Question

When watching sports events, we often notice athletes wearing earphones before the competition. They keep their eyes shut, and gently nod along the beats. It seems the music is giving them power and cheering them up for the competition. But is there any science behind such practices?

According to a new research, it turns out there is. Music makes us feel powerful, but not all songs have the same effect.

The research was led by Dennis Hsu of the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in the US. His team had people listen to 31 songs of different types. The listeners felt powerful after listening to some songs, for example Queen’s We Will Rock You and 2 Unlimited’s Get Ready for This.

Researchers also found that high-power music made people want to take control in social events and come first in competition.

That matters a lot in sports. “It’s commonly said that sports are 90 percent mental(心理的) and only 10 percent physical(身體的),” The Huffington Post reported.

Great athletes know this idea well. NBA player Kobe Bryant, for example, often puts on big headphones and even falls into deep thought to boost his game and reduce his anxiety(焦慮).

Why does music have magical power? Hsu’s team explained: when people hear music that expresses a sense of power, they mimic (模擬) these feelings in their mind.

When choosing music, we also need to look at the type of music, according to researchers.

In the research by the Music in Exercise and Sport Group at Brunel University in London, they found that pop was perfect for slower tasks. If you’re warming up or cooling down after exercises, pop songs are the correct choice. Dance music was found to be best suitable for strength and weight training.

1.With the first paragraph, the writer mainly wants to ______.

A. prove the music can help athletes win the competition

B. describe athletes’ common habits before sports games

C. get readers to wonder whether music matters in sports

D. explain why athletes like listening to music before games

2.Which of the following might Dennis Hsu agree with?

A. Listening to music always makes an athlete come first in their competition.

B. People listening to powerful music may produce similar feelings in their mind.

C. Most athletes still don’t know the influence of high-power music on their games.

D. The result of a game is mainly influenced by the physical condition of the players.

3.What does the underlined word “boost” in the sixth paragraph probably mean?

A. control B. lose C. continue D. improve

4.The wrier makes his points clear mainly ______.

A. by comparing B. by giving examples

C. by giving general rules D. by using English sayings

Answer 1