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Section II Reading Comprehension
Part A
Directions: Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET.
Text 2
The men who raided Joseph Haydn’s grave hoped that his genius would be written on his skull. A scan of the Austrian composer’s decomposing brain may have been more enlightening. Musical talent does not, as those 19th-century phrenologists believed, leave bumps on the cranium. It does, however, seem to make a healthy impression on the brain.
Making music is a mental workout. The brain must simultaneously co-ordinate sound and vision, as well as fine motor control, focus and imagination. Over time this stretches the brain like a muscle. Several studies have found that professional musicians have more grey matter (the neural tissue involved in thinking, movement and memory) in some regions than non-musicians.
Conclusive evidence is hard to come by, but existing research hints that other benefits may accrue. One study from 2020 suggests that musicians may also have better executive function—the part of the brain that helps with planning and problem-solving. A meta-analysis from 2017 concluded that musicians also have a sharper memory. And a study from last year suggested they may even be less sensitive to pain. The experiment, in which 40 participants were injected in the hand with a compound which mimics muscle soreness, found that subjects with musical experience reported less pain. A life spent stretching for high notes creates more than good melodies. Music as medicine indeed.
Might musically precocious children have a head start? A paper from 2010 found that musicians who begin training before the age of seven have a larger corpus callosum, the neural bridge between the brain’s two hemispheres, than later starters. Research from 2014 suggests that learning an instrument also improves children’s second-language acquisition and non-verbal reasoning.
Musical training later in life has been linked to slower age-related decline. A small study on older adults showed that continuing to learn an instrument was associated with less deterioration in verbal working memory and grey-matter volume. A meta-analysis from 2021 also found an association between music practice and reduced risk of developing dementia. Whether these findings arise because musical brains are more resilient or because those without dementia keep playing for longer is a knotty question that future studies will need to unpick.
The instrument you play could make a difference. A study from 2024 of 1,100 older Britons found that pianists and brass players tended, on average, to have better working memory. Woodwind players had superior executive function. Singers excelled in verbal reasoning. Show-offs who played several instruments enjoyed no extra neural benefit.
In addition, the brain’s limbic system, which processes pleasure and reward, lights up when you play an instrument. Endorphins, feel-good hormones which relieve pain, flow when you are in the zone. Performing in a band, orchestra or choir eases stress and encourages social bonding. Simply listening may also be worth a try. In 2025 an observational study of 10,000 cognitively sound over-70s found that regular listeners to music had a 39% lower relative risk of cognitive decline. Proof of a causal relationship, however, remains elusive.
The good news is that you don’t have to be a musical genius to feel the benefits of deliberate and regular practice. Studies have found that consistent training correlated with brain reorganisation in amateurs as well as professionals. But if you are a second Haydn, consider hiring a guard at your tombstone.
26. The author mentions Joseph Haydn’s grave in Paragraph 1 to show that ________.
[A] early phrenologists correctly located the source of musical genius
[B] physical bumps on the cranium are reliable indicators of musical talent
[C] musical talent leaves a measurable impact on the brain's internal structure
[D] professional musicians usually possess larger skulls than non-musicians
27. According to the pain experiment in Paragraph 3, subjects with musical experience ________.
[A] were completely immune to the compound mimicking muscle soreness
[B] reported a lower degree of pain perception compared to others
[C] developed a stronger physical resistance to severe hand injuries
[D] relied heavily on playing music as a primary medical treatment
28. The phrase "a knotty question" (Paragraph 5) implies that it is difficult to determine ________.
[A] whether dementia patients can still learn to play instruments
[B] why verbal working memory deteriorates rapidly in older adults
[C] how often older adults should practice music to stay healthy
[D] whether playing music prevents dementia or vice versa
29. What does the 2024 study suggest about "show-offs" who play multiple instruments?
[A] They fail to yield compounded neurological advantages.
[B] They significantly improve their non-verbal reasoning skills.
[C] They are more susceptible to age-related cognitive decline.
[D] They enjoy a much larger corpus callosum than single-instrument players.
30. Which of the following best summarizes the main idea of the text?
[A] Amateurs and professionals should undergo different musical training.
[B] Musical training offers diverse cognitive benefits across one's lifespan.
[C] The specific instrument you play determines your future mental health.
[D] Listening to music is scientifically proven to be more effective than playing.
附注：根据历年考研英语真题阅读题源外刊等，摘选最新文章，模拟仿真出题。
参考答案见以下。
Quick look: CBDAB
26. 【正确答案】[C]
【解析】题型：修辞目的/细节推断题
定位： 第一段。文章指出，19世纪的颅相学家认为天才写在头骨上（leave bumps on the cranium），但这是错的。紧接着在最后一句反转：“It does, however, seem to make a healthy impression on the brain.”（然而，它确实似乎在大脑上留下了健康的印记）。
分析： 作者用盗墓者挖海顿头骨的轶事作为引子，是为了否定“天才体现在头骨外表”的旧观念，从而引出本文的核心论点：音乐天赋（或训练）会对大脑内部结构产生实质性的影响（make a healthy impression on the brain）。选项 C 精准对应此意。
干扰项：[A] 原文明确否定了颅相学家的观点（does not... leave bumps）。 [B] 与原文事实相反。 [D] 无中生有，文章讨论的是大脑灰质（grey matter），而不是头骨（skulls）的大小。
27. 【正确答案】[B]
【解析】题型：事实细节题
定位： 第三段第四、五句 "The experiment, in which 40 participants were injected... found that subjects with musical experience reported less pain."
分析： 实验向参与者注射了模拟肌肉酸痛的化合物，结果发现“有音乐经验的受试者报告的疼痛较少（reported less pain）”。选项 B 中的 "a lower degree of pain perception"（较低程度的疼痛感知）是对 "less pain" 的完美同义替换。
干扰项：[A] "completely immune"（完全免疫）用词过于绝对，原文只是说疼痛较少。 [C] 实验是“模拟”肌肉酸痛（mimics muscle soreness），并没有真的造成手部“严重受伤（severe hand injuries）”。 [D] "Music as medicine" 是一种比喻，并非说他们真的把音乐当成“主要医疗手段”。
28. 【正确答案】[D]
【解析】题型：词义/句意推断题
定位： 第五段最后一句 "Whether these findings arise because musical brains are more resilient or because those without dementia keep playing for longer is a knotty question..."
分析： "a knotty question"（一个棘手的问题）指代的是它前面由 Whether... or... 引导的疑问：究竟是因为“音乐大脑更具韧性（弹琴防痴呆）”，还是因为“没有患痴呆症的人才能坚持弹奏更久（不痴呆才能弹琴）”。这在科学上被称为“因果倒置（reverse causality）”问题。选项 D（是弹奏音乐预防了痴呆，还是反之亦然）准确概括了这一棘手的逻辑困境。
干扰项： A、B、C项虽然使用了文中的个别词汇（如 dementia, older adults），但均偏离了该句讨论的“因果关系难定”的核心议题。
29. 【正确答案】[A]
【解析】题型：事实细节题
定位： 第六段最后一句 "Show-offs who played several instruments enjoyed no extra neural benefit."
分析： 根据2024年的研究，演奏不同乐器有不同的好处，但是那些演奏多种乐器的“卖弄者（Show-offs）”并没有享受到额外的神经学益处（no extra neural benefit）。选项 A "They fail to yield compounded neurological advantages"（他们未能产生叠加的神经学优势）是对原文的精准同义转述。
干扰项：[B] 提高推理能力在原文中指的是 Singers（歌手）或 Children（儿童），不是多乐器演奏者。 [C] 文章并未说他们更容易认知衰退。 [D] 拥有更大胼胝体（corpus callosum）是第四段中提到的“7岁前开始训练的儿童”的特征，属于张冠李戴。
30. 【正确答案】[B]
【解析】题型：主旨大意题
定位： 全文逻辑结构。
分析： 文章开篇引出音乐对大脑有益，接着在第二段讲述其对大脑灰质的普遍锻炼作用；第三段讲执行功能、记忆和减痛；第四段讲对儿童的好处；第五段讲对老年人认知衰退的延缓；最后指出非专业人士同样受益。全文贯穿一条主线：音乐训练在人生的各个阶段（across one's lifespan）都能提供多样的认知益处（diverse cognitive benefits）。选项 B 完美契合。
干扰项：[A] 文章最后一段强调业余和专业人士都能通过持续训练使大脑重组，并未说他们应该接受“不同”的训练。 [C] 过于绝对，乐器种类只是影响益处的侧重点（第六段），并非决定未来的心理健康。 [D] 与第七段末尾事实相反，关于“仅仅听音乐”是否有因果关系，“目前仍然难以捉摸（remains elusive）”。
【词汇注释】
phrenologist: noun (SCIENCE) a person who studies the shape and size of the cranium as a supposed indication of character and mental abilities 颅相学家（文中指19世纪认为头骨形状能反映天才的人）
cranium: noun (ANATOMY) the skull, especially the part enclosing the brain 头盖骨；颅骨（文中指音乐天赋并不会在头骨上留下凸起）
accrue: verb (GROW) to increase over a period of time 积累；逐渐增加（文中指现有研究暗示音乐可能带来/积累其他好处）
precocious: adjective (CHILD) having developed particular abilities and ways of behaving at a much younger age than usual 早熟的；较早具备某种能力的（文中指在音乐方面早慧的儿童）
resilient: adjective (STRONG) able to recover quickly after something unpleasant such as shock, injury, etc. 有韧性的；适应力强的（文中指音乐大脑在面对衰老时是否更具韧性）
dementia: noun (ILLNESS) a serious mental disorder caused by brain disease or injury, that affects the ability to think, remember and behave normally 痴呆症（文中指音乐练习与降低痴呆症风险有关）
elusive: adjective (DIFFICULT) difficult to find, define, or achieve 难以捉摸的；难以找到的（文中指听音乐与认知下降之间的因果关系证据依然难以捉摸）
【参考译文】
那些盗掘约瑟夫·海顿坟墓的人希望他的天才能够被印刻在头骨上。如果对这位奥地利作曲家正在腐烂的大脑进行扫描，或许会更具启发性。音乐天赋并不像那些 19 世纪的颅相学家所认为的那样，会在头盖骨上留下凸起。然而，它似乎确实对大脑留下了健康的印记。
创作/演奏音乐是一种脑力锻炼。大脑必须同时协调声音和视觉，以及精细的运动控制、注意力和想象力。随着时间的推移，这就像锻炼肌肉一样拉伸了大脑。几项研究发现，专业音乐家在某些区域拥有比非音乐家更多的灰质（参与思考、运动和记忆的神经组织）。
虽然确凿的证据很难获得，但现有的研究暗示可能会产生其他好处。2020 年的一项研究表明，音乐家可能还具有更好的执行功能——这是大脑中帮助规划和解决问题的部分。2017 年的一项荟萃分析得出结论，音乐家的记忆力也更敏锐。而去年的一项研究表明，他们对疼痛的敏感度甚至可能更低。在这项实验中，40 名参与者的手部被注射了一种模拟肌肉酸痛的化合物，结果发现，有音乐经验的受试者报告的疼痛感较轻。一生都在努力追求高音，创造出的不仅仅是优美的旋律。音乐确实是良药。
在音乐方面早慧的儿童是否能赢在起跑线上？2010 年的一篇论文发现，在 7 岁前开始接受训练的音乐家，其胼胝体（大脑两个半球之间的神经桥梁）比晚开始训练的人要大。2014 年的研究表明，学习一种乐器还能提高儿童的第二语言习得能力和非语言推理能力。
晚年的音乐训练则与延缓与年龄相关的认知衰退有关。一项针对老年人的小型研究表明，继续学习一种乐器与言语工作记忆和灰质体积的较少恶化相关。2021 年的一项荟萃分析也发现，练习音乐与患痴呆症风险降低之间存在关联。然而，这些发现究竟是因为音乐大脑更具韧性，还是因为那些没有患痴呆症的人能够坚持弹奏更长时间，这是一个棘手的问题，需要未来的研究来解开。
你演奏的乐器可能会有所不同。2024 年一项针对 1100 名英国老年人的研究发现，平均而言，钢琴和铜管乐器演奏者往往具有更好的工作记忆。木管乐器演奏者具有卓越的执行功能。歌手在言语推理方面表现出色。而那些演奏多种乐器的“卖弄者”并没有享受到额外的神经学益处。
此外，当你演奏乐器时，大脑中处理愉悦和奖励的边缘系统会被点亮。当你进入状态时，能够缓解疼痛的让人感觉良好的荷尔蒙——内啡肽就会流动。在乐队、管弦乐队或合唱团中表演可以缓解压力并鼓励社交联系。仅仅是听音乐或许也值得一试。2025 年一项针对 1万名认知健全的 70 岁以上老人的观察性研究发现，经常听音乐的人认知能力下降的相对风险要低 39%。然而，由于缺乏因果关系的证据，这仍然难以确定。
好消息是，你不必是个音乐天才也能感受到刻意和定期练习带来的好处。研究发现，无论是在业余爱好者还是专业人士中，持续的训练都与大脑重组相关。但如果你是第二个海顿，考虑在你的墓碑旁雇个守卫吧。
附注：
本篇 Flesch–Kincaid 可读性指标（估算英文文章纯语言阅读难度，数值越大代表难度越大，十分制）评分为7.2。参考：2026年英语（一）真题四篇评分分别为 6.5、7.0、7.9、7.6，英语（二）为5.2、6.2、6.8、5.8 。在话题熟悉度，逻辑复杂度、段落结构线索丰富度方面综合指标（数值越大代表难度越大，十分制）评分为6.8。参考：2026年英语（一）真题四篇评分分别为5.8、6.5、8.2、8.0，英语（二）为4.5、6.0、6.5、5.2 。原文阅读链接为：https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2026/03/20/is-playing-music-good-for-the-brain
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