1 . How similar are language and music?

Language is part of our daily lives, no matter where we live in the world.     1     Both language and music play a huge role in our culture and here are some of their similarities.

Both language and music have a writing system.

In English we record language using the alphabet, which is a collection of letters. Similarly, we use notes (音符) to keep a record of music. Musicians read notes and create meaning in the form of music.     2     By writing pieces of text or music, we are able to share experiences through time. We can read the ideas or hear the composition (作品) of someone who lived hundreds of years ago.

    3    

You can make a good guess at where someone is from by listening to the language he uses. In the same way, we know that styles of music are different around the world, giving us the opportunity to explore many different cultures through their music and providing us with music for every situation.

Both share emotion.

    4     Of course you may be able to see it in my face, but you will know for sure through my words. Similarly, music can sound angry, sad or happy. Music can show you exactly how the composer was or is feeling, and allows us to share that emotion. When you feel happy, you might want to sing and dance to a happy song to celebrate your happiness.     5     I think we have all used music to express or process our emotions, often combining it with language in the form of song lyrics (歌词).

A．Both are expressive.

B．Both vary with culture.

C．How do you know that I am angry?

D．We use language to express our thoughts.

E．Similarly, music is part of many people’s lives.

F．So just as you read English, you can read music.

G．In contrast, you probably also listen to sad music when you are feeling down.

3 . 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。

Hip hop is getting its very own museum in its birthplace in New York State. The Bronx, the permanent home of the Universal Hip Hop Museum, set to open in 2023, is    1     (celebrate) the history of hip hop, which was created by    2     (Africa)Americans, Latino Americans and Caribbean Americans.

Rocky Bucano is the museum's director. He noted that until now there hasn't been a physical place that is devoted to     3     (preserve) hip hop history and culture. He said that the museum started as     4    idea about eight years ago when some hip hop singers hoped the stories of hip hop could be     5     (accurate) told and passed down.

When the museum     6     ( finish) , the 5, 570-square-meter space will have interactive (互动的)exhibits, live shows, film screenings and conferences. One room will have a high-tech console(控制 台 )     7    interactive characteristic will take visitors on a hip hop history trip based on their reactions    8    different characters in a game.

The exhibits will include hip pop    9     ( music)Kurtis Blow's original beatbox machine, and the first and second rap    10     ( record)ever released.

4 . What’s On?

Electric Underground

7.30pm－1.00am   Free at the Cyclops Theatre

Do you know who’s playing in your area? We’re bringing you an evening of live rock and pop music from the best local bands. Are you interested in becoming a musician and getting a recording contract? If so, come early to the talk at 7.30 pm by Jules Skye, a successful record producer. He’s going to talk about how you can find the right person to produce your music.

Gee Whizz

8.30pm-10.30pm   Comedy (喜剧)at Kaleidoscope

Come and see Gee Whizz perform. He’s the funniest stand-up comedian on the comedy scene. This joyful show will please everyone, from the youngest to the oldest. Gee Whizz really knows how to make you laugh! Our bar is open from 7.00pm for drinks and snacks(快餐).

Simon’s Workshop

5.00pm-7.30pm   Wednesdays at Victoria Stage

This is a good chance for anyone who wants to learn how to do comedy. The workshop looks at every kind of comedy, and practices many different ways of making people laugh. Simon is a comedian and actor who has 10 years’ experience of teaching comedy. His workshops are exciting and fun. An evening with Simon will give you the confidence to be funny.

Charlotte Stone

8.00pm-11.00pm     Pizza World

Fine food with beautiful jazz music; this is a great evening out. Charlotte Stone will perform songs from her new best-selling CD, with James Pickering on the piano. The menu is Italian, with excellent meat and fresh fish, pizzas and pasta(面食). Book early to get a table. Our bar is open all day, and serves cocktails, coffee, beer, and white wine.

1. Who can help you if you want to have your music produced?

A．Jules Skye.

B．Gee Whizz.

C．Charlotte Stone.

D．James Pickering.

2. At which place can people of different ages enjoy a good laugh?

A．The Cyclops Theatre

B．Kaleidoscope

C．Victoria Stage

D．Pizza World

3. What do we know about Simon’s Workshop?

A．It requires membership card.	B．It lasts three hours each time.
C．It is run by a comedy club.	D．It is held every Wednesday.

4. When will Charlotte Stone perform her songs?

A．5.00pm-7.30pm.

B．7.30pm－1.00am.

C．8.00pm-11.00pm.

D．8.30pm-10.30pm.

5 . 读后续写

Emily White was born seventeen years ago with so many birth problems in her body. Some of her organs, bones and muscles were out of shape. No one expected her to survive. She did make it but with her strange body figure, everyone could recognize her, even from a distance.

In Emily White’s hometown, there was a yearly outdoor performance in the school auditorium (大礼堂). It had been performed for so many years and actually had become one of the most important events of the Christmas season for many of the town’s people.

Many people tried out each year for it, but so many were turned away. It can only include the most excellent people in the field.

Emily had a beautiful singing voice. Last year she went to Mrs. Owens — her music teacher to ask to join in the performance. Without letting her sing, Mrs. Owens took a look at Amy’s body and said, “Child, you just don’t fit. Everyone would stare at you and that would make you uncomfortable. It would make them uncomfortable, too.”

Without singing a single note, Emily was sent back through the door of the choral room. Hurt and upset, she decided never to try out again. But Mrs. Owens then retired.

This year, there came a new music teacher, Mr. Buttler. He heard about Emily and suggested that she have a try.

Emily didn’t want to be rejected again, so she hesitated a little about it. As Emily struggled, the door was pushed open and Mr. Buttler called, “Emily, you’re next.” Although kind of nervous, Emily did as Mr. Buttler told her to do. Mr. Buttler sat by the piano to keep Emily company. When Emily finished her testing performance, she thanked Mr. Buttler and knew the result would be posted on the door of the choral room the next day.

Emily couldn’t sleep that night. She was suffering from the feelings that she didn’t fit and the great need to be accepted. By the next morning, her stomach was even in pain because of stress.

注意：续写词数应为150左右

Paragraph 1: The next day, Emily nervously glanced at the list on the door of the choral room.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Paragraph 2: Finally, the day of performance came.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6 . I was 11 years old when I asked my mom for piano lessons in 2010. We were in the economic crisis. She said a polite “no”.

That didn’t stop me. I searched the measurements of a keyboard, drew the keys on a piece of paper and stuck it on my desk. I would click notes on an online keyboard and “play” them back on my paper one—keeping the sound they made on the computer in my head. I spent six months playing without touching a real piano. Once my mom saw that I was serious, she borrowed money and bought me 10 lessons.

I still remember the first one. I was struck by how real the sound of the piano was. I sat my grade one after eight lessons. Once I started secondary school, we couldn’t afford lessons again. I passed grade three, and then grade five, practicing only on my piece of paper.

One evening, when I was about 13, my mom said she had a surprise for me; it was an electronic keyboard, bought with more borrowed money. It was the first time I’d played for her. She was in shock.

My school didn’t offer music A-level. I found the Purcell School for young musicians. But I had to pass a difficult test. Some of the questions involved an evaluation of the composer or when some piece was written. I felt overwhelmed. To my amazement, I was offered a place.

At the Purcell School. I spent two years working as hard as I could, performed to raise money and saved enough to buy my first piano.

When I left the Purcell School, I was awarded the senior piano prize and senior academic music prize. I am now at the Guildhall School in London. I feel proud—it’s been 10 years since I drew my paper piano, and I’m at one of the world’s leading music schools.

The irony is that I continue to do a lot of my practice away from the piano--what we call mental practice. The paper piano helped arouse my curiosity about how music works and the building blocks that form the pieces.

1. Why did the author’s mom buy him lessons at last?

A．She was shocked by his first performance.

B．She had no doubt about his talent for piano.

C．She realized he meant what he said.

D．She suddenly made a fortune.

2. Which of the following can best describe the author?

A．Honest.	B．Determined
C．Humorous	D．Optimistic

3. What did the underlined word “irony” in the last paragraph show?

A．The author felt surprised.	B．The author felt proud.
C．The author felt satisfied	D．The author felt disappointed.

4. What’s the author’s main purpose of writing this article?

A．To introduce the method of mental practice.

B．To share how he convinced his mom to buy a piano.

C．To describe how costly it is to learn an instrument.

D．To encourage people to stick to their dreams.

7 . People love to sing! Whether you sing in the shower or with a chorus, raising your voice in song comes with some very surprising benefits. From improving your mood to making you healthier, there is scientific evidence that singing is good for your body and your mind.     1    

It helps relieve stress.

Singing can help relieve stress by reducing cortisol(皮质醇), a hormone that is known as the “stress hormone”.     2     Too much cortisol is very bad for your health. A study measured the amount of cortisol in the participants before and after singing. The researchers found that cortisol levels were lower after singing.

    3    

People who sing use deep breathing and control the use of the muscles in their breathing systems. While singing cannot treat lung diseases, anything that helps to strengthen the throat muscles could help people breathe easier.

It helps you have a sound sleep.

If your sleep is interrupted by snoring(打鼾), try singing.     4     A 2008 UK study about the effect of singing on snoring compared singers with non-singers. The researchers found that far fewer singers snored, and they recommend singing as a potential treatment for snoring.

It may improve memory.

    5     A study found that besides remembering the lyrics(歌词), singing brought back other memories too. The researchers found that singing songs that were learned in childhood actually caused a return of very specific memories and that gave the participants a feeling of hope and positivity.

A．It may improve lung function.

B．It helps improve mood.

C．It makes no difference whether they sing alone or in a group.

D．So go ahead and sing to your heart’s content.

E．Older people with memory loss can often recall song lyrics.

F．That’s because singing strengthens throat muscles, which in turn reduces snoring.

G．It is naturally produced by your body.

8 . Music is an international language that is beautiful to people all over the world. It seems to be a natural need for us.     1    

Music plays a significant role in education. Studies have indicated that music physically develops the part of the brain known to be involved with language.     2     Therefore the development of one promotes the growth of the other, and musical training not only develops a child's language skills but also promotes the learning of a second language. Music also causes improvement in brainpower. The thought patterns that are formed while studying music may help improve the ability to learn other subjects.

    3     First, music is beneficial with its ability to reduce stress. And stress is associated with many illnesses, which can be prevented with stress reduced. When people are very stressed, there is a tendency to avoid listening to music.     4     But as we know, productivity increases when stress is reduced.

Additionally, music can have positive influence on mood, and many people will turn to certain songs to improve their moods. The main reason behind this phenomenon is that music has the ability to express one's feelings better than any other medium.     5     It also increases self-confidence.

A．So how does it help us?

B．The two are so closely related.

C．Let's see how people enjoy music.

D．Perhaps it feels like a waste of time.

E．The key is to choose the right type of music.

F．Music has some sort of psychological effect.

G．Good music also makes us remember the moments when we were happy.

9 . Schools are under constant pressure to make budget cuts, and music programs are often first on the chopping block. However, a recent study from the University of British Columbia in Canada has shown that students who took music lessons in high school performed better in subjects such as English, science, and math.

The researchers collected data from over 100,000 students at public high schools across the province of British Columbia. Some of them took music lessons during high school while others never attended them. Checking the test scores of students who took music classes with those of their peers, the study found that the musicians got higher grades in a range of different school subjects.

Research like this has been done before, but as for the number of respondents, this study is much larger, and it took into account other factors that may have affected the results. For example, perhaps students who took music classes were encouraged to do so because they already had good grades. This UBC study rules out a number of other factors that could explain why music students performed better academically, and the researchers still find a clear effect of music lessons on academic performance.

Not only did music students perform better than non-musicians, but students who played an instrument did even better than those who sang. “Learning to play a musical instrument and playing in an ensemble(乐团) is very rewarding,” says Martin Guhn, one of the researchers, “A student can learn to read music notes, achieve eye-hand-mind coordination, develop keen listening skills and establish interpersonal relationships.”

What this study doesn't tell us, though, is why music makes these students perform better academically, but the research paper mentions a few possible explanations. Music practice is linked with neurological(神经系统的) changes that improves certain brain functions, affecting memory and planning skills. Besides, there is a possible motivational factor. Students who take music lessons see a tangible result from practice—they get better—and they might apply that to their other work. And the non-competitive team aspect of making music together could strengthen students' social development, which would also help them in other alias.

1. How did the researchers find the result of the research?

A．By conducting tests.	B．By analyzing causes.
C．By making comparisons.	D．By building models.

2. How is the recent study different from previous ones?

A．It covered more school subjects.

B．It allowed for students who sang.

C．It was carried out nationwide.

D．It produced a more convincing result.

3. Why did the author mention Martin Guhn's words in Paragraph 4?

A．To speak highly of music students.

B．To explain why music helps students perform better.

C．To present the benefits of playing instruments.

D．To encourage students to join an ensemble.

4. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．Music practice can make an overall improvement in students’ brain.

B．Progress made in music may motivate students to work harder in math.

C．Singing can't make any difference in improving students' memory.

D．Playing in an orchestra could make students less competitive in other fields.

10 .        In 1947 a group of famous people from the art world headed by an Austrian conductor decided to hold an international festival of music,dance and theater in Edinburgh. The idea was to reunite Europe after the Second World War.
       At the same time, the “Fringe” appeared as a challenge to the official festival.Eight theater groups turned up uninvited in 1947,in the belief that everyone should have the right to perform,and they did so in a public house disused for years.
       Soon,groups of students firstly from Edinburgh University, and later from the universities of Oxford and Cambridge,Durham and Birmingham were making the journey to the Scottish capital each summer to perform theater by little-known writers of plays in small church halls to the people of Edinburgh.
       Today the “Fringe”,once less recognized, has far outgrown the festival with around 1,500 performances of theater,music and dance on every one of the 21 days it lasts. And yet as early as 1959,with only 19 theater groups performing,some said it was getting too big.
       A paid administrator was first employed only in 1971, and today there are eight administrators working all year round and the number rises to 150 during August itself. In 2004 there were 200 places housing 1,695 shows by over 600 different groups from 50 different countries. More than 1,25 million tickets were sold.
1. What was the purpose of Edinburgh Festival at he beginning?

A．To bring Europe together again.

B．To honor heroes of World War 11.

C．To introduce young theater groups.

D．To attract great artists from Europe.

2. Why did some uninvited theater groups come to Edinburgh in 1947?

A．They owned a public house there.

B．They came to take up a challenge.

C．They thought they were also famous.

D．They wanted to take part in the festival.

3. Who joined the “Fringe” after it appeared?

A．Popular writers.

B．University students.

C．Artists from around the world.

D．Performers of music and dance.

4. We may learn from the text that Edinburgh Festival___.

A．has become a non-official event

B．has gone beyond an art festival

C．gives shows all year round

D．keeps growing rapidly