1 . 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. |
2 . Rock music consists of many different styles. Even though there is a common spirit among all music groups, they make very different music. Rock music developed in the 1950s and the early 1960s. At that time the Beatles entered the world of music from Liverpool.
After they were given an invitation to appear live on BBC, the Beatles quickly became famous in Britain with nationwide tours. By mid-1963, the Beatles had been extremely popular in England. Even their hairstyles became major trends at that time. They held large concerts and performed at clubs. They became the hottest thing on the pop music scene in England. They began as a modestly successful musician group and ended the year as show business leg-ends (传说). John Lennon and Paul McCartney were composers (作曲家) of the year.
They decided on a tour to the United States in 1964. They were not sure how the Americans would react to the new type of music. Beatlemania (披头士热) hit New York on February 7, 1964. Hundreds of fans went to the airport to greet them. They performed their first concert in America at CBS television's 53rd street studio. The concert was broadcast live and attracted the largest one night audience in the history of television up to that time.
The Beatles were described as a British invasion (入侵) by local and nationwide news-papers at that time. Their victory in America was still remembered as a major turning point in the history of rock and roll. Thanks to the Beatles, a lot of opportunities were opened up to new faces on the market. Many rock bands were able to follow in the footsteps of the Beatles.
1. Which is the place of origin of the Beatles?| A．Liverpool. | B．CBS. | C．BBC. | D．New York. |
| A．Frightening. | B．Boring. | C．Amazing. | D．Puzzling. |
| A．They formed many rock bands. |
| B．They caused an invasion to America. |
| C．They changed the history of America. |
| D．They made a great contribution to rock music. |
| A．The Beatles. A Great Band |
| B．Rock. A Popular Music Style |
| C．The Development of Rock Music |
| D．The Works of The Beatles |
3 . Paul O’Sullivan was around his Baltimore apartment one evening, feeling bored. Having nothing better to do, he logged on the social network to find out how many others
Many of his fellow Paul O’Sullivans ignored him but a few felt too curious to resist his invitation. He
Starting a band across multiple time zones proved to be
Later Pennsylvania Paul adds the drumbeat. Round and round the
“What are the odds (可能性),” says Baltimore Paul, “that a random
| A．knew | B．shared | C．signed | D．remembered |
| A．decline | B．expose | C．send | D．accept |
| A．suspected | B．mentioned | C．anticipated | D．noticed |
| A．form | B．inform | C．dominate | D．contact |
| A．challenging | B．exceptional | C．awesome | D．astonishing |
| A．carefully | B．secretly | C．independently | D．exactly |
| A．prove | B．deny | C．fix | D．skip |
| A．Unless | B．Although | C．Before | D．Once |
| A．beat | B．track | C．story | D．band |
| A．However | B．Therefore | C．Otherwise | D．Furthermore |
| A．get involved in | B．take advantage of | C．think highly of | D．press pause on |
| A．dizzy | B．well | C．confident | D．weak |
| A．donations | B．protests | C．views | D．doubts |
| A．choice | B．advice | C．request | D．comment |
| A．reputation | B．friendship | C．changes | D．impressions |
Israeli singer-songwriter Gilad Segev has devoted himself to an ambitious project to present different views of China through music, because of his love for the country. In June 2020, he launched Project 34, through
“My
Over the past decade, the award-winning musician has travelled to most of the 34 provincial-level regions, and plans to go to
For each music video, he cooperates actively
5 . Laurie Horam never thought of himself as musical. At home, his dad never listened to music, while one of his boarding school teachers labelled him tone deaf. But last month he started to busk. And while he accompanies on harmonica (口琴) his guitar - playing friend Alan Eaton, people clap, dance and throw coins into Alan’s guitar case for the local food bank. Horam caught himself thinking: “How, at the age of 80, do I come to be playing music to people on the streets of Brad-ford?”
The question preoccupied him, because, some years ago at a family gathering, Gavin, one of his children, said, “You know what, Dad? It can’t be coincidental. We must have got our natural abilities and interest from you.” He has three sons, two daughters and a stepson from two marriages; between them, they cover a range of instruments and genres from techno to rock. Horam was floored. “There can’t be music in me, because I can’t play!”, he said.
Eight years ago, Horam, a retired civil servant, was driving back from a trip to the Yorkshire coast with his eldest son, Gavin, who was visiting from Canada. Cavin wanted to stop at a music shop. He walked out and said, “Here you are. I bought this for you, Dad. It’s a harmonica. I’ll try to show you how to play a bit.”
They went to a local pub. Gavin played guitar and Laurie sat in the corner with his harmonica, trying to make a sound that no one would hear. After six months, he was invited into the group. Unable to read music, he discovered a talent for improvisation (即兴表演), responding to a note within a millisecond without batting an eyelid. “I don’t play by ear. I play by heart.” Actually, Horam says, “My harmonica plays me - how I feel, what I am, what I’ve been.”
Music has enriched life with friendship and made Horam feel “part of something much bigger” than himself. “At a time when the scope of life might be shrinking, mine is expanding,” he says. “Maybe we never know completely who we are or what we can do.”
1. Why did Horam play the harmonica on the streets of Bradford?| A．To collect money for charity. | B．To recall the good old days. |
| C．To live his childhood dream. | D．To beg food from passers-by. |
| A．They are all divorced. | B．They are all tone deaf. |
| C．They are all musical. | D．They are all guitar players. |
| A．Unclear. | B．Positive. | C．Doubtful. | D．Disapproving. |
| A．Music fails to help Horam express himself. |
| B．Music helps Horam lead a comfortable life. |
| C．Music helps Horam sharpen his own hearing. |
| D．Music brings Horam a broader circle of life. |
6 . These destinations march to the beat of their own drum. So put on your dancing shoes and head to these sweet-sounding cities.
New Orleans
In the 19th century, slaves gathered on Sundays to play drums, dance, and sing in Congo Square. Those lively rhythms of Africa ran head on with the sounds of Europe to create jazz, a typical American art form that has inspired generations of Americans and spread around the globe. But this isn’t suit-wearing, head-nodding, polite jazz. New Orleans jazz sweeps you off your feet and makes you jump and clap and sing along.
Chicago
Large numbers of African Americans left the South in search of better opportunities during 1916~1970 and Chicago attracted scores of these people, who brought with them the sound of the Mississippi River. Here, it changed into something sad and symphonic: blues. Blues was not born in Chicago, but it was here that it found a new voice and began to spread its message around the world.
Memphis
Memphis is the birthplace of rock and roll. It was here in Sun Studios in the summer of 1951 that Ike Turner and his band the Delta Cats recorded “Rocket 88”, widely regarded as the first rock and roll song. But, like so many great things, it happened by accident the guitarist’s loudspeaker broke down during the recording, creating a unique guitar sound that would become a hallmark of the music. People didn’t know how to classify it, but they knew they loved it. The rest is history.
New York City
New York is one of the world’s greatest cities where you can listen to all kinds of music. But to experience a true New York state of mind, you have to leave the shiny towers and Broadway shows of Manhattan and head to Harlem, the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens to explore the city’s hip-hop history.
1. What do New Orleans jazz and Chicago blues have in common?| A．They sound very sad. | B．They have similar origin. |
| C．They happened by accident. | D．They are played on the guitar. |
| A．In the 19th century. | B．In the late 19th century. |
| C．In the early 20th century. | D．In the mid-20th century. |
| A．Blues. | B．Jazz. | C．Hip-hop. | D．Rock and roll. |
The virtual choir was the idea of award-winning composer and
8 . Recently I visited the classroom of Jeremy Coleman, a music teacher. Coleman was preparing for a fresh group of students at his school in Austin, Texas.
Coleman has taught classical guitar at the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI) for many years. “Everyone should be given a chance to learn music and guitar,” he said.
The TSBVI was founded in 1856 to provide a specialized education for young Texans who couldn’t see clearly. In the early years, students made brooms(扫帚)and other products that were sold to pay for the school’s operational(运营的)costs.
Since then, the school has developed, and hundreds of students from across the state live and learn there. The educational focus has changed from vocational(职业的) training to academic(学业的) and life skills. Students also take part in sports, music, and other after-school activities.
Coleman brought classical guitar lessons to TSBVI in 2011. “Teaching guitar to students with poor eyesight isn’t easy," Coleman said. For one thing the music course has to be translated into Braille, a form of printing for blind people to read.
“Instead of sight reading, these students will read Braille music and remember it,” Coleman said. “Once they realize what they can do, they love making music.”
Coleman said that after kids leave his program, they often find it difficult to continue their study of music. “The real difficulty is when the students return to their own communities," Coleman said. “Finding a proper teacher for lessons is sometimes impossible.”
For that reason, Coleman and some other TSBVI teachers developed an online program called “Let’s Play.” The program serves as a guide for classical guitar training for students with poor eyesight and their teachers.
“The program continues to grow," Coleman said. He hopes that it will help musicians with poor eyesight continue to develop their skills.
1. Coleman’s school is different from common schools in ________.| A．its class size | B．its opening time |
| C．its type of students | D．its type of teachers |
| A．Its entry requirements for students. | B．Its after-school activities. |
| C．How it keeps running. | D．What it teaches students. |
| A．By setting up an online program. |
| B．By organizing after-school activities. |
| C．By connecting them with other teachers. |
| D．By visiting them in their own communities. |
1. Which age group will the woman dance in?
| A．The 8 to 10. | B．The 11 to 15. | C．The 16 to 20. |
| A．Some money. | B．Some show tickets. | C．Some special classes. |
1. When will the music festival begin?
| A．On April 12 | B．On April 19. | C．On April 25. |
| A．Visiting his friend. | B．Enjoying the scenery | C．Seeing kangaroos. |
