1 . Music has existed since the beginning of time. People have always sung songs, danced to music, and played musical instruments together.
First of all, music has no borders or boundaries(界线).
What’s more, it has been proven that music plays a key role in brain development. This is because it helps with the development of language, motor skills, and emotional intelligence.
There’s nothing worse than being nervous before a big event or performance.
| A．Music is a necessary part of our lives |
| B．Music brings various communities closer |
| C．Music also has a positive effect on our memory |
| D．It really can leave us feeling worried and frightened |
| E．Music is a perfect way to help you relax and reduce your stress |
| F．It’s a universal language that connects people all over the world |
| G．The way music affects the brain is through a process called entertainment |
1. What music makes the man want to dance?
| A．The 80s music. | B．The song “Holiday”. | C．Madonna’s new music. |
| A．Think about past experiences. |
| B．Drive more carefully. |
| C．Try something new. |
| A．Getting good grades is important. |
| B．One shouldn’t study history at school. |
| C．Studying is easy. |
| A．He will forget the past. | B．The woman is right. | C．He will study harder |
3 . I’d never heard of the yangqin — an 17th century Chinese stringed instrument(弦乐器) — until this past Sunday, when I had the pleasure of hearing Eastman graduate and music artist Wenzhuo Zhang 20E(MA) perform on it in a concert.
Wenzhuo, a Chinese native, began her training on the yangqin at age five. When she was only 13, Wenzhuo was awarded a scholarship to the Arts School of Hebei Province. After graduation. she placed first in the nationwide competition and was admitted into the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts in Beijing, where she was awarded her bachelor’s in yangqin performance in 2005. She received her doctor’s degree from Boston University in music education in 2015 and studied at Eastman from 2017 to 2019. Wenzhuo has performed many times and won countless awards for her performances.
Before Wenzhuo performed five pieces on her yangqin, she introduced a brief historical background, and discussed its continued usage up to the present day. The yangqin was first used in Chinese folk music performance and operas. Later, under Mao Zedong, the yangqin slowly became a little popular. Performances began to be supported by the state, and yangqin performers were given a path to higher levels.
Wenzhuo performed four pieces going back to centuries ago, and one piece from the modern time. Needless to say, Wenzhuo’s performances sounded splendid. The yangqin is a unique and beautiful traditional instrument, and its sound is wonderful. It was nice to learn about the yangqin and a joy to watch Wenzhuo perform on it.
1. What do we know about the instrument?| A．It is very expensive. |
| B．It is familiar to the public. |
| C．It is very easy for people to learn. |
| D．It is a Chinese traditional instrument. |
| A．She could perform on her yangqin at age 5. |
| B．She took first prize in national competition. |
| C．She got her doctor’s degree in yangqin performance in 2015. |
| D．She was admitted to the Chinese Theatre Arts in Beijing at age 13. |
| A．3. | B．4. | C．5. | D．6. |
| A．Just so so. | B．Annoying. | C．Successful. | D．Disappointing. |
4 . Because of COVID-19, in many places, large gatherings of people aren’t allowed. In some areas, the rules are more strict, and people aren't allowed to leave their homes unless going out is absolutely necessary.
These steps are very important for slowing the disease down. By doing this, governments can make sure doctors and hospitals are better able to deal with all the sick people, and that fewer people suffer in all. Usually, it's called “flattening the curve”.
But if no one can go out, that means businesses which depend on visitors struggle. Many singers, bands, and other musicians would normally be giving concerts now. Instead, they have to find new ways to share their music and connect with their audiences. The Metropolitan Opera in New York has canceled(取消) its season, but it is showing a special live stream of a different opera each day on its website. Other opera companies have made similar moves. Several theater companies are either offering recorded versions of their plays online or posting videos of their actors performing.
Nick Green wrote a musical play that was canceled because of the virus. He set up a website with links that allow people to enjoy the work of artists around the world who have had their projects canceled. He called his project the Social Distancing Festival. He sad it was a time when he should be doing something new, rather than feeling disappointed.
Even TV shows have to find new ways to film their shows. Some late night TV shows have continued, but without audiences. Others are showing reruns.
While their shows are on pause, some TV stars like Conan O’Brien and Jimmy Fallon have been filming short videos at home. Mr. O’ Brien plans to bring his show back on the air soon by filming with his own phone and talking with guests over the Internet.
1. What does the underlined phrase in Paragraph 2 refer to?| A．Keeping patients staying at home anytime. | B．Speed up the spread of disease. |
| C．Stopping people from often gathering up. | D．Slowing down the spread of the disease. |
| A．Stopping sharing music with audience. | B．Providing live stream services. |
| C．Trying to attract live audiences. | D．Sharing their operas with each other |
| A．Disappointment. | B．Annoyance . | C．Creativity. | D．Anxiety. |
| A．People staying at home . | B．The absence of audiences. |
| C．The efforts of Nick Green . | D．Entertainment going online . |
5 . For the most part, you are probably only exposed to the music that is played on your favorite radio stations and TV shows, music Web sites, or the music that your friends and family members enjoy. While you probably know a lot about your favorite type of music, it can be a rewarding experience to enlarge your horizons (眼界), discovering artists and types of music that you’re not familiar with. Who knows, you might discover you like certain types of music you never even considered.
Have you ever wondered about the history and influences of your favorite types of music? For example, did you know that rock ’n’ roll originated (起源) from the blues, and that the blues began as a form of musical expression for African Americans during slavery (奴隶制度)? Did you know that most hip-hop is heavily influenced by early rhythm blues and jazz?
There are many fun ways to learn about different musical styles and their historical roots. For example, if you like hip-hop, listen to some of your favorite CDs and take note of the samples the performers used to create the songs. There is a possibility that the artist used parts of older songs to create the music. You can go to the library or online to learn more about the artists and listen to more of their music by checking out CDs from the library or downloading songs online for a small fee.
You can learn so much about culture and history just by paying attention to different types of music and what is being expressed in the songs. There are so many different styles of music to learn about, and you owe it to yourself to make an effort to listen to and learn about them.
1. The main topic of this passage is _______.| A．creating music |
| B．performing music |
| C．enjoying your favorite music |
| D．learning about music |
| A．Rock ’n’ roll. | B．The blues. |
| C．Hip-hop. | D．Jazz. |
| A．By writing down the names of the music. |
| B．By creating music from older songs yourself. |
| C．By caring about what is being expressed in music. |
| D．By keeping a record of fees after downloading songs online. |
| A．you should try harder to learn about music |
| B．you should return something to music |
| C．you should borrow music CDs from others |
| D．you should buy music CDs yourself |
