2009年6月英语六级模拟试题答案_第8页

　　Passage 2

　　What was the most popular mix about the United States in the 19th Century was that of the free and simple life of the farmer. It was said that the farmers worked hard on their own land to produce whatever their families' needed. They might sometimes trade with their neighbors, but in general they could get along just fine by relying on themselves, not on commercial ties with others. This is how Thomas Jefferson idealized the farmers at the beginning of the 19th century. And at that time, this may have been close to the truth especially on the frontier. But by the mid century sweeping changes in agriculture were well under way as farmers began to specialize in the raising of crops such as cotton or corn or wheat. By late in the century revolutionary inventions in farm machinery had vastly increased the production of specialized crops and extensive network of railroads had linked farmers throughout the country to markets in the east and even overseas. By raising and selling specialized crops, farmers could afford more and more finer goods and achieve much higher standards of living but at a price. Now farmers were no longer dependent just on the weather and their own efforts, their lives were increasingly controlled by the banks, which had power to grant or deny loans for new machinery, and by the railroads which set the rates for shipping their crops to the market. As businessmen, farmers now had to worry about national economic depression and the implement of world supply and demand on for example, the of price of wheat in hands. And so by the end of the 19th century, the era Jefferson's independent farmer had come to a close.

　　Q30. What is the main topic of the talk?

　　Q31. According to the professor, what was the major change in agriculture during the 19th century?

　　Q32. According to the professor, what was one result of the increased use of machinery on farms of the United States?

　　Passage 3

　　It is common knowledge that music can have a powerful effect on our emotions. In fact, since 1930s, music therapists have relied on music to soothe patients and help control pain. Now psychologists are confirming that music can also help relieve depression and improve concentration. For instance, in a recent study, 15 surgeons were given some highly stressed math problems to solve. They were divided into three groups: one worked in silence, and in another, the surgeons listened to music of their choice on headphones; the third listened to classic music chosen by the researchers. The results of the study may surprise you. The doctors who got to choose their music experienced less stress and scored better than the others. One possible explanation is that listening to music you like stimulates the Alfa-wave in the brain, increases the heart rate and expands the breathing. That helps to reduce stress and sharpen concentration. Other research suggests a second relation between the music and the brain: by examining the students’ blood after they listening to a variety of classic music collections, the researchers found that some students showed a large increase in endorphin, a natural pain reliever, this supports what music therapists have known for years: Music can help rejuvenate or soothe the patient.

　　Q33. According to the speaker how is music therapy currently used in medicine?

　　Q34. What did the study done with surgeons show?

　　Q35. In the study of students exposed to classic music, what effect did the music have?