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Answer: C

1. What does the writer find interesting about the results of the Montreal study?

A the timing of participants’ neural responses to the music B the impact of the music on participants’ emotional state
C the section of participants’ brains which was activated by the music

D the type of music which had the strongest effect on participants’ brains Keywords: interesting, results, Montreal study

Because the questions follow the order of the text, and we already know the position of the answer to question 33 (in the second paragraph), just pay attention to the following sections. In the beginning of the third paragraph, it is said that “What is rather more significant is the finding that the dopamine neurons in the caudate … were at their most active around 15 seconds beforethe participants’ favourite moments in the music”. The fact that the caudate was particularly active before the musical climax can be considered “the timing of participants’ neural responses”. This observation was followed by the author’s question: “The question, of course, is what all these dopamine neurons are up to. Why are they so active in the period preceding the acousticclimax?” So, it can be inferred that the timing of this response of the neurons in the brain really caught his attention. In other words, he found it interesting. Hence, the correct answer is A.

Answer: A

1. Why does the writer refer to Meyer’s work on music and emotion?

A to propose an original theory about the subject

B to offer support for the findings of the Montreal study

C to recommend the need for further research into the subject

D to present a view which opposes that of the Montreal researchers Keywords: Meyer’s work, music and emotion
By using the skim and scan skill, we can easily locate the word “Meyer” in the fifth paragraph. The first sentence mentioned “To demonstrate this psychological principle, the musicologist Leonard Meyer, in his classic book Emotion and Meaning in Music (1956), analysed the 5th movement of Beethoven’s String Quartet in C- sharp minor, Op. 131”. Hence, to understand what “this psychological principle” refers to, we need to read the previous paragraph. The fourth paragraph explains the findings of the Montreal study, in which the participants’ caudate neurons were at their most active a few moments before the climax of the music: “it turns out that the most important part of every song or symphony is when the patterns break down, when the sound becomes unpredictable. If the music is too obvious, it is annoyingly boring, like an alarm clock. Numerous studies, after all, have demonstrated that dopamine neurons quickly adapt to predictable rewards. If we know what’s going to happen next, then we don’t get excited”. Meyer is a musicologist and his analysis of the music offers an explanation of why the brain is responding in this ‘reward principle, way. Therefore, it can be inferred that the author mentioned Meyer’s book to support the Montreal study.The answer is B.