Pop stars have traditionally not come from the upper classes of society. Eminem grew up on a trailer (活动住屋) park. 50 Cent is from the dangerous shelters of New York. The Beatles grew up in the poor city of Liverpool.
However, some musicians have come from the army. Elvis Presley, the King of Rock and Roll, served with the American Army in Germany while Jimi Hendrix was in the parachute regiment (伞兵团). Following in that tradition comes a British hit, James Blunt. His single, You re Beautiful, was a huge success, and his concerts have sold out all over the country.
James Blunt, born on February 22, 1977, comes from a family with a long tradition of military service. His early life was not filled with music. His army officer father thought all music, even classical, was unnecessary noise. His life seemed certain to follow that of his father's before him—private schools, a good university and a career as an officer in the British Army. The thought of pursuing a career in music had never occurred to him until he witnessed an older boy playing an electric guitar at age 14. When he was sent to Kosovo in 1999, he didn't just take his gun he also took his guitar, attached to the side of his tank. As he drove through villages damaged by the war, he used to sing the John Lennon song Give Peace a Chance. “Well,” he later said, “we were peacekeepers.”
In 2003 he left the army and went to Los Angeles to make a record. In 2004, his first album Back to Bedlam was released, and the singles High, Wise Men and You're Beautiful have been great successes. For the singing soldier, putting down a gun for a guitar has been a good choice.
1. What do Elvis Presley and James Blunt have in common?| A．They were from lower social classes. |
| B．They were kings of Rockand Roll. |
| C．They rose to fame in Britain. |
| D．They used to serve in the army. |
| A．His father's support. |
| B．The Beatles' influence. |
| C．A guitar performance. |
| D．Family tradition of music. |
| A．Blunt's journey to the US. |
| B．Blunt's success as a singer. |
| C．Blunt's devotion to singing. |
| D．Blunt's best-selling records. |
| A．Positive. | B．Critical. |
| C．Grateful. | D．Cautious. |
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【推荐1】Jamey Turner often performs to large crowds in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia. You can find him playing an unusual musical instrument, the glass harp, near Alexandria's historic waterfront.
A glass harp is made up of different-sized drinking glasses, each filled with water. Turner makes music by running his fingers over the tops of the glasses. By doing so, each glass makes a different musical sound.
Turner is 78 years old now. He became interested in playing the glass harp at the age of six, when he heard his father playing with a glass of water at the dinner table. He has been playing it for 50 years.
Today Turner puts together his instrument by placing 60 different glasses on a wooden soundboard. He holds the glasses in place with rubber bands, which keeps them from breaking. He then adds different amounts of water to each one to create different musical notes. Adding or taking away just a little water will change the sound. Adding water to a glass will make a lower sound. The smaller bowls of water produce a higher sound, while the larger ones produce a lower, deeper sound.
Turner always uses low-priced glass because it sounds better than costly crystal and he has more control over the sound. Before buying new glasses, he will test them in stores.
The glass harp was popular 300 years ago when composers like Wolfgang Mozart wrote music for the instrument. There have been about 400 pieces of music written just for the glass harp. But Turner plays all kinds of music, even popular music from China. Few people play the glass harp these days, but Turner says he sees videos of people experimenting with the instrument on YouTube. He hopes the next generation will continue making their music.
1. What do we know about Turner?| A．He began playing the glass harp at six. | B．He often teaches glass harp lessons online. |
| C．He is a great master of the Chinese language. | D．He was inspired by his father to learn the glass harp. |
| A．Its inventor is Wolfgang Mozart. | B．It is made up of glasses of the same size. |
| C．It appears to be gaining in popularity today. | D．Its sounds are affected by the water in the glasses. |
| A．To save money. | B．To produce better sounds. |
| C．To help recycle drinking glasses. | D．To increase difficulty in performing. |
| A．Musician Pleases Crowds by Playing Glasses | B．Playing the Glass Harp: a New Trend |
| C．Jamey Turner's Dream Coming True | D．Wonderful Music Has No Borders |
【推荐2】Israeli Paintings—Israeli artist Menashe Kadishman will hold a personal show named "Flock of Sheep" from November 26 to December 20 at the China National Art Museum. On show are 550 colourful oil paintings of sheep heads.
His works have been on show in the Metropolitan Museum in New York and Tate Gallery in London over the past 30 years.
Time: 9: 00 a.m.—4: 00 p.m., November 26—December 20.
Place: China National Art Museum, 1 Wusi Dajie, Dongcheng District, Beijing.
Tel: 6401-2252
Russian Ballet—The Kremlin Ballet from Russia will perform two immortal classical ballets—"Swan Lake" and "The Nutcracker"—at the Beijing Beizhan Theatre. Set up in 1990, the theatre has a number of first-class ballet dancers. Most of their performances are classical.
Time: 7: 15 p.m., December 5 and 6 ("Swan Lake"); 7: 15 p.m., December 7 ("The Nutcracker")
Place: Beizhan Theatre, Xiwai Dajie, Xicheng District, Beijing.
Tel: 6605-3388
Folk Concert—The Central Conservatory of Music will hold a folk concert in memory of the late musician Situ Huacheng.
On the programme are many popular folks such as "Moon Night on the Bamboo Tower", "Celebrating Harvest", "Deep and Lasting Friendship", "Golden Snake Dances Wildly" and "Children's Holiday".
Time: 7: 30 p.m., November 25.
Place: Beijing Concert Hall, 1 Beixinhuajie, Xicheng District, Beijing.
Tel: 6605-5812
1. If a child is very fond of dancing, his parents should take him to ________.| A．China National Art Museum | B．Beizhan Theatre |
| C．Beijing Concert Hall | D．1 Wusi Dajie |
| A．deer | B．birds | C．sheep | D．flowers |
| A．The folk concert will last three days. |
| B．The ballet "The Nutcracker" will be put on once. |
| C．The Israeli paintings will be on show for a month. |
| D．China National Art Museum lies in Xicheng District. |
| A．go to the folk concert | B．visit the Art Museum |
| C．watch the ballet | D．none of the above |
【推荐3】All melodies(旋律)and harmony in Western music is typically built from just 12 notes. Whether it's a splendid symphony, flourishing concerto or your favourite western pop songs, it will contain 12 familiar tones and be based around familiar intervals(间隙)between these tones to create the melodies we know and love today.
Western music typically uses 12 notes-C, D, E, F, G, A and B, plus five fats(降调) and equal sharps(升调)in between, which are: C sharp/D flat(they're the same note, just named differently), D sharp/E flat, F sharp/G flat, G sharp/A flat and A sharp/B flat.
These 12 notes have typically been used to compose most of the Western music we listen to. The reasons music has landed on these specific notes can be summed up as a combination of convenience, science and listener preferences.
All sounds are the result of waves, and the frequency of waves determine the pitch(音高)of sounds we hear. Pitches or notes that sound high, for instance, have a high frequency. But when it comes to our familiar 12 notes, it's not all about frequency-in fact, frequency hasn't created this set of 12.
We typically use just 12 notes in Western music because of the spaces-or intervals-between the notes.
Pieces of music are familiar entirely because of these intervals. Think of the children's song 'Baa baa Black Sheep' -it's still the same 'Baa baa Black sheep' when you start on the note C as if you start on B, or indeed if it's sung by a person with a deep,low voice as if it's sung by a person with a very high voice. For performers and music theory experts, this is what 'transposing(转调))'is.
Talking about 12 notes in music generally applies to music from the West and from some other parts of the world, but certainly isn't an exhaustive system for all music. Arabic music had a 17 tone scale. Indian classical music creates colour between notes far beyond the limited 12 notes. Indonesian gamelan also uses a different scale. And there are of course many, many more different ways music makers have split the octave(八度音阶)up into different notes to create sensational melodies throughout human history.
1. Which of the following notes come between note C and note F sharp in correct order going upwards?| A．C flat, C, D,E flat,E |
| B．C Sharp,D,D fat E sharp, F |
| C．C flat, C, D, D sharp,E |
| D．C sharp, D, D sharp, E,F |
| A．It is always sung by people with a deep voice and then a low voice. |
| B．The frequency and pitch of note B and C are always the same. |
| C．The intervals between each of the 12 notes are always the same. |
| D．It is always transposed by musicians between different notes. |
| A．12 notes in music act better than a 17-tone scale. |
| B．Music varies in different areas around the world. |
| C．Western music should borrow some ways from the world. |
| D．The world should learn from western 12-tone scale. |
| A．12 Notes in Western Music |
| B．Difference Between World Music |
| C．How can We Enjoy Western Music? |
| D．Why is 12 Notes World Famous? |
【推荐1】All children experience that moment—the moment when they open their mouth and their mother comes out. “Clean up after yourself, I’m your mother, not your maid.” And my personal favourite is what my mother said, “Eat your dinner. There are kids starving in Africa who would love to have this food.”
I can’t get away from it. For better or worse, my mother is the voice in my head, part of who l am and howl handle my day-to-day life. I almost feel as though the years of advice she poured into me have acquired a life of their own and are helping me make good decisions for my life.
“Grow your own food. It’ll taste better and be healthier. ”And, finally, the words I live by, “If you’re not sure you should, you shouldn’t.”
It’s been a good rule for my whole life. Generally, I know that I should do what’s important anyway. So, if I’m not sure, chances are, I shouldn’t. Once my mom was trying to make a decision and called to talk it over with me. “Well . . . you used to say,” I said, “If you are not sure, you shouldn’t. . . ” We laughed together. Mom is always happy when I quote her, maybe because it’s proof I am paying attention.
I have inherited a lot of things from my mother, but what I treasure most is her voice in my head, reminding me that wherever I go and whatever I do, a part of her will always be with me. And every now and then, the voice comes up with something special and something worth passing on.
1. What can we learn from the underlined sentences in Paragraph 1?| A．All people experience the same moment. |
| B．Children will be generally difficult to teach. |
| C．Mothers always try to teach their children some lessons. |
| D．Mothers’ demands on their children are beyond their power. |
| A．Bad-tempered. | B．Thoughtful. |
| C．Determined. | D．Narrow-minded. |
| A．They get along well. |
| B．The author is scared of his mother. |
| C．The author neglects his mother’s requirements. |
| D．The author’s mother wouldn’t like her child to resist her. |
| A．Parents should be looked up to by their children. |
| B．Parents’ instructions will affect their children greatly. |
| C．Parents ought to set good examples for their children. |
| D．Parents’ words are golden principles for their children. |
【推荐2】A raffle ticket(抽彩奖券) to win a new 1959 Chevrolet; credit cards with no magnetic strip; family photos in black and white: All hidden behind a bathroom wall in the Plaza Theatre, untouched for decades.
Until 65 years later, when contractors discovered a hidden space behind a broken wall in the bathroom during renovations. Under a mountain of dust, in what used to be a closet, lay a faded red wallet, frozen in time.
From there, Plaza Theatre owner Chris Escobar said he was determined to return the wallet to the family. “It was a portal(正门) back in time,” he said.
That owner was one Floy Culbreth, according to a license inside the wallet. But Escobar ran into his first problem—women were often referred to by their husband’s name at that time, so searching Culbreth’s name yielded few results.
Escobar recruited his wife Nicole, who he calls an “internet sleuth,” to track down the owner of the wallet. She was able to find Roy Culbreth’s obituary(讣告)—Floy’s husband. Through tracing the Culbreth bloodline, Escobar discovered Thea Chamberlain via the Culbreth Cup, a family-run charity golf event. Now 71, Thea recalled her mother’s active community role, including. Sunday school teaching, garden club involvement, and charitable work for cerebral palsy.
The Culbreth family’s gathering at the Plaza Theatre in November to reclaim the wallet was a touching scene. The moment was especially significant for Chamberlain’s young grandchildren. As they explored the contents, they grasped the importance of this family artifact, realizing they were part of a special legacy.
1. What do we know about the wallet?| A．It was brand new and unused. | B．It contained modern credit cards. |
| C．It was found in the theater’s lobby. | D．It had a license belonging to Floy Culbreth. |
| A．Women had no status in society. |
| B．Damaged wallet contents were unreadable. |
| C．Tracing the owner was tough due to naming norms. |
| D．He couldn’t access the theater due to renovation work. |
| A．Artist. | B．Engineer. | C．Historian. | D．Detective. |
| A．It held family historical value. | B．It was a valuable item she had lost. |
| C．It contained photos of her childhood. | D．It contained an important family secret. |
【推荐3】After the examination, the doctor told my parents my sight (视力) would get worse and that I would lose my sight finally. On the way home from hospital, no one said a word. One day, would I only imagine the scenery（景色）beyond the glass rather than see it?
That September, I entered middle school. Most nights I had homework that included a pile of books to read. To keep up with other children, I took great trouble to finish the task. With my nose a couple of inches from the page, I was tired easily.
However, then I did not have audio books and electronic devices (设备) like kids do now. Instead, Mom volunteered to read out loud. Mom worked part-time, cleaned the house, cooked and spent time with Grandma. In spite of being so busy, she showed up in my room like clockwork. She put on her reading glasses. Mom always thought those glasses made her look old. To me, she looked like a teacher.
In my room, Mom's voice competed with the ticking of the clock. Being forced to focus on (集中) listening, I found a way to keep my marks up and compete with the other kids. When the teacher asked a question, I raised my hand with confidence. Teachers praised me for having a good memory. Reading removed (消除) my fear for my failing sight, reading also made me curious about other people's challenges and how they managed. Though I could not use my eyes to fix on each passage, my mind lit up with every new book.
True to what the doctor said, the worst came, but thanks to Mom, my sense of hearing now allows me to “see”. This was the most precious（珍贵的）gift from a mother to her child.
1. The author and his parents keep silent on their way home from hospital because_________.| A．what the doctor said was worrying |
| B．the author failed in the exam |
| C．they were tired |
| D．they focused on the scenery along the road |
| A．being confident |
| B．getting help from his teacher |
| C．listening attentively |
| D．competing with his classmates |
| A．The author's eyes recovered finally. |
| B．Reading helped the author a lot. |
| C．The author's mother quitted her job to look after him. |
| D．Reading made the author more sensitive. |
| A．My eyesight trouble |
| B．An unforgettable experience |
| C．My good hearing |
| D．A precious gift from mother |
【推荐1】When Frida Kahlo’s paintings were on show in London, a poet described her paintings as “a ribbon (丝带) around a bomb”. Such comments seem to suggest Kahlo had a big influence on the art world of her time. Sadly, she is actually a much bigger name today than she was during her time.
Born in 1907 in a village near Mexico City, Kahlo suffered from polio (小儿麻痹症) at the age of seven. Her spine (脊柱) become bent as she grew older. Then, in 1925, her back was broken in several places in a school-bus accident. Throughout the rest of her life, the artist had many operations, but nothing was able to cure the terrible pain in her back. However, the accident had an unexpected side effect. While lying in her bed recovering, Kahlo taught herself to paint.
In 1929, she got married to Diego Rivera, another famous Mexican artist. Rivera’s strong influences on Kahlo’s style can be seen in her early works, but her later works from the 1940s, known today as her best works, show less influence from her husband.
Unfortunately, her works did not attract much attention in the 1930s and 1940s, even in her home country. Her first one-woman show in Mexico was not held until 1953. For more than a decade after her death in 1954, Kahlo’s works remained largely unnoticed by the world, but in the 1970s her works began to gain international fame at last.
1. What does the phrase “a much bigger name” in Paragraph 1 most probably mean?| A．A far better artist. |
| B．A far more gifted artist. |
| C．A much stronger person. |
| D．A much more famous person. |
| A．polio |
| B．her bent spine |
| C．back injuries |
| D．the operations she had |
| A．1930s | B．1940s |
| C．1950s | D．1970s |
| A．Devotion. | B．Sympathy. |
| C．Worry. | D．Encouragement. |
【推荐2】If you see the Rolling Stones in concert this summer and go get a drink, there may be no single-use plastic cup for you. The band and its promoter are working with Michael Martin - he's produced a bunch of big Earth Day concerts. The Stones approached Martin and asked for help in eliminating plastic waste. He came up with a simple solution.
"When you come up to get your first drink, you put down a $3 deposit, you get a really high-quality Rolling Stones-branded cup," says Martin. "You use it throughout the night, and at the end of the event you can turn your cup in and get your $3 back or you can keep your cup."
If you return the heavier plastic cup at the end of the show, it gets washed and used again. Or recycled. At some concert venues, there will still be disposable cups available as well. Martin, whose new company is called r. Cup, has been working with other artists, including U2, Bon Jovi, and Radiohead. "The live-event industry goes through more than 4 billion single-use cups a year. At a typical stadium event, you could see 100,000 or 200,000 cups thrown out," says Martin.
But this idea - returning and reusing a cup - this isn't exactly rocket science. So, why is this just being tried now?
"That's a really good question," says Martin. "In America, we're a throwaway society, and what's happening is that people are now seeing the consequences of that. And so, we're hoping we'll be able to wake people up and rearrange things."
Throwaway cups do serve a few purposes: They're cheap and easy, and it's a way for vendors to keep track of sales and make sure their employees aren't giving away free beer. Still, Martin says we can get past that. He'd like to introduce reusable cups at sporting events, zoos, universities, and festivals.
He's starting with rock concerts because artists have a pretty powerful platform. I mean, if Mick Jagger tells his fans to stop abusing the planet, who's going to say no to that?
1. Why did the Stones talk to Martin?| A．Martin could work with artists harmoniously. |
| B．Martin could run a new company successfully. |
| C．Martin could offer assistance to reduce waste. |
| D．Martin could provide recycled cups for audiences. |
| A．It introduces a heavier plastic cup that can be both recycled and reused. |
| B．It is well received among artists and customers in the live-event industry. |
| C．It requires $3 deposit and customers can get a branded cup of good quality. |
| D．It succeeds in preventing 4 billion single-use cups from going to the dump. |
| A．Throwaway cups do serve few practical purposes. |
| B．People are aware of the bad effect from throwaway cups. |
| C．Artists play a significant role in stopping plastic pollution. |
| D．A live concert consumes over 4 billion single-use cups a year. |
| A．Martin Produces Earth Day Concerts | B．Environmental Rules Take Effect |
| C．Single-use Plastic Cups Disappear | D．The Rolling Stones Go Green |
【推荐3】Born in a musical family in 1925 in New Orleans, Renald Richard spent his childhood filled with music. At the age of 13, he went to see a band perform at a church where he fell in love with trumpet. So he started lessons on it, and later played it in the high school band. After high school, he was sent into military service and played his trumpet in the United States Navy Band. After ending up studying music at Xavier University of Louisiana, he played clubs on the famous Bourbon Street and also toured with many bands.
In 1954, Richard was approached by Jeff Brown, the manager of musician Ray Charles. He invited Richard to join Ray Charles’ new band. “To be selected by Ray Charles was an honor to me. Ray Charles was exacting.” said Richard, “He was a perfectionist and was rather demanding about his music.”
Renald Richard toured all over the South and West with Ray Charles. Sitting in the back seat of the car on the way to a concert, Richard wrote the song “I Got a Woman” for Charles, which became Ray Charles’ first number one radio hit. In 1954,Renald Richard left Ray Charles’ band. However, he stayed friendly with Ray Charles over the years. He became the high school’s band director in his hometown until 1962. Four years later, he moved again to New York City. Over the years, Richard has written many other songs that have been recorded by artists including Joe Turner, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and Elvis Presley to name a few. Living now in Southern Florida, Richard is still active at the age of 92. As you can see, Renald Richard’s musical days are by no means near an end.
That is today’s Celebrity Introduction. Any comments? Please write to us in the Comments Section on this page.
1. How is the text organized?| A．In order of time. | B．In order of frequency. |
| C．In order of preference. | D．In order of importance. |
| A．devoted | B．careful | C．strict | D．enthusiastic |
| A．A Life Filled with Music | B．Active at an Advanced Age |
| C．The Influence of a Musician | D．Renald Richard and Ray Charles |
| A．In a textbook. | B．In a brochure. | C．In a newspaper. | D．On a website. |
