Eric Gale’s tips for guitarists
“Good things are happening in life for me now,” says Eric Gale, a famous American guitarist, “and when you allow yourself
“All of the guitar
As a single mother, I’ve never doubted my daughter Jane’s dream to be a singer on the stage. At an early age, she was crazy about singing. Whenever she had a chance, she would sing to her heart’s content. Her sweet and charming voice tended to get people around attracted to her songs.
Living in a small city, I took several odd jobs, determined to do everything in my power to support her. Soon after Jane attended school, her music teacher Mary noticed her talent by chance and volunteered to give her some guidance on how to sing. Jane practiced so hard that before long she made great progress in singing.
Unfortunately, one noon a year later, Jane was crossing the street when a careless driver knocked her down. She was rushed to hospital. When I hurried there, the doctor told me that my daughter would probably not stand on her own feet. I froze with shock, feeling as if I had been thrown into a dark world. Weak and dizzy, I was about to fall to the ground when someone took hold of me.
It was Mary, who got the news and raced here. She comforted me, saying firmly, “Grace, Jane needs you. You must stay calm and strong.” I nodded. Having calmed down, I entered the ward with Mary.
That night, Jane recovered her consciousness (知觉) and opened her eyes. Holding her hand, I said, “My dear, everything would be fine.” Mary comforted her gently, “I know you are a strong girl, Jane. Don’t worry. We’ll be standing by you.” I was heartbroken to see tears streaming down Jane’s cheeks.
After two months, we returned home from hospital. Her teachers and friends frequently visited her. Jane eventually accepted the fact that she would have to get around in a wheelchair. Never did she refer to the subject of singing again. I knew she was a nice and understanding girl, who was afraid that talking about her original dream would upset the two of us.
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。
One day, however, Mary came with good news.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When the host announced it was Jane’s turn, she was wheeled onto the stage.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________3 . NORTHEAST YOUNG MUSICIANS COMPETITION
Nebraska high school students are invited to enter the Northeast Young Musicians Competition themed on youth, fighting and courage. It has two categories: vocal music (声乐) group and instrumental music group.
Prizes
Cash prizes will be awarded for 1st and 2nd place in each grade level per category:
FIRST PLACE — $1,200 | SECOND PLACE — $700
First place winners will also be featured on the virtual award ceremony and receive a $1,000 scholarship of Northeast Community College (NCC). All students participated will receive a free T-shirt.
Rules
Do follow all these rules carefully when submitting.
◆Video submissions are required with no names on. Additionally, a PDF of the solo (独唱) music must accompany the video submitted.
◆Solos should be performed in six minutes at maximum, and each word of the solos is recommended to be memorized.
◆Pop music is prohibited, whereas accompanying music is needed for songs that call for it.
◆Formal dress for a contest performance is necessary.
◆Entries are mailed no later than March 6th this year.
Further Hints
◆Competitors must be full-time students at the time of the competition.
◆Previous winners are NOT allowed to compete again to give more opportunities to other students.
◆Memorization is not required but may be a factor during consideration by the judges.
◆Results will be posted on March 8th after our live award at 1:00 p.m.
1. What will the first prize winners get?| A．A paid T-shirt. | B．A cash prize of $700. |
| C．A scholarship of NCC. | D．A live award opportunity. |
| A．Singing a popular song. |
| B．Mailing the entry on March 8th. |
| C．Memorizing the words of the solo. |
| D．Submitting a piece within 6 minutes. |
| A．Former champions. | B．Full-time students. |
| C．Students from NCC. | D．Graduates from the high school. |
In recent days, a primary school principal
Every morning, 40-year-old principal Zhang Pengfei would lead about 700 pupils on the playground in a “ghost shuffle” routine—
The brave headmaster thought the fun and
“I thought we need a change
The dedicated principal said he came
5 . Music is an international language. Popular music in America is what every student likes. Students carry small radios with earphones and listen to music before class, after class, and at lunch. Students with cars buy large speakers and play music loudly as they drive on the street. Adult drivers listen to music on the car radio as they drive to work. They also listen to the news about sports, the weather, politics, and activities of American people. Most of the radio broadcasts are music.
Pop or popular music singers make much money. They make CDs or tapes which radio stations use in every state. Once the popular singer is heard all over the country, young people buy his or her tapes. Some of the money from these tapes comes to the singer. Wherever the singer goes, all the young people want to meet him or her. Now the singer has become a national star.
There are other kinds of music that are important to Americans. One is called folk music. It has stories about the common life of Americans. Another is called western or country music. This was started by cowboys who would sing at night to the cows they were watching. Today, any music about country life and the love between a country boy and his girl is called western or country music. Serious music for the concert halls is called classical music. Music for instruments is called orchestra music, such as the symphonies of Beethoven.
1. What does every student in America like according to the passage?| A．Folk music. | B．Popular music. | C．Country music. | D．Classical music. |
| A．They can make much money. | B．Some people like their CDs or tapes. |
| C．They are followed by some young people. | D．Their CDs or tapes are used in every state. |
| A．It is only sung by cowboys. | B．It is not played in the concert halls. |
| C．It has nothing to do with folk music. | D．It is a kind of music that is popular in America. |
| A．Music in America | B．Music Listeners | C．Cowboys in America | D．International Language |
6 . A Hungarian doctor is advising her lung disease patients to consider a non-traditional form of treatment: singing! And not just singing while making dinner or washing up at night. As part of their treatment, she wants her patients to sing in public as part of a choir (合唱队)!
The Reuters news agency reports that a new choir named “Breathing for the soul” was formed earlier this year. The group recently performed in the ballroom of a hotel in Budapest. The members of the choir come from all across Hungary. Many are sick with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (慢性阻塞性肺病), more commonly called COPD.
Speaking with Reuters, the choir members explained how singing has improved the quality of their lives. Seventy-four-year-old Maria Aranyi has been suffering with serious asthma, a breathing disorder, for over 10 years. Aranyi said that she never thought in her life that she would ever sing. But now, singing in the choir provides relief from what she call the “gray days”. She added that after singing she noticed that she could also breathe more easily.
Many lung disease patients and others with chronic disorders can become less involved with other people as they grow older. They may be unwilling to go to new places or to try new things. Over time if this continues, they can become more and more lonely.
Singing with others can be a way to break the cycle of loneliness. Singing with others is not easy. It takes a lot of practice and offers a challenge—both physical and mental. But the result—hearing your voice blend and harmonize with others—can be truly uplifting. And for most people, singing in a group is easier than singing alone. There is strength and a sense of well-being in numbers.
1. What should the patients do according to the doctor’s suggestion?| A．Join the hospital choir. | B．Say no to singing along. |
| C．Try some new treatment. | D．Refuse conventional treatments. |
| A．It gave her lungs a good workout. | B．She became fond of live performances. |
| C．It provided her with more leisure time. | D．She felt more enthusiastic about music. |
| A．Rise. | B．Combine. | C．Become clearer. | D．Grow louder. |
| A．Breaking The Silence | B．Singing For Harmony |
| C．Breathing For The Soul | D．Involving Singing Together |
7 . Music is fun. Most of us come across music pretty much every day, whether that be on the radio, TV or on the street.
Music brings people together. It creates social relationship, it speaks to all when words can fail, and wherever you go in the world, it is understood. Music is a universal gift and its power to connect people is without question.
Music improves your health and wellbeing. It stimulates the brain which in turn helps with pain relief, reducing stress and memory. A study from Harvard has shown that relaxing music may lower blood pressure and heart rate after physical effort.
Music can improve confidence and toughness. In a digital age where many services and products are instantly available with the click of a button, learning a musical instrument provides a platform for people to achieve discipline and willpower. There are many skills required in order to learn how to play a musical instrument: technique; reading music; expression; listening.
| A．Music is a creative outlet. |
| B．But why is it so important? |
| C．Music can help lift your spirits. |
| D．It can also improve mood and reduce anxiety. |
| E．Most importantly, you have to listen to live music. |
| F．It is an art form with human interaction at its centre. |
| G．As you continue to perfect these skills, you build toughness. |
If you are a music-lover who is at home alone, you can have the opportunity to sing together with hundreds of other people in a virtual choir.
9 . My name is Sara. When I was little, I played the drums. I also had a guitar. In fourth grade, I started playing the trombone (长号). I practiced about four hours a week. All of this might not seem like a big deal for a lot of kids, but there’s something about me that makes me a bit different from others. I was born without hands. Since I was about one year old, I’ve worn prosthetics (假手).
This year, I got an invitation to join the high school marching band (行进管乐队). I told my mom I wanted to do it. But I had an instructor who thought I would not be able to march in the band—not because it was a high school band and I’m only in seventh grade, but probably because my body is different. All I wanted was to show that I could do it, so I joined the band. And it paid off!
Music gives me energy. That happens sometimes. One time I was so down, I didn’t even want to get out of bed. Then I hit my mp3 player by accident. A song came on, and I got up and started dancing. It helped me say to myself, “OK, I can get through today.”
Around my musician friends, we all share the same problems, like working out how many beats there are to a measure. I have a hard time counting the beats, but so do a lot of the other kids. It’s a normal problem that we musicians share. When I’m with the band, I don’t feel as different as I do in other situations. It’s just another way that music makes me want to go on, and not to just sit down by myself and not care about life.
1. In what way is Sara different from other kids?| A．There’s something wrong with her body. |
| B．She knows how to play many instruments. |
| C．She learned to play the drums at a very early age. |
| D．She kept playing the trombone for the longest hours. |
| A．said no at first | B．had no idea what to do |
| C．followed the instructor’s advice | D．believed that she would make it |
| A．Bored. | B．Relaxed. | C．Successful. | D．Afraid. |
| A．A high school band | B．A young drummer |
| C．The music of me | D．My magic hands |
10 . Language is part of our daily lives, no matter where we live in the world. Similarly, music is a part of many people’s lives.
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 to keep a record of music. Just as you are reading this collection of letters on the paper and find meaning in it, musicians read notes and create meaning in the form of music which we can hear.
Both vary with culture
Both share emotion
How do you know that I am angry?
| A．Different culture makes different music. |
| B．Both language and music play a huge role in our lives. |
| C．You can guess where someone is from by listening to their language. |
| D．By reading pieces of text or music, we are able to share experiences through time. |
| E．In contrast, you have probably also listened to sad music when you were feeling down. |
| F．Of course, you may be able to see it in my face, but you will know for sure through my words. |
| G．We have all used music to express our emotions, often combining it with language in the form of song lyrics. |
