1 . 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. |
2 . Music is one of the most powerful forces in our lives. It can bring us joy, sorrow, or even inspiration. It can evoke emotions and memories that we didn’t even know we had.
Music can be a source of comfort. It can provide a refuge（避难所）from the troubles of the world and provide a sense of peace and solace.
Finally, music can be a source of joy and celebration.
Music has the power to change our lives in ways we may never have imagined. It can provide us with strength, courage, comfort, and joy. It can help us to find our inner voice and express ourselves in unique and creative ways.
| A．Poor people can live a happy life with music. |
| B．Music can also give us strength and courage. |
| C．Music can associate people with each other around the world. |
| D．Music can change a person’s life in ways that nothing else can. |
| E．Listening to music can help to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. |
| F．It can bring us closer together, helping us to appreciate and celebrate the beauty of life. |
| G．Music can truly be a life-changing force, and one that should never be underestimated. |
3 . 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. |
4 . Music Festivals You Need to Attend
Tomorrowland (July 21--30)
Tomorrowland is known as one of the largest, if not the largest, EDM music festivals in the world. Located at De Schorre Provincial Recreational Park in Boom, Belgium, the festival is a one- of-a-kind experience. Visitors are surrounded by beautifully crafted stages while listening to all of their favorite DJs. It’ll be a party, and most definitely a fun time.
Glastonbury (June 22--26)
It may be cloudy and rainy for most of the year, but England shines bright when it’s time for Glastonbury. Not only does this festival have some of the best musicians, it also has dance performances, comedy, theatrics, and more. There’s no need to worry about being too hot because England has the best summer weather for events like this. Artists including Elton John, Arctic Monkeys, Lana Del Rey, and Wizkid are all on the lineup (阵容) this year.
Outside Lands (August 11--13)
With San Francisco as its backdrop (背景幕布), Outside Lands is always a popular festival. There are always some famous faces in the crowds, and in years past we have seen Vanessa Hudgens and Kim Kardashian. This year, the lineup is incredibly strong, featuring Megan Thee Stallion, Lana Del Rey, Lil Yachty, Maggie Rogers, and so many others.
Mysteryland (August 25--28)
This is a festival for the EDM lovers out there. The Netherlands hosts Mysteryland each year, bringing in all of the top DJs and artists from around the world. The festival is the first of its kind in the country, so it’s a unique experience for everyone involved. Bring your rave energy because this festival isn’t for just anyone.
1. Which music festival begins the earliest?| A．Tomorrowland. | B．Mysteryland. | C．Outside Lands. | D．Glastonbury. |
| A．Lana Del Rey. | B．Megan Thee Stallion. | C．Maggie Rogers. | D．Elton John. |
| A．They’re both held once a year. |
| B．They’re both attractive to EDM lovers. |
| C．They’re both the first of its kind in the country. |
| D．They’re both the largest music festivals in the country. |
5 . An international group of electronic music composers is taking beats from the dance club to jungles and forests and back, all to help save nature’s greatest singers. A Guide to the Birdsong of Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean is a new album that includes the sounds of endangered birds. The album will come out next month, whose proceeds will go directly towards efforts to save birds.
The whole project was born out of this idea of trying to combine birdsong, electronic music and conservation. A Guide to the Birdsong of Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean was organized by activist, music producer, Robin Perkins. He invited artists from each of the endangered birds ‘homelands to build their own songs around the birds’ songs. There are contributions from ten artists in eight different countries.
First single Black Catbird was created by The Garifuna Collective, from Belize. Al Obando, guitarist and producer of the group, always took in national parks and viewed birds when on the road with the band. “There are no trails, and there are no signs there to tell you about what you’re seeing,” Obando says. “So we’re trying to do something for the birds and nature tourism.”
Another musician who responded to Robin’s call is Tamara Montenegro, an artist from Nicaragua. She was shocked to hear of the serious situation of the Guardabarranco after being approached: “This beautiful creature I grew up adoring also faced the influence of the systematic human activities”. In response, she created a song inspired by this bird and the challenges it faces to live naturally.
The new album is the second edition, following on from A Guide to the Birdsong of South America, produced by Robin in 2015. That first album has raised, to date, over $15,000 benefitting conservation projects in South America. As with the first album, all of the money from the sales of the new album will support specific organizations, including Birds Caribbean.
1. What does the underlined word “proceeds” in Paragraph 1 refer to?| A．Profits. | B．Budgets. | C．Challenges. | D．Effects. |
| A．He created a hit single himself. |
| B．He was fond of observing birds. |
| C．He was the organizer of the new album. |
| D．He did a lot for birds in South America. |
| A．It was friendly to humans. |
| B．It was living in bad conditions. |
| C．It was beautiful in appearance. |
| D．It was facing challenges from other birds. |
| A．To collect money for a project. |
| B．To popularize electronic music. |
| C．To recommend some famous artists. |
| D．To introduce a new album of electronic music. |
6 . A broken heart. A sad ending to a love story. That’s something most of us have experienced, or probably will. After all, it’s part of human life. But no question, the experience can be hard to get over.
But research shows there are ways to deal with heartaches. Listening to sad music is a useful one. It can help you begin to feel joy and hopefulness about your life again. It can arouse (激发,唤醒) the interest to connect with others.
Sad music can help uplift you from your broken heart. A recent study from Germany found the emotional (情感的) influence of listening to sad music is an access to feelings of empathy (共情), and a hope for positive connection with others. That, itself, is psychologically healing (愈合). 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 help. For example, a research from Comell University, published in Psychological Science, 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 fuels hope.
1. What does the author think of “having a broken heart” in life?| A．Unavoidable. | B．Unbearable. | C．Inspiring. | D．Helpful. |
| A．Listen to a sad song. | B．Avoid unwise actions. |
| C．Find support from others. | D．Face the discomfort bravely. |
| A．By listing numbers. | B．By giving advice. |
| C．By sharing personal experiences. | D．By showing research findings. |
| A．Ways to deal with challenges | B．Music matters a lot. |
| C．Sad music helps a broken heart | D．Advice on living a healthy life |
7 . Sanyé Mylo’s eyes twinkle with excitement when he stands in the sound booth of The Record Co. in Boston, eager to bring his creation to life. With the press of a button, his latest rap track fills the room. “I didn’t know spaces like this existed,” says Mylo, who grew up in the low-income neighborhood of Dorchester. He is one of the young musicians who, thanks to The Record Co. , has turned his music into a full-time occupation.
Founded in 2010 by Matt McArthur, The Record Co. aims to give musicians more affordable access to the creative workspace and introduce the world of music to those who may have never considered their place in it.
McArthur understands this challenge firsthand. As a music technology student at Berklee College of Music, he was frustrated by the high costs of renting time in production studios. On average, a recording studio in Boston costs more than $100 per hour to rent.
He saw a recording studio not as a private office for a man of means but as a community center available to all. So he took out loans, collected donations and opened a studio in a tiny basement in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Slowly but steadily, McArthur expanded it and eventually rented a new property to include spaces for practice and production.
Today, The Record Co., with a full-time staff of more than 20 people, is a state-of-the art, 12,000-foot facility that can be rented for as little as $10 per hour. Each month, it receives about 1,000 reservations, and around 3,500 musicians pass through its doors. At The Record Co., the principle is clear: Music should be affordable for everyone, and so should the space for creating it. The building has been shaped not only with an ear to acoustics(音响效果)but also with an eye to ensure it is as welcoming to a musician in a wheelchair as to one who walks in with a guitar over the shoulder.
1. Why did McArthur found The Record Co.?| A．To make musicians well-known. | B．To make a fortune through music. |
| C．To persuade people to pursue music. | D．To make music production affordable. |
| A．Provide some advice for musicians. | B．Add some background information. |
| C．Summarize the previous paragraphs. | D．Launch an appeal for musical creation. |
| A．Wealth. | B．Method. | C．Vision. | D．Determination |
| A．Bring Boston’s music to the world | B．Turn music into a full-time occupation |
| C．A recording studio has advanced facilities | D．Music belongs to everyone at The Record Co. |
8 . Few people expected that a new song written and performed by Chinese pop singer-songwriter Daolang, who kept himself out of the spotlight for years, would go viral on social media. However, the track Luocha Haishi (A Market in a Faraway Land) — one of the 11 original songs from the 52-year-old artist’s latest album titled Shan Ge Liao Zai (Folk Songs Fading Away)— has topped the charts on several Chinese music apps and has become one of the biggest hits of the year so far. The song, which was released on July 19, got 8 billion streams by 6 pm on July 30, according to Tide News.
The curiosity surrounding the song seems to be driving its popularity. Social media users are fiercely debating if the lyrics have hidden meanings. Reading between the lines, some online listeners said the song is a stinging satire (尖锐的讽刺) on the current “unhealthy and chaotic (混乱的) environment in show business” in China, while others see Luocha Haishi as Daolang’s “revenge” on people who once criticized his music.
According to the album’s introduction, Shan Ge Liao Zai is a mix of Liaozhai Zhiyi, which is a collection of ghost stories by Pu Songling, and Chinese folk songs of different regions. The lyrics of Luocha Haishi is adapted from a Liaozhai Zhiyi tale by the same name, which talks about a man’s adventure in a faraway kingdom called Luocha. The people of this imaginary land regard ugliness as beauty, call black white and confuse between right and wrong.
Hong Qi, a singer-songwriter, said in an interview that Daolang loves traditional Chinese culture and folk music, and so it was very natural for the experienced musician to choose the theme that he did. Any other interpretation comes from people’s own imagination.
“As a researcher on classic Chinese literature, I appreciate Daolang, whose new song is creative and gives Liaozhai Zhiyi a new interpretation. I don’t know whether the song is targeted at a certain group of people or one person. What makes it meaningful is that it fuels discussions and makes people think, ”said Miao Huaiming, a professor at Nanjing University’s School of Liberal Arts.
1. What do the underlined words “go viral” in paragraph 1 refer to?| A．Take off. | B．Lose out. | C．Suffer criticism. | D．Fight back. |
| A．Because it has got 8 billion streams in the world. |
| B．Because people are curious about its lyrics’ meanings. |
| C．Because it may be Daolang’s ”revenge” on some persons. |
| D．Because it is a stinging satire on the current music industry. |
| A．The biggest hit of the year so far. |
| B．A man’s adventure in a faraway kingdom. |
| C．A collection of ghost stories by Pu Songling. |
| D．A mix of traditional Chinese culture and folk music. |
| A．Neutral. | B．Critical. | C．Supportive. | D．Doubtful. |
9 . Throughout all the events in my life, one in particular sticks out more than the others. As I reflect on this significant event, a smile spreads across my face. As I think of Shanda, I feel loved and grateful.
It was my twelfth year of dancing, I thought it would end up like any other year: stuck in emptiness, forgotten and without the belief of any teacher or friend that I really had the potential to achieve greatness.
However, I met Shanda, a young, talented choreographer (编舞者,舞蹈指导). She influenced me to work to the best of my ability, pushed me to keep going when I wanted to give up, encouraged me and showed me the real importance of dancing. Throughout our hard work, not only did my ability to dance grow, but my friendship with Shanda grew as well.
With the end of the year came our show time. As I walked to a backstage filled with other dancers, I hoped for a good performance that would prove my improvement. I waited anxiously for my turn. Finally, after what seemed like days, the loudspeaker announced my name. Butterflies filled my stomach as I took trembling steps onto the big lighted stage. But, with the determination to succeed and eagerness to live up to Shanda’s expectations for me, I began to dance. All my troubles and nerves went away as I danced my whole heart out.
As I walked up to the judge to receive my first place shining, gold trophy (奖杯), I realized that dance is not about becoming the best. It was about loving dance for dance itself, a getaway from all my problems in the world. Shanda showed me that you could let everything go and just dance what you feel at that moment. After all the doubts that people had in me, I believed in myself and did not care what others thought. Thanks to Shanda, dance became more than a love of mine, but a passion.
1. What did the author think her dancing would be for the twelfth year?| A．A change for the better. | B．A proof of her potential. |
| C．A disappointment as before. | D．A pride of her teachers and friends. |
| A．By offering her help with money. | B．By entering her in a competition. |
| C．By coaching her for longer hours. | D．By awakening her passion for dancing. |
| A．Proud. | B．Relaxed. | C．Confused. | D．Nervous. |
| A．Success lies in patience. | B．A good teacher really matters. |
| C．Fame is what the young long for. | D．A youth is to be treated with respect. |
10 . Some live performance rooms on this planet are wonderful. They can make even a single note sound wonderful. Here are four famous concert halls around the world. Enjoy!
Cidade das Artes (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
Opened in 2013, this is one of the largest modern concert halls in South America. This building was designed by Christian de Portzampare. Named “City of Arts”, this is a cultural building group that hosts art exhibitions, dance events, comedy shows and workshops. The Cidade has excellent sound qualities as a result of being designed by the Chinese engineer XuYaping.
Wiener Musikverein (Vienna Austria)
Designed by Theophil Hansen, this neoclassical building opened its doors in 1870 and is the home of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, one of the most popular orchestras (交响乐团) in the world. It was here in 1913 that the famous concert Skandalkonzert took place. This is also the place where every New Year’s day a famous traditional symphonic concert is performed.
Teatro all a Scala (Milan, Italy)
One of the most important concert halls for operatic music was completed in 1778. This building also hosts a museum and one of the world’s most famous academies (学院) where young talents are trained for ballet performances. This concert hall was rebuilt over the TeatroRegio Ducale which was destroyed by a fire in 1776. It saw the premieres (初次演出) of some of the most impressive works in the history of the opera, such as Madama Butterfly and Turandot by Giacomo Puccini.
Carnegie Hall (New York, USA)
Designed by William Burnet Tuthill, it is one of the most famous concert halls in the world for both classical music and popular music. It opened its doors in 1791 with a concert conducted in part by Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Many famous works had their world premieres here, including Antonin Dvorak’s New World Symphony and George Gershwin’s An American in Paris.
1. What is special about Cidade das Artes?| A．Visitors can perform dances there. |
| B．It has the longest history of the four. |
| C．A Chinese engineer joined in its design. |
| D．Every New Year’s concert is performed. |
| A．In Cidade das Artes. | B．In Wiener Musikverein. |
| C．In Teatro all a Scala. | D．In Carnegie Hall. |
| A．They were built in the seventeenth century. |
| B．They got destroyed in the human activities. |
| C．They were aimed at training ballet performers. |
| D．They saw premieres of many famous works. |
