1 . A music festival, which is often presented with a main idea, is a community event mainly about live performances of singing and instrument playing. On the list are the music festivals for fans around the world. Find your favourite now!
Field Day
January 1, 2022, Sydney
Field Day means New Year’s Day for young people in Sydney. Seen as the city’s original outdoor party, it’s a gathering of friends coming together for a great fun-filled first day of the year. There’s an air of hope and active energy on a perfect summer’s day.
Envision Festival
February 21-26, 2022, Uvita
The Envision Festival is an annual event in Costa Rica that wants to provide a chance for different cultures to work with one another to create a better community. The festival encourages people to practise art, music and dance performances. At the same time, our connection with nature is expected to be strengthened.
McDowell Mountain Music Festival
March 2-4, 2022, Phoenix
The McDowell Mountain Music Festival is Phoenix’s musical celebration of community culture. Since its founding in 2004, it is the only 100% nonprofit(非营利的) music festival designed to support, entertain and educate the community. The festival attracts thousands of visitors each year from around the country, and it is an opportunity to experience true culture.
Old Settler’s Music Festival
April 19-22, 2022, Tilmon
The Old Settler’s Music Festival is a nationally known music festival for American music. The festival is held in Tilmon, Texas at the height of the wild flower season. The Old Settler’s Music Festival offers great music and activities for the whole family.
1. Which city should you go to if you intend to participate in a music festival in January?| A．Sydney. | B．Uvita. | C．Phoenix. | D．Tilmon. |
| A．It encourages people to receive education. |
| B．It is not held to make money. |
| C．It provides a chance for friends to meet each other. |
| D．It focuses on culture spread. |
| A．Field Day and Envision Festival. |
| B．Envision Festival and McDowell Mountain Music Festival |
| C．Old Settler’s Music Festival and McDowell Mountain Music Festival. |
| D．Envision Festival and Old Settler’s Music Festival. |
| A．On the CD. | B．On the Internet. | C．On the radio. |
A nearly 300-year-old musical instrument
The violin is owned by Regis Pasquier,
Pasquier has since played the instrument in
At that price, the violin would not even be the costliest in the world. In 2012,
The most
4 . Rock and roll music developed in the United States in the early nineteen-fifties. It was based on the music called rhythm and blues that was performed by African American musicians.
Early rock and roll singers developed their own kinds of music. Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, the Beach Boys, and Bob Dylan were the most popular rock and roll musicians in the early 1960s. All were American. Then, in 1964, a new rock and roll group from England invaded America: the Beatles.
Some people say the Beatles’ shook America like an earthquake. The Beatles changed rock and roll forever. Their early songs were influenced by American rock and roll musicians, including Chuck Berry. But the Beatles looked different and sounded different from many musical group before them.
The Beatles released their first album in the United States in 1964, when all of the top five records in America were by the Beatles. America were by the Beatles. In 1967 they released an album called “Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” It was one of the first “concept” albums. That is, all the songs were linked by a common story or idea.
By the 1970s, rock and roll music became known as rock music. Experts say rock music regained some of the energy of early rock and roll. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band became popular with their album “Born to Run”. Springsteen’s music was like the lively rock and roll music of the early nineteen-sixties. Many of his songs were about social issues. He sang about the effects of unemployment and the war in Vietnam.
1. The main topic of this passage is ________.| A．the history of American music | B．the development of rock and roll music |
| C．the famous rock and roll groups | D．the new forms of rock and roll music |
| A．The Beatle’s music was as violent as an earthquake in America. |
| B．The Beatles looked differently because an earthquake hit America. |
| C．The Beatle’s music had great effect on the rock and roll music in America. |
| D．The Beatle’s music were greatly influenced by American rock and roll music. |
| A．Elvis Presley’s. | B．Bob Dylan’s. | C．Chuck Berry’s. | D．Springsteen’s. |
| A．one of the Rolling Stones’ albums was called “concept” |
| B．all of the top five records in America were by the Beatles in 1964 |
| C．the Rolling Stones was the only band that became popular in America |
| D．all the most popular rock and roll musicians in the 1960s were American |
5 . How similar are language and music?
Language is part of our daily lives, no matter where we live in the world.
Both language and music have a writing system.
In English we record language using the alphabet, which is a collection of letters. Similarly, we use notes (音符) to keep a record of music. Musicians read notes and create meaning in the form of music.
You can make a good guess at where someone is from by listening to the language he uses. In the same way, we know that styles of music are different around the world, giving us the opportunity to explore many different cultures through their music and providing us with music for every situation.
Both share emotion.
| A．Both are expressive. |
| B．Both vary with culture. |
| C．How do you know that I am angry? |
| D．We use language to express our thoughts. |
| E．Similarly, music is part of many people’s lives. |
| F．So just as you read English, you can read music. |
| G．In contrast, you probably also listen to sad music when you are feeling down. |
1. Why did Lucy fail to go to the concert?
| A．The dates didn’t suit her. |
| B．The tickets were sold out. |
| C．The ticket price was too high. |
| A．The lead singer. | B．The drummer. | C．The guitarist. |
7 . Can you think of a day without music? We can hear music everywhere: in the streets and at home, over the radio and on TV, in the shops and in the parks. People all over the world are fond of music. They listen to music, they dance to music, and they learn to play musical instruments.
Music isn’t’ only combination of pleasant sounds. It is an art which reflects life. There are lot of different kinds of music. Some of them appeared long ago, and some are modern. Folk music appeared long ago, but it is still alive. Folk songs are very pleasant to listen to. Classical music is often associated with the music of the past. Rap is a modern musical style where the singer speaks or shouts the words in time to music with a steady beat.
Great Britain has produced more popular music stars than any other country. British groups often set new trends in music. New styles, groups and singers continue to appear. Many of the new bands have been able to use changes in technology to develop their music such as computerised drum machines, synthesisers and other electronic instruments.
Tastes differ. So people’s musical interests range from pop and rock music to classical music and opera. My favourite style of music is pop music, because it is full of energy. When I listen to pop music it makes me remember happy times and forget the problems of everyday life. I also enjoy listening to classical music. The music I hate is heavy metal, I find it noisy. When I listen to this style of music it presents to my mind pictures of dark days. My mother and father agree with my tastes in music. Though they prefer to listen to classical, they think that modern music is not too bad.
Music appeals to our hearts. It comforts our souls and enriches our minds. Music is beauty in sounds; it is our magic source of inspiration.
1. What is the first paragraph mainly about?| A．Several types of music. | B．Different musical tastes. |
| C．The development of musical styles. | D．The importance of music in our lives. |
| A．By giving examples. | B．By analysing reasons. |
| C．By describing courses. | D．By making comparisons. |
| A．It is played with electronic instruments. | B．It is characterised by a steady beat. |
| C．It is loud and strong. | D．It sounds energetic. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Supportive. |
| C．Dissatisfied. | D．Unconcerned. |
8 . What are two things that make humans different from animals? One is language, and the other is music. It is true that some animals can sing (and many birds sing. better than a lot of people). However, the songs of animals, such as birds and whales, are very limited. It is also true that humans, not animals, have developed musical instruments.
Music is strange stuff. It is clearly different from language. However, people can use music to communicate things—especially their emotions. When music is combined with speech in a song, it is a very powerful form of communication.
If music is truly different from speech, then we should process music and language in different parts of the brain. The scientific evidence suggests that this is true. Sometimes people who suffer brain damage lose their ability to process language. However, they don't automatically lose their musical abilities. For example, Vissarion Shebalin, a Russian composer, had a stroke in 1953. It injured the left side of his brain. He could no longer speak or understand speech. He could, however, still compose music until his death ten years later. On the other hand, sometimes strokes cause people to lose their musical ability, but they can still speak and understand speech.
Why does music have such a strong effect on us? That is a harder question to answer. Geoffrey Miller, a researcher at University College, London, thinks that music and love have a strong connection. Music requires special talent, practice, and physical ability. That's why it may be a way of showing your fitness to be someone's mate. For example, singing in tune or playing a musical instrument requires fine muscular control. You also need a good memory to remember the notes.
And playing or singing those notes correctly suggests that your hearing is in excellent condition. Finally, when a man sings to the woman he loves, it may be a way of showing off.
However, Miller's theory still doesn't explain why certain combinations of sounds influence our emotions so deeply. For scientists, this is clearly an area that needs further research of sounds influence our emotions so deeply. For scientists, this is clearly an area that needs further research.
1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph?| A．To introduce the main topic. | B．To show the author's attitude. |
| C．To analyze causes. | D．To describe a process. |
| A．is translated into a language | B．is combined with speech |
| C．is sung by some famous musician | D．is mixed with the cry of an animal |
| A．he is one of the luckiest person |
| B．he is really interested in composing music |
| C．the brain processes music and language separately |
| D．music and language are two different things for some |
| A．Effects of music on humans works. | B．A study on how music works |
| C．Reasons why music affects us. | D．Ways of using music in daily life. |
9 . Probably no other musical instrument is as popular as the guitar. Musicians use the guitar for almost every kind of music. Country and western music would not be the same without a guitar. The traditional Spanish folk music called Flamenco could not exist without a guitar. The sound of American blues music would not be the same without the sad cry of the guitar. And rock and roll music would almost be impossible Without this instrument.
Some music experts say an instrument very much like a guitar was played in Egypt more than one thousand years ago. Some other experts say that the ancestor of the modern guitar was brought to Spain from Persia sometime in the twelfth century. The guitar continued to develop in Spain. In the 1700s, it became similar to the instrument we know today.
Many famous musicians played the instrument. The famous Italian violinist Niccolo Paganinni played and wrote music for the guitar in the early 1800s. Franz Schubert used the guitar to write some of his famous works. One kind of music for the guitar developed in the southern area of Spain called Adalusia. It will always be strongly linked with the Spanish guitar. It is called Flamenco.
In the 1930s, Les Paul began experimenting with ways to make an electric guitar. He invented the solid body electric guitar in 1946. The guitar has always been important to blues music. With the electric guitar, Les Paul helped make modern blues music possible. There have been many great blues guitarists. Yet, music experts say all blues guitar players are measured against one man and his famous guitar. That man is B. B. King. Every blues fan knows that years ago B. B. King named his guitar Lucille. Here B. B. King plays Lucille on his famous recording of “The Thrill Is Gone”. Lucille, B. B. King's large, beautiful black guitar, is important to American music. Visitors can see King's very first guitar at the Rock and Soul Museum in Memphis, Tennessee. The museum is the only permanent exhibit organized by the Smithsonian Institution outside Washington, D. C., and New York City.
1. Where did the modern guitar finally come into being?| A．Egypt. | B．Spain. |
| C．Persia. | D．Italy. |
| A．It is the name of a famous musician. | B．It is related to Spanish guitar. |
| C．It is also called Adalusia. | D．It is the name of a guitar. |
| A．The electric guitar promoted the development of the blues. |
| B．The musician B. B. King named his guitar Lucille. |
| C．The Rock and Soul Museum first opened in Memphis. |
| D．The exhibit was first organized by the Smithsonian Institution. |
| A．Traditional Folk Music | B．Flamenco and Guitar |
| C．Violinist and Blues | D．Guitar and Music |
10 . Are you interested in country music? I like it very much! It will take me away for a while after I am tired. The guitars and songs will take me to mountains and fields. Country music usually talks of everyday life and feelings. It’s the spirit of America, easy to understand, slow and simple. Country music developed in the Southern United States. It was the folk music of American countryside. Many of songs tell about the lives of farmers. They talk about love, crops or death.
The life of the countryside can be hard, so the words in country music are often sad. At first, people played the music only at family parties. But it became more popular later. In the 1920s, people played country songs on the radio, and they made them into records. When people in the countryside moved to towns and cities to look for work, they took their music with them. Country music continued to change and became popular across America. John Denver was one of America’s most famous country singers in the 1970s. His song “ Take Me home, Country Roads ” is well-known and people still play it today.
1. Country music is usually about _______.| A．people’s everyday life and feelings | B．farmer’s feelings |
| C．the lives of workers | D．workers’ feelings |
| A．in John Denver’s city | B．in the Southern United States |
| C．in the Northern United States | D．in the Western United States |
| A．in the 1920s | B．in 1920 |
| C．in the 1970s | D．in 1970 |
| A．A farmer in the countryside. | B．A person who moved to towns |
| C．John Denver. | D．Denver John |
