—I'm afraid I can't. I have much homework _________.

    I have two friends in our class, Rick and Scott. Rick has a good lifestyle. He sleeps eight or nine {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (hour)a day. So he can get up early in the morning. He exercises every day before having breakfast. He runs three times every week and plays soccer{#blank#}2{#/blank#}(one) a week. He also has good eating habits. He{#blank#}3{#/blank#}(try) to eat all kinds of fruits. He thinks apples are the{#blank#}4{#/blank#}(delicious) of all fruits. He believes "Having {#blank#}5{#/blank#} apple every day keeps the {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(ill)away. "He drinks milk every day and often eats vegetables. He likes hamburgers {#blank#}7{#/blank#}he doesn't eat too much. He looks after his health well. Good eating habits and doing exercises every day are good for him.

    Scott is different {#blank#}8{#/blank#} Rick. He is kind of {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(health). He doesn't like doing exercise and sleeps too late. He likes eating junk food, too. He is fat now, and he{#blank#}10{#/blank#}(ask)to lose weight by his doctor.

    Giving children music lessons won't just introduce {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(they) to a world of rhythm and melody(旋律) it could also improve their language skills.

    The study of 74 Chinese children before primary school {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(lead) by scientist Robert Desimone from MIT. In the study, the 4﹣to 5﹣year﹣old children were divided into three groups. One group received a 45﹣minute piano lesson three times {#blank#}3{#/blank#}week, while another received extra reading instruction lessons. The {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(three) group took no extra lessons.

    The lessons {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(last) for six months. Then the children were tested on their abilities to discriminate (辨别)words based on {#blank#}6{#/blank#}( different) in tone (声调)and so on. The test results showed that the children who had taken piano lessons performed better at discriminating between words, when compared {#blank#}7{#/blank#}the children taking extra reading lessons. But both groups did {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(well) than the third group.

    The researchers think that the musical education helped these children perform better in language{#blank#}9{#/blank#}(test),even better than the kids taking extra reading lessons. This should make educators pay close attention. "That means schools could spend more time and energy {#blank#}10{#/blank#} music education and there will be an improvement in children s studies, Desimone said.

    Many schools are giving more extra reading to kids instead of the arts education. In fact, giving children music lessons is no worse than extra reading.