Beethoven, one of the world’s most-loved composers, is famous for his nine symphonies (交响乐). Before he died, he began a new symphony, but never finished it. Computer scientists and musicians have now used artificial intelligence to finish his 10th Symphony.
Beethoven wrote many famous pieces of music, but he’s probably best known for his nine symphonies. A symphony is a long, grand piece of classical music, usually divided into four parts. The four parts are often linked by “themes” — repeated musical ideas that tie the whole piece together. When Beethoven died in 1827, he had some ideas for a 10th Symphony. But all that he left behind were some notes about the piece and a few “sketches” — short bits of written music.
In 2019, a special team of musicians, computer scientists, and historians was formed. To train an AI to help with the symphony, the team turned every piece of music that Beethoven ever wrote into a form the computer could understand. By feeding the program all of Beethoven’s music, the AI could look for patterns in the way Beethoven wrote. This included, for example, how he re used simple melodies (旋律) all through a piece to create a theme, or how he moved between different parts of the symphony. Thus, it would be much easier for the special team to finish Beethoven’s 10th Symphony.
One early test told the team they were on the right track. They took a few minutes of music created by the AI based on Beethoven’s sketches, and played it for Beethoven experts, musicians, and reporters. No one could tell which parts had been written by Beethoven and which parts the AI made up. Finally, the AI had the challenge of trying to connect the little musical bits into a symphony. It took over two years, but the team was able to complete Beethoven’s 10th Symphony. Not simply a melody, but 40 minutes of music for a full orchestra — a large group of musicians playing everything from string instruments, like violins, trumpets, flutes, drums, and piano.
1. What does the writer intend to do in paragraph 1?| A．To explain what artificial intelligence is. |
| B．To give readers a general idea of the text. |
| C．To tell readers how Beethoven is loved by people. |
| D．To show the reason for Beethoven’s new symphony. |
| A．To learn to play Beethoven’s nine symphonies. |
| B．To feed all Beethoven’s symphonies into computer. |
| C．To try to complete Beethoven’s 10th Symphony. |
| D．To create a new piece of music based on the 10th Symphony. |
| A．The special team’s great efforts paid off. |
| B．It was challenging for AI to complete the task. |
| C．Beethoven’s sketches were too hard to figure out. |
| D．AI created simply a melody of Beethoven’s 10th Symphony. |
| A．A brochure. | B．A textbook. |
| C．A music review. | D．A news website. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Like many of the arts, music flourished during the Zhou dynasty. From this period we have instruments, models of performers, descriptions of musicians and dancers, and the Shijing, or The Book of Poetry, which contains poems and songs of court and common people during the Zhou dynasty. It is likely that music played an extremely important role in the Zhou dynasty for all social classes.
One of the most important sources of information the researchers have regarding Zhou-dynasty music is from the tomb of the Marquis Yi of Zeng (433 B. C. E.). This tomb was uncovered in 1977 in Hubei Province and contained the most extensive and well-preserved set of musical instruments ever found in an ancient Chinese tomb. This four-chamber (室) tomb was designed in imitation of a palace with a central courtyard, reflecting the belief that the Marquis Yi would require the same comforts in the afterlife that he had enjoyed during his lifetime. The central chamber of the tomb, which reflected a palace courtyard, contained most of the musical instruments found, including a complete set of sixty-five graduated bells fixed on wooden shelves. In addition, twenty-one young women were buried with the Marquis Yi, some of whom were likely his favorite musicians and dancers.
The Marquis Yi’s set of sixty-five bells is remarkable for a variety of reasons. First, they are clearly dated—an inscription (碑文) indicates that the bells were a gift given to him in 433B. C. E. . Second, the bells were very expensive to produce and to purchase, particularly a set of this size, so they are further evidence of the Marquis Yi’s status. Finally, the bells, along with the other instruments in the room, illustrate what an instrumental band might have consisted of during this period. Scholars predict that it would have required twenty-four musicians to play all instruments at once.
There are still many gaps in our knowledge of ancient Chinese music, partly because there was no system for recording music in a written form.
1. The Book of Poetry is mentioned in Paragraph 1 to ________.| A．show the significance of the book |
| B．show the popularity of music in the Zhou dynasty |
| C．describe the meaning and the history of the book |
| D．represent the life of people in the Zhou dynasty |
| A．It contains all kinds of musical instruments. |
| B．It is designed by the Marquis Yi of Zeng. |
| C．It reflects the wish of the Marquis Yi for his life after death. |
| D．It is of the same size as that of the palace. |
| A．Because it might prove the Marquis Yi’s position. |
| B．Because it was difficult to buy at that time. |
| C．Because it once was an expensive gift. |
| D．Because it needs 24 performers to play at the same time. |
| A．Health. | B．Business. | C．Sports. | D．Art. |
【推荐2】For the most part, you are probably only exposed to the music that is played on your favorite radio stations and TV shows, music Web sites, or the music that your friends and family members enjoy. While you probably know a lot about your favorite type of music, it can be a rewarding experience to enlarge your horizons (眼界), discovering artists and types of music that you’re not familiar with. Who knows, you might discover you like certain types of music you never even considered.
Have you ever wondered about the history and influences of your favorite types of music? For example, did you know that rock ’n’ roll originated (起源) from the blues, and that the blues began as a form of musical expression for African Americans during slavery (奴隶制度)? Did you know that most hip-hop is heavily influenced by early rhythm blues and jazz?
There are many fun ways to learn about different musical styles and their historical roots. For example, if you like hip-hop, listen to some of your favorite CDs and take note of the samples the performers used to create the songs. There is a possibility that the artist used parts of older songs to create the music. You can go to the library or online to learn more about the artists and listen to more of their music by checking out CDs from the library or downloading songs online for a small fee.
You can learn so much about culture and history just by paying attention to different types of music and what is being expressed in the songs. There are so many different styles of music to learn about, and you owe it to yourself to make an effort to listen to and learn about them.
1. The main topic of this passage is _______.| A．creating music |
| B．performing music |
| C．enjoying your favorite music |
| D．learning about music |
| A．Rock ’n’ roll. | B．The blues. |
| C．Hip-hop. | D．Jazz. |
| A．By writing down the names of the music. |
| B．By creating music from older songs yourself. |
| C．By caring about what is being expressed in music. |
| D．By keeping a record of fees after downloading songs online. |
| A．you should try harder to learn about music |
| B．you should return something to music |
| C．you should borrow music CDs from others |
| D．you should buy music CDs yourself |
【推荐3】Many of us listen to music while we work, thinking that it will help us to concentrate on the task at hand. And in fact, recent research has found that music can have beneficial effects on creativity. When it comes to other areas of performance, however, the impact of background music is more complicated.
The idea that listening to music when working is beneficial to output probably has its roots in the so-called “Mozart effect”. Put simply, this is the finding that spatial rotation performance(空间旋转能力) is increased immediately after listening to the music of Mozart, compared to no sound at all.
How sound affects performance has been the topic of research for over 40 years, and is observed through a phenomenon called the irrelevant sound effect. To study irrelevant sound effect, participants in the research are asked to complete a simple task which requires them to recall a series of numbers or letters in the exact order in which they saw them. The tricky thing is being able to do this while ignoring any background noise.
Two key characteristics of the irrelevant sound effect are required for its observation. First, the task must require the person to use their rehearsal abilities(复述能力), and second, the sound must contain acoustical variation(声学变化). Where the sound does not vary much acoustically, the performance of the task is much closer to that observed in quiet conditions.
The irrelevant sound effect itself comes from attempting to process two sources of ordered information at the same time—one from the task and one from the sound. Unfortunately, only the former is required to successfully perform the recall task, and the effort in ensuring that irrelevant order information from the sound is not processed actually hinders(阻碍) this ability.
A similar conflict is also seen when reading while in the presence of lyrical music. In this situation, the two sources of words—from the task and the sound—are in conflict. The cost is poorer performance of the task in the presence of music with lyrics.
What this all means is that whether having music playing in the background helps or hinders performance depends on the task and on the type of music, and only understanding this relationship will help people maximize their productivity levels.
1. “Mozart effect” is mentioned to ________.| A．explain how music can relax people |
| B．show music can improve performance |
| C．advise people to listen to Mozart music |
| D．stress Mozart music gains wide attention |
| A．have improved their rehearsal ability |
| B．perform better in the quiet conditions |
| C．ignore the background noise successfully |
| D．prefer the music with great sound variation |
| A．support an idea | B．make a contrast |
| C．introduce a topic | D．describe a fact |
| A．Music shapes your life |
| B．Music develops your creativity |
| C．Choose quiet music for your work |
| D．Does music make you concentrate? |
【推荐1】When Bella Lin was 12 years old, she noticed that her guinea pigs (豚鼠) seemed unhappy in their small cage with “prison-like” bars. Determining to find an alternative to traditional cages for her pets, the now 17-year-old from Mountain View, US, began her designs.
Lin experimented with many different designs and used around $2,000 (14,400 yuan) from her savings to start her side business GuineaLoft, on Amazon in November 2022. It sold nearly 11,000 cages and brought in more than $410,000 in 2023, according to CNBC Make It.
Traditional guinea pig cages typically consist of bars, roofs, and either tarp (防水布) or plastic bottoms, making them hard to clean and often smell bad.
At the beginning, Lin’s glass, open-floor cages offered more visibility and mobility (活动性), with a two-layered bottom. This design allows for the easy removal of soiled bedding by pushing it into a removable plastic tray (托盘). However, due to high shipping costs, the glass material was impractical, and the open floor caused problems for her smaller guinea pigs, as their feet would get stuck.
However, Lin and her six-person team didn’t lose confidence. They dedicated late nights to researching and testing products. Her team handled the sourcing, manufacturing, packaging and photographing of the products.
In the end, they chose acrylic (丙烯酸纤维), instead of glass, and used replaceable bottoms using biodegradable (可生物降解的) paper. The bottoms are easy to throw out, which is good for business: Once customers run out of the bottoms, they have to visit Lin's Amazon store again to buy the new bottoms.
“Witnessing the effects of my products through customer reviews and emails is inspiring,” Lin said. “As someone who once placed great emphasis on academic performance, the success of my side business has boosted my confidence in navigating life beyond high school.”
1. What inspired Bella Lin to create a new type of guinea pig cage?| A．Her observations of her pets ’discomfort. |
| B．Her ambition to initiate a side business. |
| C．Her interest in product design studies. |
| D．Her desire to invest her savings wisely. |
| A．Limited entertainment features for pets. | B．High prices and lack of durability. |
| C．Difficulty with cleaning and bad smells. | D．Lack of visual appeal to owners. |
| A．the ease of cleaning the cages | B．the affordability of production |
| C．the practicality of shipping | D．the safety of the guinea pigs |
| A．Strengthened her business drive. | B．Built up her confidence in her future. |
| C．Enhanced her academic performance. | D．Raised her focus on customer feedback. |
【推荐2】When Gitanjali Rao shared how she likes “finding solutions to real problems”, it was hard to imagine this dynamic 11-year-old girl could settle a problem that has escaped scientists for years.
In just three months, Rao came up with a device that can replace the costly and lengthy tests nowadays used to reliably determine lead (铅) levels in our fresh water. Inspired by a case of water pollution from 2014 to 2015, Rao designed a new testing system that resulted in her being named America’s Top Young Scientist for 2017.
Rao had been following the water problem for about two years. She was amazed by the number of people affected by lead pollution in water and wanted to do something to change this. Rao spent months trying to convince local high schools and colleges to give her lab time to continue her experiment. At home, Rao worked on her project in the “science room” she asked her parents to create for her. Rao has created a device that uses three parts: a cartridge, a Bluetooth reader and an app. To put it simply, the cartridge contain carbon nanotubes (纳米管) that react to lead. This reaction is then registered by the Bluetooth reader, which sends a signal to a mobile app that can tell you immediately if your water is safe to drink.
Rao appropriately named the device Tethys after the Greek goddess of fresh water, and is hoping to make a little improvement to get the device on the market. While we may not be aware of any lead pollution present in our aging pipelines, lead poisoning can cause delays in physical and mental development. With Rao believing that the “purpose of science is to make a difference’’, her incredible invention could make a difference to millions of people in the United States.
1. What do we know about Rao’s device?| A．It’s cheap and quick. | B．It’s cheap and inaccurate. |
| C．It’s expensive and reliable. | D．It’s portable and time-consuming. |
| A．Sending immediate signals. | B．Recording the reaction results. |
| C．Detecting the presence of lead. | D．Showing the water quality results. |
| A．It will lead Rao to make a fortune. |
| B．It will help millions of Americans drink safe water. |
| C．It will promote the development of science in America. |
| D．It will soon settle the lead-polluted problem thoroughly. |
【推荐3】Three minutes of looking at red light once a week may help our eyesight, new research suggests. The findings show that red light might be a cheap and easy treatment for declines (衰退) in color vision (视力) as we get older.
Last year, researchers from University College London did a study on red light therapy (疗法). 24 healthy volunteers, aged between 28 and 72, were asked to look at red light for three minutes every day for two weeks. Tests later found that the eyesight of people over the age of 40 improved.
To test the possible weak points of their therapy, they did a new study this year. Instead of using the light every day, they used it once a week. The new study included 20 volunteers, aged between 34 and 70, all with healthy vision. Some received red light therapy in the morning, and others received it in the afternoon. They were then tested on their color vision up to a week later.
On the whole, those who got the treatment in the morning showed a 17% improvement in their color vision, even a week later. Those who got the treatment in the afternoon did not have any improvement.
“We’ve found that one single treatment in the morning can greatly improve declining vision.” said lead author Glen Jeffrey.
The findings do support their earlier work, and they might make the treatment more practicable, since a once-weekly treatment is easier to stick to than a daily one. But the team’s promising results are still drawn on small numbers of healthy volunteers Larger studies would be needed to show the help of red light therapy.
“In the near future, a once-a-week three-minute treatment could be done while making a coffee or listening to a song, and such a simple thing could change eye care and vision around the world,” Jeffrey said.
Given its low cost (as little as $15) per machine, and simplicity, the team is excited about the future of their therapy.
1. What plays a key role in red light treatment?| A．The time of day for treatment | B．The machine used in the treatment. |
| C．The time that one treatment lasts. | D．The number of treatments received. |
| A．The age of the volunteers. | B．The number of the volunteers. |
| C．The sex of the volunteers. | D．The poor vision of the volunteers. |
| A．Unclear. | B．Doubtful. | C．Serious. | D．Hopeful. |
| A．To state the importance of eye care. |
| B．To explain the value of deep red light. |
| C．To introduce a way to fight vision decline. |
| D．To encourage people to protect their eyesight. |
【推荐1】A battery made of paper stands out among the 200 best inventions of the year in TIME Magazine. “It sounds impossible: Just add water to a piece of paper and get energy,” said TIME Magazine, who chose the Swiss-made battery as one of the winners in this year’s “Experimental” inventions.
The battery was created by researchers at the Swiss Federal Laboratory for Materials Testing and Research. “Over the last decades, we have witnessed an increasing use of electronic devices, leading in turn to electronic waste (e-waste) becoming the world’s fastest growing waste stream.” wrote the researchers in their published paper. They developed the paper battery aiming to reduce the environmental impact of single-use electronics by turning to more environmentally friendly materials.
The battery was described to be made from paper with salt inside and based on printed inks: two kinds of inks containing different minerals acted as the positive end and the negative end. Analysis of the performance of a one-cell paper battery showed that after two drops of water were added, the battery started working within 20 seconds and reached a stable voltage (电压) of 1.2V. After one hour, the one-cell battery’s performance dropped significantly as the paper dried out. But after the researchers added two extra drops of water, its performance increased with a stable voltage of 0.5V for another hour.
Within two to five years, the technology could be used in low-power electronics such as medical devices and smart packaging. “I see a new role for paper... that could also be an answer to the growing concern over e-waste,” said EMPA’s Gustav Nyström, the inventor. He told TIME Magazine they wanted to improve the efficiency of the battery in the future and get it working for longer.
Each year TIME Magazine lists a selection of best inventions that “change how we live”, based on their originality, creativity, efficiency, impact and other criteria.
1. What did the researchers aim to do by developing a paper battery?| A．Create more environmentally friendly materials. |
| B．Win the best experimental invention of this year. |
| C．Reduce the impact of electronics on the environment. |
| D．Make the development of electronic devices grow faster. |
| A．By rewetting the paper. | B．By dropping more ink. |
| C．By shortening its working hours. | D．By adding another paper battery. |
| A．Its creativity. | B．Its packaging. | C．Its technology. | D．Its efficiency. |
| A．Scientists invent a paper battery-just add water. |
| B．Paper battery is named among world’s best inventions. |
| C．TIME Magazine lists a selection of inventions each year. |
| D．A new role for paper may help reduce the electronic waste. |
【推荐2】Cheng Gang is a home renovation (整修) worker in Zhongzhai Town, southwest China’s Guizhou Province. Living in a three-story building with his family, he has a steady income. It is hard to imagine that he used to worry about where his next meal will come from a few years ago.
At that time, he lived in Daping Village and grew corn for a low income. The village sits in the steep mountains at an elevation of 1,800 meters, where wild monkeys are commonly seen. To the villagers, the naughty monkeys are both their old neighbors and a big trouble. Chen’s cornfields were damaged by them from time to time.
To protect the ecological environment while solving the problem of poverty, the government carried out a relocation policy by moving residents to Zhongzhai in early 2017. The policy has bought changes to Chen and other villagers. The goal of the policy was not just to relocate villagers but make their lives better and solve practical problems after the move.
The mountain roads were steep in Daping. Children had to walk five kilometers for over one hour to school. And during rainy days, falls were frequent occurrences. Now the children from the relocated households can go to a school that’s only about 100 meters away, with more qualified teachers and better facilities.
The happiest thing for Chen and his fellow villagers is that they have finally shaken off poverty after years of hoping. The town government provides free training courses on various working skills. Having learned how to renovate a house, Chen’s monthly income is about 3,000 yuan. His wife also found a job in a nearby tea mountain.
Meanwhile, their relocation has given wild monkeys a better environment in the nature reserve. There are about 2,000 wild monkeys in the world, of which around 730 inhabit the Mayang River National Reserve. As being neighbors with monkeys has become a thing of the past, people from Daping Village are embracing the new life they have hoped for.
1. What do you know about Chen Gang according to the text?| A．Wild monkeys are his special friends. |
| B．He has lived in a three-story building since seven years ago. |
| C．He is paid a regular paycheck as a house renovation worker. |
| D．He lives in a house at an elevation of 1,800 meters in southwest China. |
| A．A steady income. | B．A three-story building |
| C．Moving out of the village. | D．Getting rid of the wild monkeys. |
| A．It is a policy the villagers have hoped for. |
| B．The policy has benefited the children a lot. |
| C．All the villagers moved into three-story building. |
| D．Most villagers were given a job in a tea mountain. |
| A．Protect Your Friends: Wild Monkeys. |
| B．A Relocation Policy to Help Shake Off Poverty. |
| C．Be a Renovation Worker for a Steady Income. |
| D．Relocate to Given the Children a Better Education. |
【推荐3】A man called Jamaal Allan has revealed how his name has led to him being racially stereotyped (归类)throughout his life.
Jamaal, a high school teacher who grew up in southern Oregon of the USA, revealed that most people he meets are always surprised when they discover he's white. He said that one of the most common responses to his name is “I never would've guessed your name was Jamaal”. In a blog post he aired his thoughts on this, writing: "Really, are you frequently good at guessing people's names?” Another reaction to his name, he said, is '"you don't look like a Jamaal", to which he asked in response, "And how exactly does one look like a name?”
He wrote in the blog that some people, after meeting him, say “I thought you'd be…"and then pause with “a sudden realization they are on the verge of sounding racist", before finding a word such as “tailed or "older” to end the sentence with.
And his name once appeared to get him selected for a random security check on a trip to London in 2002, as the others picked out by officials were called Muhammad, Abdul and Tariq. He also explained that waitresses and waiters usually hand his credit card back to a black person at his table when he's dining out.
His name, which means “beauty" in Arabic, landed him his teaching job in Iowa, though. Jamaal said, “The principal who had hired me admitted that I was lucky to have gotten the job. They had not been planning to take another student-teacher when my application showed up. But, as they scanned through it and saw a Jamaal who plays basketball and counts Muhammad Ali among his heroes, they thought they 'could use a little diversity,'" said Jamaal.
Jamaal's dad was a fan of the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team and he was just named after one of their players, Jamaal Wilkes.
1. What do most people think of Jamaal's name?| A．It sounds unattractive. | B．It is difficult to pronounce. |
| C．It is an untypical boy name. | D．It is unusual for a white man. |
| A．They were black people. | B．They used fake names. |
| C．They took others9 credit cards. | D．They were racially stereotyped. |
| A．The meaning of Jamaal's name. | B．The start of Jamaal's career in Iowa. |
| C．The positive effect of Jamaal's name. | D．The happy ending of Jamaal's story. |
| A．He liked Jamaal's special experiences. | B．He mistook Jamaal as a colored person. |
| C．He considered Jamaal a good sportsman. | D．He appreciated Jamaal's basketball heroes. |
