练习：

1. The shop workers in the Western world are glad when Christmas is over because they don't have to

  A) rush their feet off all day.

  B) listen to the music playing all the time in the shop.

  C) work overtime¹ to make more profits for the boss.

  D) try to please the customers.

2. It has been proved that listening to simple, happy has a good effect on

  A) cows.

  B) workers.

  C) customers.

  D) bosses.

3. Which of the following statements is true, according to the research findings reported-in paragraph 6?

  A) Repeated hearings of complex pieces of music are enjoyable and not tiresome².

  B) Repeated hearings of complex pieces of music are tiresome at first and then become enjoyable.

  C) Repeated hearings of simple songs are more enjoyable than those of complex pieces of music.

  D) Repeated hearings of simple songs become tiresome sooner than those of complex pieces of music.

4. In hostage situations the US police forces repeatedly play pop songs at high volume in order to

A) put pressure on the criminals.

B) distract the attention of the criminals

C) keep the criminals awake.

D) please the criminals.

5. According to the article, which of the following most appropriately indicates the nature of the effect repeated hearing of the same tune³ produces on the hearer?

  A) Social.

  B) Physical.

  C) Psychological.

  D) Both physical and psychological.

答案与题解：

1. B　答案在文章的开头就可以找到。第二段的最后一句话和第三段的第一句话讲的很清楚。

2. A　奶牛吃了音乐会多产奶，这是早在二十世纪四十年代就被实验证明的了。但听音乐对工人、顾客和利润有没有正面的效应，并没有得到科学的验证。注意文章的作者在第三段里用了Perhaps这个词，说明对下面的话持不肯定态度。第四段的第一句话则讲得更加明确。

3. D　答案在第五段里可以找到。先觉得好听。然后觉得厌烦，这一时刻，听简单的歌曲比听复杂的音乐出现的更快。

4. A　根据文章所述，在劫持人质的情况下，美国警察常常对罪犯用大音量播放流行歌曲，目的是让罪犯最终难以承受而放弃劫持。

5. D　从全文来看，反复听同一个曲调对听者产生的影响有心理方面的，也有生理方面的。