1 . Guy Noble, one of Australia’s most famous conductors, who conducted the touring concert “East Meets West”, said he’d like to learn more about Chinese music. “I’m impressed by the history and the beauty Chinese music has,” he’s said in an interview recently.
“East Meets West” concert tour in Australia was resumed this year after being postponed twice due to the pandemic. It was hosted in Canberra last Saturday, bringing audiences some well-known Chinese and Western pieces such as Jasmine Flower, Carmen, Romeo and Juliet, and The Yellow River.
While it was called “East Meets West”, music from China and the West with the same themes was brought together. Chinese singer Ya Fen and Australian singer Victoria Lambourn performed a duet (二重唱) Hope Betrayed, which was inspired by the Chinese classic novel A Dream of Red Mansions. Noble said he loved the duet as it showed completely different singing styles: traditional Chinese opera style and Western opera style. “They’re not exactly the same, but they came together,” he said.
Having been a professional conductor for more than 20 years, Noble called music an international language. He noted that most music at the concert was about love, which was also an international language. He also spoke highly of some Chinese musicians, such as pianist Lang Lang who he thought has inspired many kids in China to learn music.
Noble admitted his knowledge of Chinese culture was limited. He said that conducting the Canberra concert was “an experience that I’ve enjoyed”, which made him more interested in discovering the background and history of the music, as well as the stories behind it. Noble is ready to create more things that can involve dance or calligraphy or some of the other aspects of Chinese culture, and put them together with music.
1. Why did Noble enjoy Hope Betrayed?| A．Because it impressed him with its history. |
| B．Because it was inspired by a classic novel. |
| C．Because it showed two performing styles. |
| D．Because it was performed by an Australian. |
| A．He is an amateur conductor. |
| B．He speaks highly of all Chinese musicians. |
| C．He has a wide knowledge of Chinese culture. |
| D．He intends to integrate more Chinese elements into music. |
2 . Guy Noble, one of Australia’s most famous conductors, who conducted the touring concert “East Meets West”, said he’d like to learn more about Chinese music. “I’m impressed by the history and the beauty Chinese music has,” he’s said in an interview recently.
“East Meets West” concert tour in Australia was resumed this year after being postponed twice due to the pandemic. It was hosted in Canberra last Saturday, bringing audiences some well-known Chinese and Western pieces such as Jasmine Flower, Carmen, Romeo and Juliet, and The Yellow River.
While it was called “East Meets West”, music from China and the West with the same themes was brought together. Chinese singer Ya Fen and Australian singer Victoria Lambourn performed a duet (二重唱) Hope Betrayed, which was inspired by the Chinese classic novel A Dream of Red Mansions. Noble said he loved the duet as it showed completely different singing styles: traditional Chinese opera style and Western opera style. “They’re not exactly the same, but they came together,” he said.
Having been a professional conductor for more than 20 years, Noble called music an international language. He noted that most music at the concert was about love, which was also an international language. He also spoke highly of some Chinese musicians, such as pianist Lang Lang who he thought has inspired many kids in China to learn music.
Noble admitted his knowledge of Chinese culture was limited. He said that conducting the Canberra concert was “an experience that I’ve enjoyed”, which made him more interested in discovering the background and history of the music, as well as the stories behind it. Noble is ready to create more things that can involve dance or calligraphy or some of the other aspects of Chinese culture, and put them together with music.
What does the underlined word “resumed” in paragraph 2 mean?| A．Restarted. |
| B．Expanded. |
| C．Paused. |
| D．Concluded. |
Nowadays, one of the common
1. What instrument did the speaker play when she was young?
| A．The piano. | B．The guitar. | C．The violin. |
| A．In London. | B．In Sydney. | C．In New York. |
| A．They’ll meet famous performers. |
| B．They’ll have a brighter future. |
| C．They’ll get a chance to travel the world. |
| A．Three. | B．Four. | C．Seven. |
5 . Many people love to listen to music while driving. Thanks to the world’s musical roads, drivers now don’t need to turn the radio on.
A musical road can create music when a car tires go over grooves (凹槽) on the road. To produce beautiful music, drivers must pass over the grooves at a certain speed. Signs often tell drivers the right speed.
In Hungary, there is a musical road in honor of one of the country’s most popular musical performers — Laszlo Bodi. Bodi was the lead singer for the band Republic.
| A．Musical roads are also keeping drivers safe. |
| B．There is not any music road in Eastern countries. |
| C．Musical roads help improve the road safety greatly. |
| D．But they can also enjoy music while taking road trips. |
| E．Formed in 1990, the group is one of Hungary’s biggest acts and is still active today. |
| F．The first musical road was created in Gylling, Denmark, in 1995. |
| G．For example, in Japan, there are many musical roads throughout the country. |
6 . Seated at the grand piano in MIT’s Killian Hall last fall, first-year student Jacqueline Wang played one piece of Mozart’s music. When she’d finished, Mi-Eun Kim, a pianist and lecturer at MIT, asked her to move to the back of the hall. Kim tapped at an iPad. Suddenly, the music Wang had just played poured forth again from the piano - its keys sinking and rising just as they had with Wang’s fingers on them. Wang stood with a confused expression, taking in a repeat of her own performance.
This unusual lesson took place during a three-week residency (驻留期) of the Steinway Spirio|r, a piano that obtains the data of live performances and offers students new possibilities for studying and experimenting with music.
Wang was one of several participants to have the experience of hearing herself play while watching the data of her performance move up and down across a screen: color-coded rectangles (矩形) indicating the speed and duration of each note, and a moving line charting her use of the damper pedal (阻尼踏板). Wang could even edit her own performance when Kim suggested her rhythmic use of the pedal might be unnecessary. Using the iPad interface to erase the pedaling entirely, they listened to the playback again, the notes gaining new clarity,
For Wang, the session introduced an element she’d never experienced since beginning her piano studies. The visual display of how long each key was played and with what speed gave her a more precise demonstration of the ideas of voicing and evenness.
Playing the piano is one of the most complex activities that humans do with their hands. Some people might think the new technology will replace the pianist. In Kim’s view, that human complexity is complemented by this kind of technical possibility. But it doesn’t mean all of the things that go into learning music will be abandoned. It’s going to be an invaluable third partner: the student, the teacher, and the Spirio | r. It’s going to play a necessary role in lots of musical efforts.
What happened after Jacqueline Wang finished her performance?| A．Her teacher played a piece of music to compete against her. |
| B．She got her performance reviewed on the Spirio|r. |
| C．She was asked to comment on her performance. |
| D．Her teacher instructed her to improve her skills. |
7 . Music plays an important role in our lives.
Unlike food, music isn’t necessary for our survival.
Studies have shown that certain pieces of classical music will have the same effect on everyone.
Neuroscientists conducted research using PET scans to detect the release of dopamine in the brain when subjects listened to their favorite songs. They later used MRI to view the pleasure center of the brain where dopamine is released and then mapped out its connection with other areas of the brain.
The pleasure center of the brain predicts what kind of music we will enjoy based on the connection it makes to other parts of our brain.
New music fits into patterns already mapped out in the brain by our past musical tastes. It is pleasurable not only because it is familiar, but it is different just enough to feel new and exciting.
| A．Enjoying music is unique to humans. |
| B．They cause the same changes in the brain. |
| C．However, it is extremely rewarding and pleasurable. |
| D．It was these connections that were the most interesting revelation. |
| E．Music, therefore, can be used as a mood enhancer or as a motivator. |
| F．We can recall vivid memories and emotions when listening to music. |
| G．There is a lot of research about music and its relationship to intelligence. |
8 . Music is an international language, spanning cultures across the world, and, in fact, across time. Looking at today’s musical landscape, certain cities truly stand out for their music scenes. Here we’re naming some of our favorite cities for music.
NashvilleWith the nickname “Music City”, Nashville makes our list of best music cities. You’re bound to hear live music anywhere, whether at your hotel bar, or at the historic Ryman Auditorium. Nashville is not only home to the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Johnny Cash Museum, but it’s still active in the recording studio scene.
ViennaIf you’re after classical music on your next vacation, be sure to head to Vienna. Once the capital of the Habsburg Empire, the city was the center of all societal affairs which included music. The greatest classical composers—from Mozart to Haydn to Beethoven to Mahler—all lived and worked in Vienna at one point or another.
New YorkNew York has been described as a “melting pot (熔炉)” of cultures, and that applies to its music, too. The 20th century was particularly fruitful for New York’s music scene. During this time, it became the birthplace of hip-hop, disco, and salsa music, among other styles. The list truly goes on and on.
New OrleansThe city is filled with jazz, where you can listen to the great music every night. Of course, you can catch jazz at venues across town—the genre was born here, after all. If you’re a huge jazz fan, you might want to consider visiting during the annual New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.
1. Which city is more attractive to visitors who want to know the classical musicians?| A．Nashville. | B．Vienna. | C．New York. | D．New Orleans. |
| A．It is a meeting pointing for various styles of music. |
| B．It is recognized as the birthplace and hot area of Jazz. |
| C．It holds musical festivals for hip-pop and disco fans each year. |
| D．It enables people to enjoy the live shows inside and outside hotel bars. |
| A．A poster. | B．A news report. | C．An encyclopedia. | D．A magazine. |
Literally translated as the “Songs of Heroes” dance, Yingge Dance is 300-year-old folk dance that originated from the Chaoshan area of South China’s Guangdong Province.
In recent years, Chaoshan Yingge Dance has
On the first and second days of the Lunar New Year, the Nanshan Yingge Team from Guangdong’s Puning made appearances at
10 . They thought it was going to be easy. A piece of cake. The band, Suenalo, were excited that they would present their skills to a group of troubled youth at a detention center (少管所).
They arrived at the invitation of a friend, who was an adviser at the center. He had mentioned a career day where members of the community came to speak to the teens about their jobs. Usually the speakers were bankers or lawyers, so he thought it would be interesting for the kids to meet some musicians and maybe even hear some music. “They need something cool to get their attention” was the pitch from the friend.
The kids, about 40, were brought in, looking distant, some even angry. Chad Bernstein, the trombone player, started telling the career of a musician from touring to copyright to the business aspects, trying to draw their interest. However, it didn’t. Sensing that they couldn’t win, the band, a little thrown, decided to play one song. With music going, the kids seemed to respond, their heads nodding to the beat. One of them sang a lyric (歌词). The band sang it back. Then, one by one, the musicians began picking up the beat. Chad started free styling a rap, going back and forth with the kid, and in no time, other kids jumped in. Suddenly the band and the kids were creating a song from scratch and all of them were in musical heaven.
For Chad, that moment inspired him to found Guitars Over Guns, an organization that pairs at-risk middle-schoolers with professional musicians. As both music teachers and life coaches, the musicians give the kids a way to find their creative voices and get through dark times. Over time, the kids have dropped their tough fronts and shared personal stories, from family tragedies to ordinary struggles at school with friends.
“So far we’ve helped over 2,700 students. Our work is highly satisfying because it shows us that a music career is more than a job, it can have more impact,” says Chad Bernstein.
1. Why did the band come to the detention center?| A．To get attention. | B．To display skills. | C．To plan their careers. | D．To chat about music. |
| A．Its lyrics were from the kids. | B．Chad owned its copyright. |
| C．It was composed cooperatively. | D．The kids picked up its beat. |
| A．Offer guidance on life. | B．Give full school instruction. |
| C．Relate personal stories. | D．Promote awareness of risks. |
| A．Disciplined. | B．Purposeful. | C．Humorous. | D．Traditional. |
