Long recognized as a transformational figure, Ornette Coleman remains one of the most mysterious figures in American music. After starting out as a R&B saxophonist in the 1940s, Coleman chaired the “free” jazz revolution on such albums as The Shape of Jazz to Come, Free Jazz and Ornette!
A mere decade after the revolution replaced the danceable beat of swing, Coleman took the daring step of completely abandoning conventional harmonies. The result was an atonal (无调的) mixture of sound that expected contemporary advances in Western art music while looking back to the earliest forms of New Orleans-style collective improvisation (即兴演奏).
Coleman’s style sharply divided generations of jazz musicians and enthusiasts. For famous commenter Albert Murray, “This music was called free jazz but what is freer than jazz? You can’t enjoy chaos.” Instead, 2007 Special Citation winner John Coltrane was an early fan, often sitting in with Coleman before specially working in the field after Ascension.
Throughout the 1970s, Coleman’s influence slowly sank into the underground rock scene, while contemporaries like Archie Shepp employed the new form as a symbol for political expression and social justice.
Even though a series of awards would eventually end in the 2007 Pulitzer, Coleman never had a wonderful moment similar to Coltrane’s My Favorite Things or Miles Davis’s Bitches Brew. He was in a league of his own to the end.
Chronology, Variants on a Theme of Thelonious Monk. Skies of America, Times Square, Turnaround, the five tracks offer an introduction to Coleman’s vast output while representing interesting differences with such forces as eclectic bassist Charlie Haden, fellow Prize winner Gunther Schuller and New York’s famous 1970s music scene.
In this context, we can see Coleman for who he really was: a generously cooperative (合作的) force who helped to lead the course of American music for six decades.
1. Which is Coleman’s production during “free” jazz revolution?| A．Times Square. | B．Skies of America. | C．My Favorite Things. | D．The Shape of Jazz to Come. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Supportive. | C．Unconcerned. | D．Objective. |
| A．Gunther Schuller. | B．Charlie Haden. | C．Miles Davis. | D．John Coltrane. |
| A．He is a famous R&B saxophonist. | B．He changed the danceable beat of swing. |
| C．He has a similar music style to Coltrane’s. | D．He had a long-term influence on American music. |
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【推荐1】The earliest known music festival occurred in the 6th century BCE. After centuries’ development, by the late 1960s, Rock bands began to organize their own music festivals. Perhaps the first formal and well-known festival to Rock was the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, which brought that band to the attention of American audiences.
By 1970, the festival grew to bring in more than 600,000 people, showing the popularity of music festivals to organizers. Many others also began to organize such events. The Summerfest Festival was established in 1968.
| A．Rock music is the reflection of history. |
| B．Woodstock festival changed the form of rock concerts. |
| C．However,it focused not only on music but other events. |
| D．Another early rock festival was the Isle of Wight Festival. |
| E．Today, it’s hard to imagine summer without musical festivals. |
| F．What perhaps put music festivals on the map was Woodstock in 1969. |
| G．Others are intended for younger audiences or those who prefer period based music. |
【推荐2】Successful films and TV programs make large amounts of money, and so do the performers who appear in them. A few big shows can make a rock musician a millionaire (百万富翁) in a very short time. High art, however, has serious financial (财政的) problems. It costs more to put on an opera (歌剧)concert, or ballet (芭蕾) than the sale of tickets can bring in. Men and women interested in high art are always being asked to give money to make future performance possible. Small government subsidies (津贴) have also helped to support the arts in the last few years.
1. It is easier for ______ to make money.| A．an opera performer | B．a pianist |
| C．a ballet actor | D．A rock musician |
| A．no people would offer money for it |
| B．it is not supported by the government |
| C．it cost much but not many people enjoy it |
| D．prices of tickets for it are not high enough |
| A．a large amount of… high art | B．a small amount of… high art |
| C．little… all kinds of art | D．plenty of… popular art |
| A．high art is not enjoyed by young people |
| B．successful films and TV programs are called high arts |
| C．all people enjoy popular art instead of high art |
| D．most people like popular art better than high art |
【推荐3】They call America’s Got Talent the biggest stage in the world, and I definitely felt like it that day last April. I stood on that huge, brightly lit stage in California. As I stared out at the audience of thousands, it hit me that this moment could change my life forever.
I’d always loved to sing and had already signed up for the school talent show in fourth grade when I started stuttering (结巴). I went from being a carefree 10-year-old to a shy one. I was afraid of speaking in class, ordering at restaurants, and even introducing myself. So I decided to practise over and over again. To my astonishment, the words came smoothly when I sang. My stutter disappeared. I felt so free onstage performing in the talent show.
By the summer I was 16, one afternoon I started practising my guitar at home. On the spot, I wrote a song I called “I Will Trust”. I sang about how lost I felt. The next day, I filmed a video of myself performing the song and posted it on YouTube. Hundreds of complete strangers left comments that I had cheered them up with my music.
Then I signed up for the America’s Got Talent audition (试镜). When I finished, the judges and the whole crowd were on their feet. I couldn’t believe it! Judge Cowell told me I had a pure and beautiful voice. When introducing myself to the judges and audience, I stammered my name, Amanda, and then my age, 18. “As you can probably tell…” I explained, “I have a bit of a speech stutter... But I found that I don’t stutter when I sing.”
I couldn’t hold back my tears. My stutter made me shy and fearful, but I was given the gift to speak through my music. My wildest dreams were coming true, dreams I’d never thought possible.
1. What amazed Amanda during singing practice in Paragraph 2?| A．The beautiful voice. | B．Her fluent singing. |
| C．The lucky encounter. | D．Her brave performance. |
| A．Ordinary. | B．Awful. | C．Inspiring. | D．Relaxing. |
| A．Committed and warmhearted. | B．Social and easygoing. |
| C．Responsible and creative. | D．Determined and courageous. |
| A．She finally overcame her stutter. | B．She was moved by the audience online. |
| C．She was content with her smooth speech. | D．She found a new way to express herself. |
【推荐1】Researchers have found a way to use software to teach a human-like robotic hand new skills. The discovery could one day make it less expensive to train robots to do things that are easy for humans to do. The researchers are with OpenAI, a nonprofit artificial intelligence research group started in 2015.
OpenAI researchers announced last week that they had taught a robotic hand to recognize different qualities of a colorful object The object was a small, six-sided box with different numbers and colors on each side. The researchers wanted the robotic hand to show them a specific side of the box. The machine was able to turn the box around until the desired side was shown.
The act may seem simple. But it shows a big improvement in how the machine learned to do what the researchers were asking of it.
All the learning happened inside a software-based re-creation of the real world, or a simulation. The machine was then able to bring everything it had learned into the physical world. That jump helps solve what had been a big problem for robotic hands.
Ken Goldberg is a robotics professor in University of California Berkeley. He did not join in the OpenAI research. But he did review the work released in late July. He called it “an important result” in getting closer to the goal of having self-taught machines.
Lilian Weng is a member of the technical team at OpenAI who worked on the research. She told the Reuters news agency that the group now aims to teach the robotic hand even more complex tasks.
1. What can we infer from paragraph 1?| A．It costs much to train robots at present. |
| B．A robot can easily learn to act as humans. |
| C．OpenAI has developed a human-like robotic hand. |
| D．A new software has been developed to train robots. |
| A．To count numbers and conclude. | B．To turn around a six-sided box. |
| C．To recognize colors and numbers. | D．To find and show a colorful object. |
| A．To learn to do more difficult work. | B．To teach other machines what to do. |
| C．To learn to get closer to humans' life. | D．To replace humans’ work completely. |
| A．A travel leaflet. | B．A science magazine. |
| C．A social survey. | D．An experiment report. |
【推荐2】A new study suggests a simple getting-to-know-you exercise might improve classroom relationships. The teacher-student relationship affects every aspect of the educational experience. When students don’t feel safe and respected by their teacher, they are less likely to devote themselves to their education. And when teachers feel distanced from their students, it is nearly impossible to walk into the classroom each day actively, let alone encourage motivation or investment in students.
Hunter Gehlbach, a professor, explained that his research is primarily concerned with social perspective-taking (换位思考), or the ability to understand what drives the people around us. As he explained, “My focus is classrooms and social perspective-taking-figuring out the thoughts and feelings of others seems important. We want teachers to be able to engage in this process and figure out the thought process of students as much as possible, in order to understand where and why they are making mistakes.”
Gehlbach and his colleagues gave 315 students and 25 teachers a “getting-to-know -you” survey of 30 items at the beginning of a school year. The researchers matched similarities between the teacher and the student, and then showed those similarities to the teachers and students. Five weeks later, the researchers returned to start a more in-depth survey of both students and teachers, and to measure their opinions of their relationships and the classroom experience as a whole. The second survey showed that when teachers and students know they have five things in common, relationships and educational outcomes both improve.
Gehlbach explained that the similarities he and his colleagues established were not based on personal information, but on shared preferences. Gehlbach explained: one of the biggest surprises in reading the similarity research was how little some of the similarities were that caused positive feelings towards others.
Though Gehlbach’s study has limitations, he is encouraged by the results and eager to explore the phenomenon further.
1. It seems that Gehlbach ___________.| A．can’t find enough teachers for the survey | B．is good at social perspective taking |
| C．mainly did the research by himself | D．pay more attention to teachers’ understanding of students |
| A．The Teachers. | B．The students. | C．The researchers. | D．His colleagues. |
| A．to prove if the result of the first one, is correct |
| B．to survey some other students and teachers |
| C．to show the improvement of students and teachers |
| D．to find more similarities between students and teachers |
【推荐3】You can count on the fact that cocoa bean planting is bad for the environment—especially for the rainforests of West Africa. That’s enough to make some consumers think about giving up chocolate. But what if we could enjoy chocolate without climate guilt? In fact, we can, because when cocoa is grown sustainably, it can actually help save the world.
Cocoa beans grow on shrubs that are often planted in the open but can also grow better under large rainforest trees. Well-managed shade-grown cacao trees can store a significantly higher amount of carbon than annual crops—up to three times the amount stored by cacao trees grown in full sun. Shade-grown cacao trees are also more drought-tolerant and weed-resistant than those grown in the open. They are friendlier to wildlife, improving biodiversity.
The problem is not that cacao trees can’t help the environment. The problem is that too few of them do. The reasons for this are complex, but mainly boil down to lack of resources, lack of information and insecure land tenure( 保 有 期 ). Many West African cacao farmers are sharecroppers. They can’t remove old, diseased trees because this would risk losing the land. They can’t afford to plant new trees, either. As a result, new cacao farms are usually created by businessmen who cut down trees and create chemical-intensive( 大 量 使 用 化 学 物 品 的 ) plantations, which both pollute and reduce biodiversity.
As the planet grows warmer and drier, though, these high-productive, full-sun cacao varieties are becoming weaker in the heat. Many small cacao farms in West Africa’s cocoa belt, which supplies up to 70 percent of the world’s cocoa, now suffer from low productivity. But there is hope. When cost and land tenure issues are solved, farmers are more than willing to grow cacao trees in the shade.
Trees are the most important weapons in the fight against climate change. So enjoy your chocolate—provided that it’s a sustainable, shade-grown brand. In fact, buy, eat and give as much of it as you like. The world will thank you.
1. Which of the following can store the largest amount of carbon?| A．Local annual crops that grow near the water. |
| B．Cacao trees that grow in full sun. |
| C．Cacao trees that grow under the shade. |
| D．Newly planted cacao trees that have most leaves. |
| A．There are not enough cacao trees to take effect. |
| B．Pollution from chemical plants poisons cacao trees. |
| C．Only a part of the cacao trees can help the environment. |
| D．Local cacao farmers run chemical-intensive plantations. |
| A．Making improvement to cacao varieties by means of chemicals. |
| B．Encouraging farmers to grow cacao trees under rainforest trees through some supporting measures. |
| C．Providing shade for originally full-sun cacao trees in the warmer and drier region. |
| D．Inviting successful businessmen to manage cacao farms in West Africa’s cocoa belt. |
| A．West Africa’s Cocoa Belt Is in Danger |
| B．Sustainable Brands Help Save the World |
| C．How Chocolate Can Help Save the Planet |
| D．How We Can Enjoy Food Without Climate Guilt |
【推荐1】Although Friends came to an end in 2004, it’s still considered one of the best sitcoms to ever make its way onto our screens. This show thrust the likes of Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry, Jennifer Aniston, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer, and Courteney Cox into the limelight (聚光灯), and everyone had their favorites. Women wanted to have their hair cut just like Rachel, many people wanted to be as confident as Joey, and others wanted to be able to sing just like Phoebe! However, it seems as though Lisa Kudrow’s experience on the set of Friends wasn’t as perfect as it seemed.
Recently, Lisa Kudrow was asked to speak on Marc Maron’s podcast (播客), and she opened up about her experiences with her own body image. She noted that, while working on Friends, she would often compare herself to her co-stars. She would look at Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox, and she would then see her flaws compared to their perfections. She would see them as extremely thin and beautiful women, but then she looked at herself on her screen and saw someone who was much larger.
Because she often felt as though she was less of a woman because she felt larger than her co-stars, Lisa would lose weight on purpose to feel better about herself. The more she lost weight, the more she received compliments from those who knew her, and complete strangers. This heightened the idea that she needed to be thin to be beautiful.
Now, Lisa has put weight back on and feels more beautiful than ever.
1. Who were most probably Matthew Perry and Jennifer Aniston?| A．Stars from Friends. | B．Characters from Friends. |
| C．Fans of Friends. | D．Coauthors of Friends. |
| A．Because she didn’t work well with other stars. |
| B．Because she thought she was too fat. |
| C．Because she wasn’t her audience’s favorite. |
| D．Because she was poor at playing her role. |
| A．Don’t think much of your appearance. |
| B．Don’t express your true feelings to your fans. |
| C．Don’t focus much on the comments of co-stars. |
| D．Don’t make too much comparison with others. |
| A．Dislike. | B．Comment. | C．Praise. | D．Requirement. |
【推荐2】Zhang Yan first came across Chinese traditional flower arrangement in college from an optional course she took. Back then, she never imagined that a single course could be the starting point of her life - long career.
Her interest grew as she read several titles on flower arrangement and began to arrange flowers herself. Later on, she learned from Wang Lianying, an important figure in this field, and took part in many competitions at home and abroad, winning numerous awards under her belt.
Years of hard work and practice paid off. The seed of interest bloomed. Now, Zhang is a master and an inheritor (继承人) of Chinese traditional flower arrangement and she hopes to do her part to introduce the art form to the world.
Inheritance from history
This art has been handed down since 1046 BC. “Despite a history of more than 3, 000 years, the image of flower arrangement is still often limited to a bunch of flowers they see in flower shops,” Zhang said. To break it, Zhang began to study historical records on flower arrangement in China. “If people are familiar with the history of it, they would definitely take pride in its centuries-old history, reflect why it’s not as well-known as Japanese ikebana and seek ways to develop it.”
Today, more and more people are learning Chinese traditional flower arrangement, not just professional artists but also fans, even little kids. Zhang s own daughter has also grown an interest in flower arrangement. “Whether she makes it her career or not, I hope she can continue to hold an ability to appreciate the beauty around her,” Zhang added.
The future
Chinese traditional flower arrangement is not only a decoration, but can also serve as a form of care for modern busy bees. “Chinese traditional flower arrangement stresses simplicity,” Zhang said. The arranger must decide on what is truly necessary in his or her work and remove the rest. Sometimes learners are moved to tears because they began to reflect on what is truly necessary in their lives.
In Zhang’s view, there are more potential to Chinese traditional flower arrangement and the key lies in the exploration of traditional Chinese culture. “Only when it absorbs nutrition from traditional Chinese culture can it bloom and be world - known. Our mission is to develop and inherit traditional Chinese culture,” Zhang added.
1. Zhang become interested in Chinese traditional flower arrangement as she _________.| A．took a course in university and started to arrange flowers herself |
| B．won an award about flower arrangement unexpectedly in college |
| C．learned from Wang Lianying, an important figure at a young age |
| D．took part in competitions, winning numerous awards under her belt |
| A．To teach her daughter to learn the flower arrangement. |
| B．To reflect why Chinese flower arrangement is not well - known. |
| C．To change the impression of Chinese traditional flower arrangement. |
| D．To seek a way to develop ikebana - Japanese traditional flower arrangement. |
| A．worried | B．uncertain | C．puzzled | D．confident |
| A．Diligent and responsible. | B．Curious and cautious. |
| C．Creative and cooperative. | D．Professional and modest. |
【推荐3】When Susan Murabana was a college student volunteering with Cosmos Education, a non-profit aimed at improving science learning in developing countries, she looked through a telescope for the very first time. Suddenly, Saturn(土星) and its yellow-gold rings were more than just an illustration in a textbook; they were real and the experience was powerful.
While traveling with the organization to schools and villages in her home country of Kenya, and helping teach young children, she realized she wanted children in Kenya, especially girls, to be as exposed to astronomy as children in the developed countries were.
In 2014, Murabana and her husband Daniel Owen set up the social enterprise Travelling Telescope, an educational program designed for young children in under served and remote communities. With just a telescope and a mobile inflatable planetarium(天文馆), they aim to change lives by giving children a chance to see Saturn, the moon, and various stars, while teaching them basic science and astrophysics.
“There’s a satisfaction you get from going to a school, talking to the children, and seeing their reaction and their anticipation,” said Murabana. “A 12-year-old boy in eastern Kenya even told us, ‘I used to think scientists lie, but now I believe in science.’” Murabana believes astronomy, or even simply the act of looking up at the sky, establishes an awareness of the need to protect our planet and helps children look at our own planet much more objectively.
There is also a more personal motivation for Murabana’s work—fighting against the perception held by most Kenyans that astronomy is a Western science. Actually in 2018 the Kenya Space Agency launched its first satellite into orbit from the International Space Station, and a satellite station in Malindi, on the coast of southeastern Kenya, is used by the European Space Agency for satellite tracking.
So far, over 400,000 people have looked through the Travelling Telescope and the pair want to expand their impact by reaching more schools.
1. When Murabana first observed Saturn through a telescope, she felt______.| A．puzzled |
| B．frightened |
| C．amazed |
| D．relaxed |
| A．To illustrate the impact of Murabana’s project. |
| B．To highlight the significance of trusting science. |
| C．To showcase his lack of astronomical knowledge. |
| D．To demonstrate children’s curiosity about science. |
| A．Most Kenyans have a great passion for astronomy. |
| B．Murabana’s work got inspired by Western science. |
| C．Kenya has taken the lead in satellite launching and tracking. |
| D．Most Kenyans are unaware of their country’s involvement in space research. |
| A．Bridging Cultures by Volunteering |
| B．Advertising Travelling Telescope Worldwide |
| C．Breaking Down Barriers in Science Education |
| D．Empowering Kenyan Youth Through Astronomy |
