Most people don’t pick up a coloring book, paintbrush, poetry collection or museum membership for the health benefits — but maybe it’s time to start.
Research shows that art experiences, whether as a maker or an audience, transform our biology by rewiring our brains and stimulating the release of neurochemicals (神经化学物质), hormones and endorphins (内啡肽). In response to a growing body of evidence that art can improve both physical and mental health in effective and measurable ways, more health care workers are prescribing arts engagement as part of treating a wide range of conditions, including: obesity, heart disease, chronic pain, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, loneliness and depression.
The power of diverse arts practices to promote healing, well-being and even longevity provides benefits that rank right up there with exercise, nutrition and sleep, argued Susan Magsamen in her bestseller, “Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us,” coauthored with Ivy Ross.
Could this be why the arts have evolved over thousands of years to become central to human experience?
“I always thought of art as a luxury,” conceded Bianca Bosker in her new book, “Get the Picture: A Mind-Bending Journey among the Inspired Artists and Obsessive Art Fiends Who Taught Me How to See.” “It can’t feed you, house you or be used to kill predators.” But she discovered that many scientists consider art a basic human need. “Art is one of our oldest creations (humans invented paint long before the wheel), one of the earliest means of communication (we drew long, long, long, long before we could write), and one of our most universal urges,” she wrote.
Both Bosker and Magsamen recommend that everyone make art a daily practice, based on evidence and experience. Here’s why they see art as anything but a luxury.
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1.How does the author start the passage?
A By presenting some facts.
B By listing some evidence.
C By comparing different views.
D By stating his/her own experiences.
解析：选A。A细节理解题。根据第一段中的“Most people don’t pick up a coloring book, paintbrush, poetry collection or museum membership for the health benefits”大多数人不会为了健康而去买一本涂色书、画笔、诗集或博物馆会员。接着作者用“but maybe it’s time to start”引入话题，也许你应该开始这样做。由此可知作者通过陈述几项事实来引入文章话题。故选A。
2.What does the second paragraph focus on?
A Relationship between art and humans.
B Benefits of art experiences.
C Approaches to art.
D Characteristics of art.
解析：选B。B段落大意题。根据第二段中的关键内容“transform our biology”“art can improve both physical and mental health in effective and measurable ways”“obesity, heart disease, chronic pain, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, loneliness and depression”等可知，第二段主要讲的是艺术对健康的益处。故选B。
3.What might Bosker agree on?
A Art is expensive.
B Art offers us food.
C Art is necessary in life.
D Art makes us rich.
解析：选C。C细节理解题。根据倒数第二段中的“one of the earliest means of communication”和最后一段中的“Both Bosker and Magsamen recommend that everyone make art a daily practice”可知，博斯克认为艺术是人类的基本需求。故选C。
4.What may the text talk about next?
A Differences between Bosker and Magsamen.
B Further ideas from Bosker and Magsamen.
C Bosker and Magsamen’s new books.
D Examples of art in daily life.
解析：选B。B推理判断题。根据最后一段内容尤其是“Here’s why they see art as anything but a luxury.”可知，文章最后进行了总结，说明博斯克和麦格斯曼观点的相似之处，那么接下来，文章最有可能会对此进行深入解释。故选B。
