1 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

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.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2 . Music is not just a set of sounds and rhythms. Its influence on brain is much deeper than any other human experience. Keep on reading to know all these amazing power of music.

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. When people with neurological (神经的) disorders hear a musical beat, it helps them to regain a balanced walk.

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. Participants 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 a broken heart. It is not about a thrown-away love,   but about a heart attack. The matter is that music can help people recover from a heart attack or heart operation by reducing blood pressure, slowing down the heartbeat rate, and reducing anxiety. Listening to the quality music produces positive emotions, improves the movement of blood, and expands blood vessels, thus, promoting quick recovery of the whole cardiovascular (心血管的) system.

1. How does music affect preterm babies?

A．It helps develop their potential in music.

B．It helps reduce their pain.

C．It helps improve their hearing systems.

D．It helps repair their neurological systems.

2. What does the underlined phrase “stave off” in Paragraph 4 mean?

A．Cause.	B．Increase.
C．Prevent.	D．Expand.

3. Why can music mend a broken heart?

A．It has a positive effect on human body systems’ work.

B．It can encourage people to do sports.

C．It helps make a person outgoing.

D．It helps patients recover more quickly than medicine does.

4. What may be the best title for the text?

A．People Who Can Benefit From music.

B．The Best Time to Listen to Music.

C．The Way to choose Quality Music.

D．How Music Affects Our Mind and Body.

3 . While the arts can’t stop the COVID-19 virus or the social unrest we see in the world today, they can give us insight into the choices we make when moving through crises and chaos. The arts invite everyone to think in new ways.

We often experience works of art as something that’s pleasing to our senses without a full understanding of the creative effort. Great art often shows us contradictions and crises, and we can learn a great deal from their resolutions. Through our understanding of art, we can gain a deeper understanding of how we might overcome our own challenges. In understanding extremes of contrast, we can see the beauty in art with themes that are not simply pleasing for their magnificent features or qualities.

Beethoven offers a wonderful example of moving artfully through crises and chaos. He composed his Symphony No.9 as his hearing loss became more and more pronounced. The opening of the symphony seems to come out of nowhere, from near silence in the opening to a full expression of what many consider to be the joy of freedom and universal brotherhood with Schiller’s Ode to joy (欢乐颂). Beethoven appears to have created a work of art that not only freed him from his personal struggles, but one that also speaks to the joy of living together in peace and harmony.

Have a dialogue between the two opposing parts and you will find that they always start out fighting each other until we come to an appreciation of difference—a oneness of the two opposing forces. The arts offer many lessons that can help us gain the knowledge we need to move more confidently in today’s competitive and uncertain environment. An openness to arts-based solutions will give you more control over your future.

1. What value does art have beyond pleasing people’s senses?

A．It brings people inner peace.	B．It contributes to problem-solving.
C．It reduces the possibility of crises.	D．It deepens understanding of challenges.

2. What can we learn about Beethoven’s Symphony No.9?

A．It celebrates freedom and unity.	B．It aims to show crises and chaos.
C．It opens with Schiller’s Ode to Joy.	D．It is unfinished due to his hearing loss.

3. What is the author’s suggestion on dealing with conflicting forces?

A．Leaving things as they are.	B．Making a choice between them.
C．Separating them from each other.	D．Engaging them in a conversation.

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．How COVID-19 changes art	B．Moving artfully through crises
C．Essentials of Symphony No.9	D．How to appreciate arts in new ways

5 . At a young age, Darrius Simmons fell in love with the piano. As he watched others play, he was _________ by the joy the piano gave them. He wanted to experience that, too, but knew for him it would be a/an _________.

“I decided at age 10 that I wanted to learn how to play the piano, _________ it was going to take a little bit _________ work for me to learn,” Simmons says. “I knew most people had 10 fingers while I had four, yet I was pretty _________ I could make it work.”

The Warren, Ohio teenager was born with a genetic _________ called ectrodactyly (先天性缺指畸形). He has three fingers on his right hand and _________ finger on his left. But it didn’t _________ Simmons from following his _________. With no formal training, Simmons taught himself by ear how to play the piano. He practiced and practiced, finding a way to ____________ the keys with four fingers while mastering the pedals with his prostheses (假肢).

Simmons knew he would have to ____________ his own style of playing. “I couldn’t base it ____________ the technique of somebody who has 10 fingers. It just wouldn’t ____________.” He says. “That’s ____________ it was hard for me to take piano lessons. It’s very ____________ for somebody who has learned how to play with 10 fingers to adjust and teach me with only four.”

The now 18-year-old not only learned how to play and read music but also began composing.

His mother, Tamara Simmons, isn’t surprised by Darrius’ ____________. She knows how focused and ____________ he can be.

From mastering music to beating ____________ challenges, Darrius Simmons sets out to ____________ the world. “I like to be somebody’s ____________,” he says. “If I play in front of a whole crowd and I see one person smile, that’s a job well done.”

1.

A．frightened

B．amazed

C．interested

D．disturbed

2.

A．challenge

B．opportunity

C．fortune

D．trouble

3.

A．when

B．but

C．and

D．therefore

4.

A．more

B．much

C．fewer

D．less

5.

A．surprised

B．worried

C．sure

D．glad

6.

A．condition

B．environment

C．event

D．tendency

7.

A．one

B．two

C．three

D．five

8.

A．encourage

B．prevent

C．remove

D．change

9.

A．actions

B．roads

C．instructions

D．passions

10.

A．reach

B．repair

C．remove

D．clean

11.

A．appreciate

B．abandon

C．develop

D．change

12.

A．by

B．in

C．through

D．on

13.

A．support

B．run

C．operate

D．work

14.

A．why

B．because

C．when

D．whether

15.

A．easy

B．tough

C．funny

D．stupid

16.

A．ideas

B．creations

C．difficulties

D．achievements

17.

A．kind

B．determined

C．talented

D．generous

18.

A．spiritual

B．mental

C．physical

D．emotional

19.

A．please

B．persuade

C．inspire

D．cheer

20.

A．partner

B．symbol

C．aim

D．motivation

6 . In all the world's cultures, people sing, play instruments, and celebrate with music. It plays such an important role in our lives that all fields focus on its study, including one looking at the biology of music. Experts find that because of the way our brains process music, learning to play an instrument or just listening to music can have a wide range of benefits.   

Music education has received a lot of attention. Learning to play an instrument can help children improve math, science, and language skills. One study in Canada tracked children's IQ scores for nine months, discovering that children who studied music had the biggest test score improvements. The secret may lie in the way reading music and playing notes use several areas of the brain, increasing our ability to learn school subjects. For example, reading notes improves spatial (空间的) reasoning skills, which are helpful in solving math problems like fractions (分数).   

Music is also used for medical purposes, such as the treatment of diseases which affect memories. The secret lies in the way the brain processes music. One area near the forehead, the medial prefrontal cortex(脑前额叶外皮), connects music with memories stored in two other areas: the amygdale(杏仁核) and hippocampus(海马体). That's why an old song can remind you of something that happened years ago. For patients suffering from diseases like Alzheimer's, listening to music can help unlock buried memories by strengthening musical pathways to memories.   

With the evidence of music's benefits, it's no wonder some countries make music study a part of their education systems. People are recognizing that more than just a form of entertainment, music is also great for the brain.

1. According to the Canadian study, which children increased IQ scores?

A．Those who already had high IQ scores.

B．Those who had always played music.

C．Those who could not play any instrument.

D．Those who studied music for a period of time.

2. Which of the following is a kind of disease?

A．Spatial reasoning.

B．Alzheimer's.

C．The amygdale and hippocampus.

D．The medial prefrontal cortex.

3. Which can be the best title for the text?

A．Music and health

B．Music and education

C．Music and the mind

D．Music and instruments

4. Scientists are studying music because ________.

A．music can be used for medical treatments

B．music plays a very important role in our lives

C．our brains can process music in different ways

D．music education has received a lot of attention

7 . About a year ago, I had to spend a week in a hospital, because of the deadly food poisoning. There I met an elderly woman, who _______ to be a professional musician. That time when I met her, the idea of learning to sing didn't _______ my mind. I thought it was something _______ and not meant for me, like being an airplane pilot.

And only recently, I suddenly decided to learn singing.1 was _______ my dog early in the morning. I sang _______ to myself and it made me feel so wonderful. At that moment I _______ I had known more good songs and how to control my _________ better. And then I thought, why didn't I take some singing lessons? Of course, it was not a (n) _________ skill that I could use at work, but not everything in this life is about actual _______ and income.

It was easy to find that woman. I remembered her name and there was only one ______________ college in our city. I was ______________ she would reject me because l was a terrible ______________. But she took my request very ______________. She understood how important music was ______________ one's soul. In my first lesson, she sat at the gorgeous big piano and ______________ some rising notes that I had to repeat. At first I was terrified to       ______________ because I feared being judged and criticized. But my teacher was kind and professional.________________, she was strict when she knew I could do better.

Learning to sing was like learning to walk. It was like ________________ that all your life you had some superpower but were not aware of its ______________. Singing taught me more than just being able to take some high or low ______________. Most importantly, it taught me to be braver about expressing myself and my opinions.

1.

A．turned out

B．ran out

C．went out

D．called on

2.

A．lose

B．cross

C．change

D．slip

3.

A．realistic

B．fashionable

C．unavailable

D．worthless

4.

A．sorting

B．owning

C．evolving

D．walking

5.

A．jokingly

B．painfully

C．lightly

D．properly

6.

A．planned

B．wished

C．heard

D．regretted

7.

A．sound

B．hope

C．talk

D．voice

8.

A．practical

B．different

C．interesting

D．accurate

9.

A．benefit

B．damage

C．habits

D．dates

10.

A．literary

B．architectural

C．medical

D．musical

11.

A．angry

B．afraid

C．surprised

D．pleased

12.

A．citizen

B．patient

C．amateur

D．friend

13.

A．casually

B．seriously

C．rudely

D．uniquely

14.

A．from

B．under

C．for

D．during

15.

A．wrote

B．left

C．played

D．kept

16.

A．make a sound

B．take a walk

C．write the song

D．tell the truth

17.

A．Instead

B．Therefore

C．Moreover

D．However

18.

A．giving out

B．admitting to

C．belonging to

D．finding out

19.

A．existence

B．contents

C．purpose

D．forms

20.

A．words

B．notes

C．noises

D．spirits

8 . Music

Opera at Music Hall: 1243 Elm Street. The season runs June through August, with additional performances in March and September. The Opera honors Enjoy the Arts membership discounts. Phone: 241-2742. http://www.cityopera.com.

Chamber Orchestra: The Orchestra plays at Memorial Hall at 1406 Elm Street, which offers several concerts from March through June. Call 723-1182 for more information. http: //www.chamberorch.com.

Symphony Orchestra: At Music Hall and Riverbend. For ticket sales, call 381-3300. Regular season runs September through May at Music Hall in summer at Riverbend. http://www.symphony.org/home.asp.

College Conservatory of Music (CCM): Performances are on the main campus(校园) of the university, usually at Patricia Cobbett Theater. CCM organizes a variety of events, including performances by the well-known LaSalle Quartet, CCM’s Philharmonic Orchestra, and various groups of musicians presenting Baroque through modern music. Students with I.D. cards can attend the events for free. A free schedule of events for each term is available by calling the box office at 556-4183. http://www.ccm.uc.edu/events/calendar.

Riverbend Music Theater: 6295 Kellogg Ave. Large outdoor theater with the closest seats under cover (price difference). Big name shows all summer long! Phone: 232-6220. http://www.riverbendmusic.com.

1. Which number should you call if you want to see an opera?

A．241-2742.	B．723-1182.
C．381-3300.	D．232-6220.

2. When can you go to a concert by Chamber Orchestra?

A．February.	B．May.
C．August.	D．November.

3. Where can students go for free performances with their I.D. cards?

A．Music Hall.	B．Memorial Hall.
C．Patricia Cobbett Theater.	D．Riverbend Music Theater.