About 20 years ago, Daniel Hoffman, a classically trained violinist met a young musician playing in the town square in Marrakech, an ancient city in Morocco. They communicated in the little French they both knew, but their main common language was music. On the back of a motorbike of the fellow violinist, Hoffman weaved through the back streets of the city and then learned his first lessons in Andalusian music, the classical music of North Africa.
That experience gave birth to an idea: What would it be like to try to learn how to play different violin styles around the world in just one week? Oh. yes, and at the end of that week, play a concert. He even got a name for the concept “musical extreme sports”.
It took him almost two decades to launch that dream with a friend, who introduced him to the wonders of Kickstarter, a funding platform for creative projects. Up to now, the dream has taken the form of a new documentary currently airing on American public television stations called “Otherwise, It’s Just Firewood.”
In the documentary, Hoffman travels to County Clare, Ireland, where he takes lessons with James Kelly, a master Irish violin player, for less than a week and then performs together with him in front of an audience, many of whom are star Irish musicians.
The film is what Hoffman hopes will be the first of an eventual series of short documentaries, showing him learning to play the violin in a variety of styles, including the folk music of south India, Sweden, Greece, Romania, and West Virginia.
That would add to his extensive repertoire (全部曲目), which already includes Balkan, Middle Eastern, and Turkish styles. “The big joke is what’s the difference between the fiddle and the violin? It’s the person who plays it,” says Niall Keegan, a traditional flute player. “It’s the music you make on it that makes it Irish or English or French or classical or jazz or whatever else. It’s how we imagine it and how we create through it that make it and give it character.”
“Otherwise, it’s just firewood,” he says, words that became the film’s title.
1. Where does Hoffman’s idea of musical extreme sports come from?| A．His exploration of the local music. |
| B．His cooperation with the young violinist. |
| C．His sightseeing tour on a motorbike seat. |
| D．His constantly changing taste in violin styles. |
| A．help Hoffman to become a master violin player |
| B．are funded by American public television stations |
| C．introduce different styles of musicians around the world |
| D．record Hoffman’s experience in learning various violin styles |
| A．the power of diversified artistic expression |
| B．the pleasure in learning traditional music |
| C．the technique of instrument playing |
| D．the importance of famous artists |
相似题推荐
With the development of the Internet,many hobbies and interests of modern people have gained a new dimension(维度).The Internet allows enthusiasts to unite to share their excitement about trends,to communicate and share experiences. Specialized websites provide users with even more information about their subjects of interest and help discover new boundaries(边界)of their passions. This refers to movies,arts,modeling,literature,and music as well. One can hardly find a person who would not be listening to music on the way to work,at home,or elsewhere. There are plenty of websites that allow music lovers to stay in touch with the news relating to their hobbies.
One such website is Music fm,a mix of a social network and an Internet-radio that tracks down the music its users listen to. This website is of great benefit for music enthusiasts and besides,it has a number of advantages compared to other sources providing similar services.
The availability of multiple functions also speaks in favor of Music.fm. One of its significant advantages over many other musical websites is the function of scribbling(歌曲记录).This technology is convenient and definitely helpful for music lovers. With its aid，Music.fm searches for people with similar musical preferences and shows one a list of those whose interests match to some extent. These people are called neighbors and the idea is that they can get familiar with the fans of their favorite kind of music and，most likely，make new friends. The information about upcoming events nearby,as well as recommendations given about new music that a user might like are also gathered and introduced by the means of scribbling.
Music.fm allows users to listen to music for free. However，there is a serious drawback connected to it：It is available only to citizens of the USA,Germany,and Great Britain. At the same time,if you want to use Music.fm for communication,you might find that traditional social networks are more suitable for this purpose.
1. What can Internet help its enthusiasts to do according to the passage?2. What is the main idea of the passage?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement，then underline it and explain why.
Music fm is popular among its lovers because it is not only free but also more suitable for communication.
4. Please briefly present your opinion about Music.fm.(about 40 words)
【推荐2】Leo Brouwer is considered as one of the most important living figures of classical music in Latin America. His works are played regularly in concert halls globally, and he has scored over 50 films. But now, Brouwer finds it’s hard to reflect on his success. He is just grateful that people are moved by his music.
Brouwer says, “Being useful is something incredible. Perhaps my root of being an orphan reminds me of these reflections.” His parents divorced when he was very young, and his mother died when he was 11. So he decided to go to look for his father. “I found him playing the guitar, and the instrument fascinated me,” he says.
Then Brouwer taught himself music. Though his grandmother was the sister of famous composer Ernesto Lecuona, the wealthy family refused to pay for his music education.
“Being in an orphanage made me reflect on the ‘what’ and the ‘why’ of the essential things in life. I often asked myself what I was doing there and why I was fascinated with it?” he says. He listened to Cuba’s classical radio station all the time and learned how to read sheet music by staying in music stores in Havana when he was 15.
Brazilian guitarist Carlos Barbosa-Lima first heard Brouwer’s music when touring in Europe in the early 1970s. “For me it was a new experience, because I saw a composer with incredible view of the music and different styles,” Barbosa recalls. Part of that style includes traditional music and Cuban instruments in classical music forms.
Besides being a creative composer, Brouwer also founded important cultural institutions in Cuba. In 1960, he created the Cuban Institute of Art and Film Industry on the island. He stopped playing the guitar in the late 1970s, after an accident permanently damaged his right hand. Today, he focuses on composing, noting that he still has a lot of work to do. “Now I have many more ideas and have to be selective,” he says.
1. How does Brouwer behave towards his success?| A．He thinks little of it. |
| B．He regards it as pride. |
| C．He owes it to people’s help. |
| D．He believes it’s incredible. |
| A．His grandmother’s support. |
| B．His family’s music education. |
| C．The scene of his father’s playing the guitar. |
| D．The instruction his mother gave to him. |
| A．Brave and honest. | B．Low-key and hard-working. |
| C．Creative but skeptical. | D．Easy-going but conventional. |
| A．The Childhood of Brouwer | B．The Achievements of Brouwer |
| C．Brouwer’s Career in Music | D．Brouwer’s Musical Productions |
The committee decided that teaching students how to take a standardized test is more important than a curriculum in which students can explore their interests in the arts as well as academics. Because the school system is running out of funding, it needs to make sure that students pass the mastery test or even more money will be lost. If students fail the state standardized test, it is not the fault of drama and music classes— they are failing because the “ academic” classes are not sufficient.
It is painful to think of how many students will be discouraged from singing, acting, and playing instruments because school programs are no longer offered. Many families cannot afford private music lessons, and many potential musicians and artists may not find their calling if they are not exposed to it in school. The fact that the school committee thinks the arts are not worth the investment will certainly make some students believe the arts are not worth their time or support and the cycle will continue.
Teaching for a test does not shape students into complete, well rounded people. It blocks the natural sense to create and express feelings through art— there is more to life than the analytical thinking that math and English provide. What happens after a test? Sure, a student might graduate, but they will have limited knowledge — certainly not a good preparation for the real world.
1. Music and drama are not included in the high-school curriculum mainly because________.
| A．the school committee pays no attention to them |
| B．the school is afraid of losing financial support |
| C．the students are not interested in both of them |
| D．the state standardized test is more important. |
| A．The sufficiency of the classes determines students’ performance in the mastery test |
| B．students can be musicians and artists only if they can afford private music lessons |
| C．The school committee completely influences students’ attitude towards the arts |
| D．Quite a few students are discouraged from music and art in today’s school system. |
| A．make students round-shaped people in future |
| B．provide students with analytical thinking |
| C．motivate students in creativity and expression |
| D．prevent students graduating from high school |
| A．Who Killed Music and Drama? |
| B．Can Curriculum Go Without Music? |
| C．Why is Music So Important? |
| D．How To Prepare For the Real World? |
【推荐1】Summer's here and it won't be long before school -aged kids across America start complaining that they're tired of riding their bikes, playing at the park, swimming in the pool ..... and all the other awesome activities their parents hoped would keep them entertained for the next 10 weeks.
Such rapid—onset boredom could indicate that the kids have amazing powers of recall. Because a new study shows that the better your short—term memory is, the faster you feel sated and decide you've had enough. The findings appear in the Journal of Consumer Research. “Though satiation can be physical, like when you feel full after eating too much, we were interested in the psychological side of satiation. Like when you're just tired of something.” Noelle Nelson, assistant professor of marketing and consumer behavior at the University of Kansas School of Business. She and her colleague Joseph Redden at the University of Minnesota tried to think outside the lunch box. “Something that was interesting to me is that some people get tired of same things at very different rates. So if you think about pop songs on the radio, some people must still be enjoying them and requesting them even after hearing them a lot. But a lot of other people are really sick of those same songs.” The difference might have to do with memories of past consumption. For example, studies show that people push away from the dinner table sooner when they're asked to describe in detail what they ate earlier for lunch.
The findings suggest that marketers could use our desire for their products by figuring out ways to distract(使分心)us and keep us from fully remembering our experiences. We could also trick ourselves into eating less junk food by immersing(使浸没)ourselves in the memory of a previous snack. As for kids easily bored, just tell them to be fogged(模糊的)about it—it might help them have more fun.
1. Who may have a better short-term memory in the text?| A．Singers singing the same songs. |
| B．Customers who like to eat junk food. |
| C．Riders who are physically energetic. |
| D．Swimmers giving up swimming after a while. |
| A．Full. | B．Energetic |
| C．Hungry. | D．Excited. |
| A．Talk less about previous snacks for eating less junk food. |
| B．Ask kids to eat more by sharing their feelings about food. |
| C．Recall activities details to improve kids' memorizing ability. |
| D．Keep consumers from remembering experiences to promote goods. |
| A．Bored Kids With Good Recalls |
| B．How to Invent Interesting Activities |
| C．Boring Activities Do Harm To Kids' Memory |
| D．Physical Satiation Affects Psychological Feeling |
【推荐2】In 1969, when Neil Armstrong became the first person to walk on the moon . the astronomical body was for Chinese just a glowing orb （圆形物）overhead to stare at and muse about. Now, fifty years later, China has become the first nation to land a robotic spacecraft on the far side of the moon.
As the world celebrates the historic US moon landing on July 20, 1969, Chinese lunar explorers said their moon exploration program, including plans for a robotic lunar research station prototype （原型）by 2030 to prepare manned missions, is open to international cooperation.
The lunar research station will become a base for astronauts to visit briefly and ultimately for a long-term stay, according to Li Chunlai, director of the Ground Research and Application System of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Project, and three of his colleagues. "International cooperation is an important element in China's strategy of lunar and deep space exploration," they wrote in an article published on Friday in a special issue of the US journal Science to mark the anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing.
In 2004, China unveiled a three-phase robotic lunar exploration program —orbiting, landing and returning- naming it the Chang e Project. Four missions were conducted between 2007 and 2019, with Chang e-4 deploying（部署）a lander and the Yutu-2 rover on the surface of the far side of the moon in early January. The fifth mission, scheduled for early next year. is to return rocks to Earth from a lunar area that has not yet been sampled（取样），according to the article s authors.
The authors wrote that China is open to cooperation with NASA on lunar exploration. "Both sides can start cooperating on aspects such as exchange of scientific data and space situational awareness information," the article said. "China also looks forward to exploring more opportunities to cooperate with NASA to preserve the space environment for generations to come. ”
Already, China's latest lunar mission Chang e-4 has carried out experiments from Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands （荷兰), it said. In April, the China National Space Administration announced cooperation opportunities for China s sixth lunar mission and its asteroid（小行星）exploration mission. It also signed lunar exploration cooperation agreements with the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs. Turkey, Ethiopia and Pakistan.
1. What does the underlined phrase "muse about" in Para. I mean?| A．Worry about. | B．Complain about. |
| C．Doubt about. | D．Think about. |
| A．To explore the asteroids of the moon. |
| B．To bring rocks to the earth from the moon. |
| C．To build a robotic research station prototype. |
| D．To carry out experiments from Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands・ |
| A．China hasn't decided whether to explore more opportunities to cooperate with NASA. |
| B．China signed lunar exploration cooperation agreements with Turkey, India and Pakistan . |
| C．China's latest lunar mission Chang'e-4 has done experiments from some European countriess. |
| D．Chang'e-4 deployed a lander and the Yutu-2 rover on the surface of the near side of the moon in early January. |
| A．China invites nations to join in moon exploration |
| B．The world celebrates the historic US moon landing |
| C．China's present and future lunar exploration programs |
| D．China unveils a three-phase robotic lunar exploration program |
【推荐3】Nobody wants to snack on plastic bags or soda rings, but according to a recent study from the University of Neweastle, we could be consuming roughly a credit card's worth of plastic every week.
Microplastic, which are less than a quarter-inch size and come in various shapes, have polluted the natural world and infiltrated(渗入)our bodies. The first clue to microplastic exposure in humans came around 2013, when scientists discovered plastic particles in seafood prepared for consumption. But in 2019, when the University of Newcastle study was published, the scientific community understood that the problem was considerably broader. Microplastics shed off clothes and tires and have been found in beer, honey, table salt and other food items. We breathe in plastic staying in the air and drink plastic floating in our drinks. It's no stretch to conclude that our exposure is significant. What we don't know is what this means for us.
The amount of evidence collected on this subject is growing rapidly, according to Scott Coffin, a toxicologist(毒理学家). Studies done on mice and rats have found that plastic in their bodies can severely damage cells and cause stress.
Because microplastics are too small to clean up, the only solution is to stop plastic waste at the source. And doing so would take a thorough adjustment, given that plastics are deeply embedded in our economy and lifestyle. Stopping using them would fundamentally affect countless industries, including textiles(纺织业), transportation and manufacturing.
"I think we need to have more studies coming out that are directly related to human health before we see a lot more concern from the general public," Scott said. "It takes a lot to convince people that something that is really convenient for them to use is something they should sacrifice."
The question of microplastics and human health needs more attention—from the scientific community ,the general public, the government and funding groups. The issue isn't being ignored, but it's not being prioritized either.
1. What does the second paragraph mainly tell us about microplastics?| A．Their wide usage in daily life. |
| B．Their harm to human health. |
| C．Their significant exposure in humans. |
| D．The new study conducted on them. |
| A．The way that microplastics exist. |
| B．The pollution caused by microplastics. |
| C．The relationship between microplastics and human health. |
| D．The reason for the existence of microplastics. |
| A．To cut down plastic production. |
| B．To carry out more studies on mice and rats. |
| C．To invent something more convenient than plastics. |
| D．To promote people's awareness on the harm brought by microplastics. |
| A．Is Microplastic pollution harmful to our health? |
| B．Why is Microplastic pollution everywhere? |
| C．Why is plastic harmful? |
| D．What do you know about Microplastics? |
【推荐1】Zhang Daqian was born in 1899 in Sichuan province. Brought up in an artistic family, Zhang was first taught to paint by his mother and older siblings. He went on to copy as many masterpieces as he could set his eyes on, and was especially influenced by the individualistic masters Shitao (石涛) and Bada Shanren (八大山人). In the early 1940s, Zhang spent two years studying the Buddhist mural paintings at Dunhuang, which proved to be a crucial experience in his artistic development.
In particular, Zhang’s works are noteworthy for the many painting styles that he mastered, from highly meticulous (注意细节的) and detailed portraits to bold and expressive splashed-ink landscapes (泼墨风景画). While he was highly innovative as he developed his own unique style, he always ensured that his art was firmly rooted in Chinese tradition. As is usually the case with ink artists, his later works, especially his vibrant splashed-ink landscapes, are the most sought after.
Zhang mastered the art of painting “from heart to hand” late in his life. In 1971, he selected this particular phrase to carve into a seal (印章). The phrase probably conveyed a twofold message. First, it was Zhang’s proud claim that he had developed a stylistic versatility (多才多艺) for depicting the endless variations of the natural world. He acquired this ability by imitating the works of previous masters, which led to a grand combination of historical styles in his art. He also enriched his personal experience with his extensive travel and enhanced his artistic vocabulary in order to capture the beauty of the world. Second, the phrase communicates Zhang’s belief that an artist should follow his heart to convey their “spirit resonance (气韵生动),” a historical principle in judging the beauty of Chinese painting. Before applying his brush to paper, Zhang had already conceived (构思) the forms he wanted to depict and the inspiration he wished to convey through the painting. He would be fully aware of the most effective means by which to inspire awe and wonder in his audience.
Blessed with a long life—he was 83 when he died in 1983—and filled with an enormous amount of passion and energy for life, the artist produced a huge number of paintings over his lifetime. He is estimated to have completed an average of about 500 per year.
In 2011, Zhang became not only the most popular Chinese artist at auction but the best-selling artist in the world as well, surpassing Pablo Picasso. And demand for his works has remained high since then.
1. What does Paragraph 2 mainly talk about?| A．The characteristics of Zhang Daqian’s art. |
| B．The most sought-after works by Zhang Daqian. |
| C．Where Zhang Daqian got inspiration for his paintings. |
| D．The reason why Zhang Daqian’s artworks are so popular. |
①How Zhang Daqian became aware of the most effective means to inspire his audience.
②How Zhang Daqian was able to put what he wanted on the canvas without thinking about it.
③How Zhang Daqian learned to freely convey the principle of “spirit resonance” through his approach to painting.
④How Zhang Daqian was able to depict the endless variations of the natural world using a combination of different styles.
| A．①② | B．①③ | C．②③ | D．③④ |
①the beauty of the natural world
②the Buddhist mural paintings at Dunhuang
③masters in the likes of Shitao and Bada Shanren
④the rich nature of his travels and personal experiences
| A．①②③ | B．①②④ | C．②③④ | D．①②③④ |
【推荐2】A group of artists, writers and intellectuals has launched a new “university” in London, designed to help those too tied up with work to appreciate the finer things in life, like art, books and travel.
The School of Life, operating out of a small shop in the arty district of Bloomsbury, describes itself as a “chemist for the mind” that plans to offer “cultural solutions to everyday ailments (疾病)”. It hopes to inspire those who have got out of the habit of reading decent books, cannot keep conversation flowing at dinner parties, or need to expand their holiday horizons. The philosopher Alain de Botton, author of How Proust Can Change Your Life, and Sophie Howarth, a former curator (馆长) at the Tate Modem Gallery, are among the staff members.
The founders believe that people with too little time to spare need instruction in how to live a more fulfilled (有成就感的) existence. Perhaps you have a burning question for a paleontologist(古生物学家). “Perhaps you’re considering a career change and want to talk first-hand to a photographer or landscape designer. The School of Life has a large professional staff who are willing to meet with you for an hour of chat in exchange for a small fee,” the website explains, listing 50 experts.
Among courses being offered later this year are instruction in life, love, work, family and politics. A typical course, in love, will explore why relationships are so complicated and why attraction ebbs and flows. “We draw on ideas from philosophy, psychoanalysis (心理分析), literature and art. We discover what the likes of Plato, Shakespeare, Tolstoy and Freud had to say about compassion , empathy and self-love,” the instructors promise.
Courses run for six weeks and cost 195 pounds.
1. From Paragraph 1 we know the purpose of “the university” is to .| A．help people live a finer life |
| B．tell people how to spend their spare time |
| C．make money by setting up a university on the internet |
| D．offer education to those who have little chance to go to university |
| A．pursue a quality life | B．try to improve communicative skills |
| C．get into the habit of reading good books | D．seek solutions to their physical diseases |
| A．free chatting online with arty people | B．chatting with instructors face to face |
| C．making appointments with chemists | D．attending public lectures given by founders |
| A．A new university — solutions to everything | B．A new university — instructions to your career |
| C．The School of Life — a chemist for mind | D．The School of Life — a school for health |
【推荐3】Lita Cabellut is one of Spain’s most successful artists, but the woman whose paintings now sell for six figure sums spent her early years living on the street.
“My childhood was like that of thousands of street kids around the world.” says Lita. She used to wander the streets and slept in the open air. Lita was born in a village in Aragon, north-east Spain, in 1961. While she was a baby, Lita was left with her grandmother—but in reality she spent most of her time out on the streets.
“I ran after the walkers. They gave me money to buy packs of cigarettes or sandwiches, and I kept the change.” Looking back, she says. “Art, of course, was there because art is always around us.” But she was occupied with survival then.
According to the 2014-2015 annual report, now her vivid portraits can sell for $100,000 or more—actors Hugh Jackman and Halle Berry, as well as chef, Gordon Ramsay, are each reported to own one, such as The Coco numero 4, Alam and Eddy Wenting and about 200 painting, drawings and more. Among the works and masters on exhibition the visitors will find the best pieces, most importantly Eddy Wenting.
So what changed the course of Lita’s life so dramatically? Lita’s grandmother died when she was about 10 years old and she ended up in a Barcelona orphanage(孤儿院) before being adopted by “a beautiful Catalan family” two years later. She won’t reveal much about them, except that they introduced her to art. They took her to Madrid’s Prado museum, and introduce 13-year-old Lita to A Pilgrimage to San Isidro, which was painted between 1820 and 1823. “I recognized Goya’s painting the expressions in the eyes of the people that I crossed in the streets when I was little,” she says.
“This painting describes the hope, the terrific moments that the human being can have when you lose your security. For me, when I saw this painting for the first time I felt the complicity（关联）of being a witness.”
It made such an impression on her that she tried to copy another Goya, one of his sweeter works describing a country boy with a girl and a dog. The result was not spectacular but her adopted family encouraged little Lita to keep painting—they even paid for private tutors to make up for lost time.
And for the first time in her life, she also started going to school. “It’s difficult for me at school as I was so far behind. It’s hard to start learning to read and write when you are 13, and then there’s the psychological difficulty of being put into a class where classmates are much younger. I had a lot of private classes to learn everything.”
She slowly made progress, started to listen to the “voice of art” and decided to study art at Amsterdam’s Academy.
The “three big masters” who influenced her the most were Spain’s painter Goya, the sculptor Donatello, and German composer Bach. After graduating for many years, she stayed in the Netherlands and managed to establish a studio and now she has one in The Hague, but success didn’t come easily.
“I did things like giving someone a painting so they would pay my electricity bill and painting a house to get three months’ credit in a supermarket. When you are in a growth period as an artist you have to defend it amazingly because you need time to become a master. If you exchange that time for money, you don’t get that time back to develop yourself.”
At one point, having established a good relationship with an honorable gallery, she decided to start all over again, and didn’t sell anything for two years.
“I had painted a shocking series on child but her colleagues said, ‘No, Lita, you can’t do this. People don’t want this. Paint more angels, those angels that sell so well.’ I said ‘No, and I lost my gallery.”
Although Lita has held solo exhibitions in London. Dubai and Seoul, she is little known in her mother land. Two shows in 2017 are aimed at remedying this: a retrospective(回顾展) at Barcelona, and an exhibition at A Coruna’s art museum where her studio will be recreated.
As for her birth mother, Cabellut says she has forgiven her for abandoning her. She recalls once visiting her when the painter was a student but found it impossible to tell her how she felt.
1. What can we know about Lita’s childhood life?| A．She was given birth to in the Netherlands. |
| B．She was adopted by an orphanage in 1973. |
| C．She lived an ordinary life with her mother. |
| D．She lost her grandma at the age of twelve. |
| A．was exhibited in London museum |
| B．was collected by actor Hugh Jackman |
| C．was a best-known painting of Donatello |
| D．was one works of Spain’s painter Goya |
| A．frightening | B．apparent |
| C．necessary | D．extraordinary |
| A．didn’t want to paint against her will |
| B．would hold solo exhibitions in London |
| C．was eager to come back to hometown |
| D．found another gallery to cooperate with |
| A．How an artist travelled many countries |
| B．How an artist was adopted and brought up |
| C．How a street child became a leading artist |
| D．How the three masters impressed an artist |
| A．Conservative and childish. | B．Considerate and productive. |
| C．Wealthy and beautiful | D．Brilliant and prideful. |
