1 . The Sydney Opera House has become, with the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney’s best-known landmark and international symbol.
The base for the building was started in 1959 — years before the designs were finished. It took four years to design by Danish architect Jorn Utzon and by 1962 the designs were finalized and construction began. In total, it took 14 years to build and was officially opened on the 20th of October 1973 by Queen Elizabeth II.
The Sydney Opera House is a fascinating building and heart of the city’s cultural scene. It opened with a concert hall, an opera theatre, a drama theatre and a recital (音乐演奏会) hall, as well as restaurants and bars. A fifth theatre was added within the structure in 1998.
The Sydney Opera House cost some $160 million to build and was paid for by the public who bought $10 tickets in a series of lotteries with a first prize of $1million.
More information about the Sydney Opera House:
Conducts 3,000 events each year
Provides guided tours to 200,000 people each year
Has an annual audience of 2 million for its performances
includes 1,000 rooms
Is 185 metres long and 120 metres wide
Has 2.194 pre-cast concrete sections as its roof
Has roof sections weighing up to 15 tons
Has roof sections held together by 350 kms of tensioned steel cable
Has over 1 million tiles on the roof
Uses 6,225 square metres of glass and 645 kilometres of electric cable
1. When were the designs of the Sydney Opera House started?| A．In1960. | B．In1962. | C．In1958. | D．In1973. |
| A．a drama theatre | B．an opera theatre |
| C．a concert hall | D．a reception hall |
| A．The Sydney Opera House has an audience of 2 million per year for its performances. |
| B．There are about 3,000 events held in the Sydney Opera House each year. |
| C．The Sydney Opera House is made up of more than 1,000 rooms. |
| D．The roof of the Sydney Opera House is made of concrete and steel. |
Alice was a stubborn girl
Her teacher
“Well,” said Alice, “What do you think of
“My dear,” said the teacher, “you’ll never be better
| A．He wants to be different. |
| B．He wants to be like his friends. |
| C．He thinks it is cool to play the guitar. |
Although Emily’s singing was very pleasant to hear, lacking of courage, she never dared to sing in front of strangers.
One summer, the neighborhood where she lived would hold a singing competition. Her best friend, Lucy, came to invite her to participate in the competition, but Emily said. “I’m afraid to take part in it.” Her mother said, “It’s okay, just do it bravely.” Emily followed her mama’s advice and decided to give herself a try. The day came. Emily and Lucy went to the competition site. But she was too frightened to walk onto the stage. She had been waiting until others finished singing. She shakily forced herself to stand on the stage. She started to sing, but her voice was so low. What’s worse, she was so nervous that she forgot the lyrics after singing a few words. Being laughed at by others, embarrassed and shy, she ran away from the stage.
Some naughty boys ran after her and said, “Emily, coward (胆小鬼)! Emily, coward!” Emily didn’t argue with them. What she wanted was to go back home as quickly as she could. Finally, she rushed into the house, hugged her mom and cried sadly.
“Well, my poor girl. Don’t cry. Tell me what happened to you,” asked her mom. Emily looked up at her mother and told her what she had experienced.
Listening to her, her mom cupped her face and said, “It doesn’t matter, girl. As long as you practice singing more in front of strangers, you will become braver little by little. So, my girl, don’t be beaten by a failure. You can go out to practice singing every day. No matter who is listening to you, go on singing and never stop. I believe there will be a harvest for you.”
注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Paragraph 1
Emily followed her mom’s advice and walked into the park where many people were singing and dancing.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2
The second year, the neighborhood held the singing competition again.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5 . Do you like Chinese traditional painting and dance? They are two important parts of the traditional Chinese art. But what about when they meet each other?
This year, a dance drama titled Poetic Dance: The Journey of a Legendary Landscape Painting (《只此青绿》) was staged on CCTV’s Spring Festival Gala and became popular.
According to CCTV, this poetic dance program was inspired by the 900-year-old Chinese painting A Panorama of Rivers and Mountains (《千里江山图》), created by Song Dynasty painter Wang Ximeng at about 18. The painting is amazing in its sweeping size, rich coloration and the expressive details, reported by CCTV. It shows a Chinese blue-green landscape: mountains and groupings of infinite (无限的) rise and fall between cloudless sky and rippling (涟漪的) water.
When the dancers moved elegantly, audiences seemed to be looking at the moving mountains and rivers. “It brings me a pure experience of beauty. It is not only a drama but also an exhibition. Vast mountains and rivers are coming to life!” Internet user Mo Weisha wrote in a review. “More than a thousand years later, green mountains and rivers still impress people as they did long ago.” Some people even decided to watch the dance again when it was staged in the theaters later. In fact, in recent years, more and more modern shows have featured Chinese traditional culture and received warm welcome. As for the reason, it is due to people’s great love for traditional culture.
“The younger generations have grown up with a more open mind. They accept Chinese culture and are proud of it,” Yao Wei, director of Henan TV Station’s Innovation Center, told China Daily.
1. What’s the writing purpose of paragraph 1?| A．To raise a question. | B．To introduce the topic. |
| C．To describe the art world. | D．To show a doubtful thought. |
| A．CCTV’s Spring Festival Gala. | B．A Chinese blue-green landscape. |
| C．Song Dynasty painter Wang Ximeng. | D．An old Chinese traditional painting. |
| A．Traditional culture is accepted and loved by people. |
| B．Green mountains and rivers greatly impress people. |
| C．The poetic dance can be staged in the theaters later. |
| D．Increasing modern shows feature Chinese traditional culture. |
| A．It explains why Chinese art enjoys popularity. |
| B．It shows us art can come to life through dance. |
| C．It highlights the beauty of Chinese traditional art. |
| D．It tells us the love for Chinese traditional painting. |
1. How many foreign students are visiting in the speaker’s school now?
| A．About 13. | B．About 20. | C．Over 30. |
| A．To attract more foreign students. |
| B．To exchange ideas about culture. |
| C．To help foreign students enjoy their time. |
| A．Before September 15th. |
| B．In the last week of September. |
| C．In the first week of December. |
| A．In the library. | B．In the garden. | C．On the playground. |
7 . A music festival, which is often presented with a main idea, is a community event mainly about live performances of singing and instrument playing. On the list are the music festivals for fans around the world. Find your favourite now!
Field Day
January 1, 2022, Sydney
Field Day means New Year’s Day for young people in Sydney. Seen as the city’s original outdoor party, it’s a gathering of friends coming together for a great fun-filled first day of the year. There’s an air of hope and active energy on a perfect summer’s day.
Envision Festival
February 21-26, 2022, Uvita
The Envision Festival is an annual event in Costa Rica that wants to provide a chance for different cultures to work with one another to create a better community. The festival encourages people to practise art, music and dance performances. At the same time, our connection with nature is expected to be strengthened.
McDowell Mountain Music Festival
March 2-4, 2022, Phoenix
The McDowell Mountain Music Festival is Phoenix’s musical celebration of community culture. Since its founding in 2004, it is the only 100% nonprofit(非营利的) music festival designed to support, entertain and educate the community. The festival attracts thousands of visitors each year from around the country, and it is an opportunity to experience true culture.
Old Settler’s Music Festival
April 19-22, 2022, Tilmon
The Old Settler’s Music Festival is a nationally known music festival for American music. The festival is held in Tilmon, Texas at the height of the wild flower season. The Old Settler’s Music Festival offers great music and activities for the whole family.
1. Which city should you go to if you intend to participate in a music festival in January?| A．Sydney. | B．Uvita. | C．Phoenix. | D．Tilmon. |
| A．It encourages people to receive education. |
| B．It is not held to make money. |
| C．It provides a chance for friends to meet each other. |
| D．It focuses on culture spread. |
| A．Field Day and Envision Festival. |
| B．Envision Festival and McDowell Mountain Music Festival |
| C．Old Settler’s Music Festival and McDowell Mountain Music Festival. |
| D．Envision Festival and Old Settler’s Music Festival. |
8 . Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer. In his twenties, he had been very famous for his skills on the piano, but then he began to lose his hearing. Beethoven thought about giving up, but in the end he continued to write music. He carried on with the composition until his death in 1827. He composed more than 130 musical works, including his Ninth Symphony (交响曲) .
One day in February 1824, his Ninth Symphony was finally completed. Writing the piece had taken several years. A she proudly signed his name at the bottom of the page, Beethoven tried to imagine how people would respond when they heard it for the first time. Before the performance, the backstage atmosphere at a very famous theatre in Austria was anxious. Beethoven was afraid that the performance would be a disaster. After all, what use is a conductor who could not hear his orchestra (管弦乐) — even if he has a talent for music?
The audience didn’t hesitate to applaud (鼓掌) loudly as the famous composer walked out on to the stage. The theatre’s musical director, Michael Umlauf, joined him and together the two men took charge of the orchestra. For more than an hour, Beethoven jumped about in front of the orchestra, waving his arms wildly in the air, and madly turning the pages of his score (乐谱).
As the symphony came to an end, the audience jumped to their feet, clapping, cheering and waving their hats. But Beethoven continued conducting, his head buried in the score. It was not until Caroline Unger, one of the singers, took his arm and turned him to face the audience that the great man realized his symphony was a victory.
Later, Caroline remembered that Beethoven was not the only one who got a surprise. “The audience was shocked as well,” she said with abroad smile. “Most of them had no idea that he lost his hearing. The one person in the room who didn’t hear the symphony — and never would — was the very man who composed it.”
1. What challenge did Beethoven face in his twenties?| A．His skills were poorly recognized. |
| B．He gradually became deaf. |
| C．He used up the inspiration for music. |
| D．He lost some musical works. |
| A．It was held in an Australian theatre. |
| B．It turned out to be a disaster. |
| C．It was in the charge of Caroline Unger. |
| D．It was well received by the audience. |
| A．Beethoven’s mad behavior. | B．Beethoven’s hearing problem. |
| C．Beethoven’s great symphony. | D．Caroline’s broad smile. |
| A．Persistent. | B．Confident. | C．Generous. | D．Reliable. |
9 . Maestro Martins, from Brazil, fell in love with the piano when he learned to play at the age of eight. He then went on to become a famous classical pianist. His life was devoted to the piano. However, in 1965, this musician suffered an injury that left him with damage in one arm. Martins could play with one hand but suffered from a neurological (神经系统的) problem. This resulted in a lack of good control of his hands.
Determined to recover and play the piano, he went through 24 operations. None of the procedures worked. Yet he pursued his love of music and he became a composer. Martins travelled the world as a composer with some of the best European and American orchestras (管弦乐队).
His life then took a beautiful turn. Industrial designer Ubiratan Bizarro Costa came up with a solution for him, presenting Martins with a pair of bionic (仿生的) gloves. The black gloves Save iron rods made with a 3D printer, so after a finger is lowered onto a piano key, the gloves assist it to spring back.
With tears streaming down his face, Martins felt true gratitude as he started to play his favorite piano. “To be able to use all ten fingers again more than 20 years later is a miracle for me at the age of 80,” Martins said. It gave Martins pause to simply appreciate one’s fingers for all the work, creativity, and skills they could offer. And now Martins’ dream has actually come true; he has been reunited with his beloved piano; his fingers are now flying across the keys merrily.
As for Bizarro, he plans to produce and export his bionic gloves. His discovery may renew hope for many people around the world. Some people will be able to use their fingers once again. His invention will show how emotional, creative, and inspiring one’s fingers can actually be.
1. What do we know about Martins from the first paragraph?| A．He showed a talent for piano at a young age. |
| B．He gave up playing the piano after falling ill. |
| C．He developed a passion for piano to kill time. |
| D．He had great difficulty playing the piano after an injury. |
| A．He continued devoting himself to the music career. |
| B．He travelled overseas to enjoy concerts with friends. |
| C．He looked for special piano keys to work on music creations. |
| D．He assisted Ubiratan Bizarro Costa to produce bionic gloves. |
| A．He was proud of his achievements. |
| B．He felt concerned about his future career. |
| C．He felt a sense of responsibility for music education. |
| D．He was excited to regain his pleasure in playing the piano. |
| A．They will help more people pursue their dreams. |
| B．They will become popular for their simple design. |
| C．They need to be improved to offer better services. |
| D．They will inspire more people to study musical instruments. |
10 . Music has an important influence on people. Keep on reading to know more about its amazing powers.
A recent study suggests that preterm (早产的) babies appear to experience less pain and feed more when listening to music. Experts led by Dr. Manoj Kumar of the University of Alberta, Canada, found that music had a beneficial effect on reducing pain for preterm babies experiencing painful medical tests. It also appeared to benefit full-term babies during operations.
Many people experiencing brain damage have speech and movement-related problems. Music can help recover from brain injuries. As a different and effective treatment, doctors often advise such patients to listen to good music to improve the parts of the brain responsible for these two functions.
Though music cannot make deafness disappear, it really can stave off the loss of hearing. There was an experiment involving 163 people where 74 were musicians. They were asked to pass some listening tests. Musicians heard the sounds better than non-musicians, and this difference gets clearer with age. This means that a 70-year-old musician hears better than a 50-year-old non-musician, even in a noisy environment.
Besides, music mends (修补)a broken heart. It is not about a thrown-away love, but about a heart attack. Listening to the quality music produces positive emotions and improves the movement of blood. It can help people recover from a heart attack or heart operation by reducing blood pressure, slowing down the heartbeat rate, and reducing anxiety.
1. How does music influence preterm babies?| A．It helps know more music. |
| B．It helps reduce their pain. |
| C．It helps recover from the operation. |
| D．It helps regain a balanced walk. |
| A．increase | B．lead to | C．prevent | D．suffer from |
| A．It can help throw love away . |
| B．It helps increase blood pressure. |
| C．It has a positive effect on blood system. |
| D．It can help cure people of all diseases. |
| A．Who can benefit from music |
| B．How to choose quality music |
| C．Why babies should listen to music |
| D．How music affects our mind and body |
