1. What is the woman doing?
| A．Selling CDs to the man. |
| B．Helping the man choose CDs. |
| C．Looking for some new music. |
| A．He doesn’t like Benny. | B．He has got one | C．He dislikes country music. |
| A．They’re gifted | B．They’re creative. | C．They’re untalented. |
| A．Choose more CDs. |
| B．Go to the woman’s house. |
| C．Listen to his new CDs at home. |
2 . The Beatles will release what is said to be their last ever song this week, pieced together from recordings spanning more than four decades and it would not have been possible without AI.
Now and Then has been edited together from a recording of the late John Lennon playing the piano and singing at his home in New York in 1979. Now, artificial intelligence has been used to extract usable sections from that noisy tape. These have been combined with guitar tracks from the late George Harrison, recorded in 1995 when efforts were made to finish the song. The endeavour was called off due to poor sound quality, which AI has now been able to solve.
Finally, new recordings made earlier this year from Paul McCartney and Ringo Start were added. McCartney has teased the existence of the song in interview s and said in a statement: “There it was, John’s voice, crystal clear. It’s quite emotional. And we all play on it, it’s a genuine Beatles recording. In 2023 to still be working on Beatles music, and about to release a new song the public haven’t heard, I think it’s an exciting thing.”
When creating Now and Then, AI is used to separate the dialogue from other noises to help editor s create a workable documentary. Ultimately, the engineers were able to develop bespoke AI powerful enough to remove all background noise and isolate not only speech but even the sound of each instrument played in a band.
Jess Aslan at University of London, says The Beatles’ track is an interesting experiment because it was done transparently with the blessing of the living members of the band, but adds that AI is a double-edged sword that also presents risks to artists. “One significant issue is that generative AI is squeezing the already extremely narrow creative job market,” she says. “Another is that of ownership, as these large-scale models are in fact bypassing copyright laws and using artists’ data without permission.”
1. Why did George Harrison stop finishing the song?| A．He was unable to play the piano. |
| B．The sound quality was not satisfying. |
| C．The surroundings were too noisy for recording. |
| D．He was not able to solve the problem of combination. |
| A．It was quite easy to conduct. |
| B．It depended on AI completely. |
| C．John’s voice was specially decorated. |
| D．Efforts from many aspects were paid. |
| A．Objective. | B．Favorable. | C．Indifferent. | D．Critical. |
| A．The Beatles is a long-lasting memory. |
| B．John Lennon’s voice is hard to be recorded. |
| C．AI contributed to the new release of the Beatles. |
| D．Various ways are tried to finish John Lennon’s work. |
3 . It was in 2019, when I first arrived at Donghua University in Shanghai, that I discovered a local park filled with elderly people dancing in the early morning. It quickly became my favorite spot. I’d bring my coffee, and relax while watching them enjoy the rhythm of the music. Occasionally, I’d also join them. There, no one judges you for a misstep or for not keeping up with the rhythm. You simply enjoy the moment. It’s fascinating to see experienced dancers leading, while newcomers observe, learn, and eventually join in, just like me.
However, I’m not exactly new when it comes to dancing. My love for dance began at a very young age in my hometown, Uzbekistan. My mother would fondly recall how, as a child, I’d effortlessly move to the rhythm of music. At around 3 or 4, I gave my first performance just a week after being sent to learn in a dancing studio. The large stage and the vast audience made me nervous, but it was a defining moment that light my passion for dancing. Throughout my school years and later in college, I actively participated in various performances, exploring a wide range of dances, including traditional Uzbek dances and various other cultural dances.
When I first arrived in China, I had the privilege of showing the traditional Uzbek dance at a cultural event, introducing my culture to others. Later, at Donghua University, we established a dance club where students from around the world taught various dance styles. There I learned new dance forms and participated in university events.
However, outside of campus, I often found myself wandering into the park, watching people dancing or even dancing along on the square. The dance transcends age and background, offering an antidote to the loneliness and physical inactivity that often accompanies aging.
These two worlds — the vibrant public dancing in China and the rich Uzbek dance tradition — have profoundly shaped my life and brought me boundless joy.
1. Where did the author first see the square dance in China?| A．In Donghua University. | B．In a local park in Shanghai. |
| C．In a dancing club. | D．In a grand performance. |
| A．She has been experienced in performances. |
| B．She felt uneasy when the author got on the stage. |
| C．She always recalls the typical moves of their dance. |
| D．She sent her daughter to learn dancing at a young age. |
| A．She takes every opportunity to enjoy dance. |
| B．She has simply danced her traditional dance. |
| C．The dance club teaches her the square dance. |
| D．The square dance enables her to regain the skills. |
| A．Her memory of her dancing journey. |
| B．Her determination to teach the Uzbek dance. |
| C．The joy brought by different dancing experiences. |
| D．The different styles of the traditional Uzbek dance. |
4 . The recent story on Tik Tok showed how two neighbors found companionship during the lock-down because of the pandemic, thanks to a share the love of the piano.
The story started when Giorgio Lo Porto heard his neighbor playing the piano through their dividing wall. Lo Porto, an Italian living in London, decided to reach out to his neighbor and left a note asking him or her to play My Heart Will Go On. The mystery never agreed, leading Lo Porto to send another note suggesting they play a duet (二重奏) together from the comfort of their own homes. The mystery neighbor started playing the piano at 2: 00 pm, and when he stopped after finishing a part of the song, Lo Porto continued. Over time, the duets between the two complete strangers became a regular weekend appointment.
Weeks later, the pair finally met and it was better than expected. The mystery pianist happened to be a 78-year-old Polish man named Emil, who was living in temporary accommodation until his house was sold. He lost his wife in December due to COVID- 19 and all he had left was the piano. And the reason why he played at 2: 00 pm every weekend was that he and his wife used to do that.
The pair finished a final duet together—Beethoven’ s Moonlight Sonata—before Emil moved out at the end of February.
While this is heartwarming in itself, the story has a heartbreaking ending: On March 14, Lo Porto shared that his old neighbor had passed away in his sleep. He said, “Now he is reunited with his wife.”
While saying goodbye to Emil, Lo Porto wrote, “Dear Emil, I knew very little about you, but you changed my life. You give me back my passion, and we shared that with the world. You will be in my heart. I’ ll keep playing, thinking of how powerful music can be. You said I was your light, but you’ ve been mine, too. Bye, Emil.”
1. What happened after Lo Porto left the second note for Emil?| A．They shared their playing skill with each other. |
| B．They composed a new song based on a classic. |
| C．They perform the music together through the wall. |
| D．They reached out to neighbors to cheer them up. |
| A．To advertise his house. | B．To comfort strangers. |
| C．To upload his updates. | D．To remember his wife. |
| A．Emil’ s passing away. |
| B．Lo Porto’ s departure. |
| C．Their final performance. |
| D．The unfamiliarity between them. |
| A．It is easy to say goodbye. |
| B．He admired Emil’ s ambition. |
| C．Music is a universal language. |
| D．Emil positively influenced him. |
5 . Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer. In his twenties, he had been very famous for his skills on the piano, but then he began to lose his hearing. Beethoven thought about giving up, but in the end he continued to write music. He carried on with the composition until his death in 1827. He composed more than 130 musical works, including his Ninth Symphony (交响曲) .
One day in February 1824, his Ninth Symphony was finally completed. Writing the piece had taken several years. A she proudly signed his name at the bottom of the page, Beethoven tried to imagine how people would respond when they heard it for the first time. Before the performance, the backstage atmosphere at a very famous theatre in Austria was anxious. Beethoven was afraid that the performance would be a disaster. After all, what use is a conductor who could not hear his orchestra (管弦乐) — even if he has a talent for music?
The audience didn’t hesitate to applaud (鼓掌) loudly as the famous composer walked out on to the stage. The theatre’s musical director, Michael Umlauf, joined him and together the two men took charge of the orchestra. For more than an hour, Beethoven jumped about in front of the orchestra, waving his arms wildly in the air, and madly turning the pages of his score (乐谱).
As the symphony came to an end, the audience jumped to their feet, clapping, cheering and waving their hats. But Beethoven continued conducting, his head buried in the score. It was not until Caroline Unger, one of the singers, took his arm and turned him to face the audience that the great man realized his symphony was a victory.
Later, Caroline remembered that Beethoven was not the only one who got a surprise. “The audience was shocked as well,” she said with abroad smile. “Most of them had no idea that he lost his hearing. The one person in the room who didn’t hear the symphony — and never would — was the very man who composed it.”
1. What challenge did Beethoven face in his twenties?| A．His skills were poorly recognized. |
| B．He gradually became deaf. |
| C．He used up the inspiration for music. |
| D．He lost some musical works. |
| A．It was held in an Australian theatre. |
| B．It turned out to be a disaster. |
| C．It was in the charge of Caroline Unger. |
| D．It was well received by the audience. |
| A．Beethoven’s mad behavior. | B．Beethoven’s hearing problem. |
| C．Beethoven’s great symphony. | D．Caroline’s broad smile. |
| A．Persistent. | B．Confident. | C．Generous. | D．Reliable. |
1. 点明演讲主题;
2. 音乐带给我们的好处;
3. 个人观点及总结。
注意：1. 词数100左右;
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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7 . Sirine Jahangir has been singing, writing and performing music since she was a little girl. She lost all her vision in one eye by the time she turned 5, so now the teen uses her gift “as away to—not escape, but to help me through.” Not only did her passion get her through some difficult times, but when she was 14 it also brought her to the “Britain’s Got Talent” stage, where she impressed everyone with her performance.
Sirine has a rare condition that left her completely blind by the times she was 10 years old. While her parents and doctors have tried to find treatments for her, there isn’t much they can do. So her parents focused on helping her adjust to her new life, which was when her dad said she was first introduced to music “I remember one day, we were driving in the car. This is about when she was getting to the stage where she couldn’t look out the window anymore to see things, and I didn’t know what to do. I just put the music on really loud. She started singing in the car, and she was so happy. And then she just found happiness every time I put it on,” her father said.
It didn’t take long for them to realize Sirine has tremendous talent. When she appeared on “Britain’s Got Talent”, she told everyone just how much her passion means to her. “I guess music i s my vision,” she said. “That’s just what I live by, and music is my thing.” Then she headed over to the piano, where she played the piano and sang beautifully enough to bring the audience to tears! Unsurprisingly to everyone but Sirine, all four judges voted her into the next round of the competition!
Afterward, she said, “I can’t even say it’s a dream come true, because I didn’t even dream of it at any point... I never thought that would be realistic in my life.”
1. What did the “Britain’s Got Talent” stage mean to Sirine?| A．This stage had earned her both fame and fortune. |
| B．This stage was away for her to escape reality. |
| C．She had a stage accident, resulting in blindness. |
| D．She demonstrated her excellent musical talent on the stage. |
| A．By talking to her about music topics. |
| B．By playing music to her while driving. |
| C．By asking famous singers for identification. |
| D．By discovering the lyrics and songs she wrote. |
| A．Everyone was moved by Sirine’s live performance. |
| B．Sirine won the championship of the British Got Talent Show. |
| C．Sirine advanced onstage by selling her tragic experiences. |
| D．Sirine’s performance received votes from everyone present. |
| A．Every road leads to Rome. |
| B．Never give up until you succeed. |
| C．Music inspires a new life for a person. |
| D．There will always be a rainbow after storms. |
8 . In 2009 in southern Germany, people uncovered a flute (长笛) made of an animal’s wing bone. The delicate instrument is one of the oldest known musical instruments on Earth, indicating that people have been making music for over 40,000 years. We can’t be sure exactly when human beings began listening to music. But scientists do know something about why we do.
Doctors at Johns Hopkins University recommend that you listen to music to stimulate your brain. They have found that listening to music stimulates more parts of the brain than any other human activity. That’s why they see so much potential in music’s power to change the brain. Besides, just the promise of listening to music can make you want to learn more. In one 2019 study, people were more eager to learn when they expected to listen to a song as their reward.
Music also has a positive effect on your ability to memorize. In one study, researchers asked people to read and then recall short lists of words. They found those who were listening to classical music outperformed those who worked in silence or with white noise. The same study also tracked how fast people could perform a simple task—matching numbers to shapes. A similar benefit showed up. The music of Mozart helped people complete the task faster and more accurately (精确地).
Neurological (神经学的) researchers have found that listening to music encourages the release (释放) of several neurochemicals that play a role in brain function and mental health like dopamine, a chemical associated with pleasure, and serotonin, a chemical related to immunity.
1. What does the underlined word “uncovered” mean in Paragraph 1?| A．Discover. | B．Build. | C．Study. | D．Create. |
| A．People are more eager to rest after listening to music. |
| B．People want to learn less in order to listen to music. |
| C．Music has the power to stimulate the brain. |
| D．Music helps the brain to get connected. |
| A．Music can help you memorize effectively. |
| B．Music helps people match numbers to shapes quickly. |
| C．Mozart played music faster and more accurately. |
| D．Classical music performs best in helping to memorize. |
| A．Indifferent. | B．Doubtful. | C．Supportive. | D．Critical. |
There is an instrument catching people’s heart with
The earliest piece of guqin in China, unearthed in Hubei Province in 2016,
The guqin was favored by the literati (文人学士)in ancient China. Of all the guqin musicians, the
1. When does “Old People Talking” broadcast?
| A．At 7:30 p.m. |
| B．At 9:00 p.m. |
| C．At 10:15 p.m. |
| A．A singer. | B．An actress. | C．A director. |
| A．Fashion. | B．Sports. | C．Music. |
