1 . Have you ever faced a time when things looked dark and you had no hope at all?Yes, I have. But the
Two years ago, I was told I had a serious
Music gave me happiness. When I listened to music, it made my spirits fly like a kite in the wind. Music gave me strength and
I hope
| A．friend | B．song | C．music | D．doctor |
| A．accident | B．disease | C．cold | D．trouble |
| A．longer | B．more | C．better | D．worse |
| A．angry | B．alone | C．lonely | D．bored |
| A．and | B．but | C．so | D．or |
| A．songs | B．doctors | C．books | D．friends |
| A．many | B．a little | C．much | D．a few |
| A．refused | B．began | C．expected | D．hoped |
| A．medicine | B．knowledge | C．inspiration | D．idea |
| A．took | B．caught | C．showed | D．brought |
| A．brave | B．happy | C．strong | D．hard |
| A．However | B．Besides | C．Luckily | D．Actually |
| A．no one | B．none | C．some | D．most |
| A．go along | B．go through | C．take in | D．come over |
| A．us | B．him | C．her | D．you |
2 . In 1998, professional musician Spielberg was pregnant (怀孕的) with twin girls when she suffered complications. An emergency cesarean (创腹产手术) was performed during the 22nd week of pregnancy. Sadly, one of the twins passed away, but Valerie survived.
Valerie was born weighing only 12 ounces and was the size of a can of soda. She was so small that she didn’t meet the hospital’s premature baby weight limit necessary to receive life-saving treatment. A kind nurse put a finger on the scale and recorded her weight at 17 ounces, just enough to make her receive medical support.
It was touch-and-go. To make matters worse, the hospital was very loud and busy. Spielberg thought it felt more like an emergency room than a healing environment. She wanted to drown out (盖过) the noises of the hospital.
She couldn’t bring her piano, so she played CDs for her daughter. Amazingly, Valerie improved. Her oxygen saturation levels increased, her blood pressure stabilized, and her heart’s rhythm became more steady. This wasn’t a fluke — it happened again and again for four months.
And it affected all of the other babies in the room as well. Valerie’s health continued to improve after months of music and medical attention.
Having seen the amazing impact music had on her baby, Spielberg began working with music therapists. She also volunteered in nursing homes where she once inspired a silent man to speak with music. The elderly man’s wife had passed away and the pain seemed too much for him to handle. He had cut himself off from the world and hadn’t spoken in 6 months. When Spielberg unknowingly played his wedding song, the man broke out of his shell. He began singing and then asked to speak with his family.
Spielberg is still a professional musician. And these days she also teaches and speaks to audiences about the magic of music. Her daughter Valerie, now a healthy and happy young woman, has become a musician herself, playing both the piano and percussion.
1. What do we know about Valerie from paragraph 2?| A．She was in great danger. | B．She was adopted by a nurse. |
| C．She was too small to be weighed. | D．She was given up by the hospital. |
| A．suddenly | B．quickly | C．accidentally | D．regularly |
| A．An illness. | B．An injury. | C．Having no friends. | D．Losing his wife. |
| A．The power of music. | B．The value of music. |
| C．Her musical life. | D．Her musical talent. |
1. Where does the conversation probably take place?
| A．In a KTV. | B．In a singing class. | C．At a concert. |
| A．She enjoys singing. |
| B．She loves Elvis’ songs. |
| C．She prefers listening to others sing. |
4 . Sydney Conservatorium of Music Concerts for January 2017
A. Sydney Youth Orchestra
Conservatorium High School students play a selection (精选) of Mozart concertos (协奏曲).
Date: Sat. 7th and 14th January, 8:00 pm. $10
B. Let’s Sing Together
An afternoon for the young and the young-at-heart. Led by the Giggles Band (乐队), sing children’s songs from your childhood and from all over the world. There will be a special appearance by Willy Wallaby, from the popular children’s programme.
Date: Sun. 8th January, 3:00 pm. $5
C. One Romantic Evening
Bring someone special with you and listen to some of the greatest love songs as you look at the stars together!
Date: Sat. 28th January, 7:30 pm. $20
Note: This concert will be held in the Conservatorium Rose Garden, not in the Concert Hall.
D. Rock and Roll
Dance till late to the rock hits of the last 10 years. Bands playing include The Hippies, The Hypers, and The Heroes. If you have a special request (请求), write it down at the ticket counter when you come in.
Date: Sat. 21st January, 8:00 pm. $10
E. Flamenco
World-famous classical guitarist Rodrigo Paras will play a selection of traditional Spanish Flamenco pieces.
Date: Sun. 22nd and 29th January, 7:30 pm. $12
1. How much will you pay if you want to listen to children’s songs?
| A．$5. | B．$10. | C．$12. | D．$20. |
| A．7th January, 8:00 pm. | B．21st January, 8:00 pm. |
| C．22nd January, 7:30 pm. | D．28th January, 7:30 pm. |
| A．It will be played by students. |
| B．There will be a special guest. |
| C．It will be held in a different place. |
| D．You can leave a note when you come in. |
| A．Flamenco. | B．Let’s Sing Together. |
| C．One Romantic Evening. | D．Sydney Youth Orchestra. |
| A．Singing. | B．Playing the piano. | C．Playing the drums. |
1. When did Mozart begin to practise the piano?
| A．At the age of three. | B．At the age of five. | C．At the age of eight. |
| A．His mother taught him. |
| B．He learned at school. |
| C．He learned through listening. |
| A．He found a good job. | B．He gave up his studies. | C．He remained confident. |
| A．Effort. | B．Luck. | C．Gift. |
7 . Have you experienced a condition when listening to a very loud music makes your heartbeat so fast that you can actually feel the heavy beating? From this experience, we can conclude that loud and fast music
But why does this happen? Experiments found that the
It is believed that people who have a slower heart rate have a longer life.
| A．obtains | B．evaluates | C．measures | D．increases |
| A．nature | B．anxiety | C．respect | D．security |
| A．integrated | B．changed | C．linked | D．marked |
| A．compared | B．adapted | C．exposed | D．opposed |
| A．style | B．effect | C．fantasy | D．beauty |
| A．structure | B．music | C．brain | D．equipment |
| A．normal | B．folk | C．modern | D．soft |
| A．abnormal | B．unbearable | C．unforgettable | D．beneficial |
| A．helpful | B．joyful | C．grateful | D．doubtful |
| A．Interestingly | B．Similarly | C．Absolutely | D．Unbelievably |
| A．limit | B．competition | C．risk | D．fame |
| A．temperature | B．medicine | C．dance | D．music |
| A．selflessness | B．helplessness | C．calmness | D．sadness |
| A．learning | B．relaxation | C．permission | D．cooperation |
| A．fact | B．resource | C．advice | D．intention |
8 . A few extraordinary female singer-songwriters from the 1970s helped form music as we know it today, and continue to inspire so many with their soulful melodies(旋律).
Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell’s influence goes beyond her own generation. Her earnest songwriting continues to be a source of inspiration for many, who acknowledge her position as a pioneer of female expression in music.
The 1971 album Blue showed Joni’s truthful self, telling the stories of her experiences in life and in love. Blue was later chosen by the New York Times as one of the 25 albums that represented “turning points and the highest points in 20th-century popular music”.
Carole King
Carole King wrote or co-wrote over 118 hits between 1955 and 1999, making her the most successful female songwriter in the second half of the 20th century. However, King initially found herself less recognized than her husband and writing partner at the time, Gerry Goffin.
As the 1970s arrived, so did Carole King in full bloom. Now pursuing a solo career, 1971 saw the release (发行)of her album Tapestry. The album was highly significant, not only commercially but symbolically.
Joan Armatrading
Still in the 1970s but putting in the work on this side of the pond, Joan Armatrading became the first black British female artist to achieve international praise.
Joan’s place as a female pioneer in music continued as she became the first UK female artist to be nominated (提名)for a Grammy in the blues category, going on to receive two further nominations. An artist who is confident with who she is and what she wants to create, Armatrading famously keeps her private life to herself and lets her music do the talking.
1. What is the album Blue about?| A．Female wisdom. |
| B．Female creativity. |
| C．Joni’s musical dream. |
| D．Joni’s life experiences. |
| A．In 1955. | B．In 1999. |
| C．In 1970. | D．In 1971. |
| A．Brave. | B．Self-confident. |
| C．Odd. | D．Unsociable. |
9 . Best Sleep Music Apps
If you want to sleep better at night, trying a sleep music app might be the answer. Here are some ideal sleep music apps to choose from.
Calm
Calm is one of the most popular sleep music apps and its large library of relaxing and sleep-causing tracks is largely responsible for that. This app offers a free version, but to really take advantage of what Calm has to offer, you had better choose the paid version, which costs $ 69.99 for one year. A lifetime membership is $ 399.99.
Relax Melodies
Relax Melodies is intended to calm your mind with relaxing sound. The composer is visual and easy to use, and the Discover page gives you access to other app features, like bedtime stories and breathing exercises. Though its free version provides a great introduction to the idea of sleep music, the paid version unlocks a larger library of sounds. Consider paying for it if there're particular sounds or features that really attract you.
Headspace
Headspace is a feature-rich app designed in a simple way that makes it quick and easy to use its library of sleep-specific music. The Sleep icon at the bottom of the app is easy to identify and leads to a library of options that include Sleep Music and Sleep Radio. It's worth noting that nearly everything in Headspace's Sleep Library requires an extra subscription. Headspace costs $ 69.99 annually, or you can pay $12.99 per month.
Pzizz
Pzizz offers sleep music tracks you can use at naptime, bedtime, or to improve focus. One thing that makes Pzizz different is its voice narration（旁白）option. If you find the presence of a calming voice to be comforting or benefit from someone helping you to relax your body and mind, then Pzizz is a good choice for you. Male and female voice options are available and the voice is low and calm. It has a free version but you should pay for extra subscriptions.
1. Which app allows you to combine sleep music with breathing exercises?| A．Calm. | B．Headspace. | C．Pzizz. | D．Relax Melodies. |
| A．$12.99. | B．$69.99. | C．$155.88. | D．$399.99. |
| A．Its voice for narration is fixed. | B．It provides low and calm music. |
| C．It offers voice narration options. | D．Its focus is sleep-specific music. |
10 . When everything is going wrong, there's nothing like listening to a few bars of your favorite sad song. But why do we find pleasure in sad music? This puzzled two researchers at the Freie Universität Berlin in Germany who set out to explore our strong feeling for sad songs in a world where entire industries exist to help us remove sadness from our lives.
Their study — based on a survey of more than 770 people around the world and published this month in the journal, PLOS ONE — discovered sad music can create positive emotions, like peacefulness and kindness, and that choosing the tearful ballad on your music player offers three benefits.
The biggest turned out to be that sad songs allow you to feel sadness without any of its “real-life contexts.” In other words, you can safely explore what it's like to be a little blue without experiencing the great pain of losing a loved one, for example.
“Emotion control” was another important benefit. Many of those surveyed said that when they were in a bad mood (情绪), experiencing sadness through music made them feel better afterwards and provided an emotional improvement. That may be because the songs help them to express and let go of their emotions, researchers noted. “Sad music promotes and creates a space for reflection and reexamination of personal experiences, thoughts and feelings,” one of the researchers added
The benefit of “empathy” (同理心) made the listener feel good by allowing him to share the sadness of another human being through the song. When we're having social problems, like when we're feeling lonely, homesick or missing someone, the sad songs can offer comfort by showing someone else shares our state of mind, the study found.
So it turns out that Elton John was right: Sad songs do say so much.
1. What does the underlined word “This” in Paragraph 1 refer to?| A．When things go wrong. | B．What to explore in sad songs. |
| C．Why sad music brings us joy. | D．How to remove sadness from life. |
| A．Benefits of sad music. |
| B．Strong feelings in sad music. |
| C．Real-life contexts of sad music. |
| D．Empathetic comforts from sad music. |
| A．By freeing us from bad moods. | B．By bringing great pain to us. |
| C．By helping us reflect on exams. | D．By providing a space for us. |
| A．To prove Elton John was right. | B．To show Elton John wrote songs. |
| C．To make the readers think deeply. | D．To stress the point of the passage. |
