Music and the Brain

From the beginning of recorded history, music has been created and enjoyed by people. Even early man carved flutes from bones. Thomas Jefferson was known to play his violin to help him formulate the most effective word choices as he wrote the Declaration of Independence. Albert Einstein, considered one of the most intelligent men who ever lived, also played the violin. He was said to have figured out his most challenging mathematical formulas by playing his violin. Today scientists are discovering that the study of music, playing an instrument, or participating through singing can actually help develop our brains. No wonder Einstein and Jefferson, among many, found music helpful in problem solving.

There was a time in America’s history when music was a centerpiece of family life. There were no televisions, radios, or other forms of electronic entertainment. Social life often involved someone playing the piano or another instrument while guests sang along or listened for enjoyment. Therefore, if parents could afford the opportunity, their children were encouraged to learn how to play an instrument. Taking music lessons did not mean a child was expected to become a professional musician. However, it usually meant the kids learned the daily discipline of practice.

Recent brain research has shown some surprising benefits as a result of formal musical training. Learning to play a musical instrument appears to develop parts of the brain that can even influence academic results. The studies indicate that the earlier a child begins training, the more benefits there are. One such study showed that children who began musical studies before the age of seven had a more developed brain in the region where language production and auditory processing take place. Scientists believe there is mounting evidence to show that early musical training can improve brain function.

A research team from Northwestern University observed that to achieve the positive brain development from musical training, music students had to be active participants. There were differences found between the kids who attended a more passive music appreciation class, and the ones who learned to play instruments. It was the active production of music that rewired the brain. Using electrodes on the students’ heads, scientists were able to see how actively the brain responded when students generated music.

Neuroscientists have suggested that playing an instrument, especially at an early age, can improve how the brain interprets sensory information. Music (singing or playing an instrument) also positively affects memory. Apparently, music activates both the right and left sides of the brain simultaneously and this activity increases efficiency in processing information. In one study, researchers found the areas of the brain that affect language skill and “executive function” were more developed in musically trained students. The executive function is the planning center of your brain, where you figure out what must get done, and how to do it in the time that exists.

A special community music program in a low-income area of Los Angeles showed a higher success rate of students going on to college than students in the area who did not participate in this music education. A team of researchers was asked to offer scientific evidence for this compelling distinction. The study concluded that there were significant improvements in reading scores for the children who attended music classes regularly and were actively engaged for a period of two years, compared to those who did not participate.

Playing a musical instrument engages muscular movement, requires coordination, and employs various senses. This intricate process of making music creates motion and emotional response. According to one scientist’s studies, intense musical training increases not only the volume of the brain, but also improves the connections between the hemispheres of the brain.

Today there is a trend toward instrumental lessons being less of a priority than in decades past. In many cases, families cannot afford private lessons or the time it takes from the family schedule. Fortunately, many schools still provide classes for chorus, orchestra, and band, which help promote this educational opportunity. Families keep busy today with most parents working full-time outside the home. Children are also busy with various extracurricular activities, competing forms of technological entertainment, and year-round sports activities.


How does beginning the passage with the phrase "From the beginning of recorded history" affect the passage's tone?


It helps create an intimate tone.

It quickly establishes an optimistic tone.

It immediately sets an authoritative tone.

It gives the passage an accusatory tone.

While word choice must be paid special gravity in writing, the tone sets the piece of work in motion by presenting the whole idea as one in front of the audience. Tone of a write-up simplifies the work with which the interpretation by the readers becomes lucid. There are multiple types of tones which a writer uses to bring in light his ideas, like, objective, logical, emotional, intimate, and more. A simple way of choosing tone suitable for any content is to imagine the situation and the audience that would be targeted.

In this case, however, the starting phrase helps to create an intimate tone. This can be interpreted by the direct nature of the content which seems to lure the readers into reading these five long paragraphs.

For any one who needs this in the future,

It immediately sets an authoritative tone.

Which textbook section would you use to identify the books and articles the author used or referred to in writing the book? index introduction bibliography table of contents

Fill in the blank with the correct verb in either the subjunctive or NOT subjunctive mood: If he _____ to bring flowers to Bailey, it would help her forgive him.
were
was

Why do you think Bradford's theme, which is the Puritan theme of "Victory is a gift from God", could be true?

Which statement best explains the author’s perspective about living in Hormuz?

The author is confused by the hot climate and how the people handle it.
The author is impressed by the hot climate and the people's response to it.
The author wants to learn more about the worship of Mahomet in Hormuz.
The author is surprised by the religious practice of the people of Hormuz.

Which story is the clearest example of metafiction?

A. A story about writing a story
B. A story that features an unreliable narrator
C.A story narrated by one of the characters
D. A story chronicling a person's experiences

Read the following passage, then answer the question.


“When in April the sweet showers fall
And pierce the drought of March to the root, and all
The veins are bathed in liquor of such power
As brings about the engendering of the flower,
When also Zephyrus with his sweet breath
Exhales an air in every grove and heath
Upon the tender shoots…”
Reproduced with permission of Curtis Brown Group Ltd, London on behalf of the Estate of Nevill Coghill
Copyright © Nevill Coghill 1951



What is being described in this passage?
A. the characters
B. the setting
C. the theme
D. the plot

Which essay prompt indicates that u should write a narrative essay

Question 11
Which option offers the best synonym (word with the same meaning) for the word 'furious,' as it is used in the passage below from "Marigolds"? I leaped furiously in the mounds of marigolds and pulled madly, trampling and pulling and destroying the perfect yellow blooms."

Question 11 options:

wisely


sluggishly


angrily


ashamedly

Question 12
Which definition explains the meaning of the phrase "born in squalor” in the passage from "Marigolds"? "The witch was no longer a witch but only a broken old woman who had dared to create beauty in the midst of ugliness and sterility. She had been born into squalor and lived in it all her life."

Question 12 options:

born into filth and poverty


born into a religious cult


born into wealth, a silver spoon in hand, laziness, and a condescending attitude


born during a very severe thunderstorm

Question 13
Which detail best supports the metaphor in "Marigolds" of creating beauty in the middle of despair.

Question 13 options:

"After Miss Lottie picked me up by my collar, carried me inside, plopped me down at her table and forced me to eat her horrid chocolate chip cookies, it was then that I realized pulling up her flowers was a big mistake."


"Of course I could not express the things that I knew about Miss Lottie as I stood there awkward and ashamed."


"For one does not have to be ignorant and poor to find that his life is as barren as the dusty yards of our town. And I too have planted marigolds."


"For as I gazed at the immobile face with the sad, weary eyes, I gazed upon a kind of reality which is hidden to childhood."

Question 14
How does the narrator’s maturity (in “Marigolds”) reveal the theme?

Question 14 options:

She realizes that Miss Lottie, a demonic person, didn't deserve to have a beautiful garden.


She finally decides that she should donate her bicycle to Miss Lottie.


She matured enough to feel compassion for Miss Lottie, an elderly woman who was only trying to make her dismal world beautiful.


She decides to build a community garden in honor of Miss Lottie.

Question 15
From "Marigolds", which quotation best demonstrates Lizabeth’s awareness of how she changed or matured as a result of destroying Miss Lottie's marigold garden?

Question 15 options:

My mother, who was small and soft, was now the strength of the family; my father, who was the rock on which the family had been built, was sobbing like the tiniest child.


Having no radios, few newspapers, and no magazines, we were somewhat unaware of the world outside our community.


But the room was too crowded with fear to allow me to sleep, and finally, feeling the terrible aloneness of 4 a.m., I decided to awaken Joey.


The years have put words to the things I knew in that moment, and as I look back upon it, I know that that moment marked the end of innocence.

How do the tones of "Barbie Doll" and "What's That Smell in Your Kitchen" differ?

A. "Barbie Doll" has a rebellious tone and "What's That Smell in Your Kitchen" has a sad tone.
B."Barbie Doll" has a casual tone and "What's That Smell in Your Kitchen" has a formal tone.
C."Barbie Doll" has a carefree tone and "What's That Smell in Your Kitchen" has a indifferent tone.
D."Barbie Doll" has a sarcastic tone and "What's That Smell in Your Kitchen" has a rebellious tone.

Zuri should either study or practice the guitar this evening.
a) connecting subject
b) connecting objects
c) connecting verbs
d) connecting complete thoughts

"I used to like going to have my hair cut. I liked the mirrors in the room and all the smells of lotions and shampoos. I liked to sit there-young and fresh and pretty-and see what the women were having done, to make themselves look younger and prettier. I liked the way my mother's hairdresser teased me about boyfriends and dances. Not anymore, though. Somebody held the door open so my mother could wheel me in, and a few people who had met me came around to say how sorry they were."


1. Which details support the attitude that the narrator used to like having her hair cut? Write out those details and discuss their effectiveness.

2. Which detail changes the direction of the passage? Note that the narrator's reason for not liking haircuts anymore is not explained. Nevertheless, you know what has happened. What effect does that have on you, the reader?

Read the following excerpt from an oral history:

Currently my Grandfather resides in Hayward, California. He is a retired grocery store owner and spends most of his time with his family and traveling. He is a U.S. citizen and will remain one, though he still likes to visit his homeland. He has been in America for more than half his life but still enjoys eating traditional Chinese foods, and celebrating holidays like Chinese New Year, which is one of his favorites. He celebrates all holidays of the U.S. with his family. Throughout my life, my Grandfather has kept many Chinese traditions alive in my family so we do not forget where we came from. His immigration to America has allowed him to have a good life and make something out of himself, where in China he may not have been able to do so.

Which best summarizes the passage? (10 points)


The grandfather owned grocery store and was successful in his work and lucky with his family.

It is essential for an immigrant to maintain cultural traditions to keep his or her identity.

Letting go of one's culture is a difficult obstacle that most immigrants cannot overcome.

An immigrant can hold on to his history while embracing the opportunities of a new country.

Some workers' compensation insurance companies offer a 5% discount for a written policy that promises which of the following?

No firing policies

No drugs in the workplace

Full medical insurance

Life insurance policies

Each of the following lines from "The Love Song of Alfred Prufrock" contains allusion except
a. "I am no prophet-and here's no great matter."
b. "To say: I am Lazarus, comefrom the dead."
c. "No! Iam not Prince Hamlet, nor was meant to be."
d. "I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach."

Select the dialogue that is punctuated properly.

write a brief summary of the information that explains why the aedes aegypti mosquito poses such a danger to humans

Below are works-cited entries for a magazine article. Select the one that is completely correct.

Entry A:

Drexel, Michelle. "Safe Drinking Water Standards." Midwest Living. Mar. 2009, 10-15.

Entry B:

Drexel, Michelle, "Safe Drinking Water Standards," Midwest Living, Mar. 2009, pgs. 10-15.

Entry C:

Drexel, Michelle. "Safe Drinking Water Standards." Midwest Living, Mar. 2009, pp. 10-15.

Entry D:

Drexel, Michelle. "Safe Drinking Water Standards." Midwest Living. Mar. 2009.

Entry A
Entry B
Entry C
Entry D

This allows the sender to review the effectiveness of the message

Choose the sentence that does not fit.

Watching a bird build its nest is interesting. First, it chooses a safe, secure spot, out of the reach of curious humans. Then it starts to work, carrying bits of string, small twigs, and other things it needs. There are many kinds of birds.
There are many kinds of birds.
Watching a bird build its nest is interesting.
Then it starts to work.

In “The Negro Speaks of Rivers,” Hughes' description of the Mississippi River is symbolic of A. Lincoln's role in the Civil War. B. African Americans' newfound freedom. C. Lincoln's memorable trip to New Orleans. D. African Americans overcoming adversity.

Which Sentences use an adjective phrase? Yes or No for each answer.

1) The big, brown dog sat next to the couch and chewed a bone.
2) The dog sat next to the couch and chewed a bone loudly.
3) The dog, Max, sat next to the couch and chewed a bone.
4) The dog sat next to the couch and chewed a bone with her new puppies.

Empathy is an important interpersonal skill that everyone has the ability to _____.

Lana has finished writing her research paper. What should she do next? A. Take a break—she deserves it B. Revise the substance of what she's written C. Turn it in to her instructor as soon as possible D. Proofread for small errors

Correct the dialogue. My teacher said venus flytraps can even catch small frogs.

How does Isaac Bashevis Singer develop the main character over the course of “The Day I Got Lost”?
A. Singer allows the reader to overhear conversations between other characters about the main character, Professor Shlemiel.
B. Since Professor Shlemiel is unreliable, Singer trusts the reader to understand that Shlemiel is the opposite of the way he describes himself.
C. Singer lets Professor Shlemiel's lines of dialogue be the most important means of characterizing him.
D. Professor Shlemiel, the main character, narrates a series of his own mishaps to show that he is a forgetful person.

How does masculine and feminine qualities coexist in the igbo belief system

In Act ll, Scene 1, who is the first person mama tells she brought a house

What is the overall tone of lines 8-10 in your opinion?

By: Langston Hughes

What Happens to a Dream Deferred?

Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore—
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over—
like a syrupy sweet?

Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?

Select an acceptable pronoun to complete this sentence. Each of the boys tried best to win the medal.
A. its
B.his
C.their

The baby learned how to crawl.She was five months old.How do you write this in sentences combining tricks