1 .

Zhang Yuxuan can turn many things into melody (旋律) in her music world—a box of candies, water, pens and glass bottles. She records the sounds around her and mixes them into songs.

Better known as Vicky Xuanxuan on social media, the 15-year-old girl has attracted nearly 1.7 million followers on China’s leading video-sharing and livestreaming platform Bilibili and made national headlines. The sudden popularity has brought her opportunities to cooperate with celebrities.

Yuxuan’s most hit clip (视频剪辑)—the release of her English song She—has been viewed more than 14 million times and received over 1 million thumbs-up emoji on Bilibili. “In the clip, I tried to let viewers know how the song was created,” say Yuxuan, who lives in Shenzhen, South China’s Guangdong province.

The six-minute video tells how a melody coming to the ponytailed (梳马尾辫的) schoolgirl’s mind during a math class is developed into a beautiful song in half an hour. She records playing the guitar on Apple’s music-making app GarageBand, and then mixes vocals and backing tracks.

Inspired by the Hollywood film The Devil Wears Prada, she writes the lyrics for She: “She got a beautiful eye/Walk in a line/Smile with her type/She knows all about life/Never ask why/Driving everyone crazy/She has long hair/Tight skirt/She doesn’t need a lover or a partner.”

Talking about her inspiration for She, Yuxuan says: “I really appreciate the protagonist’s (主角) confidence and independence in the movie. Women like that are so charming.”

The song has amazed people. A Bilibili user says it is a song that “you cannot stop playing time and time again”. The video has forced many to reflect on their own productivity, as another user posts: “A student in junior middle school can create a song in half an hour, but I, a college student, can only finish my meal in half an hour.”

1. Why does the author mention Li Yundi in paragraph 2?

A．To tell us how hard Zhang Yuxuan works.

B．To demonstrate Zhang Yuxuan’s colourful life.

C．To emphasize how popular Zhang Yuxuan is.

D．To show Zhang Yuxuan’s talent for playing the piano.

2. Which of the following statement is TRUE about She?

A．The lyrics are taken from movie lines.

B．Zhang Yuxuan did it during a math class.

C．A female leading role gave Zhang Yuxuan ideas.

D．She is Zhang Yuxuan’s first song.

3. Which of the following best describes Zhang Yuxuan?

A．Capable.

B．Dependable.

C．Kind-hearted.

D．Selfless.

4. What does the underlined sentence in the last paragraph probably mean?

A．Zhang Yuxuan has a successful life.

B．Zhang Yuxuan is a musical genius.

C．Zhang Yuxuan cannot eat a meal in half an hour.

D．Zhang Yuxuan is smarter than college students.

5. In which section of a newspaper may this text appear?

A．Society.

B．Lifestyle.

C．Technology.

D．Opinion.

3 . 假设在英语课上老师给你们欣赏了电影《太空大灌篮》的主题曲I Believe I Can Fly。这是一首催人奋进的励志歌曲。请你根据以下要点以“I Believe I Can Fly”为题，用英语写一篇短文，参加某英语杂志社的写作比赛。
内容要点：
1. 这首歌告诉我们自信的重要性；    2. 自信给人勇气尝试，使人成功；
3. 梦想和自信使人勇于面对困难；    4. 没有梦想和自信，不会获得成功；
5. 你的感悟（考生自拟，至少一点）。
注意：
1. 词数100左右；
2. 参考词汇：自信 — confidence（n）；
3. 短文须包括所有要点，不要逐词翻译，可适当发挥，使短文连贯、通顺；
4. 文中不得出现真实的人名、校名等相关信息。
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4 . Commercial organizations have not been slow to see the financial rewards of using music in shops, restaurants, banks and there is now a fascinating and significant body of literature on the topic. This has been spearheaded (做先锋) by the British psychologist Adrian North in many studies that have been imaginative and inspiring.

In one study this research group agreed with a supermarket to play either stereotypically (带有成见的) French or German music on alternate days for a fortnight in the part of the shop selling wine They measured the amount and type of wine bought during this period. Yes, it worked! French music led to more sales of French wine and German music led to a preference for German wine.

In another study the research team played different kinds of music while people were tasting wine. They showed, as predicted, that the words people used to describe wine like smooth or bold were a part function of the music that was playing.

In a similar study either classical, pop or no music at all was played in a British restaurant over the course of nearly 3 weeks. Researchers measured time and money spent, the latter being broken: or down between drink and food. The customers spent more time and money (on starters and coffee) when the classical music was playing. The researchers offered three explanations for these potentially important findings: classical music was synergistic (协同的) with all other aspects of the restaurant   atmosphere.

Second, the patrons (顾客) simply preferred it, and transferred their good response to increased time and money spent. The third explanation was that classical music promotes an upmarket (高价位市场的) atmosphere in which it is natural to spend more money. Of course all explanations could function at the same time.

1. What can be inferred from the second paragraph?

A．Most people like to drink French wine.

B．More people like to listen to German music.

C．It is allowed to sell French wine for only 8 week.

D．Music can bring economical benefit to the supermarket.

2. Which music is preferred by people eating at the restaurant?

A．Classical music.	B．Pop music.
C．French music	D．German music.

3. Classical music can produce an atmosphere, which makes people ________.

A．feel excited	B．go to sleep
C．dance to the music.	D．spend more money

4. What can we learn about the explanations for classical music's popularity?

A．The first one is the most important.

B．The second one is more practical.

C．The third one is more reasonable.

D．They are not contradictory (矛盾的) with each other.

5. What can we conclude according to the passage?

A．Commercial organizations have seen the benefit of using proper music in their workplace.

B．Adrian North is an inspiring psychologist,

C．Music plays an important part in every field.

D．Music can be increasingly popular after the studies,

6 . In the United States the most popular form of folk dancing has been square dancing since the earlier days. In those days, men and women worked in groups to build a house or harvest crops. When the work was done, they usually danced merrily and happily in a store or in a farm kitchen.

Nowadays square-dancing is still performed. A square, which has four sides, is formed by four couples. Each couple stands on one side of the square, the man on the left and the woman on the right. That is to say, one square has eight people and they stand facing the center of the square.

Large or small numbers of people can dance together. Sometimes as many as 800 or 1,000 people may be dancing all at the same time.

Costumes are worn by those who do the square-dancing. This makes the dancing more colorful to watch. Men may have colored shirts and western trousers they wear only on special days. Women often wear full skirts of different colors with a pretty blouse. In some country areas, everyone wears their best clothes.

Today in all parts of the US you will find some schools, clubs, or other groups that are square dancing for fun. They enjoy it very much.

1. In the earlier days, when did people do square-dancing?
2. How many people are square-dancing if there are 100 squares?
3. What does the underlined word "costumes" mean in Paragraph 4?
4. What do people in some country areas wear in square-dancing?
5. How do people of the US like square-dancing today?

7 . Researchers at Georgia Tech have been working to improve a musical robot called Shimon. Shimon is a four-armed robot with a ball-like head. He holds small mallets (tools like hammers) in his “hands” to play a kind of xylophone (木琴). As Shimon plays, his head moves around in time to the music.

Shimon has been around for quite a while as a musical robot. Even back in 2015, he played with other musicians at the Kennedy Center in New York. What Shimon could do back then was already pretty cool.

Shimon was taught to write his own music by using “deep learning”. Deep learning, also known as Artificial Intelligence (AI), means that computer programs sort deeply through huge amounts of information. This allows them to find patterns humans may not have noticed. The programs can then use those patterns in new and surprising ways. For Shimon, that meant he could not only make up his own music, but also do it in real time while playing with other musicians. This is called “improvising”.

Now Shimon is back with a whole bunch of new tricks. He can write the words to his own songs, and sing them. Shimon learned to write the words for the songs in the same way he learned to write music.

Professor Gil Weinberg in Georgia Tech, who leads the Shimon project, gets Shimon going with a starting idea. Shimon then writes the lyrics based around that idea.

To give Shimon a voice, the Georgia Tech team worked with experts at Pompeu Fabra University in Spain. The voice was created by AI and sounds like a man very much. Shimon's face has also gotten new features. Shimon's mouth now moves smoothly in time as he sings. He also has eyebrows, which allow his face to show more emotions. For Mr. Weinberg, that's the main goal behind the Shimon project — not to have robots take over, but to have robots and humans make something beautiful together.

1. What do we know about Shimon?

A．He is no stranger to the music field.

B．He has trouble recognizing different tunes.

C．He can play different kinds of musical instruments.

D．He often gives performances on international stages.

2. By mentioning “improvising”, the author wants to show that Shimon can ________.

A．make up his own music	B．improve the music he created
C．sort out different music patterns	D．create music without any preparation

3. What's a necessity for Shimon to learn to write the words for the songs?

A．Listening to much live music.	B．Being fed with a lot of examples.
C．Being instructed by a musician face to face.	D．Cooperating with other musicians many times.

4. Why did the Georgia lech team work with experts from Pompeu Fabra University?

A．To enable Shimon to sing songs.	B．To give Shimon rich facial expressions.
C．To allow Shimon to show his opinions.	D．To let Shimon learn to express emotions.

5. What would be the best title for the text?

A．Musical Robots in the Music Field	B．The Making of a Great Musician
C．Shimon: An All-round Musical Robot	D．The Role of AI in the Music Development

8 . Sasha Masakowski's father is the jazz musician Steve Masakowski. When Sasha was little, he usually asked Sasha to play the_________while he played the guitar. And he often told her to_________some pieces using just the white keys or just the black keys. She thought of herself as a little_________making music with her dad. And these are always her treasured_________.

Sasha, now 33 years old, is a(n)_________musician who was nominated as New Orleans' best female singer and has_________five record albums. These days, the father and daughter_________work together, along with Sasha's brother Martin. They usually_________as the Masakowski Family Band. Recently, the Masakowskis turned their home into a concert_________Ellis Marsalis, an American jazz pianist, who passed away due to COVID-19.

It's__________that Sasha has developed an ear for music in her family where both her parents are musicians.__________Steve hoped his children would develop a love for jazz, Sasha was very__________about pop music like many young people.

Once at a high school party, she talked with a boy and learned he was a great fan of her father. That__________made her realize that her father's music was actually__________. So after graduation, she entered the University of New Orleans, where her father taught jazz. There she became her father's student__________.

Sasha and Steve love playing together, and they__________the common pleasure jazz gives them. Such a close relationship is not always easy. Steve always__________Sasha for her performance; however, she doesn't__________, saying he just wants her to__________and it all comes from love. For Sasha and Steve, it is jazz that deepens the__________between them.

1.

A．violin

B．piano

C．drum

D．triangle

2.

A．analyze

B．sort

C．create

D．polish

3.

A．composer

B．judge

C．consultant

D．guide

4.

A．courses

B．memories

C．celebrations

D．standards

5.

A．objective

B．controversial

C．conservative

D．outstanding

6.

A．advertised

B．reviewed

C．released

D．collected

7.

A．seldom

B．still

C．eventually

D．gradually

8.

A．perform

B．compete

C．plan

D．coach

9.

A．on behalf of

B．in place of

C．in charge of

D．in honor of

10.

A．hopeful

B．surprising

C．apparent

D．appealing

11.

A．Although

B．Since

C．Unless

D．If

12.

A．anxious

B．nervous

C．certain

D．enthusiastic

13.

A．decision

B．contest

C．exchange

D．promise

14.

A．amusing

B．attractive

C．formal

D．ambitious

15.

A．officially

B．personally

C．mistakenly

D．accidentally

16.

A．predict

B．overlook

C．evaluate

D．treasure

17.

A．criticizes

B．forgives

C．praises

D．appreciates

18.

A．change

B．remember

C．mind

D．accept

19.

A．behave

B．succeed

C．stay

D．share

20.

A．gap

B．snuggle

C．difference

D．bond

9 . The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire. I believe.

I was studying chemistry at college because my family thought_______was the key to success. One day, my professor asked, “Why are you in my class when you have little_______in chemistry?” I tried to explain by_______pressure from my dad but he knew it was just a___________excuse. He said, “Success can only be_______by oneself, and your success will be different from mine or your parents. There is no secret, no examination you have to_______and no guarantee, but there is a secret—passion (激情). To be successful in life, you must_______your passion. Whether you are passionate about fixing cars or_________the world, you must be passionate about your goal and set a path to_________it. Only then will you find the true____________.”

At just the age of 19, that advice was hard for me to__________, but I knew instinctively (本能地) that he was________. I made a self-examination________and found my true passion was____________. I could play the piano by ear but had only considered it as a__________.

There was only one way to__________if I can be a successful musician, so I took my professor’s advice and switched to the university’s music school. I felt as though I was on top of the world, and that feeling has never__________me.

I’m now 54-year-old, and live with __________. As I look at the walls of my office, I still get a__________at seeing the awards I received and the photos of the__________musicians I was lucky enough to play with.

1.

A．challenge

B．education

C．courage

D．focus

2.

A．effort

B．difficulty

C．interest

D．luck

3.

A．comparing

B．refusing

C．doubting

D．blaming

4.

A．weak

B．natural

C．contemporary

D．reasonable

5.

A．accepted

B．reviewed

C．described

D．measured

6.

A．observe

B．pass

C．create

D．escape

7.

A．show

B．believe

C．select

D．follow

8.

A．destroying

B．supporting

C．exploring

D．instructing

9.

A．share

B．defeat

C．develop

D．realize

10.

A．happiness

B．problem

C．regret

D．reason

11.

A．translate

B．turn down

C．absorb

D．put forward

12.

A．independent

B．correct

C．particular

D．ridiculous

13.

A．thoroughly

B．gradually

C．frequently

D．mildly

14.

A．chemistry

B．music

C．diploma

D．study

15.

A．habit

B．job

C．pity

D．hobby

16.

A．promise

B．discuss

C．find out

D．deal with

17.

A．bothered

B．left

C．calmed

D．attracted

18.

A．satisfaction

B．pressure

C．respect

D．confidence

19.

A．thrill

B．chance

C．thought

D．recipe

20.

A．wise

B．proud

C．famous

D．strange

10 . The National Association of Teachers of Singing(NATS) celebrates the art of singing through a series of competitions and programs. They are designed to showcase the talented singers and performers who are soon to be rising stars in the profession.

National Student Auditions

Students of NATS members will begin by performing during their regional auditions. Five singers from each regional category will advance lo a national online screening round, where entrants will submit a video of their performances for judgment by a group of national judges.

Entry Fee: $75 per category

Prizes: S35,000 for 1st, 2nd and 3rd places in total.

Deadline for Applications: April 13, 2021(applications by emailed invitation only; following regional auditions)

NATS Artist Awards(NATSAA)

Preliminary competitions are held at the regional level, with one winner picked out of each of the 14 NATS regions. The 14 semifinalists then gather at the site or the NATS Winter Workshop for the final two rounds of the competition.

Entry Fee: $75

Prizes: The winner is awarded $13,000; the 2nd place, $6,000.

Deadline for Applications: September 5,2021

Art Song Composition Award

The competition is open to any composer whose submined work meets the requirements. The winning composer will receive a cash award and a performance of the winning composition at the next scheduled NATS National Conference.

Entry Fee: $30

Prizes: The winner is awarded $5,000; the 2nd place, $2,500.

Deadline for Applications: December 1, 2021

National Music Theater Competition

The competition is seeking the best rising music theater soloists, those who just need one break to move their careers forward. Applicants must be between ages 20-28. Preliminary rounds of the competition are scheduled to take place in fall 2021 and about 24 singers advance to the semifinal and final rounds.

Entry Fee: $90.

Prizes: The first prize is awarded 55,000; the 2nd place, $52,000.

Deadline for Applications: May 15, 2021

1. What is the purpose of these NATS competitions?

A．To decide who can join NATS.

B．To celebrate important music festivals.

C．To test and grade NATS teachers' professional skills.

D．To let NATS members and their students show musical talent.

2. An emailed invitation is a must for those who want to attend            .

A．NATS Artist Awards	B．National Student Auditions
C．An Song Composition Award	D．National Music Theater Competition

3. If you came second after the two NATSAA final rounds, how much could you get?

A．1,7500 dollars.

B．6,000 dollars.

C．2,500 dollars.

D．2,000 dollars.

4. Applications for Art Song Composition Award should be submitted before which day?

A．April 13,2021.

B．May 15,2021.

C．Septembers,2021.

D．December 1,2021.

5. Which kind of people is National Music Theater Competition seeking?

A．The best music theater managers.	B．Senior artists who have live concert experiences.
C．Solo performers aged 20-28.	D．Those who are good at playing musical instruments.