An expert on the effects of music on exercise, Dr Costas Karageorghis, claims that listening to music while running can boost performance by up to 15%. To put this theory to the test, I took part in a special Rock ‘n’ Roll half marathon, which had groups of musicians playing at various points along the route.
As I lined up at the start with almost 4,000 other runners, a singer sang an inspiring song for us. It may explain why I got off to a good start. I only came eighth in the end, though, even though I’d just spent six months training hard.
“Elite athletes,” says Karageorghis, “tend to focus inwardly when they are running.” According to him, most other runners look for stimulus and distractions from what is going on around them. “Judging by your time,” he says, “you are one of the former.” It is true. Apart from the song at the start, when I was standing still, I can barely remember the music played along the course. The first act I passed, a folk group, made me smile, and at one point I found myself running in time to the beat of some hard rock.
Adam Bull usually runs marathons with no music and little crowd support. “
The only person I found who was less than happy with the music was Lois Lloyd. “There wasn’t enough of it, and I found it wasn’t loud enough, so I ran with an MP3 player,” she said. “
One runner told me there was a direct correlation between the quality of the music on the course and how much it helped. But quality, of course, is subjective. I remember feeling annoyed as I ran past one band playing Keeping On Running.
| A．I need my music all the time. |
| B．I think they knew why I found the music here so distracting. |
| C．I enjoyed that for a few moments, but both of them came and went in a flash. |
| D．Along with some spring sunshine, it certainly achieved that. |
| E．Someone else, though, may have found it uplifting. |
| F．I was, in fact, taking my running pretty seriously at that time. |
| G．The music here has been great for my performance. |
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| no matter what culture it comes from so that people can learn about different cultures as if they are neighbours that over 15, 000 people each year attend them as the traditional is mixed with the modern |
Yo-Yo Ma is a French-born Chinese American cellist known for his musical talent. In 1998, Ma founded Silkroad, an organisation that explores musical traditions in countries
The fundamental purpose of Silkroad is to bring people from across the globe together to play and listen to music. Instruments and styles are blended together to create music that is surprising, rich, and completely original,
The events that Silkroad organises are either performances, workshops, or mixed musical-artistic displays. It is so successful
Good morning! My name is Sarah Williams. It’s an honour to be here and to share with you the story of how music has had an impact on my life.
(A) Have you ever faced a time when things looked dark and you had no hope at all? Two years ago, I was told I had a serious disease which was difficult to cure. My body ached all the time and thus I thought I didn’t have much longer to live. I was very afraid and I felt so alone and discouraged. Then one day, I had to go through a two-hour medical treatment. The doctor wanted me to relax, so he had me listen to some music, and one of the songs was “Happy”. The song made me feel so much better that from then on I began to listen to music all the time. (B) John A. Logan said, “Music is the medicine of the mind.” And it’s true. Music helped me recover.
(C) Music gave me happiness. When I listened to music, (D) it made my spirits fly like a kite in the wind. (C) Music gave me strength and brought me relief. (E) It was the rock I leant on to become strong and to get through those hard times. Moreover, (C) music gave me hope and a sense of satisfaction. (F) It became my best friend. It spoke words of encouragement to the deepest part of my being.
Of course, I hope none of you have to go through the same kind of suffering that I did. At the same time, we all go through various periods when we feel sad or alone. During those times, music can help you in the same way that it helped me. I hope all of you will somehow begin to treasure music and make it a part of your life.
Thank you!
1. Reading for informationRead the speech and answer the questions.
(1) What was Sarah’s problem?
(2) How did music help her during her difficult time?
(3) What is her advice to others?
2. Reading for structure
Read the speech again and figure out the structure.
3. Reading for language features
Match the names of rhetorical devices to the lettered sentences in the speech.
metaphor
personification
quote
repetition
rhetorical question
simile
【推荐3】[2]Despite the celebrations, though, in the U. S.the jazz audience continues to shrink and grow older, and the music has failed to connect with younger generations.
[3]It's Jason Moran's job to help change that. As the Kennedy Center's artistic adviser for jazz, Moran hopes to widen the audience for jazz, make the music more accessible, and preserve its history and culture.
…
What does the underlined word “that” in paragraph 3 refer to?
| A．Jazz becoming more accessible. |
| B．The production of jazz growing faster. |
| C．Jazz being less popular with the young. |
| D．The jazz audience becoming larger. |
【推荐1】Race walkers are conditioned athletes. The longest track and field event at the Summer Olympics is the 50-kilometer race walk, which is about five miles longer than the marathon. But the sport’s rules require that a race walker’s knees stay straight through most of the leg swing and one foot remain in contact(接触) with the ground at all times. It’s this strange form that makes race walking such an attractive activity, however, says Jaclyn Norberg, an assistant professor of exercise science at Salem State University in Salem, Mass.
Why are race walkers conditioned athletes?
| A．They must run long distances. |
| B．They are qualified for the marathon. |
| C．They have to follow special rules. |
| D．They are good at swinging their legs. |
【推荐2】Qatar’s Mutaz Essa Barshim and Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi were competing in the high jump on Sunday when they reached a stalemate (僵局). Both men had managed to jump over a surprising 2.37 meters with no faults along the way. However, after three attempts neither managed the next level of 2.39 meters.
An Olympic official suggested a jump-off between the two friends and rivals (竞争对手) to determine who would get the gold medal. But Barshim had another plan to reward their efforts.
What does the underlined word “jump-off” in Paragraph 3 refer to?
| A．Debate. | B．Vote. |
| C．Celebration. | D．Extra round. |
【推荐3】My First Marathon(马拉松)
A month before my first marathon, one of my ankles was injured and this meant not running for two weeks, leaving me only two weeks to train. Yet, I was determined to go ahead.
I remember back to my 7th year in school. In my first P.E. class, the teacher required us to run laps and then hit a softball. I didn’t do either well. He later informed me that I was “not athletic”.
The idea that I was “not athletic” stuck with me for years. When I started running in my 30s, I realized running was a battle against myself, not about competition or whether or not I was athletic. It was all about the battle against my own body and mind. A test of wills!
The night before my marathon, I dreamt that I couldn’t even find the finish line. I woke up sweating and nervous, but ready to prove something to myself.
Shortly after crossing the start line, my shoe laces(鞋带) became untied. So I stopped to readjust. Not the start I wanted!
At mile 3, I passed a sign: “GO FOR IT, RUNNERS!”
By mile 17, I became out of breath and the once injured ankle hurt badly. Despite the pain, I stayed the course walking a bit and then running again.
By mile 21, I was starving!
As I approached mile 23, I could see my wife waving a sign. She is my biggest fan. She never minded the alarm clock sounding at 4 a.m. or questioned my expenses on running.
I was one of the final runners to finish. But I finished! And I got a medal. In fact, I got the same medal as the one that the guy who came in first place had.
Determined to be myself, move forward, free of shame and worldly labels(世俗标签), I can now call myself a “marathon winner”.
Why did the author mention the P.E. class in his 7th year?
| A．To acknowledge the support of his teacher. |
| B．To amuse the readers with a funny story. |
| C．To show he was not talented in sports. |
| D．To share a precious memory. |
