Music streaming platforms (平台) such as Spotify and Apple Music have completely changed how people listen to music nowadays. By paying very affordable prices, people can access music very easily. However, while these platforms may provide benefits for some artists, up-and-coming artists are being left behind because they only focus on big names and creating profits.
Because of COVID-19, musicians have not been able to tour or perform live in many countries, which contributes to a large part of their income. In a YouTube interview, up-and-coming Texas artist Mobey mentioned that “The majority of my income comes from playing live shows. Usually that means around 50% — 70% of what we expect to make in a year”. With these factors, small artists are finding it increasingly difficult to make it in the industry due to the lack of investment (投资) into new talent.
Small artists on Spotify and Apple Music can expect to make little to nothing. An artist on Spotify can expect to earn an average of $0.003 per stream or around $3 per 1,000 streams for one of their songs. On Apple Music, artists can expect to make a little more with an average of $0.01 per stream, or around $10 with 1,000 streams. Even if they could hit around 1,000 streams, they have to pay music distribution (分发) platforms needed for their music to be shown on the streaming platforms such as DistroKid, whose cheapest plan is $20.
A new artist would find it very difficult to promote their music outside of their social media accounts which may not even have a large amount of followers. They probably cannot get large amounts of streams on their music since it is not being promoted due to the lack of exposure (宣传) they have on social media.
With the takeover of music streaming platforms, many artists are finding it increasingly difficult to make a sustainable (可持续的) living from their love for music. A simple way these platforms can enable new artists to keep making music is to increase their payouts per stream for their music. Hopefully the music streaming industry will make similar changes to improve the situation of their artists.
1. What is the problem with music streaming platforms?| A．They ignore small artists. | B．They are not user-friendly. |
| C．They are very difficult to manage. | D．They limit the number of small artists’ songs. |
| A．His lack of investment. | B．His total income in a year. |
| C．The main source of his income. | D．The reason for his fewer live shows. |
| A．How a music streaming platform works. |
| B．Small artists’ hope for music streaming platforms. |
| C．Small artists’ dislike for music streaming platforms. |
| D．Why small artists earn little on music streaming platforms. |
| A．Music streaming platforms: Do they really put profits first? |
| B．Music streaming platforms: Are they a chance or challenge to artists? |
| C．Music streaming platforms: Have they harmed the industry for artists? |
| D．Music streaming platforms: Could they offer music lovers better services? |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Developing healthy eating habits starts from childhood, therefore it is important for parents to teach and provide children with a healthy diet. DPHSS administrator of the Bureau of Nutrition Services, Charlie Morris told KUAM News, “A healthy diet for a child consists of a lot of fruits and vegetables in the diet limiting the amount of simple sugars in the diet and high fat food and highly processed (加工的) food.”
This means staying away as much as possible from food such as chips, cookies, candies and sugary drinks, as all children need to have meals which involve a wellbalanced diet. Community nutritionist (营养学家) Thelma Romoso said, “The fruit, the vegetable, the grain, the protein, and also the milk, the diary product, so for the fruits it’s easy for a mother to go into the two plus three concept of fruits and vegetables or five a day.”
This concept means that there are at least two servings of fruits a day, three servings of vegetables a day which can be served for lunch and dinner. As for protein parents can make a variety of dishes from chicken, beef, fish or even dried beans to make sure the child gets three servings a day.
Morris said that the child’s hunger level controls how much is eaten and the parent controls what and when the meal is offered, saying, “Mom needs to ensure that the food offered is good food for the child to eat and throughout the day depending on how active they are, snacks are not a bad thing, so the mom should offer good kinds of snacks.”
When it comes to preparing your child’s lunch and snacks for school, make sure to keep in mind that the food you provide should not only be a source of energy but also be nutritionally beneficial such as fresh fruits, and whole grain bread. But parents must be sure to remember that a good nutritional diet must be balanced with physical activity, namely it is important that children get outside and run around and play and get activity in addition to eating a good diet.
1. According to Charlie Morris we can know that _________ .| A．mothers should prepare delicious food by themselves |
| B．highly processed food should be reduced in daily life |
| C．sugars and high fat exist in few kinds of food |
| D．active children prefer more and more snacks |
| A．The food must provide energy as well as nutrition. |
| B．Physical exercise is as important as a good diet |
| C．Running and playing when eating is beneficial. |
| D．Fruits and whole grain foods should be included. |
| A．fresh fruits are often ignored by children |
| B．a good nutritional diet may cost too much |
| C．choosing healthy food is linked with income |
| D．parents play an important role in children's diet |
| A．Choose healthy food and snacks for your child. |
| B．Fruits and vegetables are good for your child. |
| C．Take steps to provide a good lunch for your child. |
| D．Make various and delicious dishes for your child. |
【推荐2】A few years ago, I started to notice big shifts in teens’ behavior. Around 2010, teens started to spend their time much differently from the generations before. These teens and young adults all have one thing in common: Their childhood or adolescence coincided with the rise of the smart phone. For this reason, I call them iGeneration.
What makes iGen different? Growing up with a smartphone has affected nearly every aspect of their lives. They spend so much time on the Internet, texting friends and on social media that they have less leisure time for everything else. Whether it’s going to parties, shopping at the mall, or watching movies, iGen teens are participating in these social activities at a significantly low rate.
Some parents might worry about their teens spending so much time on their phones because it differs from the way they spent their own adolescence. But it is not just different——in many ways, it’s actually worse. Spending less time with friends means less time to develop social skills. A 2014 study found that sixth graders who spent just five days at a camp without using screens ended the time better at reading emotions on others’ faces, suggesting that iGen’s screen-filled lives might cause their social skills to shrink.
In addition, in the annual Monitoring the Future survey, the percentage of iGen teens who read a non required book every day dropped from 60 percent in 1980 to only 16 percent in 2015. Perhaps as a result, average SAT critical reading scores have dropped 14 points since 2005.
iGen shows another break with the previous generations; Depression, anxiety, and loneliness have shot upward with happiness declining. The teen suicide rate increased by more than 50 percent, as did the number of teens with clinical—level depression.
Parents used to worry about their teens spending too much time with their friends—they were a distraction, a bad influence, a waste of time. But it might be just what iGen needs now.
1. How are iGen teens different from the, generations before?| A．They are more skillful in high-tech products. | B．They stay in close contact with friends. |
| C．They prefer to live a virtual life than a real one. | D．They spend their adolescence with smartphones. |
| A．To stress the importance of reading the required books. |
| B．To explain the reason why iGeneration reads less. |
| C．To introduce the extracurriculum reading situation of iGeneration. |
| D．To show the influence of reading on iGen teenagers’ mental health. |
| A．Depression and anxiety are the common symptoms of mental problems. |
| B．Mental problems can be found in large numbers of iGen teens. |
| C．Net-addicted teenagers are more likely to suffer from mental problems. |
| D．iGen teens’ mental problems are getting more and more attention. |
| A．How the Smartphone Affected an Entire Generation of Kids? |
| B．Parents Are Getting Serious about Teen Smartphone Addiction. |
| C．Smartphones for Teens: Smart or Stupid? |
| D．Smartphones Are Changing iGen Teen’s Lifestyle. |
【推荐3】Music died here last spring，or rather，it was killed by members of the school committee who ignored the importance of music and drama as part of the high school curriculum.
The committee decide 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.Because the school system is running out of funding，it needs to make sure that students pass the 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 in deficiency in a way.
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 callings if they are not exposed to the arts 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 well rounded people.It blocks the natural sense to create and express feelings through the arts—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 removed from the high school curriculum in that________.| A．some students fail the state standardized test |
| B．fewer and fewer students love to attend them |
| C．the school curriculum has been changed |
| D．the school is afraid of losing financial support |
| A．Not enough. | B．Too many. |
| C．Too boring. | D．Not proper. |
| A．motivate students in creativity and expression |
| B．make students roundshaped people in future |
| C．provide students with careful thinking |
| D．prevent students from graduating from high school |
| A．Humorously. | B．Bitterly. |
| C．Excitedly. | D．Mildly. |
【推荐1】Cutting our use of fossil fuels by making energy from solar panels and wind farms is a well-known way to tackle climate change but a new study shows that soil could play a big role too.
Scientists are looking at ways to store the gas carbon dioxide (CO₂) on Earth. That’s because too much of it in the atmosphere is one of the main causes of global warming. CO₂ comes from natural sources and from human activities like burning fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas). If there is too much of it in the Earth’s atmosphere, it can trap in the Sun’s heat, leading to climate change. The soil study was led by Jacqueline McGlade, former chief scientist at the UN Environment Programme.
McGlade says that if half of the world’s agricultural soil stored just 1% more CO₂, the world would almost be on track to keep to the 2015 Paris Agreement. In the Paris Agreement, most of the world’s countries promised to stop average temperatures rising above a certain point that would be bad for the planet.
McGlade says that changing farming methods will improve the health of soil and its ability to store CO₂. She suggests cutting the use of artificial fertilizers. These are plant foods made from fossil fuels that contain growth-boosting ingredients.
Other ways to help include ploughing less to stop soil drying out or washing into rivers, and planting cover crops. Cover crops are not harvested for food, they are grown to give the soil a break. One cover crop is clover, a plant that naturally gives the soil nitrogen a substance that helps other plants grow.
McGlade says, “Changing farming could make soils carbon-negative, making them absorb carbon and reducing the cost of farming.” She says that, in the long term, it would also boost food production.
1. What’s paragraph 2 mainly about?| A．The concern of scientists. | B．The harm of carbon dioxide. |
| C．The forming reason of climate change. | D．The complexity of the Earth’s atmosphere. |
| A．Supportive. | B．Favorable. | C．Disapproving. | D．Ambiguous. |
| A．By quoting others’ comments. | B．By offering an example. |
| C．By listing statistics. | D．By comparison. |
| A．How to tackle climate change | B．Soil could get climate on track |
| C．Farming is essential to climate | D．How to improve the health of soil |
【推荐2】The relationship between humans and the Amazon Rainforest has not always been a harmonious one. However, recent research suggests that the native peoples of the Putumayo region helped to protect the rainforest, leaving it unchanged for 5,000 years. Perhaps humans’ coexisting with nature is possible after all.
The study, published in PNAS. looked at soil samples (样本) in the Putumayo region of the Amazon in Peru to find how humans influenced the land. The researchers found that the trees sill growing in the region today have been growing there for the last 5,000 years—evidence that the area has not been home to cities and farmland in that time. Traces of charcoal (木炭) found in the soil, however, indicate that people did live there; they just did so in a way that had minimum influence on their environment.
To come to these conclusions, the team dug a 0.6-0.9 meter deep column into the ground, taking samples of soil from different heights along the column. Back in the lab, samples were carbon-dated to determine their age and then sorted under a microscope to look for microscopic mineral particles, known as phytoliths (植硅体). Phytoliths are essential evidence of plants—they remained in the soil thousands of years after the plant died. So researchers can use them to tell which plants have grown in an area in the past.
Over 5,000 years’ worth of samples, no species loss was detected. These findings suggest that contrary to common belief, the Amazon is not untouched by humans, but rather has been protected by them for thousands of years. The management of the rainforest by native peoples appears to have been vital in preserving its biodiversity and will continue to be important in the fight to prevent it from a collapse.
As Nigel Pitman, a co-author on the paper, said: “Since this particular forest is still being protected by native peoples, I hope this study reminds us all how important it is to support their work.”
1. How did native peoples deal with the rainforest in the region of Putumayo?| A．They always destroyed the rainforest. |
| B．They didn’t care about the rainforest. |
| C．They never lived in the area of the rainforest. |
| D．They had been in good relationship with the rainforest. |
| A．The diversity of the plants in the rainforest. |
| B．The nutrition of the soil samples in the rainforest. |
| C．The survival age of growing trees in the rainforest. |
| D．The evidence of human influence on the rainforest. |
| A．comparing the trees growing there long before and now. |
| B．analyzing the living habits of native people. |
| C．studying the climate of the region of Putumayo |
| D．collecting data from former experiments. |
| A．Native peoples should protect the rainforest. |
| B．We should help protect the Amazon Rainforest. |
| C．More science research should be done on rainforest. |
| D．We should make good use of the Amazon Rainforest. |
【推荐3】The spotlight shines brightly on the dancers as they gracefully leap across the stage. But what sets this performance apart from others is not just the skill and grace of the dancers but the unique and meaningful use of recycled materials in their costumes and set design.
The famous Japanese ballet company, K-Ballet, recently showed their new production “Plastic”, which aims to raise awareness about the global plastic pollution crisis. The costumes worn by the dancers are made from used bubble wrap, the stage is surrounded by four massive walls constructed from recycled plastic bottles, and even the 100 umbrellas used in the performance were found abandoned in the streets of Tokyo.
The dancers, including guest star Julian MacKay, look like space-age creatures with hand-cleaned plastic bottles tied to their bodies as they dance on stage. MacKay, from the United States, notes that the issue of plastic waste “really hasn’t gotten that spotlight” in the dance world and believes that the performing arts can inspire people to take action.
The problem of plastic waste is a pressing one. According to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), plastic waste has doubled globally in the past 20 years, and only 9 percent of it is successfully recycled. The United Nations predicts that the volume of plastic entering the oceans will nearly triple (成为三倍) by 2040.
K-Ballet plans to keep its costumes and set design for at least a year with the hope of restaging the show and after that, the bottles will be recycled by Shirai, a waste management company. The chow’s experience and message moved audience members who attended the performance. Ayumi Kisaki, a 30-year-old actor, said, “It’s an issue I don’t usually think about. But these dancers highlighting the issue of plastic call me and all of us to find ways to recycle and reuse the plastic.”
1. How did K-Ballet draw the public’s attention to its “Plastic”?| A．By applying new equipment and set design. | B．By exhibiting new plastic products on the stage. |
| C．By creatively using recycled materials in dance. | D．y inviting American dance star Julian MacKay. |
| A．It is the best art in the dance world. | B．It is a pressing show to the audience. |
| C．It will inspire more people to take up dancing. | D．It integrates art with environmental protection. |
| A．Introduce another topic of the text. | B．Add some background information. |
| C．Provide some advice for the readers. | D．Summarize the previous paragraphs. |
| A．Impressive. | B．Entertaining. | C．Depressing. | D．Logical. |
【推荐1】Silvano Lattanzi, the master of madeinItaly shoemaking, was totally conquered by a painting hung in the entrance hall of the very modern Rich Gate, the luxury district in Shanghai.
The painting, before which he knelt down to show his admiration, is the Rich Gate Rose painted by Liu Linghua, who's known as the “Chinese Van Gogh”.
It was in May 2006 that Lattanzi first met Liu Linghua who was working on his 15squaremeter great piece. Lattanzi, from the country where Renaissance began, saw the painting accidentally and was immediately impressed by its beauty. He told others that he never imagined that western oil painting techniques could be developed so well by a Chinese and that this was the best painting he had ever seen.
In the eyes of westerners, Lattanzi is a great master of shoemaking, fashion and arts. His admiration for the Rich Gate Rose well shows the high level of Liu's painting. Ever since this, the two art masters of different nationalities, different ages and different cultural backgrounds have forged a profound friendship.
When Lattanzi came back to China six months later with the pair of shoes he made for Liu, he insisted on delivering the shoes to Liu himself. The two friends met again at the Rich Gate and Liu Linghua presented an embroidery (刺绣) of his master work The Drunken Beauty in return.
Liu expressed repeatedly that his works should be explained by painting and not the words of compliments. He does not care about the titles, though he is on par with the greatest painters. A leading light or a grand master of art, Liu pays little attention to it. Liu thinks actions are more important than words.
1. What does the underlined phrase “on par with” in the last paragraph mean?| A．no better than |
| B．different from |
| C．as good/important as |
| D．ahead of |
a. Silvano Lattanzi and Liu Linghua became true friends.
b. Silvano Lattanzi knelt down in front of the Rich Gate Rose.
c. Liu Linghua presented Silvano Lattanzi an embroidery.
d. Liu Linghua met Silvano Lattanzi for the first time.
e. Silvano Lattanzi came back to China and met Liu Linghua again at the Rich Gate with the shoes he made for Liu.
| A．e－d－a－c－b | B．a－c－b－d－e |
| C．b－e－d－a－c | D．b－d－a－e－c |
| A．He thinks his works are worthy of the compliments. |
| B．He cares much about the compliments. |
| C．He thinks the words can encourage him all the time. |
| D．He thinks the words can't well explain his works. |
| A．Chinese Van Gogh |
| B．Friendship Between Masters |
| C．Western Oil Painting |
| D．A Shoemaking Master |
【推荐2】The comments on each film outlined below are taken from articles by David Robinson. We strongly recommend you read the full articles by following our links, since they provide many more insights on Chaplin’s life and work.
A Woman of Paris (1923)
A Woman of Paris was a courageous step in the career of Charles Chaplin. After seventy films in which he himself had appeared in every scene, he now directed a picture in which he merely walked on for a few seconds as an unbilled and unrecognisable extra – a porter at a railroad station. Until this time, every film had been a comedy. A Woman of Paris was a romantic drama. This was not a sudden impulse. For a long time Chaplin had wanted to try his hand at directing a serious film.
The Gold Rush (1925)
Chaplin generally strove to separate his work from his private life; but in this case the two became inextricably and painfully mixed. Searching for a new leading lady, he rediscovered Lillita MacMurray, whom he had employed, as a pretty 12-year-old, in The Kid. Still not yet sixteen, Lillita was put under contract and re-named Lita Grey.
Chaplin quickly embarked on a clandestine affair with her; and when the film was six months into shooting, Lita discovered she was pregnant. Chaplin found himself forced into a marriage which brought misery to both partners, though it produced two sons, Charles Jr and Sydney Chaplin.
The Circus (1928)
The Circus won Charles Chaplin his first Academy Award – it was still not yet called the ‘Oscar’ – he was given it at the first presentations ceremony, in 1929. But as late as 1964, it seemed, this was a film he preferred to forget. The reason was not the film itself, but the deeply fraught circumstances surrounding its making.
Chaplin was in the throes of the break-up of his marriage with Lita Grey; and production of The Circus coincided with one of the most unseemly and sensational divorces of twenties Hollywood, as Lita’s lawyers sought every means to ruin Chaplin’s career by smearing his reputation. As if his domestic troubles were not enough, the film seemed fated to catastrophe of every kind.
In the late 1960s, after the years spent trying to forget it, Chaplin returned to The Circus to re-release it with a new musical score of his own composition. It seemed to symbolize his reconciliation to the film which cost him so much stress.
City Lights (1931)
City Lights proved to be the hardest and longest undertaking of Chaplin’s career. By the time it was completed he had spent two years and eight months on the work, with almost 190 days of actual shooting. The marvel is that the finished film betrays nothing of this effort and anxiety.
Even before he began City Lights, the sound film was firmly established. This new revolution was a bigger challenge to Chaplin than to other silent stars. His Tramp character was universal. His mime was understood in every part of the world. But if the Tramp now began to speak in English, that world-wide audience would instantly shrink.
Chaplin boldly solved the problem by ignoring speech, and making City Lights in the way he had always worked before, as a silent film. However he astounded the press and the public by composing the entire score for City Lights.
The premieres were among the most brilliant the cinema had ever seen. In Los Angeles, Chaplin’s guest was Albert Einstein; while in London Bernard Shaw sat beside him. City Lights was a critical triumph. All Chaplin’s struggles and anxieties, it seemed, were compensated by the film which still appears as the zenith of his achievement and reputation.
1. From which movie did Chaplin fulfill his wish that he could direct a serious film?| A．The Gold Rush | B．The Circus |
| C．A Woman of Paris | D．City Lights |
| A．His private life | B．The establishment of sound film |
| C．His dying talent for art | D．The lack in movie investment |
| A．The film compensated all Chaplin’s struggles and anxieties. |
| B．It beat all sound film at that time out of expectation. |
| C．The movie saw all the most brilliant in the cinema. |
| D．It won Charles Chaplin his first Academy Award. |
【推荐3】Salvador Dali (1904-1989) was one of the most popular of modern artists. The Pompidou Centre in Paris is showing its respect and admiration for the artist and his powerful personality with an exhibition bringing together over 200 paintings, sculptures, drawings and more. Among the works and masterworks on exhibition the visitor will find the best pieces, most importantly The Persistence of Memory. There is also L’Enigme sans Fin from 1938, works on paper, objects, and projects for stage and screen and selected parts from television programmes reflecting the artist’s showman qualities.
The visitor will enter the World of Dali through an egg and is met with the beginning, the world of birth. The exhibition follows a path of time and subject with the visitor exiting through the brain.
The exhibition shows how Dali draws the viewer between two infinities(无限). “From the infinity small to the infinity large, contraction and expansion coming in and out of focus: amazing Flemish accuracy and the showy Baroque of old painting that he used in his museum-theatre in Figueras,” explains the Pompidou Centre.
The fine selection of the major works was done in close collaboration(合作) with the Museo Nacional Reiaa Sofia in Madrid, Spain, and with contributions from other institutions like the Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg.
1. Which of the following best describe Dali according to Paragraph 1?| A．Optimistic. | B．Productive. |
| C．Generous. | D．Traditional. |
| A．One of his masterworks. | B．A successful screen adaptation. |
| C．An artistic creation for the stage. | D．One of the beat TV programmes. |
| A．By popularity. | B．By importance. |
| C．By size and shape. | D．By time and subject. |
