1 . A broken heart and a sad ending to a long friendship. That’s something most of us have experienced, or probably will. After all, it’s part of human life. But the experience can be hard to get over.
But research shows there are pathways through the heartache. Listening to sad music is a major one. It can help you begin to feel joy and hopefulness about your life again. It can arouse (激起) the desire to connect with others.
Sad music can help heal (治愈) and uplift you from your broken heart. A recent study from Germany found the emotional influence of listening to sad music is an arousal of feelings of empathy (同情), and a desire for positive connection with others. That, itself, is psychologically healing. It draws you away from concentration on yourself, and possibly towards helping others in need of comfort.
Another experiment, from the University of Kent, found that when people were experiencing sadness, listening to music that was “beautiful but sad” improved their mood. In fact, it did so when the person first consciously accept the situation causing their sadness, and then began listening to the sad music. That is, when they intended that the sad music might help, they found that it did.
These findings link with other studies that show accepting your sad situation emotionally leads to healing and growth beyond it. It seems unbelievable but it does make sense. For example, research from Cornell University found that accepting discomfort about a life experience or new situation, and viewing it as a step towards growth and change, encourages people to find a pathway through it, beyond it. As Churchill famously said, “If you’re going through hell, keep going.” That discomfort points you towards creating a plan, a new action. It brings hope.
1. What can we learn from Paragraph 3&4?| A．Sad music can make people help others. |
| B．Sad music can make sad people feel better. |
| C．Sad music can make people believe in themselves. |
| D．Sad music can make people concentrate on themselves. |
| A．Hearing a swear word used by enemies. | B．Avoiding a place to go after death. |
| C．Getting an extremely pleasant time. | D．Having an unbearable experience. |
| A．By listing figures. | B．By giving directions. |
| C．By presenting research findings. | D．By comparing examples. |
| A．How to Find Pathways through Heartaches |
| B．How We React to a Broken Heart Matters a Lot |
| C．What We Can Do to Overcome Discomfort in Life |
| D．Why Listening to Sad Music Heals Your Broken Heart |
2 . For some people, music is no fun at all. About 4% of the population is what scientists call “amusic”. People who are amusic are born without the ability to enjoy musical notes. Amusic people often cannot tell the differences between two songs.
As a result, songs sound like noise to an amusic. Many amusics compare the sound of music to pieces of metal hitting each other. Life can be hard for amusics. In fact, most people cannot understand what it feels like to be amusic. Just going to a restaurant or a shopping center can be uncomfortable or even painful. That is why many amusics have to stay away from places where there is music. However, this can result in social loneliness. “I used to hate parties,” says Margaret, a seventy-year-old woman who only recently discovered that she was amusic. By studying people like Margaret, scientists are finally learning how to identify this unusual condition.
Scientists say that the brains of amusics are different from those of people who can enjoy music. The difference is complex, as it is not connected with poor hearing and has nothing to do with intelligence. Amusics can understand other non-musical sounds well. They also have no problems understanding common speech. Scientists compare amusics to people who just can’t see certain colors.
Many amusics are happy when their condition is finally diagnosed (诊断). For years, Margaret felt embarrassed about her music problem. Now she knows that she is not alone. That makes it easier for her to explain. “When people invite me to a concert, I just say ‘No, thanks. I’m amusic,’” says Margaret.
1. Amusics are the people who ________| A．have a preference for music. | B．have trouble in hearing. |
| C．have a talent for music. | D．are born unable to enjoy music. |
| A．they fail to understand music. | B．they find their normal life disturbed. |
| C．they try to stay at the place full of music. | D．they regard music as noise. |
| A．Difficult. | B．Obvious. | C．Basic | D．Small. |
| A．Some people’s musical ability. | B．Some people’s inability to enjoy music. |
| C．Amusics’ strange behaviors. | D．Diagnosis and treatment of amusics. |
3 . Ma Xiaohui, a famous Chinese erhu performer, held a concert in New York City earlier this month. The concert began with an overture (序曲) titled Legend of the Silk Road, and then came the theme song from the movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, which beautifully celebrated the classic dialogue between erhu and cello (大提琴).
“This beautiful and inspiring concert wonderfully mixed classical, Chinese and cross-cultural themes. It was a feast for the ears and souls. The performance was full of creativity centered around Ma’s mastery of the instrument.” says artist Ranjit Bhatnagar.
“As a guitarist, I had the honor to perform with Ma,” says Tim Kelly. “Her powerful, moving melodies (旋律) inspired both me and the audience. It seems that in her hands, the instrument can touch the heart of every listener.”
Influenced by the lively atmosphere, the 2023 World Madam Global Overall Champion, Sepideh Behboudi, danced to the music many times with his partner Ethan Rimes and other audience.
Ma says music is an international language, and national musical instruments have their own unique characteristics. Using them as messengers, they can spread melodies of truth, goodness and beauty to all. She expresses a hope that the world can feel the charm of Chinese culture, the spiritual beauty of Chinese art and the warmth of the erhu to touch hearts.
According to Ma, her tour was not limited to just music, but also brought a healing experience to the audience. Ma with the Middle Tennessee State University Symphony performed the erhu concerto (协奏曲) Tianshan Shepherdess, as if bringing the audience to the foot of the Tianshan Mountains to see the blue sky, white clouds and the carefree shepherd.
1. Who performed music with Ma Xiaohui?| A．Sepideh Behboudi. | B．Ethan Rimes. |
| C．Tim Kelly. | D．Ranjit Bhatnagar. |
| A．The audience. | B．Unique characteristics. |
| C．International languages. | D．National musical instruments. |
| A．It can make her rich. | B．It can help her with further study. |
| C．It can spread Chinese culture and art. | D．It can give her a chance to be a master. |
| A．Serious and tiring. | B．Natural and relaxing. |
| C．Traditional and loud. | D．Fast and sad. |
4 . Four Places to Listen to Free Music Online
Pandora
Pandora is a popular Internet radio service that lets users create personalized stations and listen to music. To use Pandora, you will have to create an account using your email address and a password. As you find music you like, you can save songs to your collection. However, you can’t download any specific tracks to your computer or phone.
LiveOne
On LiveOne, you’ll mostly find big artists, bands and songs along with interviews and news. While you won’t be able to stream all songs on demand for free due to licensing restrictions (限制), you will be able to create a station of similar tracks/artists from nearly any song. There’s a tab (标签) named “My Library” where you can save and share your favourite music.
iHeartRadio
iHeartRadio is a great website or app for listening to live radio stations. You can find local stations or check out stations from around the country. You won’t have to create an account to begin listening on iHeartRadio. but you can make one for free to save stations and playlists. Whether you decide to create an account or not. you won’t be able to download music from iHeartRadio.
Spotify
If you’re looking for free music online, you’ve most likely come across Spotify already. This resource is great for streaming popular hits while discovering new favourites. You can keep track of what you’ve recently played, and “favourite” songs. In addition to music. Spotify offers playlists of its most-played songs and information on local upcoming concerts.
1. Which is a must before using Pandora?| A．Saving some songs. | B．Creating an account. |
| C．Calling other users. | D．Sending a private email. |
| A．Download popular songs. | B．Make new friends online. |
| C．Share your favourite music. | D．Discover radio stations. |
| A．It offers news on local upcoming concerts. | B．It requires no membership card. |
| C．It allows users to download music for free. | D．It features a station of similar artists. |
5 . Looking for the best music festivals in California in 2024? Well, you’ve come to the right place.
Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival
When: April 12 — 14 &. April 19 — 21, 2024
Where: Empire Polo Club, Indio, California
Coachella is one of California’s oldest and most impressive music & art festivals, and will certainly be a weekend experience that you’ll never forget. Every year it brings an unbelievably quality line-up covering different kinds of music, massively beautiful stage production, and a really fantastic festival atmosphere.
Outside Lands Music Festival
When: August 9 — 11, 2024
Where: Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California Outside Lands is Northern California’s biggest and best music festival, and is definitely an event you’ll fall in love with! While it may be one of the pricier events on the list, it’s worth every penny! The line-ups are always impressively diverse, and the production is truly the best.
Bottle Rock Napa Valley
When: May 24-— 26, 2024
Where: Napa Valley, Northern California
Featuring one of the largest and most diverse line-ups brought to Northern California, Bottle Rock Napa Valley is an annual 3-day festival featuring music, wine, food, and beer! 80+ bands on five music stages, great sight lines throughout the event, and tasty food from the Napa Valley’s finest chefs and restaurateurs make every festival-goer feel like a VIP.
Hard Summer Music Festival
When: July 12 — 14, 2024
Where: San Bernadino, California
This annual mega-festival has been a Southern California favorite for over a decade, and always manages to put together an unbelievably impressive line-up, incredible stage production, and overall amazing festival experience. There are exciting events like HARD Day of the Dead, Holy Ship, and HARD Red Rocks. Attending one of their events will always impress!
1. Which of the four music festivals begins the earliest?| A．Bottle Rock Napa Valley. | B．Outside Lands Music Festival. |
| C．Hard Summer Music Festival. | D．Coachella Valley Music&-Arts Festival. |
| A．It lasts for a whole week. | B．It is open to all festival-goers. |
| C．It charges more for the tickets. | D．It is recognized as the oldest one. |
| A．In Napa Valley. | B．In San Bernadino. |
| C．At Golden Gate Park. | D．At Empire Polo Club. |
6 . The polonaise is a traditional Polish dance that is being honored by the United Nations. On December 5, the polonaise entered UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. The U.N. organization noted that the dance represents cooperation (合作), understanding, and equality.
The dance is believed to have started in the 18th century. It has been performed at parties for the rich and powerful and at village celebrations. The dance developed from a traditional form called the “walking dance”. By the 18th century, it had become popular at honorable European balls, or dance parties.
In Poland, the polonaise has now become the opening dance at high school pre-graduation balls. Nineteen-year-old Kosmal was among the students at one of Warsaw’s high schools who performed the polonaise this month. She pointed out that although there are conflicts (冲突) between students, they come together when they dance the polonaise. “It’s an amazing moment,” she said.
The polonaise is regularly performed during national anniversaries (纪念日), including the November 11 Independence Day. On this day, people are invited to dance in the streets with officials. Natalia Berna is an 18-year-old student who took part in a large street dance in the central city of Lodz last month. She said the polonaise unites people at a time when the community needs it. She added that it is important to keep the tradition alive.
The leader of the Lodz street dance, Janusz Wielgosz, said the polonaise gives people beautiful enjoyment. “It is a dance that is really very simple, with beautiful music and beautiful costumes. It is worth a try,” he said.
1. What can we know about the polonaise from Kosmal’s words?| A．It helps students leave aside disagreements. | B．It improves students’ confidence. |
| C．It has gone through a difficult time. | D．It should be recognized worldwide. |
| A．Enriching school life. | B．Developing friendship. |
| C．Bringing people together. | D．Making Poland world-famous. |
| A．Peace. | B．Beauty. | C．Strength. | D．Confidence. |
| A．Traditional Dance Interests Polish People | B．Famous Dance Performed on Polish Holidays |
| C．Most Popular Dance Among Polish Students | D．Poland’s Traditional Dance Is Honored by UN |
7 . 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. |
8 . Fifty years ago, the well-loved musician Bob Dylan played at the Newport Folk Festival and was widely booed (嘘声). The audience may have been unhappy but Dylan’s performance helped change the direction of music and culture in the United States.
The mid-1960s were a time of great change. One such place of change was the world of folk music. Bob Dylan became a symbol of change when he moved from acoustic (原声的) to electric guitar.Rock music historian Elijah Wald has written a new book about the change. It is called “Dylan Goes Electric”.
“There was a moment in the early 1960s when you could look at the Billboard charts and seven of the top 10 albums were folk records. And Joan Baez, Peter Paul and Mary, the Kingston Trio, all had huge, huge, huge number-one records.”
And then this happened: The “British Invasion” introduced the world to the Beatles and grew a huge fan base for rock music. “That worried many folk musicians,” says Elijah Wald.
They hoped that Bob Dylan would come to the rescue. However, a new Dylan sound came from the stage.
Bob Dylan had gone electric, and the followers of folk music were not pleased.
“When Dylan went electric, I think one of the issues was the feeling that — wait a minute, he’s gone over to the enemy.”
Folk lovers had looked to Bob Dylan to save their movement from rock and roll. But, author Wald says Dylan felt differently about the music.
“Dylan had always liked rock and roll and Dylan didn’t think of rock and roll as stupid music.” In fact, Dylan was a Beatles fan. He later said that from the first time he heard the Beatles he knew “they were pointing to the direction where music had to go.”
Beyond the music, Dylan’s performance that night also marked a turn in American culture.
1. How did the audience feel when Dylan played at the Newport Folk Festival?
| A．Unsatisfied. | B．Respectful. |
| C．Uncaring. | D．Excited. |
| A．Great changes had taken place in folk music. |
| B．People had grown sincere love for rock music. |
| C．Folk music was once a huge mainstream pop trend. |
| D．Bob Dylan was the best American musician at that time. |
| A．Introduce the world to the Beatles. | B．Change folk music for better. |
| C．Play rock and roll against the Beatles. | D．Recover the glory of folk music. |
| A．Dylan’s beliefs in the new direction music should go. |
| B．Dylan’s deep love for the Beatles, rock and roll music. |
| C．Dylan’s music as a great contribution to American folk music. |
| D．Dylan’s performance as a mark of a change in American culture. |
9 . His talent and charm (魅力) have made him the No. 1 Chinese classical artist in the world. He played in the grand Beijing Olympic opening ceremony in 2008, watched by a TV audience of 5 billion.
Lang Lang is the first Chinese pianist to play with the world’s top orchestras, making his debut at the Carnegie Hall in New York at 18, while still a student.
Lang Lang, charm and fondness for sharp clothes make him a natural fit to represent (代表) China’s new international image. According to the British newspaper the Times, “The Lang Lang’s effect” is responsible for driving 36 million Chinese children to learn the piano.
Now in Ghina children are learning Chopin and Western orchestras are playing sold-out tours across Chinese cities. But can China introduce its own music to the west? Lang is trying. His cooperation with the London Symphony Orchestras this month includes a performance of Dragon Songs, an album of traditional Chinese classics.
Behind the international recognition, however, is a fascinating story of a gifted child. Lang grew up with his father’s own musical ambition and high expectations. It is not hard to imagine how boring it must be to practice the piano every day. Lang said that he once hated his hands and the piano. He injured his right hand six years ago and had to rest. “That was the best month,” he says, without hesitation. “I had a date. I saw a Broadway show and saw Britney Spears in concert.”
1. Which of the following is NOT the reason why Lang Lang is the No. 1 Chinese classical artist in the world?| A．He has as many as 5 billions fans in China. |
| B．He played in the Beijing Olympic opening ceremony last summer. |
| C．He is the first Chinese pianist to play with the world’s top orchestras. |
| D．He plays the piano so well and has a good international image. |
| A．first class | B．first performance | C．first plan | D．first choice |
| A．He has 36 million Chinese students in China. |
| B．He is touring China giving concerts. |
| C．He is trying to export Chinese music to western countries. |
| D．He only played traditional Chinese classics in his cooperation with the London Symphony Orchestra. |
| A．Lang didn’t like his father when he was little |
| B．he was happy to practice the piano every day |
| C．he injured his right hand on purpose six years ago |
| D．his father’s desire and expectations played an important role in his childhood |
10 . An orchestra is attempting to bring people living with dementia (痴呆) back into the present. The work being done by Manchester Camerata has never been more important, given that there are about 900,000 people with the condition in the UK, a number that is predicted to nearly double by 2040.
People with dementia often find listening to music can reignite old memories from long ago. Much more overlooked, though, is the impact that making music can have on the present. While some with dementia can often feel trapped in the past, some researchers believe the act of creating music—as well as listening to it—can help to reconnect then to the here and now.
A new BBC documentary—Dementia, Music and Us—follows the work of Manchester Camerata and its principal flautist (长笛手) Amina Hussain. who, also a professional music therapist, leads classes across the north-west of England that have been described as life-changing. Classes for the community consist of improvisation (即兴创作), singing, and writing their own music.
Keith, 62, was diagnosed with dementia when he was 53. Like many, he really struggled to come to terms with his new reality. He found the sessions to be genuinely life-changing. “I think the thing that saved us was the first ever music group we went to because from that group it opened other groups up for us.” he said. “The workshops make you smile, enjoy life and it just brings the best out of you.”
Researcher Dr Dowlen is seeking to better understand the “in the moment” benefits of music-making for people with dementia. She believes the improvisational music workshop experience allows people to “create something that is held now in the moment.” She added, “Improvisational music-making is particularly important for people with dementia, especially when it comes to building their confidence and their self-esteem.”
1. Why is the work being done by Manchester Camerata important?| A．Music is an important part of daily life. | B．Music is an effective cure for dementia. |
| C．More people are pursuing a musical career. | D．A growing number of people live with denentia. |
| A．Keep alive. | B．Bring back. | C．Push away. | D．Take up. |
| A．He has become more socially active. | B．He has adapted to life with dementia. |
| C．He has demonstrated his music talent. | D．He has recovered his long-lost memory. |
| A．They bring mixed results, | B．They enjoy great popularity. |
| C．They promote people’s welfare. | D．They need to focus on the moment. |
