1 . A new study, conducted by British company Mindlab International, has revealed that listening to music at work promotes accuracy and speed, The Telegraph reported. Perhaps, some parents disagree with this idea, insisting, “Switch off the music and concentrate!” Well, if that’s the case with your parents, you might now be able to convince them that you have science on your side.
The company gave 26 participants a series of different tasks for five days in a row, including spell checking, mathematical word problems, data entry, and abstract reasoning. The participants completed these tasks while listening to music or no music at all.
The results showed that while music was playing, 88% of participants produced their most accurate test results and 81% completed their fastest work. David Lewis, chairman of Mindlab International, told The Telegraph, “Music is a very powerful management tool if you want to increase not only the efficiency of your workforce but also their emotional state…they are going to become more positive about the work.”
However, you may have a list of your favorite songs, but not all kinds of music match all homework. For maths or other subjects involving numbers or attention to detail, you should listen to classical music, the study found. In the study, pop music enabled participants to complete their tasks 58% faster than when listening to no music at all. If you are reviewing your English writing, pop music is the best choice, as it is the best kind for spell checking. It cuts mistakes by 14%, compared to listening to no music. After finishing your homework, do you often take time to check your answers? Maybe, some dance music is suitable for you.
1. What is Para 1 mainly about?A.Parents’ negative opinions about the role of music. |
B.A new study about music practiced by the Telegraph. |
C.Scientific proof of the benefits of listening to music. |
D.Attempt to talk the parents into listening to music. |
A.Persuade their parents to listen to music. |
B.Increase their learning efficiency. |
C.Try their best to choose the most suitable music. |
D.Finish tasks with music or without music at all. |
A.Classical music. | B.Dance music. |
C.Pop music. | D.Rock music. |
A.Music helps us to learn. | B.We cannot live without music. |
C.Different music, different lives. | D.Music in the classroom. |
2 . 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. |
If you are at home alone and you also want to sing together
The virtual choir was the idea of award-winning composer and
The virtual choir is a
4 . Pullman is a superb writer and Seagull is a brilliant communicator. They had a debate after Seagull posted a question on his social media platform: “When you were trying to create an environment for learning, what were your best pieces of classical music to listen to?” He received hundreds of suggestions — and one negative reply, from Pullman: “That’s not what classical music is for. Treat it with respect.”
That did it! Everyone — professional musicians, students, teachers — weighed into the argument, and the majority supported Seagull and were criticizing Pullman.
It’s easy to see why people are annoyed. We all want classical music to be as accessible as possible, especially to the young. If some of them are using Bach or Schubert as a tool to help them study, what’s the problem? They may also develop an attachment to classical music.
So is Pullman ridiculous and supercilious by objecting to classical music being used as background music? At first sight, his idea seems stuffy and extreme. By suggesting that classical music should be “treated with respect” and not used as background music, Pullman seems to be closing classical music of to millions of people.
It’s worth pointing out, however, that he isn’t the first to express concerns about classical music being devalued by becoming too commonplace in today’s technologically shaped world. In Benjamin Britten’s 1964 speech, the composer expressed exactly the same worries as Pullman. Britten suggested, “The true musical experience demands some preparation, some effort, a journey to a special place, saving up for a ticket, some homework perhaps”. In short, it demands as much effort from listeners as from composers and performers.
I don’t agree with such an extreme viewpoint, but I do think it touches on a reality. You will never fully grasp the beauty of classical music if you half-hear it only in the background. That doesn’t necessarily matter. Music can be enjoyed on many levels. What Pullman and Britten are really saying is that, in a drive for “accessibility”, we shouldn’t deny the emotional and intellectual complexity underpinning (构成) much classical music.
1. What did Seagull’s posting result in?A.Great admiration for Seagull. |
B.Public criticism of classical music. |
C.A discussion about learning environments. |
D.An argument over the role of classical music. |
A.Self-important. | B.Open-minded. | C.Impatient. | D.Considerate. |
A.To show his affection for classical music. |
B.To introduce young people to classical music. |
C.To demonstrate classical music is demanding. |
D.To support Pullman’s idea over classical music. |
A.Favorable. | B.Doubtful. | C.Objective. | D.Uninterested. |
5 . THE VIRTUAL CHOIR
Imagine having the opportunity to sing together with hundreds of other people while you are at home alone. You can do this in a virtual choir. Virtu al choir members record themselves while they perform alone on video. These videos are uploaded onto the Internet, and then they are put together into one video that you can see online — a virtual choir. Anyone can take part in a virtual choir from anywhere — all you need is a video camera and an 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 to join a local choir. A virtual choir enables them to add their voices to those of other individuals and become part of the global community. It has proved to be a positive influence on the lives of many people. As one virtual choir member said, “Music helps me to …forget my problems. With music, I become someone else.”
The virtual choir was the idea of award-winning composer and conductor Eric Whitacre. Born in the USA on 2 January 1970, Whitacre began studying music at the University of Nevada in 1988. He fell in love with Mozart’s classical music when he sang for the university choir. Moved by this music, he said, “It was like seeing color for the first time.” He graduated from university in 1995, and then received a master’s degree in musical composition from the Juilliard School in New York in 1997. Over the next 10 years, Whitacre’s original compositions began to become quite popular among choirs and singers. This led to the creation of the virtual choir.
In 2009, Whitacre received a video of a girl who was singing one of his works. Inspired, he asked his fans to make videos, which he then joined together into one performance. His first virtual choir, “Lux Aurumque”, had 185 singers from 12 different countries. It has received millions of views on the Internet. Since then, the virtual choir has become a worldwide phenomenon. Whitacre’s next effort was the Virtual Youth Choir for UNICEF, which was first seen on stage on 23 July 2014 in the UK. Altogether, 2,292 young people from 80 countries joined in to sing Whitacre’s song “What If”.
The virtual choir is a wonderful way for people around the world to sing with one voice and thus make the world a better place.
1. What can people do to record themselves while they perform alone on video?2. What should you prepare if you want to take part in a virtual choir?
3. Who put forward the idea of the virtual choir?
4. What led to the creation of the virtual choir?
5. What inspired Whitacre to ask his fans to make videos?
6. 课文结构图。
Greenwood
To: Students of Grade
For:
Study and play with top artists!
Enjoy your life in green woods!
Music today isn’t just angry
8 . I suffered a stroke (中风) in March 2013, then mostly recovered (康复) and realized I had been very
I learned slowly with my first teacher. Then after two years, I started with a man. He seemed
“I won’t be doing that,” he said. “I expect you to learn the
Our class lasted three months. However, in our last lesson before Christmas, he strongly criticized (批评) me, saying that I played with the
When I saw him again, I played the same
There was silence. Then, surprisingly, he said he could see I had put
From that day, he changed. He became kind and warm. He
It is the piano that helps me get over the stroke and find my confidence again.
1.A.free | B.tired | C.lucky | D.cold |
A.young | B.clever | C.famous | D.healthy |
A.feeling | B.chance | C.worry | D.trouble |
A.surprise | B.attract | C.save | D.discourage |
A.strict | B.mad | C.satisfied | D.funny |
A.asked | B.described | C.learned | D.considered |
A.benefits | B.stories | C.notes | D.letters |
A.teacher | B.student | C.doctor | D.family |
A.strong | B.common | C.different | D.wrong |
A.fear | B.peace | C.sadness | D.excitement |
A.song | B.trick | C.match | D.sport |
A.interest | B.pressure | C.money | D.effort |
A.angrily | B.patiently | C.secretly | D.probably |
A.challenge | B.limit | C.develop | D.copy |
A.painting | B.literature | C.running | D.music |
9 . This is Your Dream Dance
With growing evidence that dancing helps boost brain health and manage symptoms of neurocognitive (神经认知的) and movement disorders, accessible dance programmes and movement therapists are helping improve the lives of millions.
There’s actually a lot more happening inside the brain when trying to follow even the simplest choreography (舞蹈编排). “In dance class, we have to learn patterns, and remember sequences,” says David Leventhal, a programme director. The effect extends beyond the dance class to the real world.
In addition to the physical and neurological benefits, dance can also help people living with disease make out what their bodies can and can’t do. Rather than trying to control, or “fix” our body, dance is about developing greater body awareness and moving at our capacity, regardless of physical or cognitive difference.
● Dance as communityStill, researchers say they’re only scratching the surface of understanding how dance can be used therapeutically.
A.Dance as body acceptance |
B.Dance as physical exercise |
C.The uniqueness of dance as a therapy lies in the following aspects |
D.Dancing requires more “brain power” than simpler repetitive exercises |
E.Perhaps one of the biggest benefits of dance is the sense of belonging it creates |
F.Larger studies are needed to confirm the findings of the smaller trials that have been done |
G.Tasks like navigating the kitchen or walking to the bus stop can be more attainable after dancing |
10 . Xinjiang has long been known as a place of music and dancing.
No matter which ethnic group is living in Xinjiang, music and dancing are an inseparable part of our lives. From festive holidays to
When it comes to folk dancing in Xinjiang, the first thing people will
The moment when I
Every day I would assign my viewers
Short video and live-streams do not only
I believe so many people would like to connect with me on the Internet because they see me as a down-to-earth, relatable and real director of the
A.weddings | B.lectures | C.meetings | D.teams |
A.directing | B.conducting | C.composing | D.hearing |
A.hobby | B.satisfaction | C.passion | D.friendship |
A.meet with | B.care for | C.think about | D.find out |
A.professionally | B.obviously | C.rapidly | D.frequently |
A.recognized | B.felt | C.understood | D.described |
A.outbreak | B.attendance | C.appearance | D.control |
A.required | B.took | C.answered | D.replied |
A.plans | B.designs | C.homework | D.creativity |
A.emails | B.letters | C.performances | D.videos |
A.made | B.wore | C.bought | D.changed |
A.inspired | B.surprised | C.crazy | D.admired |
A.compete | B.hire | C.improve | D.promote |
A.fixing | B.repairing | C.establishing | D.digging |
A.historical | B.cultural | C.natural | D.public |