Choosing a musical instrument
Many people would like to learn how to play a musical instrument, but they are put off by one big problem: what to play?
What kind of music do you like?
Many instruments are multi-purpose, but some are more suited to certain types of music. Although there is some classical performance for the saxophone, for example, people associate it more with jazz, and it is not a permanent feature of many orchestras.
Do you want to play with other people?
Think about your long-term future as a musician. If you want to play with other people, what sort of instrument would be most practical? If you want to play rock music, there will always be a demand for bass players or drummers, and if you fancy being part of an orchestra, the bassoon is a great bet to make sure you are always needed.
Where are you going to practise?
Many people live in flats and practising the drums, for example, will drive your neighbors crazy. Electric versions of instruments like the piano, drums, guitar and even violin give you the option of playing into the night using headphones, while your housemates sleep in peace.
How much money can you spend?
If you’re small and don’t like lifting heavy objects, you won’t want to carry around a double bass. Apart from that, use your common sense, and don’t let your physical shortcomings put you off. Who says small skinny people can’t play the tuba? It’s true that some wind instruments require a lot of lung power but with the right coaching, everyone can develop the right technique.
If you are still not sure, find an experienced music teacher,who can give you some advice and push you in the right direction. If you find an instrument you love and that suits your needs, you’ll find the time spent choosing was well worth it. Good luck with making your choice!
A.This is quite a big factor |
B.Are there any physical limitations |
C.Here are some tips for you to follow |
D.Does it matter if you are not strong enough |
E.Here are a few questions to help you decide |
F.Some instruments may lend themselves better than others to the music you like |
G.Alternatively, you may need to consider going to a school or a community centre to practise |
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【推荐1】Getting into Employment in High School
Many high school students are understandably more focused on getting into college than on finding a job after college.
Do some homework on jobs and careers.
There are many types of jobs and careers that most people have never heard of or know little about. How do you discover them?
Although your college major does not always determine what you’ll end up doing for a career, understanding how various majors can connect to careers is part of career planning. As you explore the majors and programs offered at various colleges, take a moment to read through the relevant department’s information on careers for students in that major.
Keep career planning in mind when visiting colleges.
Every college campus has a Career Center, staffed by professionals who are trained to assist college students with career-related concerns.
A.Begin with your current interests, talents, hobbies, and personal strengths and weaknesses. |
B.Start by talking to the adults you know about their jobs. |
C.They help students choose majors and careers, find internship and job opportunities, and gain important job-hunting skills. |
D.Connect the dots between college majors and careers. |
E.Enrichment activities, such as summer programs on college campuses, can also help you learn about various jobs and careers. |
F.Yet, having at least a few ideas in mind for careers that might interest you is an important part of college planning. |
【推荐2】You know how wonderful you are, and you know that others know how wonderful you are, but what do you do when admiration crosses over the line into jealousy? For most teens there will come a day when you realize that one of your friends is jealous and that this jealousy is hurting your friendship. When this happens it can seem like there is nothing that you can do, but the good news is that there is. Don’t let jealousy spoil your relationships. Tackle it head on and you might be back to normal much sooner than you think.
It can be hard to walk up to a friend and ask them what the problem is, but if you want to save your friendship you’ll have to do just that. Don’t approach them and ask why they are jealous of you (unless of course you want to appear totally conceited), just take some time alone with them and let them know that you’ve been feeling like there’s been something coming between you. If they refuse to respond, then use the opportunity to explain how you have been feeling. Chances are that something you say will strike a nerve and your friend will open up as well.
When you figure out what is annoying your friend, ask him or her what (s)he thinks would make the situation better. If, for example, (s)he says that (s)he feels like (s)he doesn’t get to spend any time with you because of your being off with your new friends from the swim team then maybe you could invite her along the next time or block off one day a week for just the two of you. Remember, though, that whatever solution you decide on should be a compromise. Don’t limit your own talents or opportunities simply because your friend is unhappy. Try instead to include him or her in your new life and see how that works out.
Even the best of friendships can be tinged by jealousy. This destructive emotion is rarely productive and can turn best friends into worst enemies. Before taking extreme action, chat with your jealous friend to see if the two of you can work out a compromise. If you can’t, be prepared to know exactly how far you will go to keep your friend and how far you won’t.
1. According to the author, the jealousy emotion is _________.A.normal | B.productive | C.destructive | D.extreme |
A.Walking up to him / her and asking him / her why he / she is jealous of you. |
B.Walking up to him / her and asking him / her what the problem is. |
C.Spending some time with him / her and letting him / her know how you feel. |
D.Spending some time with him / her and letting him / her know you think there’s something between you. |
A.friendship | B.relationship | C.admiration | D.jealousy |
【推荐3】Try to Save Time and Money with Easy Meal Planning
Cooking your own meals at home can save you a lot of time and money if you do it right. But it can also be much more difficult than eating out if you don’t know what you’re doing. All you have to do is follow these easy meal planning steps and you’ll be doing great.
Create a menu plan. This can be the most difficult part in meal planning. Take a breath and start very small.
Check your fridge for things you already have and cross them off your meal planning list. This saves time and money.
Grab your list and hit the stores!Enjoy this part,because this is the payoff for all your hard planning. Try to stick to your list as best as you can.
A.Add in some simple breakfast,lunch and snack items and you’ve done! |
B.Never trust any supermarket ads. |
C.Make a quick and simple list of what you want to eat for every day next week. |
D.But sometimes you will find even better things at the store and come up with new ideas on the spot. |
E.Check out the supermarket ads. |
F.So you can buy more things and store them up. |
G.And you won’t have to kick yourself later for buying things you don’t need. |
【推荐1】Best Sleep Music Apps
If you want to sleep better at night, trying a sleep music app might be the answer. Here are some ideal sleep music apps to choose from.
Calm
Calm is one of the most popular sleep music apps and its large library of relaxing and sleep-causing tracks is largely responsible for that. This app offers a free version, but to really take advantage of what Calm has to offer, you had better choose the paid version, which costs $ 69.99 for one year. A lifetime membership is $ 399.99.
Relax Melodies
Relax Melodies is intended to calm your mind with relaxing sound. The composer is visual and easy to use, and the Discover page gives you access to other app features, like bedtime stories and breathing exercises. Though its free version provides a great introduction to the idea of sleep music, the paid version unlocks a larger library of sounds. Consider paying for it if there're particular sounds or features that really attract you.
Headspace
Headspace is a feature-rich app designed in a simple way that makes it quick and easy to use its library of sleep-specific music. The Sleep icon at the bottom of the app is easy to identify and leads to a library of options that include Sleep Music and Sleep Radio. It's worth noting that nearly everything in Headspace's Sleep Library requires an extra subscription. Headspace costs $ 69.99 annually, or you can pay $12.99 per month.
Pzizz
Pzizz offers sleep music tracks you can use at naptime, bedtime, or to improve focus. One thing that makes Pzizz different is its voice narration(旁白)option. If you find the presence of a calming voice to be comforting or benefit from someone helping you to relax your body and mind, then Pzizz is a good choice for you. Male and female voice options are available and the voice is low and calm. It has a free version but you should pay for extra subscriptions.
1. Which app allows you to combine sleep music with breathing exercises?A.Calm. | B.Headspace. | C.Pzizz. | D.Relax Melodies. |
A.$12.99. | B.$69.99. | C.$155.88. | D.$399.99. |
A.Its voice for narration is fixed. | B.It provides low and calm music. |
C.It offers voice narration options. | D.Its focus is sleep-specific music. |
【推荐2】Belgium is the land of music festivals. There are rock, pop, world, electronic music festivals and more, so you’re sure to find a festival that suits your taste.
Groezrock
Groezrock could be considered the opener of the festival season in Belgium. This festival grew from a small event to an international festival that had 33,000 visitors in 2016. If you’re into the harder stuff(东西), this is where you need to go.
When? April 29-30, 2017. Where? Meerhout. Music? Punk, emo, ska and rock in all its variations. Free? No.
Sfinks Mixed
Sfinks is a world music festival that focuses on bringing culture together. There are also plenty of things to do besides watching the performances. Good to know for families: Sfinks is a kid-friendly festival, with workshops, storytelling and performances aimed at children.
When? July 27-30, 2017. Where? Boechout. Music? World. Free? The festival is free; the camping is not.
Graspop Metal Meeting
If Groezrock doesn’t seem rough enough to you, Graspop Metal Meeting might. As the name says, this festival is all about metal, rock and punk. In 2016 the festival received 140,000 visitors who came to watch the more than 100 bands performing.
When? June 16-18, 2017. Where? Dessel. Music? Metal. Free? No.
Genk on Stage
Geek on Stage is a pop musical with not only a lot of Belgian artists, but also some international names. 80,000 people attended Genk on Stage in 2016.
When? June 23-25, 2017. Where? Genk. Music? Pop. Free? Yes.
1. Which may kick off the festival season in Belgium?A.Groezrock. | B.Sfinks Mixed. |
C.Graspop Metal Meeting. | D.Genk on Stage. |
A.It enjoys worldwide popularity. | B.It’s mainly targeted at kids. |
C.It combines fun with culture. | D.It features certain types of music. |
A.Meerhout. | B.Boechout. | C.Genk. | D.Dessel. |
A.80,000 | B.7000 | C.6000 | D.30000 |
【推荐3】Music is an international language, spanning cultures across the world, and, in fact, across time. Looking at today’s musical landscape, certain cities truly stand out for their music scenes. Here we’re naming some of our favorite cities for music.
NashvilleWith the nickname “Music City”, Nashville makes our list of best music cities. You’re bound to hear live music anywhere, whether at your hotel bar, or at the historic Ryman Auditorium. Nashville is not only home to the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Johnny Cash Museum, but it’s still active in the recording studio scene.
ViennaIf you’re after classical music on your next vacation, be sure to head to Vienna. Once the capital of the Habsburg Empire, the city was the center of all societal affairs which included music. The greatest classical composers—from Mozart to Haydn to Beethoven to Mahler—all lived and worked in Vienna at one point or another.
New YorkNew York has been described as a “melting pot (熔炉)” of cultures, and that applies to its music, too. The 20th century was particularly fruitful for New York’s music scene. During this time, it became the birthplace of hip-hop, disco, and salsa music, among other styles. The list truly goes on and on.
New OrleansThe city is filled with jazz, where you can listen to the great music every night. Of course, you can catch jazz at venues across town—the genre was born here, after all. If you’re a huge jazz fan, you might want to consider visiting during the annual New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.
1. Which city is more attractive to visitors who want to know the classical musicians?A.Nashville. | B.Vienna. | C.New York. | D.New Orleans. |
A.It is a meeting pointing for various styles of music. |
B.It is recognized as the birthplace and hot area of Jazz. |
C.It holds musical festivals for hip-pop and disco fans each year. |
D.It enables people to enjoy the live shows inside and outside hotel bars. |
A.A poster. | B.A news report. | C.An encyclopedia. | D.A magazine. |