1 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. When did the woman start to play the piano?

A．At 5 years old.

B．At 11 years old.

C．At 16 years old.

2. Why did the man play a lot of sports?

A．He never liked the guitar.

B．He preferred playing sports.

C．He didn’t have an instrument.

2 . Music has existed since the beginning of time. People have always sung songs, danced to music, and played musical instruments together.     1    , yet it’s often taken for granted. In this text, we’ll explore why music is important and how it can be used in various ways to help improve our lives.

First of all, music has no borders or boundaries(界线).     2    , so it’s easy for us with our differences to find common ground. Besides, it also helps us understand different cultures better by exposing(让……接触) listeners to music from other countries.

    3    . There’s nothing quite like putting on your favorite song when you feel stressed. Studies have shown that listening to music can help reduce stress levels. When we listen to music, our brain releases(释放) dopamine, which helps control our mood.

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.     4    . It’s been found that music can help you remember things better by connecting them with familiar or meaningful pieces of music.

There’s nothing worse than being nervous before a big event or performance.     5    . Luckily for us, listening to music can help us with that too. As mentioned earlier, music can be great at helping you relax, so using it to calm your nerves before you undertake something stressful can be hugely beneficial.

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

4 . 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.

2. What can we learn about the music artist Wenzhuo Zhang?

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.

3. How many pieces did Wenzhuo Zhang perform in the concert?

A．3.

B．4.

C．5.

D．6.

4. What did the author think of her performing on her yangqin in the concert?

A．Just so so.

B．Annoying.

C．Successful.

D．Disappointing.

6 . What kind of music do the speakers both like?

A．Jazz.

B．Classical.

C．Folk.

7 . From Mozart to pop music, tons of people enjoy listening to different types of music while they paint, write or draw. Many believe that music helps improve creativity. But an international study by a group of psychologists is challenging that viewpoint.     1    

To come to their conclusions, researchers had participants complete verbal (文字的) problems designed to inspire creativity while sitting in a quiet room.     2     They found that background music significantly hurt the participants’ ability to complete tasks associated with verbal creativity.

The tasks were simple word games.     3     Then, they were asked to find a single word associated with all three that could be combined to form a common phrase or word. Participants completed the tasks in either a quiet room, or while exposed to three different types of music: music with unfamiliar lines, instrumental music, or music with familiar lines.

Dr. Melatchie and his colleagues conclude that music interferes with (干扰) the verbal working memory of the brain.     4     However, some may argue that the library background noises have seemingly no effect. The researchers explain that is because library noises create an environment of steady state that doesn’t interrupt concentration.

“    5     Instead, they demonstrate that music, regardless of the presence of its content, consistently interrupts creative performance in insight problem solving,” the study reads.

A．And this in turn holds back creativity.

B．It has something to do with the positive reaction.

C．They say that their findings indicate music actually blocks creativity.

D．Then again, they were tested while music was played in the background.

E．Before the experiment, the participants didn’t study the music they would listen.

F．For example, participants were given three words, such as dress, dial, and flower.

G．To conclude, the findings here challenge the popular view that music builds up creativity.

9 . There was a man playing the piano in a bar. He was a good piano player and always performed in this bar. People came in just to hear him play. But one night, a customer told him that he didn’t want to hear him just play the piano any more. He wanted him to sing a song.

The man said, “I don’t sing.”But the customer was persistent(执着的). He told the bar manager, “I’m tired of listening to the piano. I want that man to sing！” The manager shouted across the room, “If you want to get paid, sing a song. Our customers are asking you to sing！”So he did He sang a song. A piano player who had never sung in public did so for the first time. And everyone was surprised by his song Mona Lisa. He got lots of applause(掌声) that night.

He had such a talent for singing, but he just had been sitting on his talent for the past years! If without such a chance, he may have lived the rest of his life as a no­name piano player in a no­name bar. However, now he has become one of the best­known singers in America.

You, too, have skills and abilities. Maybe your “talent” is not as great as the singer above, but it may be better than you think! And with effort, most skills can be improved. So, in your life, you should be brave enough to try doing different things and find out what talents you really have!

1. Why did the man start to sing?

A．Because he wanted to make more money.

B．Because the bar manager said he liked his song

C．Because the manager asked him to sing at the request of a customer.

D．Because he wanted to show everyone that he had a talent for singing.

2. What do you think of the bar manager?

A．Humourous.	B．Rude.
C．Strict.	D．Kind.

3. What can we know from the passage?

A．The man didn’t get paid at last.

B．The customers were unsatisfied with the song.

C．The man became a singer later.

D．The manager had to lay the man off.

4. What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A．Some people really have no skills or abilities.

B．Sometimes through effort we can know our talents.

C．None of us is as great as the singer.

D．No skills can be improved even if you try your best.

10 . 假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下短文。短文中共有10处错误，每句中最多有两处。错误涉及一个单间的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；

2.只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。

Dear Li Hua,

I am honored that you would ask me for some advices. As you know, our band was formed in a very unusual way. However, we learned a lot about be a band since then.

First, you should think careful about what kind of music you want to write and play. You had better play one kind of music if you want to become famous. Next, you can come up to a name for your band—something which is different. Then, make a special time for practicing but stick to it. I will also need to give several performances for friends and family to get their ideas on your musical ability.

Above all, just have a fun. I believe it will be an amazed experience for you.

Yours Sincerely,

Freddy