1 . About 20 years ago, Daniel Hoffman, a classically trained violinist met a young musician playing in the town square in Marrakech, an ancient city in Morocco. They communicated in the little French they both knew, but their main common language was music. On the back of a motorbike of the fellow violinist, Hoffman weaved through the back streets of the city and then learned his first lessons in Andalusian music, the classical music of North Africa.
That experience gave birth to an idea: What would it be like to try to learn how to play different violin styles around the world in just one week? Oh. yes, and at the end of that week, play a concert. He even got a name for the concept “musical extreme sports”.
It took him almost two decades to launch that dream with a friend, who introduced him to the wonders of Kickstarter, a funding platform for creative projects. Up to now, the dream has taken the form of a new documentary currently airing on American public television stations called “Otherwise, It’s Just Firewood.”
In the documentary, Hoffman travels to County Clare, Ireland, where he takes lessons with James Kelly, a master Irish violin player, for less than a week and then performs together with him in front of an audience, many of whom are star Irish musicians.
The film is what Hoffman hopes will be the first of an eventual series of short documentaries, showing him learning to play the violin in a variety of styles, including the folk music of south India, Sweden, Greece, Romania, and West Virginia.
That would add to his extensive repertoire (全部曲目), which already includes Balkan, Middle Eastern, and Turkish styles. “The big joke is what’s the difference between the fiddle and the violin? It’s the person who plays it,” says Niall Keegan, a traditional flute player. “It’s the music you make on it that makes it Irish or English or French or classical or jazz or whatever else. It’s how we imagine it and how we create through it that make it and give it character.”
“Otherwise, it’s just firewood,” he says, words that became the film’s title.
1. Where does Hoffman’s idea of musical extreme sports come from?| A．His exploration of the local music. |
| B．His cooperation with the young violinist. |
| C．His sightseeing tour on a motorbike seat. |
| D．His constantly changing taste in violin styles. |
| A．help Hoffman to become a master violin player |
| B．are funded by American public television stations |
| C．introduce different styles of musicians around the world |
| D．record Hoffman’s experience in learning various violin styles |
| A．the power of diversified artistic expression |
| B．the pleasure in learning traditional music |
| C．the technique of instrument playing |
| D．the importance of famous artists |
2 . Inspiration
“Mama, when I grow up, I’m going to be one of those!” I said this after seeing the Capital Dancing Company perform when I was three. It was the first time that my
As I look back on that day now, it surely
Though I was absolutely thrilled with the change, it did not come without its fair share of challenges. Through the strict rehearsal period of dancing six days a week, I found it vital to
Today, when I look at the unbelievable company that I have the great
| A．hobby | B．plan | C．dream | D．word |
| A．rarely | B．certainly | C．probably | D．consistently |
| A．lacks | B．adds | C．makes | D．brings |
| A．while | B．since | C．until | D．when |
| A．cared | B．expected | C．asked | D．decided |
| A．motivated | B．relaxed | C．tired | D．astonished |
| A．put | B．mix | C．build | D．pick |
| A．boundaries | B．problems | C．barriers | D．efforts |
| A．talent | B．honor | C．potential | D．responsibility |
| A．victory | B．trend | C．tradition | D．desire |
3 . Do you listen to quiet music to help you wind down before sleep? However, this practice could be counter-productive, according to a new study by Michael K. Scullin and colleagues at Baylor University. The work, published in Psychological Medicine, found that bedtime music was associated with more sleep disruptions and that instrumental music is even worse than music with lyrics.
In the first study, 199 online participants living in the US reported on their sleep quality and music listening frequency and timing, as well as their beliefs about how this affected their sleep. Almost all—87%—believed that music improves sleep, or at least not disrupt it. However, the team found that more overall time spent listening to music was associated with poorer sleep and daytime sleepiness. Just over three quarters of the participants also reported experiencing frequent “earworms” — having a song or tune “stuck” and replaying in their minds. A quarter reported experiencing these during the night at least once per week, and these people were six times as likely to report poor sleep quality. The team's analysis suggested that listening specifically to instrumental music near bedtime was linked to more sleep-related earworms and poorer sleep quality.
The team then ran an experimental study on 48 young adults. After arriving at the sleep lab at 8:45 p.m., participants went to a quid bedroom, where they completed questionnaires that included measures of stress, sleep quality and daytime sleepiness. They also had electrodes applied, ready for the night-time polysomnography to record their brain wave activity, as well as heart rate and breathing, and reported on how relaxed, nervous, energetic, sleepy and stressed they felt. At 10:00 p.m., they were given some “downtime”, with quiet music playing. Half were randomized to hear three songs while the other half heard instrumental-only versions of these same songs.
Participants reported decreases in stress mid nervousness and increased relaxation after listening to either set of songs, and also showed decreases in blood pressure. So—as earlier studies have also suggested—quiet music at bedtime was indeed relaxing at the lime. However, a quarter of the participants woke from sleep with an earworm, and the polysomnography data showed that instrumental versions of the songs were more likely to induce these awakenings as well as other sleep disruptions, such as shifts from deeper sleep to lighter sleep. Taken together, the findings represent “causal evidence for bedtime instrumental music affecting sleep quality via triggering earworms.” the team writes.
Why instrumental-only songs should have a lugger impact than music with lyrics isn't clear. The three songs used in this study were chosen because they were likely to be familiar. Hearing them without the lyrics might have prompted the participant's brains to try to add the words, which might have made earworms more likely. If this is the case, all instrumental music may not have the same effect. However, the data from the first study is consistent with the idea that instrumental music generally is more of a problem.
1. According to the passage, the participants in both studies ______.| A．listened to light music | B．felt their sleeping problems resolved |
| C．had their sleeping quality monitored | D．provided feedback of their life |
| A．Lead to. | B．Impact on. | C．Break in. | D．Focus on. |
| A．Earworms are mainly caused by music with lyrics. |
| B．Bedtime music leads to high blood pressure and anxiety. |
| C．Quiet music improves sleeping quality while loud music harms sleep. |
| D．Both familiar and unfamiliar instrumental music can cause sleeping problems. |
| A．how instrumental music disturbs sleep |
| B．the possible negative effect of bedtime music |
| C．how people can improve their sleep quality |
| D．differences between music with and without lyrics |
4 . The Changing Landscape of the Music Business
The music industry is in the process of a great change. In the past decades, artists made money through physical sales of records, CDs, and cassettes. While in recent years, downloading songs from services such as Amazon or iTunes has become the most common way for people to purchase music, and the whole idea of buying music to own may be falling. To take its place are Internet apps that stream music directly to listeners on their smartphones, tablets, or computers.
With music lovers increasingly moving away from making one-time purchases towards an all-you-can-listen-to service, what is a hard-working artist to do? The main problem facing many musicians is that payments-per-stream of a song are much lower than what an artist would receive from a download.
Regardless of what artists may think about this change in the music industry, there’s no arguing that they need to adapt in order to make money.
Corporate sponsorship can be a risky option for musicians. A band can make much money by agreeing to promote a product or license its music for use in advertisements, but there are many ways that this can backfire. When bands work with businesses, they may lose the image they have worked to create.
| A．Others have welcomed the idea of streaming music. |
| B．However, those forms of media are quickly fading away. |
| C．Some big-name artists have called attention to the issue. |
| D．The rules could be different for smaller bands just starting out. |
| E．Maintaining a fine image while working on a career is certainly tricky. |
| F．One major shift is the growth in partnership between artists and businesses. |
| G．These apps are available either as free versions or as monthly subscription services. |
5 . For a long time Gabriel didn’t want to be involved in music at all. In his first years of high school, Gabriel would look pityingly at the music students,
This
| A．travelling | B．marching | C．pacing | D．struggling |
| A．rising up | B．coming up | C．driving up | D．turning up |
| A．betray | B．accept | C．avoid | D．appreciate |
| A．Therefore | B．However | C．Thus | D．Moreover |
| A．part | B．nature | C．basis | D．spirit |
| A．missed | B．disliked | C．enjoyed | D．denied |
| A．transparent | B．obvious | C．false | D．similar |
| A．because | B．but | C．though | D．so |
| A．ear | B．taste | C．heart | D．voice |
| A．occurred to | B．took to | C．appealed to | D．held to |
| A．change | B．chance | C．mission | D．function |
| A．proved | B．showed | C．stressed | D．meant |
| A．pushing | B．dragging | C．lifting | D．rushing |
| A．admiring | B．pitying | C．annoying | D．teasing |
| A．over | B．aside | C．behind | D．out |
The famous classical pianist, Kong Xiangdong, surprised his fans last week by giving a concert combining classical music with Chinese folk music. Kong explained that he tried this because he wanted to create something new." As a musician, playing the same music in different cities of the world is very boring, "says Kong. He also feels that playing Chinese folk music on the piano can help bring it to the rest of the world.
Music has always been part of Kong's world. As his mother was a great music lover, he lived with music from birth. But it wasn't always easy for the young Kong Xiangdong. His mother couldn't buy him a piano until he was seven. She had to draw piano keys on a piece of paper so that he could learn to play as early as possible. The 5-year-old Kong would practice on the paper piano as his mother clapped the rhythm. He was made to practice the piano so much that, at times, he thought about giving up. However, he didn't quit, and he became a great pianist. In 1986,at the age of 18,he became the youngest prize winner in Moscow's Tchaikovsky International Competition. He went on to win awards in competitions across the world.
Because of Kong's talent and hard work, he became famous worldwide. But after years of performing, he felt that in some ways he had lost his identity. This is why he went back to his roots and rediscovered the beauty in Chinese folk music. He began experimenting with different styles and his Dream Tour Concert is the result.
Kong's new experiment in Chinese folk music is so important to him that he even changed his appearance. When he arrived at his concert last week, he had shaved off all his hair! Since his music style was new, he decided his hairstyle had to be new too!
Whether Kong is changing his appearance or transforming his music, he is a pioneer in music today. The concert last week was such a success that Kong's Dream Tour Concert is expected to run for the next two years in Beijing, Shanghai, and other main cities before going to Paris and New York.
7 . I was 11 when I asked my mum for piano lessons. We were in an economic crisis and she'd recently been
That didn't
I still remember the first one. I was
I
For the grades above that, there was an
My school didn't offer music A-level. I found the Purcell School for young musicians. The audition （试镜）was extremely
I had been told I had started playing too
The irony is that I continue to do a lot of my practice away from the piano: what we call mental practice. It
| A．laid | B．pushed | C．dropped | D．knocked |
| A．annoy | B．bother | C．embarrass | D．discourage |
| A．take | B．sign | C．click | D．compose |
| A．seeing | B．touching | C．enjoying | D．choosing |
| A．serious | B．careful | C．hesitant | D．nervous |
| A．struck | B．puzzled | C．comforted | D．inspired |
| A．natural | B．artificial | C．practical | D．magical |
| A．only | B．still | C．hardly | D．already |
| A．sat | B．joined | C．failed | D．repeated |
| A．offer | B．teach | C．afford | D．observe |
| A．attitude | B．expectation | C．opinion | D．opportunity |
| A．avoid | B．miss | C．save | D．skip |
| A．social | B．mental | C．mechanical | D．physical |
| A．fascinating | B．motivating | C．frightening | D．challenging |
| A．course | B．reward | C．place | D．certificate |
| A．soon | B．late | C．hurriedly | D．suddenly |
| A．proud | B．lucky | C．ambitious | D．grateful |
| A．grand | B．strict | C．leading | D．expensive |
| A．builds | B．covers | C．defines | D．unlocks |
| A．prediction | B．memory | C．curiosity | D．imagination |
Mo Li Hua is a popular Chinese folk song
| A．A singer. | B．A musician. | C．A student. |
1. 推荐曲目；
2. 推荐理由；
3. 你的祝愿。
注意：1. 词数不少于50；
2. 开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
Dear Jim,
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
