Emily White was born seventeen years ago with so many birth problems in her body. Some of her organs, bones and muscles were out of shape. No one expected her to survive. She did make it but with her strange body figure, everyone could recognize her, even from a distance.
In Emily White’s hometown, there was a yearly outdoor performance in the school auditorium (大礼堂). It had been performed for so many years and actually had become one of the most important events of the Christmas season for many of the town’s people.
Many people tried out each year for it, but so many were turned away. It can only include the most excellent people in the field.
Emily had a beautiful singing voice. Last year she went to Mrs. Owens — her music teacher to ask to join in the performance. Without letting her sing, Mrs. Owens took a look at Amy’s body and said, “Child, you just don’t fit. Everyone would stare at you and that would make you uncomfortable. It would make them uncomfortable, too.”
Without singing a single note, Emily was sent back through the door of the choral room. Hurt and upset, she decided never to try out again. But Mrs. Owens then retired.
This year, there came a new music teacher, Mr. Buttler. He heard about Emily and suggested that she have a try.
Emily didn’t want to be rejected again, so she hesitated a little about it. As Emily struggled, the door was pushed open and Mr. Buttler called, “Emily, you’re next.” Although kind of nervous, Emily did as Mr. Buttler told her to do. Mr. Buttler sat by the piano to keep Emily company. When Emily finished her testing performance, she thanked Mr. Buttler and knew the result would be posted on the door of the choral room the next day.
Emily couldn’t sleep that night. She was suffering from the feelings that she didn’t fit and the great need to be accepted. By the next morning, her stomach was even in pain because of stress.
注意：续写词数应为150左右Paragraph 1: The next day, Emily nervously glanced at the list on the door of the choral room.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2: Finally, the day of performance came.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________1.钦佩他的演奏；
2.提出互相学习。
注意：
1.写作词数应为80左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Dear Novak,
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
3 . 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.”
1. What surprised Belquer about people with hearing problems?| A．The way they enjoyed music. |
| B．The attitude they held to life. |
| C．The love they had for balloons. |
| D．The frequency they vibrated fingers. |
| A．The motors were the same. |
| B．The vibrations lacked variety. |
| C．The motors hardly worked. |
| D．The vibrations were irregular. |
| A．He interpreted the sign language. |
| B．He captioned the music on stage. |
| C．He selected suits for the attendees. |
| D．He helped people feel the music. |
| A．Comforting. | B．Challenging. | C．Satisfying. | D．Encouraging. |
On a chilly December morning in Beijing, Zhang Ting
Zhang joined a workshop
Soon afterward, she wrote the song Hong Yu in memory of Liang Hongyu, a respected heroine during the Song Dynasty (960-1279). “Images of these female roles came instantly to mind
The three-day activity brought together singer-songwriters from around the country and targeted new songs featuring elements of guo feng. Li Liang, head of the program, said, “Young people grow up with the Internet and are open
5 . 75-year-old hip-hop (街舞) grandma Stephanie Walsh has gained worldwide attention with her intense dance moves and incredible energy. Better known as “Ms. Stephanie” online, Walsh has been featured on social media accounts with some videos drawing more than 11 million people to watch.
Walsh believes the videos gained popularity because she is 75. “It’s because I’m a senior,” said Walsh. “You don’t usually see someone my age doing hip-hop and moving like that. ”But actually, it’s more than that. Just as her profile claims, Walsh’s videos are “inspiring the world to dance like no one is watching. ”
“Dance isn’t just your body, it’s what you’re feeling inside about the dance and it’s what comes out here in your face,” Walsh said. “What I want to put through my movement is how much fun it is and how much joy it gives you.”
From a young age, Walsh loved to dance but her family didn’t have the money for classes. When she was nearly 30, she got her daughter ballet lessons, which her daughter hated. So, she took her daughter out and started classes herself right away.
Walsh believes her lifelong passion for dance is what motivates her today. “Everybody has to have a passion in their life,” she said. “It’s like that saying, ‘A life without passion is a life half lived.’ I believe that.”
Walsh dances for fun and fitness, but also for therapy (心理治疗). She struggled through countless hardships, and she has more than enough reasons to keep her down. But they don’t. She turns to her faith, her friends and of course, dance, to shine as an inspiration to those around her.
Gilbert, one of Walsh’s followers, says she inspires him every day. “She’s a beautiful soul who teaches me that it doesn’t matter about your age or your size. As long as you feel good, that’s all that matters,” says Gilbert. “I am truly thankful that Walsh is teaching me at the age of 32 to live my life full and stop being so scared.”
1. What motivates Walsh to do hip-hop?| A．Its great social benefit. | B．Its growing popularity. |
| C．Her enthusiasm for dance. | D．Her hunger for reputation. |
| A．Her advanced age. | B．Her smooth moves. |
| C．Her endless energy. | D．Her confident claim. |
| A．Be active in social media. |
| B．Set a good example to others. |
| C．Take full advantage of his talent. |
| D．Adopt a positive approach to life. |
| A．Optimistic About Life: The Way to Survive |
| B．Forever Young in Dance: An Inspiring Figure |
| C．Embracing Social Media: The Key to Success |
| D．Dancing with the Young: An Amazing Journey |
6 . I once received an invitation to attend a presentation at the Kentucky School. On that very evening I found
The young musician Mr. Patrick was
Mr. Patrick was born with no eyes and an illness in the
When Patrick was at the University of Louisville, his father
But even more than his
We all face misfortune in our lives.
| A．interest | B．gratitude | C．confidence | D．devotion |
| A．rolled | B．pulled | C．carried | D．dragged |
| A．moved | B．knocked | C．danced | D．hit |
| A．more | B．much | C．better | D．most |
| A．arms | B．legs | C．fingers | D．ears |
| A．equipped | B．connected | C．associated | D．combined |
| A．saw | B．played | C．discovered | D．made |
| A．keys | B．words | C．notes | D．tries |
| A．need | B．may | C．must | D．should |
| A．gave | B．found | C．attended | D．organized |
| A．worked | B．stayed | C．refused | D．canceled |
| A．player | B．life | C．soul | D．hero |
| A．unforgettable | B．unbelievable | C．unremarkable | D．unpredictable |
| A．learned | B．controlled | C．freed | D．touched |
| A．pleased | B．blessed | C．concerned | D．embarrassed |
| A．cheered | B．whispered | C．shouted | D．talked |
| A．Therefore | B．Thus | C．However | D．Furthermore |
| A．appeal | B．compare | C．react | D．apply |
| A．tough | B．modern | C．pleasant | D．happy |
| A．great | B．proud | C．wrong | D．sorry |
7 . Behind the enthusiastic song of an all-male choir (合唱队) lies a force that is better known for shaping the lives of hopeful frogs and crickets, research suggests. Recordings of a top boys’ choir, once directed by Johann Sebastian Bach in Germany, reveal that the more mature boys in the group boosted their voices when girls were appreciating their performances. The effect, seen only among the older singers, aged 16 to 19, is thought to be similar behaviour more often observed in frogs and crickets, which enhance their individual calls to stand out from the crowd during mate-attracting choruses.
“The boys’ singing sounds more brilliant and has a more attractive quality when girls are in the audience, but it is subtle,” said Keller, a professor who led the work at the centre for music in the brain at a university in Denmark. Keller and his colleagues teamed up with a well-known choir in Germany after a student and former member of the choir mentioned that the boys boosted their voices in a barely noticeable manner when female audience members were present.
Sound analysis of the boys singing a song composed by Bach found that, in the presence of girls aged 15 to 16, the boys improved their vocal brilliance and carried power by putting more energy. But it was unclear whether people, as opposed to sensitive sound devices, could detect the shift in voices, and if they could, whether the resulting sound was more or less appealing because of the enhanced singer’s performance.
To find out, the researchers ran two online studies in which 2,247 male and female volunteers listened to recordings of the boys singing with and without girls in the audience. While both male and female participants showed a difference between the two performances, only female volunteers preferred the boosted singing. “It’s really hard to tell,” Keller said. Details are published in a journal.
For the recordings, the boys performed once before an all-male audience and a second time when a group of teenage girls joined the front row on the pretence of being on a school trip. In interviews after the concert, the boys felt they sang better in front of the girls but none admitted trying to attract their attention.
According to the scientists, the findings suggest choir singing is a special form of social communication where cooperation and competitiveness, the latter potentially motivated by the opposite sex, can exist alongside one another. “You have a group of people working together,” said Keller, “but at the same time individually having this parallel channel of communication, sending out the competitive signal saying: pick me!”
1. What drives the mature boys to sing better according to Paragraph 1?| A．Their directors. | B．Their audience. | C．The frogs. | D．The crickets. |
| A．Brilliant. | B．Competitive. | C．Unforgettable. | D．Unnoticeable. |
| A．By observing the singers. | B．By studying documents. |
| C．By doing field research. | D．By conducting studies online. |
| A．Cooperation or Competition | B．Force behind Boy’s Choir |
| C．Research into the Performance | D．Attractive Frogs and Cricket Songs |
8 . Chinese traditional painting and dance are two vital parts of the art world. But what about when they meet each other?
This year, a dance drama titled Poetic Dance: The Journey of a Legendary Landscape Painting (《只此青绿》) was staged on CCTV’ Spring Festival Gala and went viral.
According to CCTV, this poetic dance programme was inspired by the about 900-year-old Chinese painting A Panorama of Rivers and Mountains(《千里江山图》). Created by Song Dynasty painter Wang Ximeng at the age of 18, the painting is amazing in its marvellous size, rich coloration and the expressive details, reported CCTV. It shows a Chinese blue-green landscape: mountains and groupings of infinite rise and fall between cloudless sky and rippling water.
When the dancers moved elegantly, audiences seemed to be looking at the moving mountains and rivers. “It brings me a pure experience of beauty. It is not only dance but also an ‘exhibition’. Vast mountains and rivers are coming to life!” An Internet user Mo Weisha wrote in a review, “About a thousand years later, green mountains and rivers still wow people as they did long ago.
Some people even decided to watch the dance again when it was staged in the theaters later. In fact, in recent years, more and more modern shows highlight Chinese traditional culture and have received warm welcome. As for why, it is due to people’s great love for traditional culture.
“The younger generations have grown up with a more open mindset. They embrace Chinese culture and are proud of it. ”Yao Wei, director of Henan TV Station’s Innovation Center, told China Daily.
1. What is the function of Paragraph 1 in the text?| A．To present a common phenomenon. | B．To compare painting with dance. |
| C．To describe the art world. | D．To introduce the topic. |
| A．It was painted in several bright colors. |
| B．It shows natural beauty vividly. |
| C．It was created over thousand years ago. |
| D．It is of small size but includes great details. |
| A．People are more open to traditional culture. |
| B．People are happy to see new forms of art. |
| C．Chinese culture has been spreading around the world. |
| D．People have gained more access to traditional culture. |
| A．Passion for Chinese Traditional Painting |
| B．Art Coming Alive Through Poetic Dance |
| C．Connection Between Painting and Dance |
| D．Highlights in Traditional Chinese Culture |
Living Heritage: Guqin
Wandering sounds, irregular rhythms and a carrier of gentle emotions. This is the musical language of guqin, a seven string instrument
The earliest piece of guqin in China, unearthed in Hubei province in 2016,
The guqin
This graceful dialogue,
10 . It is a self-evident fact that music study boosts your artistic ability, but have you thought of that your academic performance is actually hugely benefited? Music study has been linked to academic achievements in many studies and serious music training is reported to be associated with success in many other fields. I hope you would not be too surprised to hear that many outstanding professionals in industries from tech to finance to media are found to be amateur musicians and playing music as their regular past-times.
The phenomenon extends beyond the widely-known math-music association. Strikingly, many high achievers told me music opened up the pathways to creative thinking. And their experiences suggest that music training sharpens other qualities: Collection-the ability to listen, a way of thinking that joins together separate ideas, and the power to focus on the present and the future at the same time.
It is in this context that the connection between math and music grabs the most attention. Both are at heart modes of expression. Bruce Kovner, the founder of the hedge fund (对冲基金) Caxton Associates, says he sees similarities between his piano playing and investing strategy; as he says, both “relate to pattern cognition, and some people extend these patterns across different senses”.
For Roger McNamee, whose Elevation Partners is perhaps best known for its early investment in Facebook, “music and technology have met and befriended,” he says. He became expert on Facebook by using it to promote his band, Moonalice, and now is focusing on video by live-streaming its concerts. He says musicians and top professionals share “the almost desperate need to dive deep”. This capacity of getting into something in a real way seems to unite top performers in music and other fields.
“I’ve always believed the reason I’ve gotten ahead is by outworking other people,” he says. It’s a skill learned by “playing that solo one more time, working on that one little section one more time,” and it translates into “working on something over and over again, or double-checking or triple-checking.” He adds, “there is nothing like music to teach you that eventually if you work hard enough, it does get better. You see the results.” That’s an observation worth remembering at a time when music as a serious pursuit is in decline in this country.
1. Based on the passage, music training can enhance all of the following abilities EXCEPT| A．handling the present with a long-range vision | B．thinking from other people’s perspective |
| C．listening to different opinions patiently | D．identifying connection between different ideas |
| A．Hedge fund. | B．Patterns. | C．Different senses. | D．Mathematics. |
| A．Musical techniques are directly used in managing business. |
| B．Advanced technology makes sound better than before. |
| C．Facebook has become a platform for promoting music albums. |
| D．Technology has increased the channels by which music is promoted. |
| A．The claim that music is the key to success. |
| B．The belief that results determine the value of music. |
| C．The idea that hard work keeps getting you ahead. |
| D．The proposal that one should pursue music seriously. |
