Think for a moment about the last music CD you bought. Most likely, you can remember the names of the singers who sang the songs that made you want to buy the CD. You may even know the names of some of the performers who played the musical instruments. Those performers, however, are only some of the people who made the music. Most people in the music industry work “behind the scenes”， and the roles they play in the music process (过程) are very important.
Songwriters
Before a song comes out, a songwriter must imagine it. Some songwriters work alone, but many songwriting teams combine the talents of songwriters and composers. Pop music legend Elton John's bestknown songs, including Tiny Dancer and Your Song, were written to go with the lyrics written by Bernie Taupin, whose name you may not know.
Arrangers
After a song has been written, music arrangers make it more attractive by deciding which instruments will be used, what speed the song will have, and whether the song should have a low or high pitch (音调)．
Recording engineers
Recording engineers also play a major role in creating the final sound that you hear. First, they set up the recording studio and the room where the performers play. Next, they use recorders to record the music. Finally, long after the musicians have gone home, recording engineers use a mixing board to balance the sound of each musician.
Many people make a living by making music. You may not know all of their names, but all of them work together to create the songs you love.
1. Why does the author mention Elton John and Bernie Taupin?| A．To compare their functions in creating a song. |
| B．To give an example of a songwriting team. |
| C．To explain how a songwriting team works. |
| D．To show the advantage of teamwork. |
| A．the instruments |
| B．the song's speed |
| C．the song's pitch |
| D．the song's name |
| A．Balancing the sound of each musician. |
| B．Recording the music with recorders. |
| C．Setting up the recording studio. |
| D．Making music CDs. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】The word “music” is easier to use in practice than to explain. Music is a reminder(提醒物) of how things once were, a symbol of how things are and a view of where society is headed. Music can bring us back to memories we wish to never forget, or bring us hope when we feel that all is lost. According to Nietzsche, “Nothing is worth living for without music.”And Albert Einstein once said,“ Without the music education in my childhood, I would succeed in nothing.”
Most of us enjoy different kinds of music just to entertain(娱乐). Are there other reasons for us to listen to music? Some types of music can make us feel relaxed. After a long workday, classical music or certain types of jazz can physically relax our bodies and take our attention away from the cares of the day—at least for a while. On the other hand, loud, fast music with a strong beat can excite us. In fact, sometimes we may prefer one kind of music, but at other times, that’s the last thing we want to listen to.
Music also affects our feelings. Movie music can most clearly show this. If you close your eyes in an action movie or a disaster movie, you can pretty much tell what’s happening on the screen by the music alone. The same is true for a love story. Film composers(作曲家) such as John Williams get paid big money for their ability to change your feelings from moment to moment. So what do you think of music? Clearly, music and feelings are closely connected in some non-physical way.
1. Why are Nietzsche and Albert Einstein mentioned in Paragraph 1?| A．To show music brings people wealth. |
| B．To show the development of music. |
| C．To show the importance of music. |
| D．To show music is everywhere. |
| A．Classical music is more popular than jazz. |
| B．Entertainment is the whole story of music. |
| C．An artist’s character decides his music style. |
| D．People need different music at different times. |
| A．They can introduce different music to people. |
| B．They can produce an effect on people’s feelings. |
| C．They can make people closer. |
| D．They can help people become confident. |
| A．The Power of Music | B．Different Composers |
| C．The True Meaning of Entertainment | D．Music and Movies |
【推荐2】Today, at 28, the young German violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter is at the top. “She gives radiance (光辉) to music,” wrote Geoffrey Norris in The Daily Telegraph, London.
Born in Rheinfelden on June 29, 1963, Anne-Sophie grew up in Wehr, a small town just five kilometers from the Swiss border. Her father, Karl Wilhelm Mutter, and her mother, Gerlinde, considered music lessons part of a good education. It came as no surprise when Anne-Sophie said she wanted a violin for her fifth birthday.
Her parents thought she was too young for the violin, and persuaded her to start on the piano. But Anne-Sophie has always had a mind of her own. “I longed to play the violin,” she says, “it seemed to me a much more interesting instrument.” After six months, her parents gave in.
The famous violin teacher Erna Honigberfer, who lived nearby, became Annie-Sophie’s tutor. After only nine months of lessons, she entered the sixyearold in a nationwide competition for young musicians. With Christoph accompanying her on the piano, Anne-Sophie won first prize.
In 1974, Erna Honigberfer died. Anne-Sophie’s new teacher was Aida Stucki. She taught Anne-Sophie to develop her own ideas on how a piece should be played, not just to imitate others. This is one of the violinist’s strongest and most distinctive characteristics today.
Though the Mutters were short of money at times, they limited their daughter’s performances to once or twice a year. “We are glad we went the family road,” says her father. “No outsider can ever have an effect on our daughter’s career or push her into playing more concerts than she wants to.” Later she was allowed to give six to eight concerts a year and make some recordings.
1. Anne-Sophie’s career dates back to .| A．the late 1960s | B．1974 |
| C．the late 1970s | D．her fifth birthday |
| A．limited to twice or three times a year |
| B．accompanied on the piano by Christoph |
| C．highly praised throughout the world |
| D．appreciated by professors in London |
| A．She had two famous violin teachers. |
| B．She has always had a mind of her own. |
| C．She wanted a violin for her fifth birthday. |
| D．Violin seemed to her a much more interesting instrument. |
| A．children should learn music |
| B．money is not everything |
| C．Anne-Sophie was too young to give concerts |
| D．parents have a great effect upon their children |
Many people think that ballet originated in France, due to the ballet steps that all have French names. However, ballet can be traced back to Italy during the Renaissance period of the 1400s. While this was really just a pioneer to the classical ballet, the dances performed in Italy during this time led to the further development of ballet in France. The first ballet company arose in France and was called The Queen's Ballet Company.
In the 1800s the romantic style of ballet appeared, thanks in part to the ballet La Sylphide. La Sylphide made much use of the toe dancing technique and brought about many changes to ballet.
All romantic ballets focused on women and this encouraged women to take on increasingly to become ballerinas. While ballet prospered in other nations, it started declining in France. The decline could be because ballet was seen as being very worldly with mythical (神话的) steps.
The shift from mythical steps to more reasonable style that could be co-related to human movements came about in the twentieth century. This was because of the many different styles of dance that were becoming increasingly popular. The change that started in the twentieth century continues to transform ballet even today where it mixes different styles of dance.
Some ballets today have even gone so far as to combine another style of dance into the ballet. In 1944 a ballet was introduced called Fancy Free that use Jazz dance with the ballet steps to create a revolutionary ballet, and it was well received.
With time, ballet has developed and changed in many forms. A ballet by professionals continues to charm audiences despite the fact that most of us cannot even dream of performing most of the steps and moves of a ballet dancer.
1. Why do people think ballet comes from France?
| A．Because Frenchmen introduced ballet to Italy. |
| B．Because Frenchmen created many ballet steps. |
| C．Because the ballet steps are all named in French. |
| D．Because the first ballet company was founded in France. |
| A．In the 14th century. | B．In the 19th century. |
| C．In the 15th century. | D．In the 2lth century. |
| A．reasonable | B．romantic |
| C．popular | D．professional |
| A．the development of classical ballet |
| B．the popularity of classical ballet |
| C．the meaning of classical ballet |
| D．the techniques of ballet dancing |
