Any foreigner who has tried to learn Chinese can tell how hard it is to master the tones required to speak and understand. And anyone who has tried to learn to play the violin or other instruments can report similar challenges.
Now researchers have found that people with musical training have an easier time learning Chinese. Writing in the online edition of Nature Neuroscience，researchers from Northwestern University say that both skills draw on the same parts of the brain that help people discover ch
anges in pitch(音调)．
One of the study’s authors，Nina Kraus，said the findings suggested that studying music “actually tunes our sensory system”．This means that schools that want children to do well in languages should hesitate before cutting music programs，Dr.Kraus said. She said music training might also help children with language problems.
Mandarin(普通话)speakers have been shown to have a more complex encoding(编码) of pitch patterns in their brains than English speakers do. This is because in Mandarin and other Asian languages，pitch plays a central role. A singlesyllabl
e word can have several meanings depending on how it is intoned.
For this study，the researchers looked at 20 nonChinese speaking volunteers，half with no musical background and half who have studied an instrument for at least six years.
As they were shown a movie，the volunteers also heard an audio tape of the Mandarin word “mi” in three of its meanings：squint，bewilder and rice. The researchers recorded activities in their brain stems to see how well they were processing the sounds. Those with a music background showed much more brain activities in response to the Chinese sounds.
The lead author of the study，Patrick C．M.Wong，said it might work both ways. It appears that native speakers of tonal languages may do better at learning instruments.
小题1:When learning Chinese，a foreigner will find ________.
A．he has a difficult time learning music at the same time
B．he has an easier time learning music at the same time
C．it is hard to master the tones required to speak and understand
D．it is easy to use the brain to help him discover changes in pitch小题2:Why does Chinese learning have something to do with music training?
A．Because there is the same difficulty in learning Chinese and music.
B．Because skills to learn the two make use of the same parts of the brain.
C．Because music training might help people with language study.
D．Because people who do well in Chinese study do well in music.小题3:The underlined word “intoned” in the fourth paragraph can be replaced by the word “____”．
A．created
B．spelled
C．seemed
D．pronounced小题4:What would be the best title for this passage?
A．Mandarin Speakers Are Smarter than English Speakers
B．Skilled Ear for Music May Help Language Study
C．Pitch Plays a Central Role in Chinese Learning
D．Schools Need to Develop Music Programs
