Jazz guitarist Joel Harrison came of age in 1960s and 70s' Washington, but he never saw it as a place to build a career as an adventurous, progressive musician. Everywhere he's gone, however, he's taken the sounds of the city with him.
''Growing up in that area allowed me access to a lot of different kinds of music,'' says Harrison, 61, who's now based in New York after living in Boston and San Francisco. ''Southern music traditions-old-time music, bluegrass, country as well as jazz and R&B.''
All of those appear to some degree in Free Country, a project Harrison began in 2003 as a means of filtering (渗透) country and bluegrass compositions through a up-to-date jazz sound and sensibility. On his new album, ''Angel Band: Free Country Vol.3, ''Harrison, on guitar and vocals (演唱), and his band take on many traditional bluegrass songs. Each cut is really kind of its own, distinct sound world. Since Harrison released the first two Free Country albums, he has produced 14 other albums. The Free Country releases, though, have been his most successful, and established his reputation.
In particular, Harrison drew inspiration from Danny Gatton, a D.C. guitar hero who similarly combines the local musical currents. Harrison was a self-described adorer of Gatton, going to attend his countless performances.
Harrison is also a composer. His work, rooted in progressive Jazz but exploring multiple types, is often through-composed and highly complex. He received a Guggenheim scholarship in2010 to compose and record an, eight-movement piece. The tunes he plays with Free Country are simpler, based on conventions of folk and pop music — which, for Harrison, is a large part of their appeal.
The music that he's covering timeless, and he aims to find endless currency in its timeless simplicity by maintaining me soul of the compositions and also adding a modern context and a modern language to it.
1. What exposed Harrison to various music?| A．His growth environment. |
| B．His current place of residence. |
| C．His family background. |
| D．Touring the country. |
| A．He has released 14 albums in total so far. |
| B．He showed a new jazz style in Free Country. |
| C．He earned large profits by releasing Free Country. |
| D．He was inspired to hold many performances by Gatton. |
| A．To put modern elements into the languages. |
| B．To develop different styles based on previous jazz. |
| C．To compose more pieces and release more albums. |
| D．To seek great popularity in its permanent simplicity. |
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【推荐1】The conductor on the podium (指挥台) has no baton (指挥棒), no tailcoat and no musical score, but Android Alter 3 is kicking up a storm as it guides a symphony orchestra's players through their paces.
The robot has a humanoid face, hands and lower arms, which gesture with what could pass for passion as it bounces up and down and rotates during the live performance of Keiichiro Shibuya's opera Scary Beauty in the Emirate of Sharjah.
Video from the recent performance in the Emirate of Sharjah showed the machine turning to face orchestra members and waving its arms. Alter 3 even sang at times.
Shibuya said the involvement of robots in the everyday lives of humans is continually increasing. But, he said he thinks people will need to decide in the future how artificial intelligence can best improve the human experience.
Shibuya added that he believes humans and robots can learn to work together to create beautiful art. "This work is a metaphor of that relations between humans and technology," he said. Shibuya noted that sometimes the music-leading robot can "get crazy", making it difficult for the musicians to keep up. But other times, the humans and machines cooperate very well.
Shibuya said the robots and AI that exist today are "far from complete". He is interested in studying how such incomplete technology can be combined with art.
"I think this is a very exciting idea…We came to see what it looks like and how much is possible," said Anna Kovacevic. Another audience member, who gave his name only as Billum, said after the show, "You know, a human conductor is so much better." Although he said he is interested in AI and looks forward to big developments, he concluded on the project: "The human touch is lost."
1. What does Shibuya think of Alter 3?| A．It is not perfect at present. | B．It teams up with humans well. |
| C．It often makes humans crazy. | D．It is better than human conductors. |
| A．The performance drew mixed reactions. |
| B．Billum took no interest in the performance. |
| C．The audience were fascinated by the performance. |
| D．The audience thought Alter 3 would have a bright future. |
| A．Positive | B．Negative. | C．Objective. | D．Critical. |
| A．Robot Cooperates with Humans |
| B．Robot Conducts Human Orchestra |
| C．The Significance of Robots in Art |
| D．The Relations Between AI and Humans |
【推荐2】Music for Life Learning music is important for the educational and personal development of young people!
Learning an instrument: how do pupils choose?
All our teachers are highly qualified and experienced musicians, and pupils can learn to play a wide range of instruments, from the keyboard to the drums(鼓). We have open days when new pupils who are unsure which instrument to choose can come to the centre. They are able to speak to teachers about which instrument might be best for them, and they can also see and hear classes in action.
Who is responsible for buying the instruments?
Parents usually have to provide instruments. But parents of beginners are advised not to buy an instrument until they are told that a place is available. They should also find out from the teacher the most suitable type of instrument to get.
When and where do lessons take place?
Lessons are available in many schools, usually during the day. If there is no lesson available for a particular instrument in a particular school, other arrangements can be made at one of our music centres for lessons on Saturday afternoons or weekday evenings.
How are pupils taught?
Pupils can learn in small groups, in classes or individually, depending on their needs. Small groups of three pupils have lessons that last thirty minutes. Class lessons last forty-five minutes and have at least ten pupils. Individual lessons are offered only to pupils who have some experience.
Starting young: when can pupils begin?
Children are never too young to become interested in music. We have special “Musical Youth” classes for children from the age of 3 to 8. These are designed to encourage young children to enjoy music through a variety of activities including singing, musical games, listening and movement. “Musical Youth” classes take place on Saturday mornings with groups of about 18 children. A parent or other adult must attend each session, and they are encouraged to sit with their children and help them with the activities.
1. What can we learn from the passage?| A．New pupils can see classes on an open day. |
| B．Pupils can learn special instruments on Sundays. |
| C．Parents must accompany pupils during the learning process. |
| D．Teachers at the centre can provide the right instruments for pupils. |
| A．Lessons for groups of ten. | B．Individual lessons. |
| C．Lessons for small groups of three. | D．Special “Musical Youth” classes. |
| A．teachers | B．parents |
| C．musicians | D．pupils |
【推荐3】Amazing Benefits of Listening to Music
If you love listening to music, you’re in good company. Recent research shows that listening to music improves our mental and physical health.
Music lowers stress and improves health.
Music reduces depression.
More than 350 million people suffer from depression around the world. Music can benefit depressive patients, depending on the type of music.
Softening the lighting and music can lead people to eat fewer calories and enjoy their meals better. If you’re looking for ways to reduce your appetite (食欲), try dimming the lights and listening to soft music next time you sit down for a meal.
Music raises IQ and school performance.
Taking music lessons predicts higher school performance and IQ in young children. In one study, children who took singing lessons had learned better than children who took other lessons unrelated to music. If you want to help your children achieve excellence in their studies, you can let them take music lessons.
| A．Music helps you eat less. |
| B．Music gives you hope and confidence. |
| C．Classical and relaxing music lifts people up. |
| D．Listening to music you enjoy reduces the stress in your body. |
| E．Here are some amazing benefits of being attracted by music. |
| F．Or you can encourage them to sing or learn to play an instrument. |
| G．Musical training can help raise our IQs and even keep us sharp in young age. |
【推荐1】When clouds of radiation began streaming into the air around the Fukushima nuclear plant, 160,000 residents were told to simply cut and run. However, it seems only 159,998 residents listened. The other two, Naoto Matsumura and Sakae Kato, remained. Evidently, the city possessed not one, but two men whose love of animals cracked through their inborn sense of self-preservation.
Living within the 12.5-mile exclusion zone (禁区) around the damaged reactor, the two men, unrelated to one another, both live alone while taking care of dozens of animals that were left behind when the evacuation (撤离) order was given.
57-year-old Kato has 41 cats in his home in the mountains along with a dog. Kato says he will stay with his cats and ensure they are comfortable all through their lives. Kato's generosity isn't restricted to his own animals, and he feeds local wild animals as well.
Matsumura left the city at first, but returned shortly after for his own animals. Once returned, the now 55-year-old realized that everyone else's pets and livestock were still there, so he began taking care of a broad community of animals including pigs, cats, dogs and cows. After it became clear no one was coming back to the neighborhood, he went around unchaining dogs from trees, letting cows out of their barns, and feeding anything that needed it, earning him the moniker the “Guardian of Fukushima’s Animals”.
According to scientists from JAXA, the Japanese national space agency, Matsumura is also the “champion”— the most irradiated man in the country. Despite this, they've advised him it will likely be 30-40 years before radiation begins to wreck his biology, a timeline which will see him “likely dead by then”.
Everything both Kato and Matsumura are doing is technically illegal, and police have ordered them both to leave the area. Yet they seemingly couldn’t be less bothered by the government’s demands, and both plan to stay there with their animals come what may.
1. What made the two men decide to live in the exclusion zone?
| A．The possession left in the city. |
| B．Being left behind by other residents. |
| C．Their love for animals from inner heart. |
| D．Their inborn sense of self-preservation. |
| A．Kind-hearted. | B．Strong-minded. | C．Generous. | D．Optimistic. |
| A．Save. | B．Damage. | C．Remove. | D．Scan. |
| A．They will leave the exclusion zone. |
| B．They will be arrested by the police. |
| C．They will obey the government’s demands. |
| D．They will remain there to take care of the animals. |
【推荐2】100-year-old Alfred Larson has been through a lot in his lifetime, but one thing that keeps him going is bluebirds.
When Alfred retired in 1978, he wanted to find a hobby or something to do that would keep him busy and provide him with a sense of purpose. When he read a National Geographic article about crafting wooden nest boxes for bluebirds to help improve their populations, he decided to give it a try. Alfred explained that he started building nest boxes on his ranch (大牧场) using left-over pieces of wood.
More than four decades later, Alfred is still going strong and promoting bluebird conservation efforts. Alfred is now monitoring nearly 350 nest boxes on six different trails (小路) in Southwest Idaho. He said, “I settled on a simple design that was easy to build and easy to monitor. I kept adding more boxes on these trails, and these birds responded.” Alfred’s boxes give bluebirds a lot of help in survival. “Without his work, we can’t see so many bluebirds now,” said Pearman, the author of Mountain Bluebird Trail Monitoring Guide.
To celebrate his achievements, filmmaker Matthew Podolsky worked with Alfred for weeks to create a 30-minute documentary—Bluebird Man. The film explores how everything led him to the work he does today and his efforts in bluebird protection. “I remember the first trip I took to the bluebird trail with Alfred, and I was very surprised by the speed with which he moved from box to box,” said Podolsky. “He was hiking across difficult and uneven terrain (地形). I often struggled to keep up with him. Sometimes we’d check more than 100 boxes and be driving home in the dark.”
The impact he’s had on the populations of bluebirds in North America will continue.
1. How did Alfred help save bluebirds?| A．By feeding them personally. |
| B．By preventing illegal hunting. |
| C．By making wooden nests for them. |
| D．By writing articles about them. |
| A．The number of bluebirds in Southwest Idaho decreases. |
| B．Alfred makes a big difference to bluebird conservation. |
| C．Climate change is threatening the survival of bluebirds now. |
| D．Alfred’s efforts have greatly inspired others to protect bluebirds. |
| A．How the natural habitat of bluebirds disappeared. |
| B．How bluebirds have survived in the past four decades. |
| C．What influence humans have on bluebirds. |
| D．What Alfred does every day to protect bluebirds. |
【推荐3】Many years ago my dad was diagnosed (诊断) with a terrible illness. He was unable to work at a steady job. But he wanted to do something to keep himself busy, so he decided to volunteer at the local children hospital. My dad loved kids. He would talk to them and play with them. Sometimes, he would lose one of the kids. In certain cases, he would give comfortto the sad parents of these children.
One of his kids was a girl with a rare disease that paralyzed (使……瘫痪) her from the neck down. My dad decided to help her. He started visiting her in her room, bringing paints, brushes and paper. He stood the paper up against a backing, put the paintbrush in his mouth and began to paint. He didn't use his hands at all. Only his head would move. He would visit her whenever he could paint for her. All the while he would tell her," See, you can do anything you set your mind to."
Eventually, she began to paint using her mouth, and she and my dad became friends. Soon after, the little girl was discharged (允许出院). My dad also left the children hospital for a little while because he became ill. Some time later after my dad had recovered and returned to work, he was at the volunteer counter one day and noticed the front door open. In came the little girl who had been paralyzed, but this time she was walking. She ran straight to my dad and hugged him really tightly. She gave my dad a picture she had done using her hands. At the bottom it read, "Thank you for helping me walk."
1. Why did the writer's dad volunteer at the local children hospital? ______| A．To forget his illness by keeping busy. |
| B．To spent his spare time by working. |
| C．To work as the father of the children. |
| D．To have a chat with the poor children. |
| A．By persuading her to cheer up. |
| B．By painting for her with his mouth. |
| C．By bringing her much tasty food. |
| D．By telling interesting jokes to her. |
| A．Love sometimes can make people recover. |
| B．The author's father cured the girl's sickness. |
| C．The girl was able to walk again finally. |
| D．The children hospital once closed down. |
| A．Kind and helpful. |
| B．Ordinary and healthy. |
| C．Outgoing and generous. |
| D．Knowledgeable and serious. |
【推荐1】There’s no end to the work to do with improving diversity in children’s media, especially for storybooks. Children need to be able to see themselves in the characters of the stories they hear and read, at a stage where they’re building their understanding of the world around them.
Shachi Kaushik’s new book, Diwali in My New Home, brings the festival of lights to life for an immigrant community.
This picture book is for children aged 5 to 8. It speaks to Indian children’s experiences living abroad when they’ve experienced life in India. The story is about a girl, Priya, who loves being with family and friends to celebrate Diwali. But Priya and her parents began living in the United States this year, and no one seems to know about the holiday. Priya misses the traditions in India. As she joins the lights together and creates rangoli art(地画艺术), Priya introduces the festival of lights to her neighbors. And even though the celebration is different this year, it’s still Diwali.
Kaushik was a lawyer before she discovered the joy of telling stories to young children. Storytelling began when she volunteered in Texas, where she hosted a monthly storytime for children. Seeing the joy on the children’s faces inspired her to write children’s books.
When asked “What’s the secret to making children pay attention to stories?”, she said, “I would say the secret is to be present and not to be shy from acting, singing or dancing. Be a performer. While reading, use facial expressions and voice to add excitement to the story. Also try asking questions like ‘What do you think will happen?’. Let the little ones’ imagination flow. Lastly, try adding a finger play song and some dance moves to get those little ones into the mood.”
1. What is the function of the first paragraph?| A．To give explanation of diversity. | B．To explain the aim of the storybooks. |
| C．To show the importance of children’s media. | D．To lead in the introduction of Shachi Kaushik’s book. |
| A．A festival. | B．A country. | C．A community. | D．A character. |
| A．The joy from children listening to stories. | B．The job as a lawyer. |
| C．The experience of selling storybooks. | D．The money earned by hosting storytime. |
| A．To test if they are shy. | B．To attract their attention. |
| C．To encourage them to use facial expressions. | D．To teach them to be a performer. |
【推荐2】In Hollywood, few actors have experienced a career as diverse and prolific as Harrison Ford. From the fearless Indiana Jones to the charming Han Solo and the world-weary Rick Deckard, Ford’s portrayal (饰演) of iconic characters has left a permanent mark on cinema and pop culture. Yet, the irony lies in how many of his career-defining roles fell into this “late bloomer’s” lap by chance.
Born in Chicago, Harrison was discouraged from pursuing a career on the silver screen early on, having failed to land any significant parts. Instead, he turned to professional carpentry (木工) as a means to keep his family fed.
But fate had other plans. While working as a carpenter in Hollywood, Ford crossed paths with numerous celebrity clients such as Joan Didion and, most notably, director George Lucas, who hired him to build cabinets for his office. Little did Ford know that this chance encounter would lead to his breakthrough role as the charming Han Solo in Star Wars. Lucas was impressed by Ford’s presence and offered him the iconic role. In time, Ford rose to a star.
Ford’s next lucky moment came when he tried out for the role of Indiana Jones in a massive project by Lucas and Steven Spielberg, Raiders of the Lost Ark. Spielberg initially wanted Ford for the role, but Lucas was hesitant as he had already worked with Ford on Star War and 1973’s American Graffiti. Then the production team tried many other possibilities but without luck. Eventually, the role went to Ford, strengthening his status as a Hollywood legend.
The film series became a worldwide sensation, stimulating people’s imagination and inspiring a generation of future archaeologists. Over 40 years and four films later, Ford found himself completing the series with the fifth and final installment. Eighty-one-year-old Harrison received a five-minute standing ovation (鼓掌) at the Cannes Film Festival Premiere and picked up an honorary Palmed’ Or for his achievements.
Ford’s commitment to his career is evident as he said, “I love the work! My luck has been to work with incredibly talented people, to find my way into this crowd of geniuses.” Despite his legendary status in Hollywood, Ford’s humility shines through.
1. What does the underlined word “prolific” probably mean in paragraph 1?| A．Productive. | B．Fruitless. | C．Hard-earned. | D．Promising. |
| A．His lack of talent. | B．The uncertain prospect. |
| C．The dull industry. | D．His family opposition. |
| A．His good fortune. | B．His convincing acting. |
| C．His fine reputation. | D．His big circle of friends. |
| A．A rising film genius. | B．A humble carpenter. |
| C．A Hollywood legend. | D．A fearless challenger. |
【推荐3】Born on the 25th of February, 1841, Pierre-Auguste Renoir was the son of a painter. Renoir took an interest in painting early in his life; his family moved to Paris in 1844 and encouraged him to frequent the Louvre where he developed an interest in the French Rococo style of François Boucher and the Romantic painter Eugène Delacroix, admiring their loose brushstrokes (笔法) and emphasis on bright colours.
In 1862, Renoir began studying painting under Charles Gleyre, whose other pupils included Claude Monet, Frèdèric Bazille, and Alfred Sisley. These artists would form what would later be termed Impressionism. Although Renoir experienced some success exhibiting in the Salon, for example his 1867 painting, Lise with a Parasol, he frequently struggled to gain acceptance within the strict structure of the Salon. Renoir along with Monet, Sisley, and Pissarro put on the first ‘Impressionist’ exhibition.
The Impressionist painters often describe ordinary subject matter working en plein air (outdoors) to capture a spontaneous (自然的) moment. The style was characterised by broad loose brushstrokes, open composition and an interest in the effect of light. However, by 1878 Renoir had grown disillusioned (理想破灭的) with the Impressionists' emphasis on spontaneity. By the third Impressionist exhibition, his paintings, although still displaying an interest in the effect of light, presented a more carefully composed scene such as Bal du moulin de la Galette, 1876.
In the 1880s, Renoir travelled to Italy where he came to admire the structural compositions and underdrawing of the Renaissance artists, in contrast to the en plein air technique favoured by the Impressionists. The trip to Italy had a crucial effect on his artistic style, moving his work towards more classical conceptions of draughtsmanship (绘画才能) and composition, as can be seen in his Luncheon of the Boating Party, 1881.
Pierre-Auguste Renoir died on the 3rd of December, 1919. Producing over two hundred works during his lifetime, Renoir greatly influenced later artists, ensuring his legacy (遗产) as one of the most influential artists of the 19th and 20th centuries.
1. What stirred up Renoir's interest in the French Rococo style?| A．His father's painting technique. |
| B．His frequent visits to the Louvre. |
| C．His encounter with François Boucher. |
| D．His painting study under Charles Gleyre. |
| A．They met with insufficient recognition. |
| B．They were highly regarded by art experts. |
| C．They presented carefully composed scenes. |
| D．They were heavily influenced by Impressionism. |
| A．Thin brushstrokes. |
| B．Use of underdrawing. |
| C．Structural compositions. |
| D．Stress on the effect of light. |
| A．It made him adopt a classical painting style. |
| B．It brought him considerable fame and wealth. |
| C．It changed his view on life and his attitude to work. |
| D．It improved his relationship with other Impressionists. |
