1 . MUSICAL HERITAGES FROM ANCIENT CHINA

Since remote antiquity, Chinese people have used music to record their lives and describe the ideals in their hearts. Catchy tunes are not only played on precious instruments, but also visualized in carvings, paintings, and buildings. Feel free to explore here!

Han Dynasty (202 BC-AD 220)

This period marked the significant development of the manufacturing of gugin and its music. The example unearthed from the Mawangdui Han Dynasty Tomb in Changsha, Hunan province, proves that gugin had developed into the form known today during that period. It shows 7 strings and 13 markers indicating the pressing positions of overtone series.

Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534)

Buddhism and its musical culture spread extensively during this period. Buddhist temples provided places for musical activities, which were recorded in many of the existing stone carvings. Located in Gongyi, Henan province, the Grotlo Temple is famous for its reliefs representing musical events. They are precious historical materials reflecting the music characteristics of the dynasty.

Song Dynasty (960-1279)

With economic development, a variety of musical cultures emerged to meet the entertainment needs of different social classes. Part of the painting Life along the Bian River al the Pure Brightness Festival vividly reveals a storytelling performance. The painter adopted delicate techniques to truly record a street performer, whose superb skills are reflected by each listener’s show of appreciation.

Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)

At this time, traditional Chinese operas developed rapidly, promoting the formation of many singing styles. People began to enjoy operas and drama stages were built. Covering a construction area of more than 160 square meters, the Fancun village drama stage in Shanxi province provides rich materials for the study of the local folk culture.

1. Which heritage would a fan of classical instruments explore?

A．The Ming Dynasty drama stage.	B．The Song Dynasty painting.
C．The Northern Wei Dynasty temple.	D．The Han Dynasty tomb.

2. What contributed to the diversity of Song Dynasty musical cultures?

A．Economy.

B．Politics.

C．Religion.

D．Technology.

3. Which period witnessed the boom of Chinese operas?

A．Han Dynasty.	B．Northern Wei Dynasty.
C．Song Dynasty.	D．Ming Dynasty.

4 . I missed the clear blue skies of home in Colorado over my grandparents’ farm. Some of my earliest memories were of sitting on my grandfather’s knee while he played his violin. When I was old enough, I went to college on a music scholarship. But when I came to New York City, I left my violin behind.

“As long as you’ve got music, you’ve got good company, Jane,” my grandfather always said. I didn’t have either in my life these days. Looking at the gray sky, I was wondering whether I could get auditions- to give a short performance to be in a film.

The winter sky was starting to turn purple when I heard something unexpected. An orchestra was practicing. I followed the sounds to the park and saw the musicians practicing. I approached the director during a break. “This is a community orchestra,” he said. “One you’re welcome to join. All you need is an instrument.” But I couldn’t afford to buy one and it wasn’t the kind of thing my parents could just ship from Colorado.

As I walked back with heavy steps, a sign made me stop short: Schumacher Violin Maker. From the window, I saw an old man wearing glasses adjusting the bridge on a violin. I stepped inside and told him my story. When I’d finished, he said,“So, you need a violin.” I nodded in embarrassment. He surveyed the rows of instruments and selected a violin with a bright color. “Take it,” he said. “Go and make your music.” I stood there, surprised, as he handed it to me.

Holding the violin, I felt like I’d just woken up from a dream. But it was real—as real as the strings I was touching. My heart pounding with excitement, I headed for the park. There was a chair in the orchestra waiting for me. Playing the violin, I immediately felt at home. I made a ton of friends there. Music had brought me good company, just as my grandfather had promised.

1. What might be the author’s dream job in New York City?

A．An actress.

B．An artist.

C．A violinist.

D．A composer.

2. How does the author express her mood at different times?

A．By creating dialogues.	B．By recording emotional conflicts.
C．By citing her grandfather’s words.	D．By describing the colors of the sky.

3. Who did the author turn to for a violin?

A．Her grandfather.	B．Her parents.
C．The shopkeeper.	D．The director.

4. What can we infer from the last paragraph about the author?

A．She woke up from her dream.	B．She failed in her career attempts.
C．Her grandfather lived in her heart.	D．Music gave her a sense of belonging.

5 . 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?

    1     At the same time, music can also help us feel like part of a group or a culture, especially one that shares an interest in a certain kind 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.    2     Even long after the musicians are gone, people still find something in the musicians’ recordings that they can enjoy.

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.     3    

When we listen to music that we like, a chemical called dopamine is sometimes released in the brain, which can make us feel good.     4     There are some algorithms (算法) today that can help pick up on the kind of music we like. When we are streaming music, some programs will let us like or dislike songs.

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.     5     We are all different people who like different things.

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.

6 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Beijing Symphony Orchestra and the Jingju Theater Company of Beijing will launch a 7-city nationwide tour, Grand Canal of Beijing City. The concert will be staged in a     1     (vary) of cities, including Nanjing, Suzhou, Hangzhou and Shanghai.

The Grand Canal, connecting Beijing and Hangzhou in     2     is now East China’s Zhejiang province,     3     (be) a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the longest artificial waterway in the world. It consists of three sections built in different     4     (period), unifying (统一) the powerful northern and the productive southern regions of ancient China.

“The music combines Western classical and Peking Opera, which is     5     innovative idea and offers the audiences a fresh experience,” says conductor Li. “The chemistry between classical music and Peking Opera is     6     our expectation and we are looking forward to sharing the show with audiences in more cities.”

    7     (feature) four chapters, the show integrates folk music and     8     (tradition) elements of regions along the canal with Peking Opera. “The Grand Canal is a precious legacy (遗产)     9     (pass) down by the ancestors of Chinese people. Culture flows along the waterway,” says the composer Nailin. “Audiences     10     (genuine) enjoy the unique historical and cultural landscape of the regions along it through Chinese and Western music in the show.”

7 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

The combination of music and study has long been     1     source of disagreement between adults and children.Parents and teachers alike maintain that     2    (silent)is important when learning, whereas youngsters insist that     3    (they)favourite sounds help them concentrate.

Now a study shows that the     4    (grown-up)have been right all along.Psychologists in Florida tested how fast students wrote essays     5     and without music in the background .They     6    (find)that the sounds slowed progress down by about sixty words per hour. “This demonstrates     7    (clear)that it is difficult to cope with listening and writing at the same time,”said Dr.Sarah.She also came to the conclusion     8     it is a myth that instrumental music is less disturbing than songs. “All types of music had the same effect,” she said in her report. “One’s ability to pay attention and write fluently is likely     9     (disturb) by both songs and instrumental music,” she added.

Dr. Sarah claimed the research demonstrated that the idea that music could improve performance was wrong. “Writing an essay is a complex task. You     10     (recall) information and putting it in order. But what is particularly worrying is that more and more teenagers are studying in front of the television.”

8 . Eliana Yi dreamed of 'pursuing piano performance in college, never mind that her fingers could barely reach the length of an octave. 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 a Chopin concerto, wound up injuring herself.

The efforts of Professor Carol Leone from the Southern Methodist University(SMU) are changing all that: twenty years ago, the school became the first major university in the U.S, to introduce smaller keyboards into its music program, leveling the playing field for Yi and other piano majors.

Yi, 21, 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.

For decades, few questioned the size of the traditional piano. For those with small hand spans, it's difficult to properly play many works of Beethoven and Brahms. Those who attempt to play them either get used to skipping notes or risk injury with repeated play. Leone is familiar with such challenges. Born into a family of musicians, she favored classical music and pursued piano despite her small hand span and earned a degree as a doctor in musical arts.

The idea of smaller keyboards first met resistance from some traditionalists. Leone also said that when she raised the issue with one Viennese professor, he told her there were already too many pianists anyway.

Though such resistance is fading, there are some very traditional people who think of piano as a competitive thing. Leone said, "This is art, it's not sport. It's about making as much beautiful art as possible, and we should give everybody the opportunity to do that."

1. Why did Eliana Yi find it hard to play a Chopin concerto to well?

A．Her fingers got injured.	B．It was time-consuming.
C．Her hand spans were small.	D．The traditional piano was out of tune.

2. What is paragraph 4 intended to do?

A．Summarize the previous paragraphs.	B．Provide some advice for pianists.
C．Introduce a new topic for discussion.	D．Add some background information.

3. What is the Viennese professor's attitude towards smaller keyboards?

A．Unclear

B．Objective

C．Disapproving.

D．Positive.

4. Which is the most suitable title for the text?

A．A Hard-working SMU Professor	B．The Story Behind Smaller Keyboard Pianos
C．Traditional Piano: A Competitive Thing	D．Yi's Road to a Brilliant Artist

9 . Streaming Music

Nowadays, many music fans listen to songs not from records or CDS but directly on the Internet. This is called streaming, and it allows people to listen to what seems like an infinite variety of songs.     1    

The largest music-streaming website, Spotify, began in Sweden in 2008. It spread to other countries as major music labels(唱片公司)agreed to let Spotify users stream their songs. In return, Spotify gives the labels some of its profits.

    2     They can search for songs by artist or title. They can play entire albums, create playlists or listen to playlists from other users.

Many streaming services allow people to sign up for free accounts.     3     For example, you might not be able to choose every song you listen to. Or you can only skip a certain number of songs per hour. And the listening experience will likely be interrupted by advertisements.     4    

There are some disadvantages to music-streaming services. For one thing, people are only renting music, not buying it. This means if they stop their subscription to the service, they lose access to the music.     5     If users want to support their favorite artist financially, they’re better off just buying an album. On the other hand, streaming makes it easier to discover new music and enjoy a wide variety of songs.

Streaming is convenient and inexpensive, and it offers a huge selection of songs to listen to. It is likely to grow more popular and may even develop new services for users to enjoy.

A．But how exactly does it work?

B．So why do people choose the Internet?

C．You can explore what you can get for free.

D．However, free accounts are usually limited in some way.

E．Also, artists generally don’t earn much money from streaming services.

F．Spotify users have a variety of ways to choose what songs they listen to.

G．To avoid these issues and gain new features, users can pay for a subscription.