老鼠也能感知音樂

云南 曾 丹

主題語境：動物與藝術 篇幅：339詞 建議用時：7分鐘

1Rhythm was always thought to be a skill unique to humans, but new research shows rats can also bop to the beat.The new discovery provides further insight into the animal mind as well as the origins of human music and dance.

2Whether you tap your toes in time or have two left feet, how well you move to music does depend a little on your genetic ability and was previously thought to be a uniquely human trait.While animals do react to noise,make rhythmic sounds and can be trained to respond to music, none of these are the same as the complex neural and motor processes that enable people to recognize the beat in a song, respond to it or even predict it, which is an ability known as“beat synchronicity(同步性)”.Some animals apparently share our human urge to move to the best state.Rats are among them.

3“Rats, without any training or prior exposure to music, displayed beat synchronicity most distinctly within 120-140 bpm (beats per minute), to which humans also exhibit the clearest beat synchronicity,”said a researcher.“After conducting our research with 20 human participants and 10 rats,our results suggest that the optimal tempo for beat synchronicity depends on the time constant in the brain.This demonstrates that the animals' brain can be useful in experiencing music.”

4Human participants also wore accelerometers on headphones.They listened to Mozart'sSonata for Two Pianos in D Majorfor one minute at four different paces:75 per cent,100 per cent, 200 per cent and 400 per cent of the original speed.The original tempo was 132 bpm and results showed that the rats'beat synchronicity was clearest within the 120—140 bpm range.The team also found that both rats and humans shaked their heads to the beat in a similar rhythm, and that the level of head shaking decreased when the music was sped up.

5Next researchers would like to reveal how other musical properties, such as melody and harmony,relate to the dynamics of the brain.

Reading Check

Language Study

Ⅰ.Difficult sentence in the text

While animals do react to noise, make rhythmic sounds and can be trained to respond to music, none of these are the same as the complex neural and motor processes that enable people to recognize the beat in a song, respond to it or even predict it, which is an ability known as“beat synchronicity”.雖然動物確實會對噪聲做出反應，發出有節奏的聲音，通過訓練，還可以對音樂做出反應，但這些都不同于復雜的神經和運動過程，這個過程使人能夠識別歌曲中的節拍，對它做出反應，甚至預測節拍，這種能力被稱為“節拍同步性”。

【點石成金】While animals do react to noise, make rhythmic sounds and can be trained to respond to music 為while引導的讓步狀語從句，while在此處意為“盡管”；that enable people to recognize the beat in a song,respond to it or even predict it 為定語從句，修飾先行詞processes；which is an ability known as“beat synchronicity”為which 引導的非限制性定語從句；known as“beat synchronicity”為過去分詞作后置定語，修飾名詞ability。

Ⅱ.Complete each sentence with the proper word.

1.No one knows for sure why adolescence is unique ________humans.

2.Much to his mother's surprise, the little boy suddenly takes a dislike to foods that he's________(previous)enjoyed.

3.We are ________the process of selling our house,so we have no time to attend the party.

4.The report urged that all children ________(teach)to swim.

5.As we all know, ________(expose) to lead is known to damage the brains of young children.

6.Dennis had recently begun a successful career in ________(conduct)opera.

7.40%of the course ________(participate)are offered employment with the company.

8.It is one of the most ________(origin)works of imagination of language.

9.Cars are driven through the mess,splashing everyone ________range.

10.A radio signal has both electrical and magnetic ________(property).