolutionary roots than spoken language. Yet here I was, unable to carry a tune or match a rhythm. Friends and academic colleagues claimed this was simply because I had been turned off from music as a child and if only I took a few lessons I w

3、ould find my voice. Maybe they were right. So humiliated was I by music teachers who made me sing alone in front of the class that I dropped music at the first opportunity and havent participated in anything musical for over 35 years. Perhaps I could learn to sing.Text 2 The more I thought about it,

4、 the more I realized that here was an opportunity not to be missed. As well as testing whether I could improve my tone, pitch and rhythm, perhaps I could also find out what was happening inside my brain as I tried to learn how to sing. I had recently read an article by researcher Larry Parsons at th

5、e University of Sheffield, UK, entitled The song system of the human brain, and then met him at a conference. Text With the helpof functional MRI he had begun to identify which areas of the brain are recruited when we engage with music. Someof these areas are evidently used for both music andother a

6、ctivities and some, such as the planumpolare, in the temporal lobe, appear to bespecialized for processing music. I wanted toknow whether learning to sing could actuallychange the way my brain worked.Text 3 I emailed Larry just before Christmas in 2005, suggesting we collaborate on an experiment: I

7、would have my brain scanned while singing, then take one year of singing lessons before having another scan to see whether anything had changed. Larry agreed, so I found myself a singing teacher, Pam Chilvers, and the three of us met early in 2006 to design the study. Text 4 Before the first scannin

8、g session I had a couple of lessons to get me used to singing and to provide the rudiments of reading music. I think Pam was shocked at my lack of ability she is used to teaching experienced musicians and precocious children and hadnt actually believed me when I had said that I couldnt sing in tune

9、or follow a rhythm. She soon learned better. The scan took place in June 2006 and was a gruelling experience. Text For hours, I lay flat on my back, singing the technical exercises and song excerpts that I could see projected on a screen above. Each piece had to be sung three times, with Larry tappi

10、ng my toe to let me know when I should start and stop. Later, he would process the images, subtracting the average of those taken during singing from those at rest, to give snapshots of the mental activity involved.Text My singing wasnt good for my family life either, as my children didnt appreciate

11、 the late-night practising. Nevertheless, I persevered and although my progress was limited, I did actually begin to enjoy some aspects of the venture, especially Lascia chio pianga. On a few occasions when singing with my wife we both experienced fleeting feelings of emotional intimacy as our voice

12、s blended into one but then I would stumble and the moment would be lost.Text Encore!6 The second brain scan, in July 2007, was as challenging as the first. We repeated the same technical exercises and song excerpts in exactly the same way. Lying still was even more frustrating than the last time be

13、cause I had learned that moving my body was as important to singing as was flexing my vocal cords. I left the scanner feeling exhausted, but this time I was also elated that my work for the experiment was done. Text It was now over to Larry to compare my before and after scans to see whether the yea

14、r of singing had changed my brain. I was doubtful, because I felt my singing had barely improved. So I was surprised when Larry told me that not only had there been significant changes in my brain activity, but that these fitted with his understanding of how the brain supports musical performance.Te

15、xt 人人都是歌唱家 考古學(xué)家史蒂文米森在學(xué)習(xí)唱歌的時候發(fā)現(xiàn)，音樂確實可以改變?nèi)说乃季S方式。1 人人都能學(xué)會唱歌嗎？在撰寫我最新出版的唱著歌的尼安德特人一書時，這個問題就一直縈繞在我的心頭。我做的研究讓我相信音樂才能是深深植根于人類基因中的，從進化史的角度來說，它比人類的口頭語言都要古老得多?？墒俏冶救艘怀鸶鑱聿皇桥苷{(diào)，就是跟不上節(jié)奏。朋友們和學(xué)術(shù)同僚們都說，那都是因為我小時候?qū)σ魳肥チ伺d趣，只要上幾節(jié)音樂課，我一定能放聲歌唱。也許他們是對的。記得小時候，音樂老師們讓我在全班同學(xué)面前獨“唱”，讓我覺得很丟臉。所以后來一有機會，我就躲開音樂，35年來從來沒有參加過任何音樂活動。說不定學(xué)一學(xué)我

16、也能唱得不錯。Text 2 我越想就越覺得這是個不容錯過的好機會。除了看看能不能改善我的音調(diào)、音高和節(jié)奏感之外，或許我還能發(fā)現(xiàn)學(xué)習(xí)唱歌的時候大腦會有什么樣的變化。最近讀了英國謝菲爾德大學(xué)研究員拉里帕森斯的一篇文章，題目是“人類大腦中的歌唱系統(tǒng)”，后來又在一次會上見到了他。Text 3 2005年圣誕節(jié)前，我給拉里發(fā)了一封電子郵件，提議跟他合作一個實驗：我要先做一個腦部掃描，邊唱歌邊掃描，然后上一年的音樂課，之后再做一次掃描，看看大腦是否會發(fā)生一些變化。拉里同意合作，于是我就給自己找了一名聲樂老師，她叫帕姆切爾弗斯，2006年年初，我們?nèi)齻€人聚在一起，設(shè)計了研究方案。Text 方案決定讓我接受八

17、個有關(guān)音樂技巧訓(xùn)練的測試，涵蓋各種音樂活動，比如高音音準(zhǔn)練習(xí)、音階和節(jié)奏練習(xí)。我還要學(xué)唱兩首歌，一首是約翰拉特的蓋爾人的祝禱文，另一首是亨德爾的請讓我哭泣吧。聽帕姆唱這兩首歌，讓我想起了寫這本書的動力：為什么進化會創(chuàng)造出這樣的一個物種，擁有如此美妙的歌喉？Text 4 接受第一次掃描前，我上了幾次課，逐漸適應(yīng)了唱歌，掌握了一些讀樂譜的基本知識。我想當(dāng)帕姆看到我一點兒音樂能力都沒有的時候，肯定是嚇了一大跳她一直都是給那些經(jīng)驗豐富的音樂人以及很早就顯露出音樂才華的孩子授課的，當(dāng)我告訴她我一唱歌就跑調(diào)，還跟不上節(jié)奏時她還不相信。不過，她馬上就發(fā)現(xiàn)我并不是故作謙虛。第一次腦部掃描于2006年6月進行，

18、整個過程很辛苦。Text 我仰面躺了幾個小時, 看著投射在頭上方屏幕上的譜子，唱著關(guān)于音樂技巧的曲子，還有一些歌曲片段。每個譜子要唱三遍，拉里會敲我的腳趾，告訴我什么時候開始，什么時候停下來。隨后，他要處理那些掃描圖像，把我唱歌時的圖像和休息時的分開來，以對唱歌時的腦部活動有一個粗略的了解。Text 5 接著，我上了一年的音樂課。帕姆教我唱歌時的站姿和呼吸方法；讓我做一些有助于找準(zhǔn)音調(diào)、擴展音域的練習(xí)。我音高上去了之后，開始做節(jié)奏感、音色和力度方面的練習(xí)。她不停地鼓勵我，對我充滿信心，而我卻是個差勁的學(xué)生：缺乏自信心，常常感到沮喪，還不夠用功。在唱著歌的尼安德特人一書中，我指出唱歌是通過社會交

19、往增加幸福感的一種方式?？闪钊诉z憾的是，我自己的經(jīng)歷卻并不能證明這一點唱歌讓我變得脾氣暴躁，壓力重重，還心懷不滿。Text 學(xué)唱歌對我的家庭生活也沒有什么好處，孩子們不喜歡我大晚上練歌。盡管如此，我還是堅持了下來，雖然提高有限，但這項實驗的某些方面還是讓我很享受，尤其是請讓我哭泣吧這首曲子。有幾次我和妻子一起合唱，當(dāng)我們的歌聲合二為一時，剎那間我們感受到了情感的交融可不一會兒我就跑調(diào)了，那美好的時刻也隨即消逝了。Text 剩下的就要交給拉里了，他要把我前后兩次掃描的結(jié)果進行比較，看看這一年的聲樂學(xué)習(xí)是否改變了我的大腦活動。對此我是持懷疑態(tài)度的，因為我感覺自己的唱歌技能幾乎沒有提高。因此當(dāng)拉里告

20、訴我大腦活動不僅發(fā)生了明顯改變，而且這種變化完全符合他對大腦在音樂活動中所起作用的理解時，我很吃驚。Text 7 那么是不是人人都能學(xué)會唱歌呢？我還不能肯定，但通過這一年的學(xué)習(xí)，我學(xué)到了很多關(guān)于唱歌的知識，比之前那么多年通過閱讀書籍學(xué)到的要多。知道了唱歌是多么不容易要舉重若輕地把音高、節(jié)奏、音色、音調(diào)、力度都掌握好我現(xiàn)在更加感到疑惑，人類為什么會進化出這樣一種神奇的能力呢？Text Words & Phrasesstumbleencoreflexcordvocal cordsscannerelatedunconsciouslytimbreturn offWords & PhrasesSteve

21、n Mithen 史蒂文米森（人名）Neanderthal 尼安德特人Larry Parsons 拉里帕森斯（人名）University of Sheffield 謝菲爾德大學(xué)MRI （magnetic resonance imaging）磁共振成像Pam Chilvers帕姆切爾弗斯（人名）A Gaelic Blessing 蓋爾人的祝禱文John Rutter 約翰拉特（英國作曲家及合唱指揮）Lascia chio pianga 請讓我哭泣吧Handel 亨德爾（德國作曲家）diva n. C a famous female opera singer女歌唱家；（尤指）歌劇女主角e.g. 1

22、. During the two-hour-long concert, the diva will sing some of her greatest hits. 在兩小時的音樂會中，這位著名女歌手將演唱她的多首流行金曲。2. The pop diva said she wrote the books to teach children some of the life lessons shes learned over the years. 這位流行歌后說她寫書是為了將她多年來總結(jié)的生活經(jīng)驗教給孩子們。Words & Phrasesliterally ad. 1) used for show

23、ing that what you are saying is really true and is not just an impressive way of describing sth. 確實地；真正地；不加夸張地e.g. 1. For a minute he literally hated this earthy, cynical world to which one belonged, willy-nilly. 一時之間，他真恨起這個誰都不能不屬于其中的、粗俗而吹毛求疵的世界來。2) in the most basic, obvious meanings of the words t

24、hat are used 照字面意思地e.g. In this version, the name of one of the female protagonists, Lin Daiyu, was literally translated as Black Jade. 該譯本竟把林黛玉直譯成“Black Jade”(即黑色的玉)。Word family: literal a.Words & Phrasesarchaeologist n. C someone who studies archaeology 考古學(xué)家e.g. The archaeologists have found sever

25、al human skeletons. 考古學(xué)家已經(jīng)發(fā)現(xiàn)幾具人的骨骼。Word family: archaeology n. the study of ancient societies by examining what remains of their buildings, graves, tools etc. 考古學(xué)e.g. Egyptian archaeology is an important part of archaeology in the world. 埃及考古學(xué)是世界考古學(xué)的重要組成部分。Words & Phraseshaunt vt. 1) make someone fe

26、el worried and upset for a long time縈繞在心頭；纏擾e.g. Memories of her childhood haunted her. 童年時代的記憶經(jīng)常在她腦中縈繞。2) if a place is haunted by the spirit of a dead person, some people believe that it appears there （鬼魂）常出沒于e.g. The ghost of Lady Margaret is supposed to haunt this chapel. 據(jù)說瑪格麗特女士的鬼魂常在這個小教堂出沒。Wo

27、rds & Phrasesmusicality n. U sensitivity to, knowledge of, or talent for music 音樂欣賞能力；音樂才能e.g. 1. The musician possesses an extraordinary musicality. 這位音樂家擁有非凡的音樂表現(xiàn)力。2. His words offer insights and suggestions to poetry translation, especially the realization of musicality. 他的話對詩歌翻譯，尤其是音樂美感的傳遞方面提出了見

28、解和建議。Word family: musical Words & PhrasesWord formation: -ity, -ility.A common way of forming nouns is to add the suffix ity or ility to the adjective.i.e.: memorable probable possible responsible suitable complex curious stupid Words & PhrasesWord formation: -ity, -ility.A common way of forming nou

29、ns is to add the suffix ity or ility to the adjective.i.e.: memorable memorability probable probability possible possibility responsible responsibility suitable suitability complex complexity curious curiosity stupid stupidityembed vt. 1) make sth. a fixed and important part of sth. else 使成為（的）重要部分；

30、使融入e.g. The idea became embedded in his mind. 這想法在他頭腦中根深蒂固。2) fix sth. firmly in a surface or object 使插入；使嵌入e.g. 1. A piece of glass was embedded in her hand. 一塊碎玻璃嵌在她的手上。2. The doctor took out the bullet embedded in the bone at last. 醫(yī)生終于把嵌進骨中的子彈取了出來。Words & Phrasesgenome n. C (science) the total a

31、mount of genetic information in the chromosomes of a living thing, including its genes and DNA 基因組；染色體組e.g. 1. Our field of study is genome mapping. 我們的研究領(lǐng)域是描繪基因圖譜。2. Human genome project is expected to decipher the genetic codes in the human cell. 人類基因組計劃有望能破解人類細胞中所隱含的遺傳密碼。Word family: gene a. Word

32、s & Phrasesentitle vt. 1) (usu. passive)give a title to a book, poem, or piece of music 給（書、詩歌、樂曲）題名；給命名e.g. He watched a documentary entitled “The Price of Perfection”. 他看了一部名為完美的代價的紀錄片。2) (often passive) give someone the right to do something 給（某人）權(quán)利；給（某人）資格e.g. Two weeks of paid vacation in your

33、first year employment, you are also been entitled to medical and dental insurance. (CET4-2006-06) 你工作第一年會享有兩周的帶薪假期，并且有資格獲得醫(yī)療和牙科保險。Words & Phrasesfunctional a. 1) designed to be good at doing a particular job 實用的；為實用而設(shè)計的e.g. 1. In addition to their functional value, icons can play a significant role

34、in conveying the desired brand attributes. 除了具備功能價值，圖標(biāo)在傳遞品牌屬性上還有重要的作用。2. The machine doesnt look elegant its purely functional. 這臺機器樣子不講究，不過很實用。Words & Phrases2) operating in the correct way 正常運轉(zhuǎn)的e.g. 1. The museum will be fully functional from the opening of the festival. 從這個慶?；顒娱_幕開始，該博物館將全面投入使用。2.

35、 The telephone was out of order, but is functional now. 電話剛才壞了，但現(xiàn)在可以用了。Word family: function n. & v.Words & Phrasesevidently ad. used for saying that sth. is obvious 顯然；明顯e.g. 1. He had evidently returned to the spot of the crime. 他顯然曾回到過犯罪現(xiàn)場。2. He evidently wished no repetition of my intrusion. 他顯然

36、不愿愿意我再來打攪。Word family: evident a. evidence n. Words & Phrasesplanum polare n. C (medical) the anterior portion of the superior surface of the temporal lobe 顳上回的前部Words & Phrasestemporal lobe n. C (medical) a region of the cerebral cortex that is located beneath the Sylvian fissure on both cerebral h

37、emispheres of the mammalian brain 顳葉（大腦中主管聽覺的部分）Words & Phrasescollaborate vi. work with someone in order to produce sth. 合作；協(xié)作e.g. 1. Students may work alone or collaborate in groups. 學(xué)生們將獨自創(chuàng)作或以小組的形式共同創(chuàng)作。2. The Internet allows physicists to collaborate on research. 國際互聯(lián)網(wǎng)使物理學(xué)家們能夠進行科研合作。3. She agreed

38、 to collaborate with him in writing her biography. 她同意與他合作撰寫她的傳記。Synonym: cooperateWord family: collaboration n. Words & Phrasessustain vt. 1) provide the conditions in which sth. can happen or exist 維持；保持e.g. The foundations were not strong enough to sustain the weight of the house. 這地基不夠牢固，無法承受房屋的

39、重量。2) (fml.) give someone strength, energy, or hope 使保持體力(或精力、希望）；支撐e.g. 1. Your comforting words helped to sustain me in my faith during those dark days. 你那些寬慰的話在那段黑暗的日子里幫助我堅定了信念。2. This thought had sustained him throughout the years. 這個念頭支撐他度過了這么多年。Words & Phrasesblessing n. 1) U, C protection and

40、 help from God, or words spoke to ask for this 禱告；祈禱e.g. The blessing was said in Hebrew. 禱告用了希伯來語。2) C sth. good that you feel very grateful or lucky to have 福氣；幸事e.g. It is essential for us to try to decide whether television is a blessing or a curse. 我們有必要來評斷電視到底是福還是禍。Word family: bless vt. See a

41、lso: A Gaelic Blessing.Words & Phrasesrudiments n. (pl.) basic skills, or the simple facts about a subject (某事物的)基本技巧；基礎(chǔ)知識e.g. 1. He has just learned the rudiments of Chinese. 他學(xué)漢語剛剛?cè)腴T。2. Watercolours are rudiments of our generation and I still like them. 水彩畫是我們這一代人繪畫的基本功，我現(xiàn)在也一直很喜歡。3. she taught the

42、 children the rudiments of reading and writing. 她教孩子們閱讀和寫作入門。Words & Phrasesprecocious a. a precocious child is more intelligent or behaves in a more developed way than you would expect for their age (兒童)早熟的e.g. 1. The Jewish family pattern shows distinctive national and precocious characteristics.

43、猶太人的家庭模式有著鮮明的民族性和早熟性。2. Childhood hardships matured in him a precocious sense of responsibility. 童年的艱苦生活使他提早形成了一種過早具有的責(zé)任感。Words & Phrasesexcerpt n. C a short piece of writing or music that is taken from a longer piece 摘錄；節(jié)選e.g. 1. The passage is an excerpt from his forthcoming biography. 這一段是從他即將發(fā)表的

44、傳記中節(jié)選的。2. Run that excerpt back to the beginning and replay it in slow motion. 把這一段倒回到開頭部分，然后用慢鏡頭重放。3. The programme included excerpts from Verdis operas. 這個節(jié)目包含威爾地歌劇的片段。Words & Phrasessubtract v. take a number or amount from another number or amount. The symbol for this is “” and is called a minus

45、sign 減掉；去掉e.g. 1. If you subtract 2 from 8, you get 6. 8減去2是6。 2. If you would make a man happy, do not add to his possessions but subtract from his desires. 如果你想使一個人快樂，不要增加他的財產(chǎn)，而是減少他的欲望。3. In their first year at school, most children learn to add and subtract. 入學(xué)第一年，多數(shù)孩子都學(xué)加減法。Words & Phrasessnapsho

46、t n. C1) a short description that tells you what a particular place or situation is like at a particular time 簡要說明；簡要描述e.g. The letters give us a snapshot of his life abroad. 這些信件使我們大致了解了他在海外的生活。2) a photograph taken without the use of professional equipment 快照e.g. He blew up the snapshot to a large

47、r size. 他把這張快照放大了。Words & Phrasesposture n. 1) C, U the position that your body is in when you sit, stand, or walk 姿勢；姿態(tài)；儀態(tài)e.g. The yoga posture is the most relaxed posture possible. 瑜珈姿勢或許是最放松的姿勢。2) C an attitude, or the way that someone behaves towards other people 態(tài)度，行為方式e.g. He tore off his coat

48、 and assumed a fighting posture. 他扯掉上衣，一副要打架的架勢。Words & Phrasesconfidence n. U 1) the belief that you are able to do things well 自信心e.g. She doesnt seem to have enough confidence in herself. 她似乎對自己沒有充分的信心。2) the belief that someone or something is good and that you can trust them 信賴；信任e.g. The tax r

49、eductions were intended to restore confidence in the government. 減稅就是為了恢復(fù)人們對政府的信任。Word family: confident a.Words & Phrasesfrustrated a. feeling annoyed and impatient because you are prevented from achieving something 受挫的；懊惱的；失望的e.g. 1. Sometimes I was frustrated with a world I could not understand o

50、r manage. 有時，我因?qū)κ朗虏荒芾斫夂婉{馭而惱火。2. Both sides in the dispute appeared very frustrated at the lack of progress. 爭執(zhí)雙方因事情毫無進展而顯得十分沮喪。See also: frustrating.Words & Phrasesfrustrating a. making you feel annoyed and impatient because you are prevented from achieving something 使人不快的；令人沮喪的e.g. This spring has

51、been wet and frustrating. 這個春天多雨潮濕使人心情沮喪。Choose the best answer. Finding a job can be _ and disappointing, and therefore it is important that you are prepared. (CET4-2003-09) A) exploitingB) frustrating C) profitingD) misleading 找工作會令人沮喪和失望，因此做好準(zhǔn)備是很重要的。Words & PhrasesBWord family: frustrate vt. if s

52、th. frustrates you, it makes you feel annoyed or angry because you are unable to do what you want 使懊喪，使懊惱e.g. The fact that hes working with amateurs really frustrates him. 和一群外行共事著實讓他懊惱。See also: frustrated.Words & Phrasesdissatisfied a. annoyed because sth. is not as good as you expected it to be

53、不滿的；不滿意的e.g. 1. Everyone is dissatisfied with his own fortune. 人對自己的命運總感到不滿足。2. They were dissatisfied with the way resources were allocated. 他們對資源分配的方式不滿意。Word family: dissatisfaction n.Antonym: satisfiedWords & Phrasespersevere vi. continue trying to achieve sth. difficult 堅持不懈；鍥而不舍e.g. 1. He will

54、 persevere in the right against all opposition. 他將不顧一切反對意見，堅持正義。2. Failures are stepping stones to success for strong hearts determined to persevere. 對意志堅強、堅忍不拔者而言，失敗乃成功之踏腳石。Words & Phrasesventure n. & v.1) n. C a new business or activity （新的）冒險事業(yè)，風(fēng)險企業(yè)，冒險行動e.g. 1. All our hopes rested upon this vent

55、ure. 我們所有的希望都寄托在這次冒險上了。2. These foreigners have put forward a proposal for a joint venture. 這些外國人提出建立一個合資企業(yè)的建議。Words & Phrases2) vi. go somewhere unpleasant, dangerous, or exciting 冒險前進e.g. 1. Do not venture into the jungle without a guide. 如果沒有向?qū)В筒灰半U到森林里去。2. The captain was afraid to venture out

56、to sea, and decided to hug the shore. 船長不敢冒險駛向大海，決定保持靠近岸邊航行。3) vt. say or do sth. in an uncertain way because you are afraid it is wrong or will seem stupid 小心地說；謹慎地做e.g. May I venture to add a few comments? 我可以冒昧補充一點意見嗎？Words & Phrasesfleeting a. continuing for only a very short time 短暫的；簡短的e.g. 1.

57、 We paid her a fleeting visit before leaving the country. 我們出國前匆匆探望了她一次。2. We only had a fleeting glimpse of the sun all day. 一整天我們只看到太陽露了一下臉。Words & Phrasesintimacy n. 1) sing, U a close personal relationship 親密；密切e.g. His claims to an intimacy with the President are somewhat exaggerated. 他聲稱自己與總統(tǒng)關(guān)

58、系密切，這有點言過其實。2) C (often pl.) something personal or private that you say or do 親昵的言語；親密的行為e.g. He exchanged intimacies with his bosom friend at the party. 在晚會上，他和他的密友親密交談。Word family: intimate a.Words & Phrasesblend v.& n. 1) v. seem to gradually change into sth. else 似乎逐漸變成e.g. The houses seem to bl

59、end into the surroundings. 這些房子似乎與周圍的環(huán)境融為一體了。2) v. mix different foods or other substances together 使混合；使摻和e.g. Melt the butter and then blend the flour into it. 先把黃油融化，然后加入面粉。3) n. a mixture of different things that combine together well 混合物e.g. These cigarettes are a blend of the best tobaccos. 這種

60、香煙是用幾種最好的煙草混合制成的。Words & Phrasesstumble vi. 1) make a mistake or repeated mistakes in speaking （說話時）打結(jié)巴；說錯e.g. 1. I hope I dont stumble over any of the long words. 希望我說那些長單詞不會結(jié)結(jié)巴巴。2. He stumbled over every sentence. 他講每句話都結(jié)結(jié)巴巴。2) fall or almost fall while you are walking or running 絆倒；絆了一下e.g. He ca