2010年6月大学英语六级考试听力模拟训练题(8)

　　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 l and 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 specialized in the raising of crops such as cotton or corn or wheat. By late in the century revolutionary invents in farm machinery has vastly increased the production of specialized crops and extensive network of railroads had linked farmers throughout the country to market in the east and even overseas. By raising and selling specialized crops, farmers could afford more and finer goods and achieved much higher standard of living but at a price. Now farmers were no longer dependent just on the weather and their own efforts, their lives were increasing controlled by the banks, which had powder 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 of 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 the 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 the 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?

　　Section C Compound Dictation

　　Sleep is part of a person's daily 36activity cycle. There are several different stages of sleep and they occur in cycles, If you are an 37average sleeper, your sleep cycle is as follows. When you first drift off into slumber, your eyes will roll about a bit, your 38temperature will drop slightly, your 39muscles will relax, and your 40 breathing will slow and become quite 41regular. Your brain waves slow down a bit too with the alpha rhythm of rather fast waves 42predominating for the first few minutes. This is called stage 1 sleep. For the next half hour or so as you relax more and more you will drift down through stage 2 and stage 3 sleep. The lower your stage of sleep the slower your brain waves will be. Then about 40 to 60 minutes after you lose 43consciousness you will have reached the deepest sleep of all. 44Your brain waves will show the large slow waves that are known as the delta rhythm. This is stage 4 sleep.

　　You do not remain at this deep fourth stage all night long, but instead about 80 minutes after you fall into slumber, your brain activity level will increase again slightly. The delta rhythm will disappear to be replaced by the activity pattern of brain waves. 45Your eyes will begin to dart around under your closed eyelids as if you were looking at something occurring In front of you. This period of rapid eye movement lasts for some ~ to 15 minutes and is called REM sleep. It is during REM sleep that most dreams seem to occur. 46Provided that you do not wake up during the first sleep period, your body will soon relax again, your breathing will grow slow and regular once more .You will slip gently back from stage I to 4