ADVANCED 3 – BRITANICO GOLD – READING TASK – MAR 2023

You are going to read an article about exercising to music. For questions 31-35, choose the best answer
(A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text.

Music to get fit by 31. The connection between music

and doing exercise, according
I used to go to the gym regularly, but I never liked the music they played to the first paragraph…
there. I always associate physical activity with music belting out at 140 a) is quite a new concept for gym
beats per minute, and I trained as an instructor largely so that I’d have goers.
control of the audio. This isn’t as crazy as it sounds. Music and exercise b) is good only if you love the
have long been known to be close companions. Dr Costas Karageorghis, music.
a sports and exercise psychologist who’s also a musician, has been c) has always been present.
studying the link between athletic activity and music. d) does not have a logical
reason.
Karegeorghis says we have an underlying predisposition to react to
musical stimuli. ‘Music is beneficial,’ he explains, ‘because of the
similarities between rhythm and human movement. The synchronization of 32. Thanks to ‘disassociation’, a
music with exercise consistently demonstrates increased levels of work person
output among exercise participants.’ Choose the right music and, a) might feel less tired while
according to Karageorghis, you can up your workout productivity by as doing exercise.
much as twenty per cent. b) will be able to lose more
weight.
For one Olympic rower, the ideal music was a Red Hot Chili Pepper’s c) can acquire the abilities of a
album, which he says played an integral part in his preparation for the professional athlete.
games. But perhaps the most useful thing about music is that it allows even d) will become more sociable
the humble gym-goer or runner to practise a technique used by elite than before.
athletes, known as ‘disassociation’. If you aren’t familiar with this word, it
means that during repetitive exercise, music essentially diverts attention
away from the sensation of fatigue. The right music can almost persuade 33. What is said about the kind of
your body that you are in fact having a nice sit down and a coffee. music that should be played?
a) Everyone involved in the
Not everyone, however, shares the same taste in tunes. ‘Can you turn that physical activity should like it.
racket down?’ said a participant in one of my classes before storming out. b) It should be decided based on
Reaching a consensus on music is notoriously tricky -which makes the instructor taste.
communal exercise classes problematic. There are, however, some rules c) It is easy to choose one type of
that professional fitness instructors follow. One of them is that the music music for group lessons.
must be appropriate to the type of class and not just the instructor’s d) It is important to select it based
personal enthusiasm for a particular genre or artist. on the type of activity.

Most importantly, however, the music should mirror your heartbeat. The
instructor should choose the music to go with the different phases of a 34. Gym goers are sometimes
class, from the warm up, to high intensity, to the final relaxing phase. It’s dissatisfied with the gym
advisable to follow this sequence when you’re working out alone, too, and because
not make the mistake a good friend of mine made. He was cooling down a) The music played is repetitive.
to techno music, which left him feeling nervous and twitchy all day. b) The songs are not included in
their playlists.
Instructors and gyms often buy ready-mixed compilations that come with a c) They don’t feel motivated.
music licence, without which they can be fined heavily. A frequent d) They think it’s unfair to pay a
complaint by those who go to classes is that they hear the same old songs fine.
over and over again. This is mostly because only a limited number of them
are released for public performance each year, and partly because
35. In the last paragraph it is
teachers universally favour the most popular tracks. It’s also true, sadly,
pointed out that there is music
that most people respond best in motivational terms to quite awful songs -
a) that might not be ideal for any
music they wouldn’t necessarily be proud to have on their playlist.
physical activity.
b) that can make you think
These days you can find music tailored to suit an incredibly diverse range
exercise is not the most
of sports and exercise needs. In order to prepare mentally, for example,
important thing.
golfers can get hold of a special range of music just for them. Whatever
c) sports people compose to
your sport, I’d like to give you some final words of advice. As Karageorghis
match their exercises.
suggests, enjoy the beat and let the music motivate you, but never forget
d) that has been composed for
your main objective is to exercise and music is only there to help you do
specific activities.
that.