1 . Hearing live music may be more emotional than listening to a recording of the same tune because it brings about greater activity in the part of the brain linked to processing emotions:

Sascha Frühholz at the University of Zurich in Switzerland and his team composed 12 pieces of music, each lasting 30 seconds. Half were written with the aim of expressing negative emotions, such as sadness and anger. These were slower, less harmonious and included more minor chords (和弦) than the remaining songs, written to arouse positive emotions.

The researchers then employed 27 people who weren’t musically trained, to listen to these 12 pieces twice — once performed by a live pianist, which the participants heard through a speaker, and once as a recording. The order they listened to them was randomly assigned, with 30 seconds of silence in between. People didn’t know when they were hearing a recording or live music.

While listening to the music, the participants lay in an MRI scanner (扫描仪) so the team could monitor their brain activity. The pianist then adapted the volume and speed of the piece according to the brain activity. For example, if someone was showing little activity in response to a positive piece of music, the pianist might play louder.

“Recorded music is not adaptive to now a listener is responding, but live pianists often adapt the music to the audience to get the best response from them,” says Frühholz.

Live performances of both the negative and positive pieces led to increased brain activity in the left amygdala, the region of the brain that is strongly linked to assigning sensory stimuli, such as sounds, to certain emotions.

The recorded tunes caused much less, and more inconsistent, activity in the left amygdala. This matched how emotive the participants rated each piece of music after the experiment.

The findings show that live music strengthens our emotional response, probably due to its free-flowing and active nature.

2 . When it comes to describing the human experience through music, few artists do it as genuinely as Chris Difford. In his song, “Fat As A Fiddle” -a word play on the idiom “fit as a fiddle” (非常健康), Difford dives into a deeply personal topic -his struggles with weight and body image. The song provides a window into his inner thoughts and emotions, allowing listeners to sympathize with his journey.

The song begins with Difford acknowledging his own body size, declaring “I’m never thin.” It’s a statement that many people can relate to, as the pressure to follow society’s standard s of beauty can often lead to feelings of non-confidence and self-doubt. However, as he reflects on himself, he realizes that there is a greater part of him than just his physical appearance. “I look like a tree, there’s a greater part of me.” This line highlights the importance of looking beyond physical appearances and recognizing the depth of a person’s character.

In the following lines, Difford expresses the challenges he faces due to his weight gain. Putting on his socks in the morning becomes a struggle. He recalls the days when he was thinner and popular among the girls. These reflections demonstrate the impact that weight gain can have on one’s self-confidence and perception of their own attractiveness.

As the song progresses, Difford discusses the consequences of his love for eating. He acknowledges that eating to your heart’s content may be enjoyable, but it comes at a price. He adopts a healthy diet, going for brown rice and herbal tea, hoping to find balance. In the final part, however, Difford stresses that his worth is not merely determined by his physical appearance, but rather by his inner strength and character.

“Fat As A Fiddle” encourages self-reflection and self-love. Difford’s journey towards embracing his greater self serves as an inspiration for others who may be facing similar struggles to look beyond the surface and appreciate the beauty that lies within each individual.

The Ocean of Stars, a symphony (交响乐) concert by Suzhou Symphony Orchestra, was staged at the Jinji Lake Concert Hall in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, on July 15, 2023.     1     part of the ongoing Hua Xia Music Festival hosted by Suzhou Symphony Orchestra, the concert     2     (conduct) by Chen Xieyang, featuring famous pianist Wu Chun. Chinese music     3     (work), including The Ocean of Stars and Mulan Psalm, all by Chinese composer Guan Xia, were performed.

The orchestra teamed up with Suzhou Silk Museum, presenting a modern show, which saw musicians of the orchestra wearing and showing     4     (tradition) Chinese silk clothes at the Jinji Lake Concert Hall. Started by conductor Chen, artistic director of the orchestra, the two-week Hua Xia Music Festival,     5     was in the third year, aimed at     6     (promote) Chinese music works.

Suzhou Symphony Orchestra also announced     7     (it) 2023-2024 season on July 15, which would close in July 2024. It was the orchestra’s     8     (eight) season, which gathered music artists with     9     average age of 30 years old from around the world.

The year 2023 marked the 65th anniversary of foreign relations between China and Algeria. It was the first time the orchestra     10     (perform) in Africa at the 13th International Classical Music Festival in Algiers, Algeria.

4 . Chinese singer Gong Linna released her new song, titled Return Home, which describes the overseas Chinese people’s longing for their homeland.

Performed in Chaoshan dialect, the song is part of Gong’s music project, which has the singer perform songs in different Chinese dialects. “It is very challenging to sing in Chaoshan dialect, which is a new language to me, and thanks to the songwriter Danny Sim and the song’s producer Wesley Tan, who speak the dialect, I received intensive training and practised very hard,” says Gong. “The beauty of dialects lies in telling stories of different places. It’s like a music al map, allowing me to explore different places through dialects.”

The idea of the song came from Qiaopi, a unique form of mail that served as both a letter and a remittance (汇款) sent by overseas Chinese people to their families in provinces of Guangdong and Fujian in the 19th and 20th centuries. At that time, many of those emigrants, particularly from Guangdong and Fujian, sent money back home to support their families, as well as communicating with their beloved ones and expressing their longing to be reunited.

“Dialects are a source of knowledge, traditions and the country’s cultural heritage. When I listen to a song performed in a dialect, I feel the local culture instantly even though I never go there and know nothing about the place,” says Sim, who wrote lyrics for the song, adding that there are a growing number of musicians in China performing in dialects, which allow listeners to get an emotional touch.

“Chaoshan dialect links people from the region. However, like many languages, it’s dying. Many young people, especially children, rarely speak the dialect, which is a sad thing.” Sim says, explaining why he is keen on writing songs by using the dialect, “I love my hometown and by writing songs in the dialect, I feel close to my home. Maybe that is, culture identity.”

5 . A 63-year-old man learning ballet a decade ago has become a hit on social media. James Cox has been a ballet ___________ as long as he can remember, but he never really got the chance to practice it himself. Growing up in a poor rural family, his main focus was always on ___________ or doing housework instead of dancing that was definitely a ___________ he could not afford. He ended up becoming a farmer, but he never got over his love for ballet.

“One day, I saw a ballet basic training course on TV, which ___________ the idea that I should try to learn to dance,” James said in an interview. Ballet requires a fit and ___________ body that is almost impossible to ___________ at a certain age without lifetime training. Becoming a ballet dancer at age 53 was far from ___________ in the world, and most of his friends didn’t understand why he ___________ this tough training at his age. But James Cox ___________ them all with the help of his family, who have always been very ____________ of his passion.

Not only does ballet make him a delighted man, but he is convinced that it has done ____________ for his health as well. “In the past, I had stomach problems. After dancing ____________ over the past decade, the stomach issues have mostly ________   ,” the 63 year old ballet dancer said “When I am in this class, I feel ____________ as if I have become young again,” James added “I am now doing what I ____________ to do when I was young.”

6 . Nick Rose-Stamey is a lot like Jack Black’s character in School of Rock- a guitarist who discovers a passion for making music accessible to children. Working in the nonprofit arts education sector over the last 10 years raised his awareness of the lack of music programs in public schools, and later inspired his nonprofit, Band in a Bus. “The original idea was to take an old school bus and turn it into the best band class on wheels,” he says.

In fact, activities of Band in a Bus don’t actually happen on a bus. It provides instruments, courses, and staffing to students. Kids 18 and under can also participate in enriching summer programs through Band in a Bus, such as Bucket Brigade, five weekly classes where grades K-4 learn rhythm (节奏) and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics) principles through contemporary music. There are also teen bands for grades 7-12 where kids learn to play pop music and develop social and team work skills.

When schools went virtual during the COVID-19 period, Rose-Stamey thought it was a shame that instruments were left sitting on shelves instead of in the hands of kids. So he created and distributed more than 1,000 “Band in a Box” DIY kits. Each kit contains small noise makers like kazoos, drumsticks, and shakers, with the intention of introducing a modernized music class experience that meets kids where they are.

“It is reported that if a kid has 30 minutes of a performing arts or creative elective every singleday, then that’ll help them develop their social, emotional and leadership skills, because there’s a lot of team work when it comes to making music. You have to learn how to work well with others,” Rose-Stamey says.

In the last year, Band in a Bus has worked directly with more than 500 students. “Music is a win-win for everybody,” Rose-Stamey says. “I just hope that someday we can stop making it the first kid out in the dodge ball (躲避球) game.”

7 . On March 18, 2018, I was alone at home in San José, Costa Rica, drinking a cup of tea, unaware that my life was about to change. I ______ an e-mail with the subject “scholarship selection result”.

My heartbeat ______ as I read through it. I had been chosen to receive a full scholarship for a master’s degree in ______ at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. Finally, I would be able to ______ the ancient tales of dragons and the old legends (传说) of China, which had always ______ me.

Five months later, I arrived in Shanghai, ______ an entirely new world. At the airport, two of my Costa Rican friends were waiting for me and ______ me to the dormitory.

I remember ______ when I approached the dorm building, I was drawn by the sweet melody (旋律) of a dizi (Chinese flute), which was totally ______ from all that I used to hear in my country.

In Costa Rica, I learned the conducting ______ well. However, it was my Chinese professor, Cao Tongyi, who guided me in ______ my skills. Studying in China and immersing (使浸入) myself in its music has been a wonderful ______ , introducing me to diverse sounds produced by Chinese musical ______ .

My mission is to ______ this amazing musical experience worldwide. I hope to spread the ______ of music far and wide.

8 . Getting older means greater maturity and wisdom.     1     In a society that is aging fast, it has become crucial to find ways to prevent related mental and emotional disorders. Music emerges as a promising tool for promoting well-being of the elderly.

Music has a great power to cause strong emotions and intense pleasure.     2     singing and dancing to music with others is not only fun but also improves mood. Musical activities are great ways to reduce stress because they take our minds off problems. They also help us feel less lonely and more connected with other people.

    3     A song may become a soundtrack for a particular time, such as a delightful party with friends that you had along time ago. Listening to that song allows you to remember all the happy memories from that time.

Finally, music contributes to keeping our thinking skills sharp. It makes our brains work hard in unique ways to understand the rhythm and melody.     4     For example, exposure to background music, particularly classical music, during cognitive (认知的) tasks is shown to improve older people’s cognitive processes, such as processing speed and working memory.

In conclusion, music is a powerful tool to fight against aging-related emotional and cognitive problems. It is an enjoyable and social activity, available to anyone regardless of their background or previous musical experience.     5    

10 . When Belquer first joined a team to make a better live music experience for deaf and hard-of-hearing people, he was struck by how they had developed workarounds to enjoy concerts. “What they were doing at the time was holding balloons to feel the vibrations (震动) through their fingers,” Belquer said. He thought the team could make something to help hard-of- hearing people enjoy live music even more with the technology now available.

Belquer, who is also a musician and theater artist, is now the “Chief Vibrational Officer” of Music: Not Impossible, which uses new technology to address social issues like poverty and disability access. His team started by tying vibrating different cell phone motors to bodies, but that didn’t quite work. The vibrations were all the same. Eventually, they worked with engineers to develop a light haptic (触觉的) suit with a total of 24 vibrating plates. There are 20 of them tied to a vest that fits tightly around the body like a hiking backpack, plus one that ties to each wrist and ankle. When you wear the suit, it’s surprising how it feels.

The vibrations are mixed by a haptic DJ who controls the location, frequency and intensity of feeling across the suits, just as a music DJ mixes sounds in an artful way. “What we’re doing is selecting and mixing what we want and send it to different parts of the body,” said the DJ. The haptic suits were just one component of the event. There were American Sign Language interpreters; the music was captioned on a screen on the stage.

The suits are the star attraction. Lily Lipman, who has auditory processing disorder, lit up when asked about her experience. “It’s cool, because I’m never quite sure if I’m hearing what other people are hearing, so it’s amazing to get the music in my body.”