Question

【题目】Muzak

The next time you go into a bank, a store, or a supermarket, stop and listen. What do you hear? 【1】 It’s similar to the music you listen to, but it’s not exactly the same. That’s because this music was especially designed to relax you, or to give you extra energy. Sometimes you don’t even realize the music is playing, but you react to the music anyway.

Quiet background music used to be called “elevator (电梯) music” because we often heard it in elevators. But lately we hear it in more and more places, and it has an new name “Muzak”. About one-third of the people in America listen to “Muzak” every day. The music plays for 15 minutes at a time, with short pauses in between. It is always more lively between ten and eleven in the morning, and between three and four in the afternoon, when people are more tired. 【2】

If you listen to Muzak carefully, you will probably recognize the names of many of the songs. Some musicians or songwriters don’t want their songs to be used as Muzak, but others are happy when their songs are chosen. Why? 【3】

Music is often played in public places because it is designed to make people feel less lonely when they are in an airport or a hotel. It has been proven that Muzak does what it is designed to do. Tired office workers suddenly have more energy when they hear the pleasant sound of Muzak in the background. 【4】Supermarket shoppers buy 38 percent more groceries.

【5】They say it’s boring to hear the same songs all the time. But other people enjoy hearing Muzak in public places. They say it helps them relax and feel calm. One way or another, Muzak affects everyone. Some farmers even say their cows give more milk when they hear Muzak!

A. Muzak is played in most of the big supermarkets in the world.

B. They get as much as $4 million a year if their songs are used.

C. The music gives them extra energy.

D. Muzak tends to help people understand music better.

E. Factory workers produce 13 percent more.

F. Music is playing in the background.

G. Some people don’t like Muzak.

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】F

【2】C

【3】B

【4】E

【5】G

【解析】文章讲述了Muzak音乐的广泛运用以及在各行业的重要作用。

【1】F

考查对上下文的理解和推理判断能力。上句问在这些场合会听到什么？F项：音乐在背景中播放，是对上句的回答。故选F.

【2】C

考查对上下文的理解和推理判断能力。上句讲在上午10点到11点之间，下午3点到4点之间，人们容易感到疲劳的时候放这种音乐。C项：音乐给他们额外的能量，指这种音乐在那时候的作用，故选C.

【3】B

考查对上下文的理解和推理判断能力。上句问为什么当他们的歌曲被选中时，他们会很高兴。B项：如果他们的歌曲被使用的话，他们一年的收入高达400万美元。是上句问题的原因，故选B.

【4】E

考查对上下文的理解和推理判断能力。上下句是这种音乐对office workers和Supermarket shoppers的重要作用，与之并列，E项是对工厂工人的作用。故选E.

【5】G

考查对上下文的理解和推理判断能力。根据下句They say it’s boring可知是有人不喜欢的原因，G项：一些人不喜欢Muzak，与下句连接。故选G.

关于七选五的做题步骤：

1、通读全文，对文章进行快速浏览，寻找主题句，抓住文章结构及文章的写作内容。在阅读过程中，要注意文章的开始与结束段落，尤其是文章的首段及末段末句，首段的末句一般是全文的主题所在，说明本文将探讨哪些内容，并简要指出文章的写作思路，有时甚至会以提纲的形式进行呈现。首段的末句对于快速掌握文章的主题有重要意义。

2、详读段落，在短时间内，找出每段写作内容的关键词。明确各段的主题句或主旨大意。文章正文部分通常分为若干小段落。各段落会根据整体文章写作主题展开，对文章主体进行的不同方面的描述。找出各个小段落中的关键词，明确其描述内容，为整体试题的解决做好铺垫。阅读各个空的前后句，标记关键词。重点阅读各个问题附近的句子，圈定线索词，然后从选项中寻找相关的特征词，以确定答案。小题1上句问在这些场合会听到什么？F项：音乐在背景中播放，是对上句的回答。故选F. 小题3上句问为什么当他们的歌曲被选中时，他们会很高兴。B项：如果他们的歌曲被使用的话，他们一年的收入高达400万美元。是上句问题的原因，故选B.小题4上下句是这种音乐对office workers和Supermarket shoppers的重要作用，与之并列，E项是对工厂工人的作用。故选E.

3、定位选项，明确各备选选项的含义，抓住其关键词语，根据文章整体结构与具体内容，将选项填入文中，填写时尤为注意各选项中出现的句子衔接手段及句中的衔接标志词。在定位选项时，要特别注意空格上下段的写作内容，以及空格上段尾句和下段首句的结构和意义。将所选项放入空白处，看看是否与上下文构成语义及逻辑上的直接关系，是否符合该处语境。能否承接前后的写作线索。使文章无论内容还是衔接上都能做到通顺。小题5根据下句They say it’s boring可知是有人不喜欢的原因，G项：一些人不喜欢Muzak，与下句连接。故选G.

4、通读复检，将所选答案代入文中，再次通读全文，重点考查逻辑关系和关联结构。

在完成选项定位后，应通读全文，检查文章内容是否完整，语义是否连贯合理、各段落内容是否紧扣主题，语篇结构是否通顺连贯、具有一致性、合乎逻辑，写作思路是否清晰明了，格式以及用语是否恰当贴切，从而判断选择的答案是否正确。同时，我们还应注意对相近选项的对比分析，个别干扰项由于与某个正确选项的内容相近具有很强的干扰性，这时就需要我们认真分析，排除干扰，从而得出正确选项。