1 . Music is universal. Take a moment to think about what music you like as you read our beginner’s guide to the history of music.
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages, which ranges from the 6th century to the 16th century, featured medieval (中世纪的) music. During this time, there were two general types of music styles-the monophonic and the polyphonic. The main forms of music included Gregorian chanting and plainchant.
Classical Period
The music forms and styles of the Classical period, which ranges from 1750 to 1820, are characterized by simpler melodies (旋律) and forms like the sonatas. During this time, the middle class had more access to music. So composers began to create music that was easier to understand. Most especially, Mozart wrote his first symphony and Beethoven was born during this period.
Romantic Period
Historiographers define the Romantic music period to be from 1800 to 1900. Music forms of the Romantic period used music to tell a story or express an idea. Various instruments including wind instruments were used. Instruments that were invented or improved during this time included the flute and the saxophone.
The 20th Century
Music during the 20th century brought about many innovations on how music was performed and appreciated. Artists were more willing to experiment with new music forms and used technology to improve their compositions. The 20th century music has various styles.
1. In which period can Mozart’s composition be found?| A．Middle Ages. | B．Classical period. |
| C．Romantic period. | D．The 20th century. |
| A．It had a history of 70 years. |
| B．Musicians only used wind instruments. |
| C．Music was related to a story or an idea. |
| D．It was harder to understand the music forms during this period. |
| A．By inventing new instruments. | B．By practicing new music styles. |
| C．By writing complex compositions. | D．By studying advanced technology. |
2 . Skiing has been around since early civilization, evidenced by a 5,000-year-old rock carving representing men on skis hunting deer in Norway, and the discovery of a ski dating back to 6000 B.C. found in Vis, Russia. Historians debate where skiing first got its start, though; some argue that it was in Altay, China, in 8000 B.C.
Modern skiing, however, can date back to the Scandinavians, who mainly used skis as a means of travel or for other practical purposes, particularly the Indigenous Sámi people in Norway, Finland, and Sweden, writes Raymond Flower in The History of Skiing and Other Winter Sports. Norse myths (挪威神话) even described Ull, a winter god, on skis with curved tips and included other stories of heroes and goddesses skiing down mountains.
Some of the first official competitions began around 1850 in Norway, with the first recorded race in Sweden held outside Stockholm in 1879. Skiing became a household word with the publication of the popular book offering a thrilling account of Norwegian explorer Fridtjof Nansen’s difficult and historic journey on skis across Greenland in 1888.
The sport spread to the Swiss Alps, where it was enjoyed largely by British vacationers, before clubs popped up around the world in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Variations of the sport developed over the years, such as the slalom race (障碍滑雪), downhill jumping, and mountaineering. The British are largely credited with transforming skiing from its Scandinavian roots into the highly competitive sport it is now. In 1921, they developed rules that became widely accepted and adjusted the slalom race to include flag gates to test the skill of skiers’ turns.
Skiing then exploded in popularity after World War II, when ski resorts (胜地) gradually developed to receive single-day skiers as well as those taking longer vacations.
1. What can we learn about Raymond Flower?| A．He wrote about skiing. | B．He invented skiing. |
| C．He recorded Norse myths. | D．He was good at rock carving. |
| A．Some official competitions were held. | B．The British spread it all over the world. |
| C．It was written in the textbook on history. | D．An adventure book about skiing came out. |
| A．The Swiss. | B．The British. | C．The Norse. | D．The Finn. |
| A．How Did Skiing Develop in Norway? | B．Why Did People Kill Time by Skiing? |
| C．What Are Skiing Adventures All About? | D．What Are the Ancient Origins of Skiing? |
