Why modern music should quieten down

Quietness may be underestimated values in pop music.    1     (look) up “the loudest band in the world” and you will be confronted with a large number of rock giants from Manowar who proudly achieved a sound pressure level of 139 dB to Motor-head. The pickings are slim     2     we substitute “quiet” for “loud”.

In a way, increasing the volume of a song makes biological sense, something the music industry     3     (exploit) since the jukebox era. There is an organ in the inner ear called sacculus that is linked to a region of the brain    4     (associate) with pleasure and react to low-frequency vibrations over 90 dB.

On the other hand,     5     (focus) sorely on loudness ignores the infinitely more subtle appeal of being quiet. A French band called “Air”,    6     twenty-years collection was released on June 10, are masters of the art. As any teacher knows, quietness can be more effective than shouting to make people pay attention. Air employed this gentle persuasion on Moon Safari, an album that attracts the listener     7     the peaceful sound of rain and muted drums. Even when Air do increase the volume, the vocalist's voice remains one of     8     (gentle) noises in pop. Given its warmth and peacefulness, it is no coincidence     9     the album was a favourite among clubbers after a night out. It is a time when the desire for kindness, companionship and warmth prevails.

So forget the “loudness war”. Manowar     10     be happy with their 139 dB, but they are comprehensively defeated by fireworks, which reach 145 to 150 dB when they explode, and the call of the blue whale, which goes all the way up to 188 dB. Now that' something to shout about.

Anyone can take part in a virtual choir (唱诗班) from     1     (somewhere). All you need is a video camera and     2     Internet connection. You do not even need a studio. A virtual choir helps connect ordinary people together. Many people do not have close friends or contacts who have the same interest in music. Many others do not have the chance     3     (join) a local choir. A virtual choir     4     (enable) them to add their voices to those of other individuals and become part of the     5     (globally) community. It has proved to be a positive influence     6     the lives of many people. As one virtual choir member said, “Music helps me to forget my problems. With music, I become someone else.”

Customs play a significant role in festivals, but sometimes they can change over time. With the     7     (develop) of modern society and the spread of new ideas, some traditions may fade away and others may     8     (establish). One example is the typical Chinese Spring Festival custom of     9     (light) firecrackers to drive away the evil spirits and celebrate the new year. Nowadays, many big cities have given up this custom in order to avoid air pollution. Another example is Halloween,     10     slowly became an exciting festival for children, in spite of its religious origins.

The poem “Auld Lang Syne”     1     (write) by the great Scottish poet Robert Burns. After     2     (listen) to “an old man’s singing”, Burns wrote down the words and     3     (add) a few lines of his own. The poem was printed in 1796, just after Burns’     4     (die). It was given a new tone, and over the years became the song     5     is so familiar to us today.

Joyful but at     6     same time a bit sad, Auld Lang Syne has featured in many films, including Waterloo Bridge, the film which made the song     7     (wide) known to Chinese audience.

Today, Auld Lang Syne has been translated     8     many different languages, and one of the world’s best-loved songs. It’s played at parties, celebrations, festivals, and even at some shopping centres at closing time. Whatever language or occasion,     9     has become a symbol of friendship and shared experience —whether we can sing     10     not.

Why modern music should quieten down

Quietness may be underestimated values in pop music.    1    (look) up “the loudest band in the world” and you will be confronted with a large number of rock giants from Manowar who proudly achieved a sound pressure level of 139 dB to Motor-head. The pickings are slim    2    we substitute “quiet” for “loud”.

In a way, increasing the volume of a song makes biological sense, something the music industry    3    (exploit) since the jukebox era. There is an organ in the inner ear called sacculus that is linked to a region of the brain    4    (associate) with pleasure and react to low-frequency vibrations over 90 dB．

On the other hand,    5    (focus) sorely on loudness ignores the infinitely more subtle appeal of being quiet. A French band called “Air”,    6    twenty-years collection was released on June 10, are masters of the art. As any teacher knows, quietness can be more effective than shouting to make people pay attention. Air employed this gentle persuasion on Moon Safari, an album that attracts the listener    7    the peaceful sound of rain and muted drums. Even when Air do increase the volume, the vocalist's voice remains one of    8    (gentle) noises in pop. Given its warmth and peacefulness, it is no coincidence    9    the album was a favourite among clubbers after a night out. It is a time when the desire for kindness, companionship and warmth prevails.

So forget the “loudness war”. Manowar may be happy with their 139 dB, but they are comprehensively defeated by fireworks, which reach 145 to 150 dB when they explode, and     10    call of the blue whale, which goes all the way up to 188 dB．Now that's something to shout about.

Every culture creates music, but what shapes our perception(感知)of music? In the past few years, psychologist Jacoby and his colleagues     1     (visit) a remote area to investigate the question.

They specifically chose participants from Tsimane,     2     have relatively little exposure(接触到) to Western music. For example, octaves (八度音阶) play an important role in Western music,     3     Tsimane music instruments can't go with them. In the study, participants     4     (ask) to listen to simple melodies and sing them. This exercise revealed that the Tsimane didn't perceive octaves while participants from the U.S. did. It also revealed that     5     (musical) trained Westerners were better at it than     6     with no musical training. Therefore, the findings highlight the importance of musical experience.

    7    musical experience, biology is also a key factor influencing perception of music. In another study, Jacoby's colleague found that unlike many Westerners, the Tsimane' found it pleasant to hear some notes     8     (play) together.

Their study also revealed that both Westerners and the Tsimane’ have trouble     9     (distinguish) between really high notes above 4,000 hertz, though human hearing goes up to 20,000 hertz. That may be     10     wherever we're from, we hit the limits of our brains before we reach the limits of our ears.

Music is one of the most     1     (power) things in my life. Listening to music can help to motivate me in trying time. When younger, I had no great love for music     2     do now. I mainly listened to the music     3     my parents were playing. Whether I was in the car, the house,     4       anywhere else, there was sure to be some Beatles, or Buddy Holly constantly playing in the background. Now as I am older, I enjoy it for the reason that it allows me to remember my childhood.

I believe music has the power     5     (express) all sorts of emotions. The song “A Little Bit Longer" Jonas Brothers is     6     an emotional and inspiring song that when hearing it, I always come close to     7     (drop) down tears, especially when I watch it being played live. The effect that music can have     8     our emotions is great, as it can bring people to floods of tears or bursts of     9     (laugh) .

I believe music affects people in many ways. To me, music is     10     (extreme) important in my life.

Bruno Mars was born into a very musical family in Hawaii. When he was young, he often performed on the stage with his family,     1     gave him full confidence and experience. After graduating from high school, Bruno     2     （decide）to move to Los Angeles to build his music career. It wasn’t easy, though. He was used to giving performances     3     （regular） as a musician in Hawaii. But in Los Angeles competition was much     4     （strong）, so Bruno had a hard time breaking into the music industry.     5     the desire to give up was great, he never did. Bruno found that he could make money and become famous by writing songs for famous singers. In 2010 Bruno     6     （ask）to record one of his songs, which rocketed to the top of the charts. That same year he released his first original song, “Just the Way You Are”. It also hit number one. The song’s     7     （succeed）brought Bruno instant fame and star status. Since then Bruno Mars     8     （receive）numerous music awards and honors. He has sold more than 130 million records,     9     （make）him one of the best-selling artists ever. Many of his fans and peers consider him a musical genius and one of the world’s best     10     （perform）.

Every culture creates music, but what shapes our perception(感知) of music? In the past few years, psychologist Jacoby and his colleagues     1    (visit) a remote area to investigate the question.

They specifically chose participants from Tsimane,     2     have relatively little     3    (expose) to Western music. For example, octaves(八度音阶) play an important role in Western music,but Tsimane’ music instruments can’t go with them. In the study, participants     4    (ask) to listen to simple melodies and sing them.This exercise revealed that the Tsimane’ didn’t perceive octaves while participants from the U.S. did. It also revealed that     5    (musical) trained Westerners were better at it than     6     with no musical training. Therefore, the findings highlight the importance of musical experience.

    7     musical experience, biology is also a key factor influencing perception of music. In another study, Jacoby’s colleague found that unlike many Westerners, the Tsimane’ found it pleasant to hear some notes     8    (play) together.

Their study also revealed that both Westerners and the Tsimane’ have trouble     9    (distinguish) between really high notes above 4,000 hertz, though human hearing goes up to 20,000 hertz. That may be     10    , wherever we’re from, we hit the limits of our brains before we reach the limits of our ears.