“Without music, life would be a mistake, ” famous German philosopher(哲学家) Friendrich Nietzsche said over a century ago. Music is a big part of our lives. But in recent years, some US schools have cut music classes to control budgets.
For example, Chicago public schools hurt arts education when it fired over 1, 000 teachers. Among them, 10 percent of the teachers taught art or music, according to The Washington Times. In fact, this is not just a problem in the US. In other countries, such as China and the UK, music classes are not thought to be as important as ones like science, math and history. That's partly because music is not seen as a very important life skill, and it isn't tested. Many students are busy with schoolwork, so parents and students choose to focus on subjects that are tested more often.
However, learning music is beneficial in many ways.
When playing music, you need different abilities to work together. It is not as simple as it looks, according to Kenneth Guilmartin of Music Together, an early childhood music development program. For example, when playing the piano, people see music notes and decode them in their brains. They also use their fingers to make sounds. You need to deal with all these things at the same time.
Music has a special connection with science as well. You can see that many scientists are good at playing music: Einstein played the violin, and German physicist Max Planck was talented in playing the piano.
1. In Paragraph 2, what does the underlined word “them” refer to?| A．Public schools. | B．Fired teachers. |
| C．Parents in Chicago. | D．Students in Chicago. |
| A．Different abilities are needed to work together while we are playing music. |
| B．Playing the piano needs people to use fingers to make sounds. |
| C．Decoding music notes is needed while we are playing music. |
| D．Playing the piano needs people to see music notes. |
| A．One. | B．Two. | C．Three. | D．Four. |
| A．Music is as simple as it looks. | B．Music is a big part of our lives. |
| C．Music classes should be cut in some schools. | D．Music isn't a very important life skill for us. |
相似题推荐
Is there a connection between music and language? According to recent studies, the answer is yes:
A recent study by researcher Kraus shows that playing a musical instrument can improve a person’s hearing ability.
Schlaug, a doctor at Harvard Medical School, works with stroke (中风) patients. Because of their illness, these people cannot say their names, addresses, or other information normally. However, they can still sing.
Music improves concentration (注意力) memory, listening skills, and our overall language abilities. It can even help sick people get better. Playing an instrument or singing can help us do better in school and keep our brains sharp as we get older.
| A．Music improves certain language abilities in the brain. |
| B．Music is not only enjoyable, but it’s also good for us in many other ways. |
| C．Musicians hear better because they learn to pay attention to certain sounds. |
| D．Schlaug was surprised to find that singing words helped his patients to speak. |
| E．In his study two groups of people listened to a person talking in a noisy room. |
【推荐2】The women in the Watson family all like ballet (芭蕾舞). These days, Alice Watson gives ballet lessons, but for many years, she was a dancer with the National Ballet Company (舞团). Her mother, Hannah, also had a full-time job there, making clothes for the dancers.
Alice’s daughter Demi started learning ballet shortly after she could walk. “I never taught her,” says Alice, “because she never let me.” Now at the age of 16, Demi dances at the National Ballet Company.
“When Demi started dancing, the house was too small for her and Alice to practise in so I made the garage (车库) into a dance room. Now the living room is nice and quiet when I’m watching TV!” says Jack, Alice’s husband.
Last month, Demi was invited to dance in the ballet Swan Lake. Of course, Alice, Jack and Hannah all went to watch her. That was very special for Demi. Jack says, “I’m not that interested in ballet myself but it’s fantastic seeing Demi taking her first steps (步) with Alice’s old company!” Demi was wearing a dress that Hannah made for Alice many years before.
“It was very exciting for all of us,” says Hannah. “Demi’s way of dancing is very like Alice’s. I know I’m her grandmother, but I think she has a great future!”
1. What does Alice do these days?| A．She teaches ballet. | B．She takes ballet classes. |
| C．She dances in a company. | D．She makes clothes for dancers. |
| A．from her mother | B．from her grandmother |
| C．at a very young age | D．at the National Ballet Company |
| A．He bought them a big house. | B．He kept quiet when they danced. |
| C．He turned the garage into a dance room. | D．He let them use the living room for dancing. |
| A．Demi wore her mother’s dress. | B．Swan Lake was Demi’s first dance show. |
| C．Demi’s grandmother made a dress for her. | D．Demi’s family went to watch her dance show. |
| A．A young ballet star | B．A special ballet show |
| C．A famous dance company | D．A family of ballet dancers |
【推荐3】Music helps us exercise — but why is it possible? There are two main reasons. The first is simple: Music distract us. When we listen to a song we like, our brain pays attention to the music, so our body might not feel tired immediately, and we exercise a little longer.
Music also motivates (激励) us. When we hear dance music, for example, we naturally start to move to the beat. A cheerful song makes us feel happier. This gives us energy and helps us exercise longer. Music with a quick beat is good for exercising. But the music shouldn’t be too fast. Generally, songs with 120—140 beats per minute (BPM) are the best.
A new study by cognitive scientist Tom Fritz suggests that this is only part of the explanation, however. In an experiment, Fritz put 61 people in small groups. They all then exercised twice. One time, each group worked out while listening to music for six minutes. Another time they exercised for six minutes on special Jymmin machines. Using these machines, each group made music as they moved. At the end, 53 of the 61 people agreed that they felt less tired when they exercised on the Jymmin machines. When we exercise and make music, especially with other people, working out seems to be easier.
How does Fritz explain this? Maybe people did better on the Jymmin machines because they had more control, he says. People created the beat and could make it go faster or slower. Also, the activity was social. Each group was making music together and having fun. Fritz believes that Jymmin exercise may have other advantages, too. He wants to find out if it can help with more serious conditions. For example, it may even be a good way to treat depression (抑郁症).
1. What does the underlined word “distract” mean in Paragraph 1?| A．develop one’s interest | B．change one’s mind |
| C．influence one’s health | D．turn one’s attention |
| A．“Lose Yourself” (86 BPM). | B．“Stronger” (116 BPM). |
| C．“On the Floor” (130 BPM). | D．“Locked out of Heaven” (144 BPM). |
| A．creating music | B．recording music |
| C．listening to music | D．watching music videos |
| A．Dance to the beat. | B．Choose the right dance music. |
| C．Exercise to the music. | D．Try the new Jymmin machines. |
【推荐1】Many teens do not value (重视) the importance of working hard and aren’t interested in doing so. According to a study (研究) of nearly 3,000 students, only 22 percent of primary and middle school students help with everyday chores (家务) around the house. This is not good news. We’ll finally grow up someday, leaving our parents and facing difficulties in life. Parents may not be able to work out every problem for us. Instead, we should have enough life skills to deal with the problems in our life. This is what our country are trying to do now—helping more students get hardworking spirit.
In order to make the students of different ages know the importance of hardworking spirit education (劳动教育), the State Council (国务院) made a guideline (指导方针). The guideline calls for students to respect (尊重) work. Students should learn basic life skills and develop good working habits through such education.
Schools and parents play an important role in teaching students about the value of working hard, the guideline says. Primary and middle schools should provide students with hardworking spirit classes every week, according to the guideline. Schools can also hold activities to give students real-world working experience. For example, schools can teach children how to plant trees on Tree-Planting Day.
As children’s first teachers, parents should also encourage (鼓励) children to learn how to do chores at home. Students should learn one or two life skills every year. These skills can include cooking, washing their own clothes and cleaning their rooms.
1. What does the underlined word “This” in Paragraph 1 refer to?| A．A study. | B．The importance of working hard. |
| C．The result of a study. | D．Everyday chores around the house. |
①The State Council a. provide hardworking spirit classes and hold activities
②Schools b. encourage children to learn to do chores
③Parents c. learn basic life skills
④Students d. made a guideline
| A．①﹣d ②﹣a ③﹣b ④﹣c | B．①﹣d ②﹣b ③﹣a ④﹣c |
| C．①﹣a ②﹣d ③﹣c ④﹣b | D．①﹣a ②﹣c ③﹣b ④﹣d |
| A．teach students how to do chores at home | B．help students solve life problems |
| C．ask students to depend on parents | D．help students get hardworking spirit |
| A．Cooking. | B．Washing the dishes. | C．Cleaning the rooms. | D．Washing the clothes. |
| A．a story book | B．a newspaper | C．a history book | D．a science magazine |
【推荐2】Many Chinese people will wonder what presents to get for their moms on Mother’s Day, but not many know Mother’s Day is actually a festival from overseas.
Mother’s Day originated (起源) in America during the early 20th century. The festival spread to China as early as the 1980s and was widely accepted.
Why did a foreign festival become popular in China? In fact, Chinese traditional culture has always encouraged filial (孝顺的) devotion to parents.
There are many stories which show filial respect in ancient China. For example, the story of “Taste Liquid (液体的) Medicine for Mother” tells us the filial virtue (美德) of Emperor Wen of the Western Han dynasty. His mother had been sick for three years. He often stayed up by her bedside and cared for her day and night. He tasted the liquid medicine first before she drank it. Also, mother love is a repeated subject in Chinese ancient poems, like “Song of the Parting Son” by Meng Jiao, a poet of the Tang dynasty. Now this poem is still a must in the school textbooks. Children in China are brought up with the education of filial devotion.
On special days, people often use roses or forget-me-nots to express love. Carnations are considered as the perfect flowers for mothers around the world, but few know that China has its own for mothers—the tiger lily.
Love for mothers can have different ways of expression. What matters most is love, not the festival itself. What mothers truly want is perhaps just a simple expression of love from their children.
1. When did Mother’s Day spread to China?| A．In the 1920s. | B．In the 1980s. | C．In the Western Han dynasty. | D．In the Tang dynasty. |
| A．The filial virtue of Emperor Wen. | B．Caring for the old. |
| C．Traditional Chinese medicine. | D．A mother’s love for her son. |
| A．its wide spread in many countries | B．our ancient stories of respecting parents |
| C．our traditional filial virtue | D．its simple way of expressing love |
| A．a big dinner | B．a celebration party | C．greetings of the festival | D．expensive presents |
【推荐3】You either have it, or you don’t—a sense of direction. But why is it that some people could find their way across the Sahara without a map while others can lose themselves in the next street?
Scientists say we’re all born with a sense of direction, but it is not properly understood how it works. One theory (理论) is that people with a good sense of direction have simply worked harder at developing it. The research being carried out at Liverpool University supports this idea and suggests that if we don't use it, we will lose it.“Children as young as seven have the ability to find their way around,” says Jim Martland, research director of the project. “However, if they are not allowed out alone or are taken everywhere by car, they will never develop the skill.”
Jim Martland also emphasizes that young people should be taught certain skills to improve their sense of direction. He makes the following suggestions:
•If you are using a map, turn it to the way you are facing.
•If you leave your bike in a strange place, put it near something like a big stone or a tree—something easy to recognize (辨别出). Note landmarks (地标) on the route as you go away from your bike. When you return, go back along the same route.
•The simple way of finding your direction is by using streets in a town, streams, or wells in the countryside to guide you. Count your steps so that you know how far you have gone and note some landmarks such as tall buildings or hills which can help to find out where you are.
Now you will never get lost again!
1. Scientists believe that _________.
| A．few babies are born with a sense of direction |
| B．people develop a sense of direction as they grow older |
| C．people never lose their sense of direction |
| D．everybody has a sense of direction from birth |
| A．five | B．six | C．seven | D．eight |
| A．Gives special importance to something. |
| B．Expresses thanks to somebody. |
| C．Understands or realizes a fact. |
| D．Admires somebody. |
| A．Tall buildings. | B．Hills. | C．Wells. | D．Bikes. |
| A．A research on direction. |
| B．The sense of direction. |
| C．People’s ability to find the way. |
| D．Scientists’ research on skills. |
【推荐1】The Sydney Opera House is a very famous building in the world. It has become Sydney's best-known landmark and international symbol. The Opera House with a "sailing roof" was designed by a famous Danish architect（丹麦建筑大师）, Utzon. The base for the building was started in 1959, years before the designs were finished. Utzon spent four years designing the Opera House. In 1962, the designs were finalized（定稿）and the construction began. In 1967, they started the decoration inside. It took 14 years in total to build the Opera House. Queen Elizabeth II officially opened it on October 20th, 1973.
The Sydney Opera House cost around $100 million and was paid for by the public. 6,225 square meters of glass was used to build it. The Opera House includes 1,000 rooms. It is 185 meters long and 120 meters wide. The building's roof sections weigh about 15 tons. Each year, this fantastic building attracts 200,000 tourists to come for a visit or enjoy events in it.
The Opera House reaches out into the harbour（港湾）. It is amazing and unforgettable, offering people a strong sense of beauty.
1. The designer of the Sydney Opera House was from .| A．America | B．Australia | C．England | D．Denmark |
| A．from 1959 to 1973 | B．from 1962 to 1973 | C．from 1959 to 1967 | D．from 1962 to 1967 |
| A．创立 | B．设计 | C．施工 | D．竣工 |
| A．Utzon | B．The public | C．Queen Elizabeth II | D．The government |
| A．Sailing Roof | B．Travelling in Sydney |
| C．The Sydney Opera House | D．The Opening of the Opera House |
【推荐2】Writers have very clear preferences about where and how they write. For example, some writers like to have people around them and background noise, but others prefer working alone.
Novelist Ernest Hemingway used to write standing up. D.H. Lawrence wrote under a tree. Jane Austen wrote on a small table in her family living room. Children’s writer and poet Roald Dahl sat in a very old armchair in a small building and French novelist Marcel Proust wrote in bed. Graham Greene used to write only in the morning. After 500 words, he stopped, even in the middle of a sentence.
Nicholson’s Cafe in Edinburgh became famous because J.K. Rowling sat there and wrote some parts of her first best-selling fantasy novel, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. She used to sit at the same table, drinking coffee and writing in a notebook with her baby asleep in her pushchair.
Most novelists write alone, but scriptwriters and songwriters often write together. A team of seven writers wrote scripts(剧本) each week for the popular American sitcom(情景剧) Friends. Lennon and McCartney wrote 180 songs together for The Beatles.
Perhaps the strangest of all was classical music writer Beethoven. He was completely deaf when he wrote the famous Ninth Symphony, so he took the legs off his piano and felt the small shaking movements of the music through the floor.
1. Who made Nicholson’s Cafe in Edinburgh famous?| A．Jane Austen | B．Graham Greene | C．J.K. Rowling | D．McCartney |
| A．Lawrence liked writing with a friend. |
| B．Dahl used to write sitting in a very small armchair. |
| C．Proust liked to write only in the morning. |
| D．Greene used to write 500 words and then stopped. |
| A．Beethoven looked very strange. |
| B．Beethoven wrote modern music. |
| C．Something was wrong with Beethoven’s ears. |
| D．Something was wrong with Beethoven’s legs. |
| A．Writers prefer to be watched when writing. |
| B．Writers prefer to be left alone when writing. |
| C．Writers have very different writing habits. |
| D．Writers have very funny writing habits. |
【推荐3】Everything has a name. All people, places, and things have names. Jenny is the name of a student from the UK. The UK is the name of a country. Cities and towns have names, too. Schools also have names. Tomato, potato and carrot are names of vegetables. Apple, orange, and banana are names of fruit.
When we meet a new person, we usually ask, “What's your name?” Most people have two names. Names are different all over the world. In Jenny's class, Jenny must know the names of the students from all over the world. This is not easy because the names are very different.
In the USA, most people have a first name, a middle name and a last name, Parents choose(选择) the first and middle names for their babies. The last name is the family name. Usually it is the father's family name. In a family, the mother, the father, and the children usually have the same last name.
Sometimes a person has a nickname(绰号), too. A nickname is a special(特殊的) name. It's not a person's real name. Abraham Lincoln's nickname was “Honest Abe”, because he was honest(诚实的) and Abe is short for(…的简称) Abraham. Pele is a nickname of the football player, Edson Arantes do Nascimento. But everyone calls him Pele.
1. The UK is the name of __________.| A．a city | B．a town | C．a country | D．a school |
| A．the names are different | B．most people have two names |
| C．some people have nicknames | D．some names are very long, and some are very short |
| A．parents choose the middle and last names for their babies |
| B．the mother, the father, and the children usually have different last names in a family |
| C．every person has a nickname |
| D．Abraham Lincoln’s nickname was “Honest Abe”, because he was an honest person |
| A．nicknames | B．people | C．names | D．a country |
Time: 9:00---13:00 on Saturday
Address: No. 106 Sun Street
Here is the price form (价格表).
| Thing | Price (yuan) | |
| Before (以前) | Now | |
 (pen) | 2.00 for one | 3.00 for two |
 (bag) | 8.00 for one | 6.00 for one |
 (eraser) | 1.00 for one | 1.00 for eight |
 (markers) | 5.00 for ten | 4.00 for ten |
 (notebook) | 1.00 for two | 1.00 for three |
1. How much is one pen now?
| A．2.00 yuan. | B．1.50 yuan | C．1.00 yuan | D．0.20 yuan |
| A．ten; two | B．twenty; four | C．fifteen; four | D．ten; ten |
| A．at 8:00 on Saturday | B．at 15:30 on Saturday |
| C．at 810:30 on Sunday | D．at 14:00 on Sunday |
much are all the things?
| A．18 yuan. | B．11 yuan. | C．10.8 yuan. | D．10 yuan. |
| A．things in Jack’s Shop are on sale every day |
| B．Jack’s Shop is at No. 160 Sun Street |
| C．we can buy things on sale there at 12:00 on Saturday |
| D．we can buy eight erasers with 1.00 yuan on Monday |
【推荐2】Want to stay away from colds? Put on a happy face.
Compared to unhappy people, those who are cheerful and relaxed are less likely to suffer from colds, according to a new study. It's possible that being happy helps the body fight illnesses, say the researchers from New York University.
"It seems that positive feelings may reduce the danger of illness," said the study's chief researcher Sheldon Cohen.
In an earlier study, Cohen found that people who were cheerful and lively caught coughs and colds less often. People who showed feelings were also less likely to tell their doctors that they felt ill.
In this study, Cohen's interviewed 193 adults every day for two weeks. During the interviews, the people told researchers about were given colds by doctors and had to stay alone in a room for six days.
The results showed that everyone in the study was equally likely to get ill. But for people who said they felt happy during the research period, their illness are less serious and lasted for a shorter time.
Cohen believes that when people experience positive feelings, their body may produce a chemical that helps fight illness and disease. So if you are worried about your health, look on the bright side more often.
1. Which of the following was NOT a part of the study?| A．People talked about their feelings every day. |
| B．People were kept alone for six days. |
| C．People were given colds by doctors. |
| D．People were made to feel unhappy. |
| A．People who felt happy never got ill. |
| B．People's feelings didn't influence their health. |
| C．People with good feelings became ill more easily. |
| D．People with positive feelings had less serious illnesses. |
| A．Eating. | B．Crying. | C．Laughing. | D．Sleeping. |
| A．advertisement | B．newspaper report |
| C．story | D．scientist's diary |
| A．Smiles can fight colds | B．Cause of colds found |
| C．The danger of colds | D．How people get sick |
【推荐3】There are many stories about fights between people and wild animals. We have heard about elephants in Africa eating village people's plants. There have also been reports of foxes living in people's gardens in the UK. As towns and cities use more and more land, animals have less land to live on. Usually it's the animals that lose the competition. It is reported tigers gradually lose their natural areas to live. Forests and grasslands are being changed into cities, towns, farming regions and industrial areas. But in some places the animals are slowly winning.
I've discovered an amazing story from South Africa. In one part of the country, people grow a lot of grapes for making wine. A few years ago, they began to have problems with large groups of monkeys which live in the mountains nearby. The monkeys love the sweet fruit. They ate all the grapes they wanted, and then ran off to the mountains to sleep. The farmers reacted angrily, but some people defended the monkeys. "The monkeys have always lived here," they said.
But recently, the monkeys have become difficult, because they get into people's homes to steal food. And they're not friendly like the monkeys on TV! One day, they even frightened a ten-year-old boy when he heard strange noises in the kitchen. People call the police, but they're not allowed to hurt the animals. So many families are selling their homes and moving away.
Imagine that! If you have any good animal stories from your town, please send them to our website-www. Animal news.net.com!
1. The first paragraph mainly talks about ____________.| A．where and what animals like to eat | B．people have fewer places to live in |
| C．competitions between men and animals | D．relations between animals and plants |
| A．Elephants ate people's plants in Africa. | B．Foxes made strange noises in the kitchen. |
| C．Tigers always have more land to live on. | D．Monkeys ate a lot of grapes in the UK. |
| A．Satisfied. | B．Frightened. | C．Cheerful. | D．Strict. |
| A．To tell people to fight with the wild animals. |
| B．To teach people to grow grapes for the animals. |
| C．To advise people to stay away from the animals. |
| D．To encourage people to share stories about animals. |
