Norman M. Weinberger reviews the latest work of Oliver Sacks on music.
Music and the brain are both endlessly fascinating subjects, and as a neuroscientist specialising in auditory learning and
memory, I find them especially intriguing. So I had high expectations of Musicophilia, the latest offering from neurologist and
prolific author Oliver Sacks. And I confess to feeling a little guilty reporting that my reactions to the book are mixed.
Sacks himself is the best part of Musicophilia. He richly documents his own life in the book and reveals highly personal
experiences. The photograph of him on the cover of the book— which shows him wearing headphones, eyes closed, clearly
enchanted as he listens to Alfred Brendel perform Beethoven’s Pathétique Sonata—makes a positive impression that is
borne out by the contents of the book. Sacks’s voice throughout is steady and erudite but never pontifical. He is neither selfconscious nor self-promoting.
The preface gives a good idea of what the book will deliver. In it Sacks explains that he wants to convey the insights
gleaned from the “enormous and rapidly growing body of work on the neural underpinnings of musical perception and imagery,
and the complex and often bizarre disorders to which these are prone ” He also stresses the importance of “the simple art
of observation” and “the richness of the human context.” He wants to combine “observation and description with the latest in
technology,” he says, and to imaginatively enter into the experience of his patients and subjects. The reader can see that Sacks,
who has been practicing neurology for 40 years, is torn between the “old-fashioned” path of observation and the new-fangled,
high-tech approach: He knows that he needs to take heed of the latter, but his heart lies with the former.
The book consists mainly of detailed descriptions of cases, most of them involving patients whom Sacks has seen in his
practice. Brief discussions of contemporary neuroscientific reports are sprinkled liberally throughout the text. Part I, “Haunted by
Music,” begins with the strange case of Tony Cicoria, a nonmusical, middle-aged surgeon who was consumed by a love of music
after being hit by lightning. He suddenly began to crave listening to piano music, which he had never cared for in the past. He
started to play the piano and then to compose music, which arose spontaneously in his mind in a “torrent” of notes. How could
this happen? Was the cause psychological? (He had had a near-death experience when the lightning struck him.) Or was it the
direct result of a change in the auditory regions of his cerebral cortex? Electro-encephalography (EEG) showed his brain waves
to be normal in the mid-1990s, just after his trauma and subsequent “conversion” to music. There are now more sensitive tests,
but Cicoria has declined to undergo them; he does not want to delve into the causes of his musicality. What a shame!
Part II, “A Range of Musicality,” covers a wider variety of topics, but unfortunately, some of the chapters offer little or
nothing that is new. For example, chapter 13, which is five pages long, merely notes that the blind often have better hearing than
the sighted. The most interesting chapters are those that present the strangest cases. Chapter 8 is about “amusia,” an inability
to hear sounds as music, and “dysharmonia,” a highly specific impairment of the ability to hear harmony, with the ability to
understand melody left intact. Such specific “dissociations” are found throughout the cases Sacks recounts.
To Sacks’s credit, part III, “Memory, Movement and Music,” brings us into the underappreciated realm of music therapy.
Chapter 16 explains how “melodic intonation therapy” is being used to help expressive aphasie patients (those unable to express
their thoughts verbally following a stroke or other cerebral incident) once again become capable of fluent speech. In chapter 20,
Sacks demonstrates the near-miraculous power of music to animate Parkinson’s patients and other people with severe
movement disorders, even those who are frozen into odd postures. Scientists cannot yet explain how music achieves this effect.
To readers who are unfamiliar with neuroscience and music behavior, Musicophilia may be something of a revelation.
But the book will not satisfy those seeking the causes and implications of the phenomena Sacks describes. For one thing, Sacks
appears to be more at ease dis-cussing patients than discussing experiments. And he tends to be rather uncritical in
accepting scientific findings and theories.
It’s true that the causes of music-brain oddities remain poorly understood. However, Sacks could have done more to
draw out some of the implications of the careful observations that he and other neurologists have made and of the treatments
that have been successful. For example, he might have noted that the many specific dissociations among components of music
comprehension, such as loss of the ability to perceive harmony but not melody, indicate that there is no music center in the
brain. Because many people who read the book are likely to believe in the brain localisation of all mental functions, this was a
missed educational opportunity.
Another conclusion one could draw is that there seem to be no “cures” for neurological problems involving music. A drug
can alleviate a symptom in one patient and aggravate it in another, or can have both positive and negative effects in the same
patient. Treatments mentioned seem to be almost exclusively antiepileptic medications, which “damp down” the excitability of
the brain in general; their effectiveness varies widely.
Finally, in many of the cases described here the patient with music-brain symptoms is reported to have “normal” EEG
results. Although Sacks recognizes the existence of new technologies, among them far more sensitive ways to analyze brain
waves than the standard neurological EEG test, he does not call for their use. In fact, although he exhibits the greatest compassion for patients, he conveys no sense of urgency about the pursuit of new avenues in the diagnosis and treatment of musicbrain disorders. This absence echoes the hook’s preface, in which Sacks expresses fear that “the simple art of observation may
be lost” if we rely too much on new technologies. He does call for both approaches, though, and we can only hope that the neuro
logical community will respond.
Questions 27-30
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
Write the correct letter in boxes 27-30 on your answer sheet.
27. Why does the writer have a mixed feeling about the
C Sacks failed to include his personal stories in the book.
book?
D This is the only book written by Sacks.
A The guilty feeling made him so.
28. What is the best part of the book?
B The writer expected it to be better than it was.
A the photo of Sacks listening to music
B the tone of voice of the book
D explain why he needs to do away with simple
C the autobiographical description in the book
observation
D the description of Sacks’s wealth
30. What is disappointing about Tony Cicoria’s case?
29. In the preface, what did Sacks try to achieve?
A He refuses to have further tests.
A make terms with the new technologies
B He can’t determine the cause of his sudden musicality.
B give detailed description of various musical disorders
C He nearly died because of the lightening.
C explain how people understand music
D His brain waves were too normal to show anything.
Questions 31-36
Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in Reading Passage 3?
In boxes 31-36 on your answer sheet, write
YES
if the statement agrees with the views of the writer
NO
if the statement contradicts the views of the writer
NOT GIVEN
if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this
31 It is difficult to give a well-reputable writer a less than favorable review.
32 Beethoven’s Pathétique Sonata is a good treatment for musical disorders.
33 Sacks believes technological methods is not important compared with observation when studying his patients.
34 It is difficult to understand why music therapy is undervalued.
35 Sacks should have more skepticism about other theories and findings.
36 Sacks is impatient to use new testing methods.
Questions 37-40
Complete each sentence with the correct ending, A-F, below.
37
38
39
40
The dissociations between harmony and melody
The study of treating musical disorders
The EEG scans of Sacks’s patients
Sacks believes testing based on new technology
A. show no music-brain disorders.
B. indicates that medication can have varied results.
C. is key for the neurological community to unravel the
mysteries.
D. should not be used in isolation.
E. indicate that not everyone can receive good education.
F. show that music is not localised in the brain.
PREFACE TO ‘HOW THE OTHER HALF THINKS: ADVENTURES IN MATHEMATICAL REASONING’
A. Occasionally, in some difficult musical compositions, there are beautiful, but easy parts – parts so simple a beginner could
play them. So it is with mathematics as well. There are some discoveries in advanced mathematics that do not depend on
specialized knowledge, not even on algebra, geometry, or trigonometry. Instead, they may involve, at most, a little arithmetic,
such as ‘the sum of two odd numbers is even’, and common sense. Each of the eight chapters in this book illustrates this
phenomenon. Anyone can understand every step in the reasoning. The thinking in each chapter uses at most only elementary
arithmetic, and sometimes not even that. Thus all readers will have the chance to participate in a mathematical experience, to
appreciate the beauty of mathematics, and to become familiar with its logical, yet intuitive, style of thinking.
B. One of my purposes in writing this book is to give readers who haven’t had the opportunity to see and enjoy real mathematics
the chance to appreciate the mathematical way of thinking. I want to reveal not only some of the fascinating discoveries, but,
more importantly, the reasoning behind them. In that respect, this book differs from most books on mathematics written for the
general public. Some present the lives of colorful mathematicians. Others describe important applications of mathematics. Yet
others go into mathematical procedures, but assume that the reader is adept in using algebra.
C. I hope this book will help bridge that notorious gap that separates the two cultures: the humanities and the sciences, or
should I say the right brain (intuitive) and the left brain (analytical, numerical). As the chapters will illustrate, mathematics is not
restricted to the analytical and numerical; intuition plays a significant role. The alleged gap can be narrowed or completely
overcome by anyone, in part because each of us is far from using the full capacity of either side of the brain. To illustrate our
human potential, I cite a structural engineer who is an artist, an electrical engineer who is an opera singer, an opera singer
who published mathematical research, and a mathematician who publishes short stories.
D. Other scientists have written books to explain their fields to non-scientists, but have necessarily had to omit the mathematics,
although it provides the foundation of their theories. The reader must remain a tantalized spectator rather than an involved
participant, since the appropriate language for describing the details in much of science is mathematics, whether the subject
is expanding universe, subatomic particles, or chromosomes. Though the broad.outline of a scientific theory can be sketched
intuitively, when a part of the physical universe is finally understood, its description often looks like a page in a mathematics
text.
E. Still, the non-mathematical reader can go far in understanding mathematical reasoning. This book presents the details that
illustrate the mathematical style of thinking, which involves sustained, step-by-step analysis, experiments, and insights. You
will turn these pages much more slowly than when reading a novel or a newspaper. It may help to have a pencil and paper
ready to check claims and carry out experiments.
F. As I wrote, I kept in mind two types of readers: those who enjoyed mathematics until they were turned off by an unpleasant
episode, usually around fifth grade, and mathematics aficionados, who will find much that is new throughout the book. This
book also serves readers who simply want to sharpen their analytical skills. Many careers, such as law and medicine, require
extended, precise analysis. Each chapter offers practice in following a sustained and closely argued line of thought. That
mathematics can develop this skill is shown by these two testimonials.
G. A physician wrote, The discipline of analytical thought processes [in mathematics] prepared me extremely well for medical
school. In medicine one is faced with a problem which must be thoroughly analyzed before a solution can be found. The
process is similar to doing mathematics.’ A lawyer made the same point, “Although I had no background in law – not even one
political science course — I did well at one of the best law schools. I attribute much of my success there to having learned,
through the study of mathematics, and, in particular, theorems, how to analyze complicated principles. Lawyers who have
studied mathematics can master the legal principles in a way that most others cannot.’
Questions 29-34
Reading Passage 3 has seven sections, A-G. Which section contains the following information?
NB. You may use any letter more than once.
29. personal examples of being helped by mathematics
30. examples of people who each had abilities that seemed incompatible
31. mention of different focuses of books about mathematics
32. a contrast between reading this book and reading other kinds of publication
33. a claim that the whole of the book is accessible to everybody
34. a reference to different categories of intended readers of this book
Questions 35-40
Complete the sentences below. Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
35. Some areas of both music and mathematics are suitable for someone who is a ………………..
36. It is sometimes possible to understand advanced mathematics using no more than a limited knowledge of ………………..
37. The writer intends to show that mathematics requires ……………….. thinking, as well as analytical skills.
38. Some books written by ……………….. have had to leave out the mathematics that is central to their theories.
39. The writer advises non-mathematical readers to perform ……………….. while reading
40. A lawyer found that studying ……………….. helped even more than other areas of mathematics in the study of law.
GENEALOGY
A
Genealogy, the study of tracing family connections and relationships through history – so building a cohesive family
tree, has become an increasingly popular hobby from non-specialist enthusiasts over recent decades. The introduction of the
Internet has, in many ways, spurred interest levels since historical information has been made far more accessible than
previously. Experts warn, however, that sources obtained from the internet must be considered with caution as they may often
contain inaccuracies, often advising novice genealogists to join a family history society where they are able to learn useful
skills from experienced researchers.
B
Originally, prior to developing a more mainstream following, the practice of genealogy focused on establishing the
ancestral links of rulers and noblemen often with the purpose of disputing or confirming the legitimacy of inherited rights to
wealth or position. More recently, genealogists are often interested in not only where and when previous generations of families
lived but also details of their lifestyle and motivations, interpreting the effects of law, political restrictions, immigration and the
social conditions on an individual’s or family’s behaviour at the given time. Genealogy searches may also result in location of
living relatives and consequently family reunions, in some cases helping to reunite family members who had been separated
in the past due to fostering/adoptlon, migration or war.
C
In Australia, there has been a great deal of interest of late, from families wishing to trace their links to the early
settlers. As a result of the loss of the American colonies in the 1700s, Britain was in need of an alternative destination for
prisoners who could not be accommodated in the country’s overcrowded penal facilities. In 1787, the ‘First Fleet’ which
consisted of a flotilla of ships carrying just over 1300 people (of which 753 were convicts or their children and the remainder
marines, officers and their family members) left Britain’s shores for Australia. On January 26, 1788 – now celebrated as
Australia Day – the fleet landed at Sydney Cove and the first steps to European settlement began.
D
Genealogy research has led to a shift in attitudes towards convict heritage amongst contemporary Australian society,
as family members have been able to establish that their ancestors were, in fact, not hardened and dangerous criminals, but
had, in most cases, been harshly punished for minor crimes inspired by desperation and dire economic circumstances. So
dramatic has the shift in attitudes been that having family connections to passengers on the ‘First Fleet’ is considered nothing
less than prestigious. Convicts Margaret Dawson and Elizabeth Thakery were amongst the first European women to ever set
foot on Australian soil. Details about the former, whose initial death sentence passed for stealing clothes from her employer
was commuted to deportation, and the latter expelled for stealing handkerchiefs along with others of similar fate are now
available on the internet for eager descendants to track.
E
Although many of the deported convicts were forbidden to return to Britain, others such as Dawson, were, in theory,
expelled for a given term. In reality, however, the costs of attempting to return to the mother country were well beyond the
means of the majority. Genealogists now attribute the successful early development of Australia to such ex-convicts who
decided to contribute fully to society once their sentence had been served. Many rewards were available to prisoners who
displayed exemplary behaviour, including land grants of 30 acres or more, tools for developing and farming the land and access
to convict labour. Genealogy studies also show that many former prisoners went on to hold powerful positions in the newly
forming Australia society, examples being Francis Greenway – a British architect expelled on conviction of fraud – who went
on to design many of Sydney’s most prominent colonial buildings, and Alexander Munro, transported after stealing cheese at
the age of 15, who would later build Australia’s first gas works and hold the position of Town Mayor.
F
In North America, the Mormon Church, headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, holds wo major genealogical
databases, the International Genealogical Index and the Ancestral File, which contain records of hundreds of million individuals
who lived between 1500 and 1900 in the United States, Canada and Europe. Resources available to genealogy enthusiasts
include the Salt Lake City based Family History Library and more than 4000 branches where microfilms and microfiches can
be rented for research and the newer Family Search internet site which provides open access to numerous databases and
research sources. Such data sharing practices are central and crucial to genealogical research and the internet has proven to
be a major tool in facilitating ease of transfer of information in formats suitable for use in forums and via email. The global level
of interest in and demand for such information has proven so intense, that traffic load on release of sources such as Family
Search and the British Census for 1901 led to temporary collapse of the host servers.
G
Experts advise that reliability of sources used for genealogical research should be evaluated in light of four factors
which may influence their accuracy, these being the knowledge of the informant, the bias and mental state of the informant,
the passage of time and potential for compilation error. First, genealogists should consider who the information was provided
by and what he or she could be ascertained to have known. For example, a census record alone is considered unreliable as
no named source for the information is likely to be found. A death certificate signed by an identified doctor, however, can be
accepted as more reliable. In the case of bias or mental state, researchers are advised to consider that even when information
is given by what could be considered a reliable source, that there may have been motivation to be untruthful – continuing to
claim a government benefit or avoidance of taxation, for example.
H
Generally, data recorded at the same time or close to the event being researched is considered to be more reliable
than records written at a later point in time, as – while individuals may intend to give a true representation of events – factual
information may be misrepresented due to lapses in memory and forgotten details. Finally, sources may be classified as either
original or derivative. The latter refers to photocopies, transcriptions, abstracts, translations, extractions, and compilations and
has more room for error due to possible misinterpretations, typing errors or loss of additional and crucial parts of the original
documentation.
Questions 28-32
Reading Passage 3 has eight paragraphs A-H.
Choose the correct heading for paragraphs B and D-G from the list of headings below.
List of Headings
i
An Embarrassing Heritage
ii
Assessing Validity
iii
Diversity of Application
Example: Paragraph C; Answer: vii
iv
Interpretation Errors
28 Paragraph B
v
Past Usage
29 Paragraph D
vi
Useful Sources
30 Paragraph E
vii
Australasian Importance
31 Paragraph F
viii
Changing Viewpoints
32 Paragraph G
ix
Significant Roles
Questions 33 – 36
In boxes 33 – 36 on your answer sheet, write
TRUE if the statement is true
FALSE if the statement is false
NOT GIVEN
if the information is not given in the passage
33 Early applications of genealogy focused on behaviour, movement and settlement of populations.
34 The punishment of deportation was reserved for those who posed a serious threat to British society.
35 Some ex-convicts chose to stay in Australia due to the opportunities it presented.
36 Overwhelming interest in obtaining genealogical information has led to technological difficulties.
Questions 37-40
Choose the correct letter A, B, C or D
Write your answers in boxes 37-40 on your answer sheet
37 Why has recreational genealogy become more popular?
39 What is fundamental to genealogical research?
A Because it is now a fashionable hobby.
A Original records.
B Because more people wish to trace missing relatives.
B Electronic transfer.
C Because there are less political barriers.
C Pooling of information.
D Because it is no longer requires so much effort.
D The IG Index.
38 Whose original sentence for breaking the law was
40 Why does census information need to be approached
reduced?
with caution?
A Francis Greenway.
A Because it cannot easily be attributed to a particular
B Margaret Dawson.
individual.
C Alexander Munro.
B Because it is often not validated by a physician
D Elizabeth Thakery.
C Because administration practices in the past were
unreliable.
D Because informants may not have been truthful due to
financial motivations