1 . When I was in sixth grade, I joined the band program to learn to play the clarinet (单簧管). The beginning of the year had gone
From then on, I hated playing the clarinet and I kept getting
The avoidance of my lessons continued until my mum asked me about it. “I want to quit.” My tears started
The next day I met with my band teacher and told her I was having a problem and couldn’t
A.badly | B.endlessly | C.randomly | D.smoothly |
A.mess up | B.move on | C.set out | D.take off |
A.impression | B.essay | C.story | D.factor |
A.ashamed | B.starved | C.excited | D.relaxed |
A.crashing | B.moving | C.selling | D.bending |
A.stricter | B.worse | C.happier | D.smarter |
A.joy | B.panic | C.doubt | D.sympathy |
A.funny | B.important | C.easy | D.traditional |
A.drying | B.disappearing | C.flowing | D.separating |
A.had a point | B.made a change | C.reached a level | D.took a break |
A.send | B.bring | C.pick | D.climb |
A.request | B.resolution | C.presentation | D.proposal |
A.balance | B.degree | C.position | D.solution |
A.figure out | B.give away | C.think over | D.make up |
A.aim | B.smile | C.wave | D.shout |
A.anger | B.sorrow | C.disappointment | D.surprise |
A.felt | B.shown | C.removed | D.voiced |
A.Carrying on | B.Looking back | C.Stepping aside | D.Turning around |
A.consume | B.examine | C.reflect | D.rescue |
A.unknown | B.unpunished | C.interested | D.trapped |
A music concert “Echoes of Ancient Tang Poems” jointly performed by iSING! Suzhou and the Philadelphia Orchestra was staged at Kimmel Performing Arts Center in Philadelphia on Jan. 6.
Another concert featuring Tang poetry was
The iSING! Suzhou International Young Artists Festival
The performances were also held to commemorate(纪念) the
3 . Music has long been considered to be an enjoyable pastime for many people.
Many people enjoy relaxing music in the evening prior to going to bed.
When it comes to heart health,there is speculation (推测) that it's not the style of music, but rather the tempo that makes it so good for your heart health.In one European study,participants listened to music as the researchers monitored their heart rates and blood pressure.
A.This feeling can also result in many other health problems. |
B.Some experts say that music can be harmful if it is too loud. |
C.This idea is a little off-the-wall but still has scientific backing. |
D.They say it can play a big role in calming the brain enough to sleep. |
E.The implications of music on overall well-being are really impressive. |
F.It is also highly popular due to the individualized effects on stress and anxiety. |
G.Interestingly,the more cheerful the music was,the faster their heart rates were. |
Jingxi Taiping Drum is a traditional form of dancing. With its display of profound cultural elements, it
The
In ancient times, the drums were played
During a given performance, drummers perform various dance moves while
In the past decades, efforts
5 . At the age of 12, I withdrew into my bedroom with my guitar. I had neither musical talent — many
The world favors achievement while
The seeking of accomplishment always
A.added | B.tailored | C.expected | D.failed |
A.Besides | B.Instead | C.Therefore | D.However |
A.fruitless | B.matchless | C.effortless | D.senseless |
A.wished | B.allowed | C.required | D.invited |
A.masked | B.rooted | C.set | D.stuck |
A.waited for | B.passed by | C.departed from | D.stayed with |
A.exchange | B.reason | C.foundation | D.priority |
A.relationship | B.difference | C.balance | D.similarity |
A.ignoring | B.avoiding | C.assessing | D.defending |
A.origin | B.process | C.decision | D.reward |
A.lack | B.need | C.rush | D.dream |
A.amazes | B.concerns | C.frightens | D.discourages |
A.adventurous | B.dangerous | C.memorable | D.horrible |
A.impression | B.performance | C.scene | D.harmony |
A.pursued | B.accepted | C.interpreted | D.analysed |
6 . How to Organize a Music Festival
You love music and you always have. You want to carry out a music festival designed to attract music fans of all ages. Follow the steps and you’ll organize a successful one.
◆Start by making a list of the local bands and artists that you like. You’ve taken this job because you love music, so put your taste to work for you. If you like these musicians, many of the local people will also like them.
◆Find a great location that has much open space for outdoor festivals. You need to build a stage so the musicians can be seen from distances.
◆Hire sound engineers to give the musicians all the help they need.
◆
A.You need to find security people. |
B.We can find enough songs to get a lot of money. |
C.Bigger sports stadiums will be perfect as well. |
D.But remember, you are trying to attract fans of all ages. |
E.People should have practiced many different songs. |
F.You can find a location by going to the local government and asking for permission. |
G.The last thing you want is that a group is on the stage but the speakers don’t work. |
7 . Rock music consists of many different styles. Even though there is a common spirit among all music groups, they make very different music.
After they were given an invitation to appear live on BBC, the Beatles quickly became famous in Britain with nationwide tours. By mid-1963, the Beatles had been extremely popular in England.
A.They decided on a tour to the United States in 1964. |
B.Even their hairstyles became major trends at that time. |
C.Rock music developed in the 1950s and the early 1960s. |
D.However, their songs changed the lives of generations to come. |
E.Many rock bands were able to follow in the footsteps of the Beatles. |
F.They appeared in the films A Hard Day's Night(1964)and Help!(1965). |
G.They performed their first concert in America at CBS television’s 53rd street studio. |
Chinese singer-songwriter Liu Shuang was on a journey to Beijing when he received a message,
The song
The elderly man lost his wife and he has not remarried, so he often visited the old ballroom and danced alone
Millions of people have been touched by the song and the story behind it.
9 . Eliana Yi dreamed of pursuing piano performance in college, never mind that her fingers could barely reach the length of an octave (八度音阶). Unable to fully play many works by Romantic-era composers, including Beethoven and Brahms, she tried anyway — and in her determination to spend hours practicing one of Chopin’s compositions which is known for being “stretchy”, wound up injuring herself.
“I would just go to pieces,” the Southern Methodist University junior recalled. “There were just too many octaves. I wondered whether I was just going to play Bach and Mozart for the rest of my life.”
The efforts of SMU keyboard studies chair Carol Leone are changing all that. Twenty years ago, the school became the first major university in the U.S. to incorporate smaller keyboards into its music program, leveling the playing field for Yi and other piano majors.
Yi reflected on the first time she tried one of the smaller keyboards: “I remember being really excited because my hands could actually reach and play all the right notes,” she said. Ever since, “I haven’t had a single injury, and I can practice as long as I want.”
For decades, few questioned the size of the conventional piano. If someone’s hand span was less than 8.5 inches — the distance considered ideal to comfortably play an octave — well, that’s just how it was.
Those who attempt “stretchy” passages either get used to omitting notes or risk tendon (腱) injury with repeated play. Leone is familiar with such challenges. Born into a family of jazz musicians, she instead favored classical music and pursued piano despite her small hand span and earned a doctorate in musical arts.
A few years after joining SMU’s music faculty in 1996, the decorated pianist read an article in Piano and Keyboard magazine about the smaller keyboards. As Leone would later write, the discovery would completely renew her life and career.
In 2000, she received a grant to retrofit a department Steinway to accommodate a smaller keyboard, and the benefits were immediate. In addition to relieving injury caused by overextended fingers, she said, it gave those with smaller spans the ability to play classic compositions taken for granted by larger-handed counterparts.
Smaller keyboards instill many with new confidence. It’s not their own limitations that have held them back, they realize; it’s the limitations of the instruments themselves. For those devoted to a life of making music, it’s as if a cloud has suddenly lifted.
1. What is the similarity between Eliana Yi and Carol Leone?A.Their interest in jazz extended to classical music. |
B.Short hand span used to restrict their music career. |
C.They both joined SMU’s music faculty years ago. |
D.Romantic-era composers’ music was easy for them. |
A.To reduce the number of octaves. |
B.To incorporate Bach into its music program. |
C.To provide fair opportunities for piano majors. |
D.To encourage pianists to spend more hours practicing. |
A.Confident. | B.Frustrated. | C.Challenging. | D.Determined. |
A.Who Qualifies as an Ideal Pianist? |
B.Traditional or Innovative Piano? |
C.Hard-working Pianists Pays off |
D.The Story behind Retrofitted Pianos |
10 . There are hundreds of genres (流派) of music, so while some might like one kind, others might like something completely different. Why do people like different kinds of music?
Music can also be nostalgic, that is, it creates a kind of longing for the past. Musicians leave behind a footprint with their music.
We may also find that the music we like is strongly tied to our memory. Maybe there was a song that someone sang to us when we were little that brings up good memories.
When we listen to music that we like, a chemical called dopamine is sometimes released in the brain, which can make us feel good.
People’s taste in music can remain the same in their whole life or it can change many times. But the truth is, we don’t know all the exact answers to why people like different kinds of music — or sports, or food, or colors.
A.It’s music to our ears. |
B.Music can be a part of our identity. |
C.It becomes a mirror that we are holding up. |
D.They leave a permanent mark in people’s lives. |
E.Therefore, we might want to listen to a song on repeat. |
F.Other times, we might find music can bring up sad memories. |
G.There are lots of different factors that can influence our preferences. |