1 . Is there a friend of yours who always sings out of tune (曲调) but never realizes it? Don’t be so hard on them — they may have amusia — the inability to tell the difference in tunes.
Apart from singing out of tune, people with amusia may also find it hard to recognize music they’ve heard before without the help of song lyrics. Besides, people who suffer from Amusia can have difficulty in recognizing melodies and a total inability to tell between different musical sounds, according to Live Science. However, people with amusia can recognize common environmental sounds as well as the high and lows sounds in human voices, meaning that this inability can be specially related to music.
In many cases, people who have amusia are born with it, as 46 percent of these individuals’ family members were found to have similar conditions, according to a 2017 study. Brain imaging shows that their brains receive and respond to music pitch (音高) information, but it is not reaching conscious awareness, meaning that the mind can’t understand the information.
Scientists at the University of Otago in New Zealand also think that amusia is related to people’s special processing skills. They invited people with amusia, musicians and students from non-musical backgrounds to perform a task related to spacial imagination. They were asked to decide whether pairs of images are the same object moving around or mirror images.
The result showed that the amusia group made more mistakes than the other two groups. Amusia might be related to the way brain stores information about the high and low sounds in songs, according to the study.
Although those who aren’t confident about their singing skills often say they’re “tune-deaf”, people with amusia only make up about 1.5 percent of the population, as shown in the 2017 study. “Like dyslexics (诵读困难者) can learn how to read, those with amusia should be able to better their ability to recognize tunes if they start early enough,” Isabelle Peretz, a professor of psychology from the University of Montreal in Canada, told Live Science.
1. According to the article, what is the main difficulty faced by people with amusia?A.Recognizing tunes. | B.Identifying human voices. |
C.Understanding song lyrics. | D.Noticing common sounds in nature. |
A.Amusia is common among children. |
B.Amusia is a result of brain damage. |
C.Many individuals with amusia are born with it. |
D.Those who are tune-deaf often suffer from amusia. |
A.People with amusia have strong spa cial imagination skills. |
B.People with amusia struggle to decide the shape of images. |
C.Amusia may be affected by one’s level of music education. |
D.Amusia may be related to how the brain stores sound information. |
A.Go for medical treatment. | B.Sing frequently with friends. |
C.Learn how to read earlier in life. | D.Start to explore and learn music early. |
2 . We are often told that there’s no
Angela Alvarez is a Cuban-born singer and songwriter who finally
Growing up surrounded by music, Alvarez once told her father she wanted to become a (an)
With time, her kids had kids, and one of her grandchildren, Carlos Jose Alvarez,
Alvarez’s story
The dream reached new
A.sex | B.age | C.identity | D.race |
A.exciting | B.understanding | C.inspiring | D.surprising |
A.released | B.searched | C.created | D.increased |
A.ambitious | B.unique | C.professional | D.temporary |
A.take up | B.get into | C.bring in | D.put aside |
A.comfort | B.concept | C.trouble | D.emotion |
A.intentionally | B.accidentally | C.actually | D.obviously |
A.hidden | B.cited | C.heard | D.written |
A.grasping | B.adapting | C.recording | D.polishing |
A.leave | B.continue | C.keep | D.bear |
A.conclusion | B.peak | C.ending | D.beginning |
A.still | B.never | C.ever | D.even |
A.defends | B.represents | C.makes | D.strengthens |
A.draft | B.insights | C.heights | D.aspect |
A.faith | B.trick | C.competence | D.qualification |
3 . When Belquer first joined a team to make a better live music experience for deaf and hard-of-hearing people, he was struck by how they had developed workarounds to enjoy concerts. “What they were doing at the time was holding balloons to feel the vibrations (震动) through their fingers,” Belquer said. He thought the team could make something to help hard-of- hearing people enjoy live music even more with the technology now available.
Belquer, who is also a musician and theater artist, is now the “Chief Vibrational Officer” of Music: Not Impossible, which uses new technology to address social issues like poverty and disability access. His team started by tying vibrating different cell phone motors to bodies, but that didn’t quite work. The vibrations were all the same. Eventually, they worked with engineers to develop a light haptic (触觉的) suit with a total of 24 vibrating plates. There are 20 of them tied to a vest that fits tightly around the body like a hiking backpack, plus one that ties to each wrist and ankle. When you wear the suit, it’s surprising how it feels.
The vibrations are mixed by a haptic DJ who controls the location, frequency and intensity of feeling across the suits, just as a music DJ mixes sounds in an artful way. “What we’re doing is selecting and mixing what we want and send it to different parts of the body,” said the DJ. The haptic suits were just one component of the event. There were American Sign Language interpreters; the music was captioned on a screen on the stage.
The suits are the star attraction. Lily Lipman, who has auditory processing disorder, lit up when asked about her experience. “It’s cool, because I’m never quite sure if I’m hearing what other people are hearing, so it’s amazing to get the music in my body.”
1. What surprised Belquer about people with hearing problems?A.The way they enjoyed music. |
B.The attitude they held to life. |
C.The love they had for balloons. |
D.The frequency they vibrated fingers. |
A.The motors were the same. |
B.The vibrations lacked variety. |
C.The motors hardly worked. |
D.The vibrations were irregular. |
A.He interpreted the sign language. |
B.He captioned the music on stage. |
C.He selected suits for the attendees. |
D.He helped people feel the music. |
A.Comforting. | B.Challenging. | C.Satisfying. | D.Encouraging. |
4 . It was a warm evening in August in 1995. Robert Blocker was driving to Yale University after being appointed as the university’s Dean (院长) of Music. He didn’t expect to see many people, but a couple of students met him and showed him around.
“When I looked at the history of the university and how people are devoted to the school’s art programs, I was honored by the chance to work there. I could not wait for the next day to start my job. And that excitement never changed because every day was different. My job as dean was not scheduled. I walked around the campus and students talked to me. I went to rehearsals (排演) by the students and teachers and got inspired by them,” he adds.
After nearly three decades as the Dean of Music at Yale, the 77-year-old retired from the position on Aug 31. Also an expert pianist, he remains a professor of piano at the music school, as well as professor of leadership strategies at Yale School of Management. Among his countless contributions as dean, Blocker developed long-term relationships with fellow musicians in China. He once toured cities, including Shenzhen, Shanghai and Hangzhou, giving lectures to the youngsters.
“China is a very special place for me. I am very happy to be back after the pandemic (疫情) to meet my friends and colleagues,” Blocker says, adding that he is particularly excited about being with young students.
Yang Suxian, director of the Shenzhen Piano Music Festival, says, “He has been very supportive and has participated in the Shenzhen Piano Music Festival for years, even during the pandemic.”
Blocker’s vision of a more hopeful world is reflected in his belief that music bridges the understanding between people.
“Music brings hope. People may speak different languages and have different ideas but music speaks to each other’s heart, and that’s why we keep this work going on and why the work never ends,” he says, “Our job is to let music heal the world by allowing us to understand and find a common place in our hearts.”
1. How did Robert Blocker feel after being appointed as the university’s Dean?A.Anxious. | B.Thrilled. | C.Terrified. | D.Challenged. |
A.Teaching leadership skills. | B.Reviving art programs of the school. |
C.Giving concerts when touring cities in China. | D.Organizing rehearsals for students and teachers. |
A.To advertise the festival in Shenzhen. | B.To stress Robert’s preference for music. |
C.To review the hardships during the pandemic. | D.To show Robert’s care about Chinese musicians. |
A.Spreading music to the whole world. |
B.Translating music into a common language. |
C.Helping people to reach an agreement on music. |
D.Guiding people to know themselves better through music. |
1. When will the performance start?
A.At 4: 30 p.m. | B.At 4: 45 p.m. | C.At 7: 00 p.m. |
A.The terrible weather. | B.A food cart. | C.A concert. |
A.She’s a music fan. |
B.She likes country music best. |
C.She won’t have dinner tonight. |
You might have heard of Cantonese opera, but have you heard of Nanyin — Fujian’s traditional opera? Traditional Nanyin is performed by five people,
That’s the sound of Nanyin,
It’s common for its fans
7 . The musician Moby once said, “Music has no form whatsoever--all it is is air moving just a little bit differently. It’s the only artform that you can’t touch.” It is true that we cannot touch music, but that does not mean that music is invisible. There is, in fact, away to “see” music.
How can we see music? Neuroscientists (神经科学家) use MRI machines to look inside the brain. These tools let them see the neurons, or braincells, which are in use when people are listening to music. Computer screens linked to MRIs show that when people listen to music, neurons light up in many parts of the brain.
Neuroscientists have ds covered that it isn’t necessary to hear music for the neurons to light up. Even when you just think about a song, these neurons light up. In addition, the same neural activity in the same part of the brain happens when people experience other pleasurable activities. For example, some of the same neurons light up when we eat something delicious or hug a love done. Negative feelings such as fear or anxiety make neurons in a different area light up. However, when an anxious or frightened person listens to pleasurable music, these neurons stop lighting up.
Why does music have so many benefits? The answer maybe because it uses so many different parts of the brain. According to neuroscientists, using many parts of the brain at one time gives your brain a good “workout.” Reading music while playing a musical instrument uses more parts of the brain simultaneously (同时地) than most other activities. It involves both physical movement and mental activity, much like playing a sport such as soccer.
So, although Moby is completely correct that we cannot touch music, it is possible to “see” music. There is still a lot to learn about the effects of music on our brain. However, there is no doubt that scientists have shown that music is an extremely powerful artform with many positive effects.
1. Why does the author mention Moby’s word?A.To define what music is. |
B.To call people’s attention to music. |
C.To introduce the study of seeing music. |
D.To confirm the invisible feature of music. |
A.When you are worried about your exam. |
B.When you are busy with your presentation. |
C.When you enjoy your favorite brand of coffee. |
D.When you miss the deadline of your homework. |
A.The advantages of music over sports. |
B.The reasons for the benefits of music. |
C.The causes of the neurons lighting up. |
D.The various healing functions of music. |
A.Positive. | B.Critical. | C.Neutral. | D.Dismissive. |
8 . Music has existed since the beginning of time. People have always sung songs, danced to music, and played musical instruments together.
First of all, music has no borders or boundaries(界线).
What’s more, it has been proven that music plays a key role in brain development. This is because it helps with the development of language, motor skills, and emotional intelligence.
There’s nothing worse than being nervous before a big event or performance.
A.Music is a necessary part of our lives |
B.Music brings various communities closer |
C.Music also has a positive effect on our memory |
D.It really can leave us feeling worried and frightened |
E.Music is a perfect way to help you relax and reduce your stress |
F.It’s a universal language that connects people all over the world |
G.The way music affects the brain is through a process called entertainment |
9 . I’d never heard of the yangqin — an 17th century Chinese stringed instrument(弦乐器) — until this past Sunday, when I had the pleasure of hearing Eastman graduate and music artist Wenzhuo Zhang 20E(MA) perform on it in a concert.
Wenzhuo, a Chinese native, began her training on the yangqin at age five. When she was only 13, Wenzhuo was awarded a scholarship to the Arts School of Hebei Province. After graduation. she placed first in the nationwide competition and was admitted into the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts in Beijing, where she was awarded her bachelor’s in yangqin performance in 2005. She received her doctor’s degree from Boston University in music education in 2015 and studied at Eastman from 2017 to 2019. Wenzhuo has performed many times and won countless awards for her performances.
Before Wenzhuo performed five pieces on her yangqin, she introduced a brief historical background, and discussed its continued usage up to the present day. The yangqin was first used in Chinese folk music performance and operas. Later, under Mao Zedong, the yangqin slowly became a little popular. Performances began to be supported by the state, and yangqin performers were given a path to higher levels.
Wenzhuo performed four pieces going back to centuries ago, and one piece from the modern time. Needless to say, Wenzhuo’s performances sounded splendid. The yangqin is a unique and beautiful traditional instrument, and its sound is wonderful. It was nice to learn about the yangqin and a joy to watch Wenzhuo perform on it.
1. What do we know about the instrument?A.It is very expensive. |
B.It is familiar to the public. |
C.It is very easy for people to learn. |
D.It is a Chinese traditional instrument. |
A.She could perform on her yangqin at age 5. |
B.She took first prize in national competition. |
C.She got her doctor’s degree in yangqin performance in 2015. |
D.She was admitted to the Chinese Theatre Arts in Beijing at age 13. |
A.3. | B.4. | C.5. | D.6. |
A.Just so so. | B.Annoying. | C.Successful. | D.Disappointing. |
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Dear Susan,
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