1 . The “Got Talent” crew is one of the pioneers in finding and publicizing music talents and has been giving the world some of its most favorite artists for almost two decades. This year “Britain’s Got Talent” (BGT) uncovered a musical genius named Malakai Bayoh who amazed the audience with perfect high-note singing. The London-based 13-year-old boy appeared for the show’s audition (试镜) in April, 2023 and was accompanied by his mom and sister. “My big dream is to be a singer. I started singing at 7,” said Bayoh to the BGT team and added jokingly, “My mom made me join the choir (合唱团) because she’s very bossy.” The teenager mentioned she’s his biggest fan.

Bayoh’s mom was shocked as he was about to perform and said, “It scares me because, on his first show, somebody heckled (对……起哄) him. It was bad to think that someone would boo (喝倒彩) a child on stage because it could’ve knocked his confidence completely.” Contrary to his mom’s fear, Bayoh set the stage on fire singing the song “Pie Jesu” and the entire crowd were struck by his beautiful voice. As he ended his song, the audience and the judges gave him a standing applause. Simon Cowell, a judge, had just one word to say and it was “Golden Buzzer”, sending him straight to the semi-finals of the show.

Cowell and the other judges called Bayoh’s performance “flawless” and “heavenly”. His angelic voice made the audience tear up and the judges thanked the teen for coming on the show. Bayoh went on to become one of the finalists of the show.

Bayoh’s audition at the BGT became popular on social media. People loved the boy’s impeccable singing and some musicians even commented on how perfectly he hit the high notes. “I’m a trained singer and a music teacher by profession, and sang this song as a young performer myself. I can say with absolute certainty that this song is most beautifully sung this time. With proper technique and breathing, this boy sang really well,” posted @mayacorinne878.

1. What can be learned about Bayoh from paragraph 2?

A．He comes from a single-parent family.	B．He is humorous in speech.
C．His dream was inspired by his fans.	D．His mom used to be a singer.

2. What made Bayoh’s mom worried?

A．Bayoh’s difficulty in singing.	B．The judges’ attitudes to his son.
C．Bayoh’s performance on stage.	D．Some audiences’ initial responses.

3. How did the audience probably feel after hearing the boy’s song?

A．Touched.

B．Annoyed.

C．Relieved.

D．Amused.

4. Why does the author mention a music teacher?

A．To uncover more musical geniuses.	B．To show musicians’ ability to sing well.
C．To stress Bayoh’s excellent singing.	D．To contradict some audiences’ comments.

2 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。

1. Which generation is Liu Wenwen for performing suona in her family?

A．The seventh generation.

B．The eighth generation.

C．The third generation.

2. Why did Liu practice in a park?

A．Because the voice of the instrument annoyed her neighbors.

B．Because the park is beautiful.

C．Because she didn’t like practicing at home.

3. What happened in 2017?

A．Liu had a personal concert in Sydney.

B．Liu performed with award-winning composer.

C．Liu was followed by Chinese.

4. How long did Liu learn suona?

A．About 20 years.

B．Less than 20 years.

C．More than 20 years.

4 . The Beatles have released the last song they recorded. The song is titled “Now and Then”. It was written by John Lennon in 1977. He sang it at the piano and recorded it in 1979 at his home. The other Beatles added to the track over the years. Recording engineers used AI technology to bring the song to life, resulting in a sound like the four Beatles recorded it together in a studio. The song has been released as a double-A side single. The flip side of the record is a new mix of the band’s first single “Love Me Do”. This was first released in 1962. “Now and Then” will also be the final track on a new edition of the Beatles’ legendary greatest hits “blue” album. This is a collection of their classics from 1967-1970.

Beatles member Paul McCartney spoke to reporters about the new song. He said, “It’s quite emotional. And we all play on it. It’s a genuine Beatles recording.” He spoke about his excitement at being able to release a new song, saying, “In 2023, to still be working on Beatles music, and to release a new song the public haven’t heard, I think it’s an exciting thing.” McCartney was also excited about hearing John Lennon’s voice. He said it was “crystal clear”. Lennon was shot dead by a fan outside his New York home in 1980. Beatles drummer Ringo Starr said recording the song was, “the closest we’ll ever come to having [John Lennon] back in the room”. He said it was, “very emotional for all of us”.

1. What can be learned about “Now and Then”?

A．It was first released in 1962.

B．It was a song created by John Lennon in 1979.

C．The four Beatles didn’t actually record it together.

D．It was AI technology that helped to write the song.

2. Why was Paul McCartney excited when interviewed by reporters?

A．Because the song was emotional.

B．Because he could play on a new song.

C．Because John Lennon came back in the room.

D．Because the band could release a new song that people hadn’t heard before.

3. Who is John Lennon?

A．The Beatles singer.	B．The Beatles engineer.
C．The Beatles drummer.	D．The Beatles manager.

4. Where is this text probably taken from?

A．A news website.	B．A travel blog.
C．A science fiction.	D．A nature magazine.

5 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

The lion dance is a     1     (tradition) dance performed during Chinese New Year. It is     2     (wide) believed that it will bring good luck.

Two dancers dress up as the lion. One dancer holds the large head of the brightly colored costume and the other dancer is the body. The dancers have to be very fit as they perform lots of moves. They dance to music     3     (play) by drums, gongs and cymbals. A performer     4     is dressed as a laughing Buddha sometimes joins the lion dance. He     5     (wear) a longrobe (袍子) and teases the lion with a fan to make it perform tricks.

People will often hang the head of a lettuce (生菜) from ceilings or doorways. The lion will go in search     6     these. Sometimes, red envelopes with money inside     7     (hide) in the lettuce. The lion pretends to eat the lettuces and money. The     8    (leaf) are then thrown into the crowd for good fortune. The lion dance ends with       9     message of good luck written on a scroll, unfolding from the lion’s mouth. Firecrackers are set off     10     (frighten) away any evil beings.

6 . One of the reasons why so many people listen to music during exercise is that it has a number of benefits. The research around the positive influences of music during exercise was reviewed in a paper in the February 2020 issue of Psychological Bulletin.

Probably the biggest influence of music on exercise, based on these findings, is that listening to music during exercise can make you feel better about what you have done. Experiments find that people feel more positive about the exercise when they have listened to music than when they have not. The impact of music didn’t depend on the intensity of the exercise, and the effect appeared for both trained and untrained athletes.

Music also seems to reduce people’s feeling of how much they are exerting themselves. That is, at the same level of intensity of activity, listening to music can make you feel like you are exerting less effort than you would feel without music. Some studies have also shown that when athletes are free to set their own exertion level, they are willing to exercise more intensely with music than without. For some people (particularly when they are early in their training), music helps them focus on the music rather than on pain.

Music also appears to have a small effect on performance overall. Athletes perform better both during exercise and while engaging in their sport when there is music. In the studies analyzed, fast music, with a tempo greater than 120 beats-per-minute, was more effective than slow music. Interestingly, it doesn’t seem to matter whether the athlete chooses the music or whether it is chosen by someone else. So, the playlists selected by the teachers of an exercise class you’re taking may work even if you don’t love all of the songs.

The one place where music doesn’t seem to have much of an impact is on physiological functioning. The heart rate of an athlete is not consistently affected by music.

1. What is the main benefit of listening to music during exercise?

A．Improving performance.

B．Providing entertainment.

C．Reducing the effort of training.

D．Feeling better about the workout.

2. What does the underlined word “exerting themselves” mean in Paragraph 3?

A．Try hard.

B．Break down.

C．Growing up.

D．Come back.

3. What type of music has been found to be most effective in improving athletes’ performance?

A．Soft music.

B．Calm music.

C．Gentle music.

D．Rapid-paced music.

4. How does music affect an athlete’s physiological functioning during exercise?

A．It consistently increases their heart rate.

B．It consistently decreases their heart rate.

C．It depends on the intensity of the exercise.

D．It has no consistent influence on their heart rate.

7 . Humans aren’t the only animals that move to music. Parrots have been known to do it. And now rats have been observed moving their heads in time with the tunes of Mozart, Lady Gaga, Michael Jackson and others, according to a new paper from the University of Tokyo. What’s more, the rats seems to respond (回应) to the same beats that get humans’ feet tapping (轻踩).

The researchers played a sonata by Mozart for lab rats at different changes of the original speed: 75%, 100%, 200% and 400%. Wireless sensors (感应器) on the rats, bodies tracked their movements. Meanwhile, 20 people took part in it and listened to the same music through motion sensor- equipped headphones.

It was observed that the rats’ head movements were the most obvious when the music played at its normal speed, which was around 132 bpm (beats per minute). The same was true for the people taking part in it. The researchers then changed to some pop songs such as Lady Gaga’s “Bora This Way” and Michael Jackson’s “Beat It”，As with Mozart’s, rats moved their heads along the rhythm (节奏) of pop songs, similar to how people do, at about 120 to 140 bpm.

The study showed that both rats and humane moved their heads along to the beat in a similar rhythm. The level of head moving from both humans and rats decreased as the music sped up. The study suggests that there is something similar about the way human and rat brains respond to rhythm, but rats do not match their motions to the beat like humans do. Humans can tell the timing of a beat in advance and move predictably to it.

Aniruddh Patel, a psychologist who studies brain response to music, says humans and parrots respond to beats with big, voluntary movements such as head shaking, dancing or foot tapping. Patel also stresses that this study does not show that rats have the same emotional associations with music as humans do. Yet he believes it could help show how humans and some other animals developed a sense of rhythm.

1. What does the study focus on?

A．How music influences rats’ brains.

B．Whether rats can respond to human music.

C．Which types of music is attractive to rats.

D．Why rats respond to music like human do.

2. At which speed would rats show the clearest movements?

A．75 bpm.

B．100 bpm.

C．132 bpm.

D．150 bpm.

3. How are rats different from humans in response to music?

A．They seem more interested in pop music.

B．They are unable to tell the beat of music in advance.

C．They prefer moving their heads with the beat of music.

D．They make similar movements to different rhythms.

4. What is Patel’s attitude towards the study?

A．Positive.

B．Doubtful.

C．Uncaring.

D．Negative.

8 . Why does the man choose the guitar?

A．He wants to be different.

B．He wants to be like his friends.

C．He thinks it is cool to play the guitar.

9 . Benefits of attending a concert

There are more reasons than just having a good time why attending a concert can be good for you.     1    

You’ll burn calories

Most concerts involve a lot of standing, jumping and dancing, which can help you to burn calories that you would otherwise hold onto. Attending a concert may not be the most direct form of exercise, but it’s definitely better than sitting on the couch watching TV.     2     So if you enjoy dancing and singing along to music, this is a great way to burn some calories and get your heart rate going while you’re enjoying your favorite music.

Raise your spirits

    3    . The excitement of purchasing a ticket, preparing for the show, attending with friends, and savoring the moments can provide happy memories and feelings for several weeks at a time. The expense is well worth the positive experience you will have when you hear your favorite band play live.

Discover new sounds

Most bands will offer an opening act or two to get the crowd excited and on their feet.     4     Attending a concert gives you a chance to experience their music live and discover new sounds that you didn’t know you liked. For most people, music has a huge impact on mood, and finding music you love helps to improve your mood.

If you are still debating whether or not to purchase a ticket that may seem like a large expense, consider the alternative.     5     Attending a concert is a great way to spend on the everlasting memories.

A．These acts may be bands or persons you have never heard of.

B．It’s a great way to appreciate the concert that you are dying to see.

C．Attending a concert is a fun activity which can help boost your emotions.

D．Even the walk from the parking lot to the concert can burn some calories.

E．A concert is a great opportunity to be surrounded by people in a safe area.

F．You can enjoy all the benefits above or spend another night watching TV.

G．If you’re thinking about purchasing a ticket, consider the following reasons.

10 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的词或括号内单词的正确形式。

During the Spring and Autumn Period (770 — 476 BC), there was a musician,     1     lived alone in a forest where he played the guqin, and his name was Yu Boya. One day, a passing woodcutter     2    (name) Zhong Ziqi was intrigued (陶醉于) by the sounds of the musical instrument, and Mr. Zhong Ziqi     3    (he) listened with full attention. Yu     4    (sincere) played the guqin, causing various pictures in Zhong’s imagination, such as flowing clouds and plunging waterfalls. Such was the     5    (connect) between performing and listening. They became bosom friends (挚友). After many years, when the woodcutter died, Yu decided     6    (smash) his instrument and never to play again since he was sure that he would never again have someone like Zhong to so intuitively understand his music.

Indeed, the guqin — the favored instrument of Confucius — was     7     essential musical instrument of ancient China’s educated elite (精英). It     8    (add) to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2008.

In April, when President Xi Jinping     9    (meet) with French President Emmanuel Macron, a classic guqin piece, High Mountain and Flowing Water, was played to celebrate the friendship and mutual understanding     10     the two countries.