1 . I’ll always remember the first time I tried ballet. My mother was a dancer and I wanted nothing more than to be like her, but after making mistakes during my first class, I felt like I wanted to quit right away. However, I told my mom I couldn’t wait to dance again because it was only my first day.
Weeks passed and my dancing didn’t get any better. Then my dance teacher announced that we were going to perform in a show. I was scared of falling on my face in front of hundreds of people and disappointing my mom.
Even though I practiced hard for the show, I never quite got the hang of it. Finally, I went to my mom to tell her how I felt. She simply laughed and told me she would teach me all she knew about ballet.
My mom quickly discovered how bad at ballet I was, but she still taught me with the greatest patience, love and understanding. When I jumped and fell, she was there to catch me. When I lost my balance, she held me up. By the time the show arrived, I was as prepared as I could be.
The music began and my heart started to race. Breathing calmly, I began moving to the music without missing a step. When the music stopped, I ran off the stage and laughed in excitement.
My mom found me and gave me a huge hug, telling me how proud she was. I looked my mom in the eye and told her that there was no way this could have happened without her. Through this, I realized one important fact: My mom will always be there to catch me if I fall.
1. What happened to the author on her first day of ballet?A.She fell down and hurt herself. | B.She made no mistakes while dancing. |
C.She realized she was talented in ballet. | D.She lied to her mom about liking ballet. |
A.learned to do it well. | B.lost interest in it. | C.had trouble with it. | D.jumped high in the air. |
A.She simply laughed and ignored her concerns completely. |
B.She encouraged her to quit and pursue something else. |
C.She offered to teach her everything she knew about ballet. |
D.She scolded her strictly for not practising enough. |
A.nervous and dependable. | B.calm and impatient. |
C.excited and concerned. | D.understanding and reliable. |
A.Don’t be afraid of disappointing others. |
B.Never try something you are not good at. |
C.A mother’s love is pure and unconditional. |
D.Every mom will be proud of their children’s achievements. |
2 . A recent research study suggests that learning music doesn’t make you smarter.
For a while, there was an idea found on the Internet and in various magazines that suggested that babies could become smarter if they listened to Mozart, or to other classical music. Inspired, some parents bought classical CDs for their babies in the hope that this would boost their intelligence. But this so-called “Mozart Effect” has been challenged repeatedly.
But is taking music lessons surely different from just listening to music? Wouldn’t taking music lessons make kids smarter? That’s exactly the question that many researchers over the years have tried to answer. Some of their studies concluded that it does, and some found that it doesn’t. For example, one study showed that music education did not improve reading skills, while another one found a small effect of music on young children’s ability to learn words.
The researchers of the new study, Giovanni Sala (Fujita Health University) and Fernand Gober (London School of Economics), looked at the data behind 54 carefully selected studies, and after carefully comparing the data from different papers, they concluded that children who took music lessons did not score higher on tests that measure their intelligence or academic ability than kids that didn’t learn music.
If music doesn’t make you smarter, how does that explain other research that shows that music lessons help students’ school performance? It seems like there is something about music lessons that makes students able to perform better in their other classes. That doesn’t have to be intelligence, and it’s likely not. Music lessons could have helped in different ways: They could have led to a change in homework habits, they could have increased confidence, or they could have improved social skills. And finally, they also mention that music education could still be beneficial to students’ performance in non-music subject if the music is combined with these classes. So feel free to keep making music, and keep encouraging children to learn music.
1. Which of the following words is closest to the underlined word “boost” in Paragraph 2?A.Reduce. | B.Improve. | C.Understand. | D.Influence. |
A.It is most likely to be ineffective. |
B.It was first presented by Mozart. |
C.It helps parents take good care of their children. |
D.It will draw more and more researchers’ attention. |
A.Listening to music benefits kids a lot. |
B.Whether music education suits all kids remains unknown. |
C.Listening to music fail to help kids in language learning. |
D.Whether taking music lessons makes kids smarter is controversial (有争议的). |
A.They did 54 small studies in all. |
B.They observed children in music classes. |
C.They examined plenty of previous research. |
D.They did a long-term survey of musical students. |
A.Music lessons should be encouraged for children. |
B.Intelligence determines one’s school performance. |
C.A student’s intelligence can be increased with effort. |
D.Students should avoid listening to music while studying. |
3 . Exams never made me break out in a nervous sweat—but this one did. Even booking my piano exam reduced me to a mess of anxiety.
I feel permanently scared inside churches, where piano exams are held—no longer admiring their beauty because over the years I have received terrible marks from examiners. Despite being 15—too old, too cool to be frightened—I remember trembling inside the bathroom before my tests. I wished I never had to play in front of others.
This time, after booking my Level 8 Royal Conservatory of Music piano exam, I went back to my normal routine. A little practice here; a little practice there. And then it happened. My trusty, 10-year-old electric piano gave out. When I told my father what had happened to my piano, he only glared at me with disappointment, “When I was your age, I learned to be resourceful.”
Hmm. I had a broken piano, an exam coming up in a few months and a father who refused to buy me a new piano because he wanted to teach me a “life lesson”. I finally came up with a decision: I’d practice at school.
The school had many pianos but only a few in tune. Within a few days of searching, I headed off to a music room at every available opportunity. I loved finding new pianos in hidden corners of the school and spent hours practicing.
As my exam drew near, all the music teachers knew to look for me in the piano rooms after school. In anticipation of my assessment, one of my music teachers let me perform for her as a mini practice exam. To my surprise, she was greatly impressed.
Music had never been the love of my life but that was changing. When I played, my worries about how others judged me and how I viewed myself merged to reveal who I really am. All my adolescent thoughts made me feel like I was in a cage, but music gave me the key.
Within a few months I went from not caring about my playing to feeling actually kind of proud of my work. In my favorite, soundproof music room, I discovered that behind the piano, I could become anyone. Talking to other people never came easy to me, but I was able to express myself through music. I became overjoyed.
When the time came to play in front of an examiner, all the anxiety I had about going up on stage dimmed, and all I could think about was the marvelous journey I’d had to get here. Trilling the keys reminded me of the bittersweet music experiences of past years and my happiness nowadays.
Many days later, I received my mark—a rarely mentioned “well done”.
Now whenever I get caught up in the daily struggle, I remember the hard work that it took to reach my goal. Whenever I feel discouraged, I never forget to look at the gleaming keys of my new upright piano. As my father always says, some lessons are just learned the hard way.
1. What made the author so stressful inside churches these years?A.The religious atmosphere. | B.The artistic performance. |
C.The horrible surroundings. | D.Her colorful fantasy. |
A.The author’s family was too poor to afford a new piano. |
B.The father was quite angry about the author’s bad behavior. |
C.The father wanted the author to address the problem independently. |
D.The author showed great dissatisfaction about her father. |
A.her hard work and determination |
B.her own understanding of musical: value |
C.her teachers’ constant encouragement |
D.her family’s enthusiastic support |
A.Mixed. | B.Separated. | C.Interacted. | D.Exploited. |
A.Nervous—disappointed—angry—calm |
B.Curious—frustrated—hopeful—grateful |
C.Depressed—satisfied—disappointed—peaceful |
D.Frightened—indifferent—passionate—proud |
A.An important Music Test | B.A Hard but Enjoyable Life |
C.My Favorite Piano | D.The “Key” to Happiness |
4 . A famous philosopher said, “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” Travelling can provide different experience and
Last year, I enrolled in a summer vocal(唱歌) institute at Westminster Choir College of Rider University in New Jersey, US. There I truly experienced the kindness and warmth of people all over the world
As a
Later, they even held a party for me, which also showed their
Maybe it was the great atmosphere or the fact that I wanted them to know more about China that
Apart from their warmth, their
Time flew.
A.provide | B.get | C.broaden | D.enhance |
A.in need of | B.by means of | C.in terms of | D.regardless of |
A.reader | B.newcomer | C.loser | D.traveler |
A.However | B.Besides | C.Therefore | D.Otherwise |
A.left | B.saw | C.entered | D.found |
A.laugh | B.relax | C.cry | D.complain |
A.tiredness | B.happiness | C.loneliness | D.kindness |
A.related to | B.addicted to | C.opposed to | D.given to |
A.curiosity | B.bravery | C.indifference | D.anxiety |
A.learned | B.talked | C.collected | D.answered |
A.serious | B.famous | C.significant | D.familiar |
A.asked | B.forced | C.inspired | D.extended |
A.forgetful | B.wonderful | C.powerful | D.useful |
A.performance of | B.passion for | C.talent in | D.contribution to |
A.long-lasting | B.ordinary | C.original | D.experimental |
A.sent | B.treasured | C.praised | D.threw |
A.environment | B.holiday | C.game | D.journey |
A.faster | B.cleverer | C.stronger | D.louder |
A.Unless | B.If | C.Before | D.Since |
A.particular | B.careful | C.anxious | D.confident |
“I never lied to my father. When I was young, my father told me that if I tried to lie to him, he would always know. My body would tell him the truth because the body’s movement never lies.”, said Martha Graham, an influential American dancer and teacher, fascinated with the ideal that “movement never lies”. Martha realized that the body is its own storyteller. She just wanted to find ways to tell those stories through dance.
She began by studying ballet, but soon realized that it wasn’t right to her. From the very beginning of her dancing career, Martha saw dance differently. She was tiny, not tall like ballerinas (芭蕾舞女演员) at that time. But she had a strong, powerful body and dark, soulful (热情的) eyes. So she developed a style of movement different from traditional romantic ballet and called it modern dance. She brought modern dance to a new level of popularity in American culture.
Unlike ballet, which took place in a fairylike world, Martha’s modern dance expressed real emotions. Martha believed that it was important that the audience see themselves within her dances. She created and arranged many dances that showed emotions such as anger, jealousy, love or hate of common people.
Martha loved to wear long, dark, flowing robes when she performed. In the dances she used her robes in many different ways. Martha’s most important prop (支撑物) was the floor. She always danced in her bare feet, and her feet worked hard to tell their stories. The technique catching on, she founded the Dance Repertory Theater, and later, the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance.
Martha Graham died in 1991, just short of 100 years old. During her life she never stopped dancing. A part of Martha Graham lives on in modern dancers everywhere who continue to study the “Graham technique”. They strive for her honesty, always remembering that movement never lies.
1. Why did Martha Graham never lied to her father when she was young?(no more than 12words)2. What does the underlined word“ideal”mean in paragraph 1?(no more than 2 words)
3. For what reason did Martha Graham develop modern dance?(no more than 15 words)
4. What is unique of her modern dance?(no more than 20 words)
5. What impresses you most of Graham’s story? And why?(no more than 20 words)
6 . 假定你是李津,你市将举办中外乐器展览会,你想邀请你的外籍好友 Chris 前往参观,请给他写一封邮件,内容包括:
1. 写信目的;2. 简介展览会;3. 出发时间和方式。
注意:1. 词数不少于100;2. 可适当增加细节,以使行文连贯。
参考词汇:乐器展览会: musical instrument fair
Dear Chris,
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours sincerely,
Li Jin
A.A CD. | B.The man’s brother. | C.A guitar. |
8 . 阅读表达
During the final term of my theater and performance degree at the University of Leeds, I found myself standing outside Berkeley Court care home with three classmates and an underdeveloped idea. We planned to hold some interactive workshops with the residents to try to inspire memory and social engagement.
I remember being nervous, aware that we were working with people who were vulnerable, and that I had no idea what I was doing. Some residents were almost nonverbal, some were clearly not with ability. Some were happy to see us, and some were not.
I had decided to play music at the end of the session. We went with the song My Way because the residents, all roughly 80 years old, were probably listening to the hit song in their late 20s.
Once I pressed play, it was as if a spell had been cast. Nearly everyone in the room stood up and sang what seemed like every word. I was so profoundly moved. Many of them were communicating much better. It looked and felt like magic.
Off I went to drama school, but I thought about that experience almost daily. So when we were given the opportunity to write a script for a theater festival, I created a love story about music and dementia (痴呆), spanning 50 years of a couple’s life.
And now, 10 years later, the show I made is running again in London thanks to the Music for Dementia campaign.
When my grandma was diagnosed with dementia toward the end of her life, I didn’t struggle to communicate with her in the way that other people in their might have done. I felt more able to tune into what she needed and better equipped to see her underneath the disease.
I now know that music-based intervention reduce the need for medication in more than 60% of people living with dementia. I don’t know what My Way would be, but I certainly think we should all strive to find our song and do our best to stay connected to the people we share it with.
1. Why did the author choose the song My Way to play? (No more than 15 words)9 . Can you think of a day without music? We can hear music everywhere: in the streets and at home, over the radio and on TV, in the shops and in the parks. People all over the world are fond of music. They listen to music, they dance to music, and they learn to play musical instruments.
Music isn’t only a combination of pleasant sounds. It is an art which reflects life. There are a lot of different kinds of music. Some of them appeared long ago, and some are modern. Folk music appeared long ago, but it is still alive. Folk songs are very pleasant to listen to. Classical music is often associated with the music of the past. Rap is a modern musical style where the singer speaks or shouts the words in time to music with a steady beat.
Great Britain has produced more popular music stars than any other country. British groups often set new trends in music. New styles, groups and singers continue to appear. Many of the new bands have been able to use changes in technology to develop their music such as computerised drum machines, synthesisers and other electronic instruments.
Tastes differ. So people’s musical interests range from pop and rock music to classical music and opera. My favourite style of music is pop music, because it is full of energy. When I listen to pop music it makes me remember happy times and forget the problems of everyday life. I also enjoy listening to classical music. The music I hate is heavy metal. I find it noisy. When I listen to this style of music it presents to my mind pictures of dark days. My mother and father agree with my tastes in music. Though they prefer to listen to classical, they think that modern music is not too bad.
Music appeals to our hearts. It comforts our souls and enriches (充实) our minds. Music is beauty in sounds; it is our magic source of inspiration.
1. What is the first paragraph mainly about?A.Several types of music. | B.Different musical tastes. |
C.The development of musical styles. | D.The importance of music in our lives. |
A.By describing courses. | B.By analysing reasons. |
C.By giving examples. | D.By making comparisons. |
A.It has produced many popular music stars in the world. |
B.It fails to apply new technology in the performances. |
C.Many new bands insist on traditional instruments. |
D.British groups fall behind the new trends now. |
A.It is played with electronic instruments. |
B.It is characterised by a steady beat. |
C.It is loud and strong. |
D.It sounds energetic. |
A.Doubtful. | B.Supportive. | C.Dissatisfied. | D.Unconcerned. |
10 . Kim Jae-geun, a softly-spoken 59-year-old man in South Korea, had spent many years in advertising before he no longer had the strength for it. So during the past seven years, instead of spending his days writing copy, Mr. Kimhas spent his evenings behind the counter of his bar, Seochon Blues, near Seoul’s government district. The place is also home to thousands of vinyl records (黑胶唱片) that he began collecting as a teenager. Customers can request their favourite songs there. The bar is often full of tired office workers, and 20-something people and local artists at weekends. “There’s a special wave,” Mr. Kim observed. “All the young people ask for very old songs.” he said.
Mr. Kim’s Seochon Blues is one of the dozens of “LP bars” in South Korea’s capital, many of which are run by men with similar stories. South Korean companies offer few opportunities to middle-aged workers who haven’t climbed through the ranks. Leaving their jobs in their fifties, with music collections becoming too large for their living rooms, a few who haven’t taken up work as taxi drivers or security guards began to make a living by opening such bars.
The first LP bars opened in the 1990s, possibly inspired by the “listening bars” that originated in mid-20th century Japan. Music enthusiasts would come to these bars to listen to imported records that were otherwise hard to come by. The LP bars have proliferated in recent years with more and more people loving going there, thus greatly benefiting the middle-aged owners.
All LP bars encourage nostalgia (怀旧). “I don’t like digitization or the isolated way people have now,” said Lee Jae-jun, who left his job and also opened such a bar. He likes recalling the eighties and nineties and playing songs from people’s youth. “On the best days, regulars arrive for just one drink, and then I play old songs they like. And before you know it, it’s midnight and everyone goes home, drunk and happy,” said Lee Jae-jun.
1. What appears unusual for Mr. Kim in Seochon Blues?A.Teenagers collect different types of vinyl records. |
B.The youth enjoy listening to old songs. |
C.Artists try to get inspiration for writing songs. |
D.People show off their success in advertisements. |
A.Middle-aged workers are welcomed by small companies. |
B.South Koreans prefer to live a quite relaxed life. |
C.South Koreans tend to change their jobs constantly. |
D.LP bars offer career opportunities to middle-aged workers. |
A.Sprung up | B.Survived. | C.Died down. | D.Returned. |
A.Amazing and professional. | B.Romantic and enjoyable. |
C.Nostalgic and relaxed. | D.Mysterious and encouraging. |
A.The stories behind Kim Jae-geun | B.The rise of LP bars in South Korea |
C.The popularity of music bands | D.The influence of old records |