2020北京海淀初三(上)期中英语(9)

50. Which of the following would be the best title of the passage?

A. The Ways of Building Good Habits

B. The Influence of Good Habits on Life

C. The Reasons of Building Good Habits

D. The Difficulties of Forming Good Habits

D

Many students often choose to listen to music while doing their homework or studying for exams. But is listening to music a smart choice for students who want to improve their learning?

Indeed, music makes life better in so many ways. It elevates （振奋）mood, reduces stress and eases pain. Music is heart-healthy, because it can reduce blood pressure and heart rate. It also connects us with others and deepens social relationships. Music can even enhance our enjoyment of challenging activities.

But the effect of music on cognitive tasks appears not to be "one-size-fits-all". A new study by Manuel Gonzalez of Baruch College and John Aiello of Rutgers University suggests that for some students, listening to music while learning is a wise strategy, but for others, it is not.

Whether or not listening to music will benefit your mental work depends on your personality—specifically, on your need for external stimulation（外部刺激）. People with a high requirement for external stimulation tend to get bored easily. They often do worse when listening to music while engaging in a mental task, while people with a low need for external stimulation, on the other hand, tend to improve their mental performance with music.

Moreover, before students decide to put on their earphones, though, they should carefully consider their musical selection. Complexity（复杂性）of the music seems to promote excitement, and it is suggested that a moderate level of excitement produces ideal performance. When there is too little or too much excitement, performance drops. Thus, the benefits of music for those with a low need for external stimulation could decrease or even disappear with the added

complexity of music.

Similarly, the rise in the complexity of a cognitive task might also reduce or wipe out the benefit of music. With a highly challenging cognitive task, even those with a low need for external stimulation may fail to show such an effect with music.

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