1 . Many people love to listen to music while driving. Thanks to the world’s musical roads, drivers now don’t need to turn the radio on.     1    

A musical road can create music when a car tires go over grooves (凹槽) on the road. To produce beautiful music, drivers must pass over the grooves at a certain speed. Signs often tell drivers the right speed.

    2    . Since the mid-1990, musical rads have appeared in many different countries.     3    . To warn drivers to the incoming music, all the roads are marked by colored musical notes that are painted on these roads. Drivers can decide whether to go over the grooves or not because they are set on the side of the road.

In Hungary, there is a musical road in honor of one of the country’s most popular musical performers — Laszlo Bodi. Bodi was the lead singer for the band Republic.     4    . Sadly, Bodi passed away in 2013. But people still remember him as there’s a road where drivers can hear 30 seconds of the Republic song “Road 67”.

    5    . In Indonesia, a road plays the first six notes of “Happy Birthday”. The fifth note is a little out of tune, though. This “mistake” keeps drivers awake and aware, and it has reduced the number of traffic accidents. Such is the power of music and musical roads.

A．Musical roads are also keeping drivers safe.

B．There is not any music road in Eastern countries.

C．Musical roads help improve the road safety greatly.

D．But they can also enjoy music while taking road trips.

E．Formed in 1990, the group is one of Hungary’s biggest acts and is still active today.

F．The first musical road was created in Gylling, Denmark, in 1995.

G．For example, in Japan, there are many musical roads throughout the country.

2 . I was firstly fascinated by a dance performance in the hall of a university. Soon after, dancers from a famous ballet troupe ________ my school and chose a handful of students to attend a weekly dance class.

I was in love with ________ but I wasn’t chosen, which made me really ________. Months later, I finally convinced my ________ to sign me up for classes at a neighborhood dance studio. A year later, I was ________ by the school of that famous ballet troupe, where, from eight years old, I was spending every day after school dancing or performing. The above was my ________ for most of my K-12 years.

As I headed for college, I expected a ________ as a professional dancer. After ________, I toured with a Seattle-based dance company, and ________ dance at Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences. I ________ my jobs, but I preferred creating new works that ________ represented who I am as a dancer. Three friends of mine shared similar feelings, and together we ________ a company.

Today, I balance my company’s work with a ________ as arts manager for Arts Corps, an ________ that promotes access to youth arts education. Meanwhile, as a choreographer (舞蹈指导), I have ________ local and national commissions (委托) for new work, and recently accepted a Dance Crush Award for my accomplishments.

1.

A．interviewed

B．checked

C．visited

D．influenced

2.

A．dance

B．music

C．art

D．power

3.

A．puzzled

B．embarrassed

C．surprised

D．disappointed

4.

A．parents

B．friends

C．relatives

D．classmates

5.

A．recommended

B．selected

C．inspired

D．focused

6.

A．wish

B．dream

C．belief

D．life

7.

A．gift

B．resource

C．hobby

D．career

8.

A．graduating

B．competing

C．evacuating

D．crashing

9.

A．observed

B．watched

C．taught

D．examined

10.

A．limited

B．enjoyed

C．exchanged

D．quitted

11.

A．occasionally

B．fully

C．frequently

D．widely

12.

A．carried off

B．depended on

C．set up

D．entered for

13.

A．strategy

B．legend

C．reference

D．job

14.

A．organization

B．idea

C．opinion

D．opportunity

15.

A．discovered

B．received

C．assisted

D．supported

4 . There’s one patient that Sarah Rose Black still thinks about. Back in 2019, the nursing team at Toronto’s Cancer Center called to ask if she could reach out to a patient who had been there for about a week. The man was struggling, and unwilling to communicate with the workers or be part of any activities.

Black isn’t a doctor or a nurse. Since 2013 she has played an important role for patients at the center as a music therapist (治疗专家). On any day, she might see one person who’s anxious about an operation, another who’s in need of a calm moment.

So, Black walked into the patient’s room and introduced herself. She asked if she could sit and offer to play some music. In an effort to persuade him, she said, “If you don’t like it, you can just tell me to leave.” After some gentle urging, the man in his 70s, who had lung cancer, told her a few musicians he liked and then turned away to look out the window. But as she started to play one of his favorites, a change came over him. He turned towards Black and started to cry.

She stopped playing. “Do you want me to continue?” “Certainly,” he said through tears.   “It was as if the music reached places that nothing else could,” recalls Black. The music showed up at a moment when it felt like a hug.

As Sarah Rose Black says, people have been connecting with music for their whole lives— she is just helping them use it again at a time when they need it most.

“We have a heartbeat, so we have a drum (鼓) inside us; we are wired to be musical people,” she says. She smiles softly as she reflects back on the experience.

1. Why did the nursing team call Black?

A．They wanted her to help a patient.

B．She worked as a nurse in the center.

C．A struggling patient hoped to meet her.

D．They wanted to enjoy her music.

2. What happened when Black played the patient’s favorite?

A．The patient was moved to tears.

B．She gave the patient a warm hug.

C．She was asked to stop playing.

D．The patient looked out of the window.

3. What does the underlined sentence “we are wired to be musical people”mean in the lastparagraph?

A．We can live without music.	B．We like playing the drum.
C．We are born to be musicians.	D．We need musical instruments.

4. Which of the following can best describe Black?

A．Strong and talented.	B．Intelligent and honest.
C．Thoughtful and helpful.	D．Hardworking and humorous.

8 . Everyone has their favourite Bond songs with the 007 movies offering so many different musical outings over the years from classic rock and pop to soul and even dance. Let us know in the comments.

Golden Eye — Tina Turner
Golden Eye (1995)

Golden Eye sees a cat-like Turner wandering about throughout its sound stage, flashing her claws where necessary. Its sweeping arrangement and sentimental brass (感伤的铜管乐) contribute to a powerful vocal performance. The strings are mixed with horns that sound like a passing train. This is effortless singing from Turner and her amazing control is a joy to hear.

Tomorrow Never Dies — Sheryl Crow
Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)

This rock/pop little number has always felt rather clear to the listeners. It is a bit Bond-aping (邦德式模仿) rather than creating something new all by itself, which is what it should ideally be aiming for. Crow gives it her all with her soft voice.

You Know My Name — Chris Cornell
Casino Royal (2006)

Right from the brilliantly exciting intro, the whole track just sounds so strong, as if it was chiseled (镌刻) out of the very finest stone. A lot of this is down to Chris Cornell’s powerful and deeply rich voice. One of the greatest singers of his generation, he absolutely nails this track.

Writing’s On The Wall — Sam Smith
Spectre (2015)

The title theme that most people can’t actually remember. By all accounts, Sam Smith’s Writing’s On The Wall was written very quickly, and frankly, it shows. Far from being a terrible song, it just lacks basically everything that a Bond theme needs. Sure, it certainly feels empty.

1. Who gives an impression of joy to hear through his/her voice?

A．Tina Turner.	B．Sheryl Crow.
C．Chris Cornell.	D．Sam Smith.

2. How does the song Tomorrow Never Dies sound to the listeners?

A．Sweet.

B．Strong.

C．Gentle.

D．Terrible.

3. Which song lacks a Bond theme according to the author?

A．Golden Eye.

B．Tomorrow Never Dies.

C．You Know My Name.

D．Writing’s On The Wall.

9 . The latest USC (University of Southern California) research on the impact of music education shows that for teenagers, the benefits appear to extend beyond a sharp increase in neural (神经系统的) connections in their brains. It actually boosts their wellbeing (健康).

The study published Wednesday by the journal Frontiers in Psychology led to increased funding for arts and music education in California public schools.

“The many descriptions of learning loss that have appeared since the start of the pandemic (大流行病) paint a serious picture of what some call a lost generation. It is obvious that the pandemic has taken a toll on student mental health,” said Beatriz Ilari, an associate professor of music education at the USC Thornton School of Music and corresponding author of the study.

For the study, researchers examined the impact of music on positive youth development. The researchers did online surveys to 120 students from 52 Los Angeles Unified School District middle schools. The survey questions covered the key domains of positive youth development including competence and confidence. They found that students who started music education before age 8 were more hopeful about the future.

The research team also found that younger students scored higher in key development measures than their older students. Sixth-grade students, for example, scored higher for overall positive youth development than eighth graders, and scored higher in the confidence domain than both seventh and eighth graders. Seventh-grade students also scored higher in overall positive youth development than eighth graders.

In addition, the study explored students’ engagement in different music programs, including the Virtual Middle School Music Enrichment (VMSME), a tuition-free, extracurricular (课外的) program that focuses on popular music education and virtual learning. Researchers found that students participating in multiple forms of music education and for longer periods of time scored higher in measures for competence and hopeful future expectations.

1. What did the USC research bring about?

A．Some benefits to music educators.	B．A reform of basic music education.
C．Pressure on students’ mental health.	D．An increase in funding for music education.

2. What does the underlined words “taken a toll on” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Done damage to.	B．Given way to.
C．Made fun of.	D．Made sense of.

3. What did the study find about students starting learning music before age 8?

A．They are less hopeful.	B．They are more confident.
C．They tend to dislike exams.	D．They are often called a lost generation.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．The Reasons for Staying in School

B．Global Trends Exist in Music Education

C．Music Education Benefits Youth Wellbeing

D．The Developments of National Education Systems

10 . Have you seen the incredible guitar-playing of man born with no arms? The musician who was born without arms is being _________ for his greatest guitar-playing skills in a short documentary (纪实的) video which shows him playing the instrument with his _________.

Mark Goffeney, 46, of San Diego, who is _________ as “Big Toe” because of the way he plays the guitar, shows how he became a talented performer despite his _________ in the inspiring video, “I first _________ the instrument when I was nine, after my father brought home a beat-up _________ with only four strings. My first guitar came from some place like a landfill (垃圾场), ” says Mark, who adds that he became “_________” about becoming a musician at age 12.

Mark devoted every waking hour to searching his town and trying to join a _________, but ran into _________ because of his disability. Therefore, he started his own rock band, called Wicked Misfit, and began booking gigs (特约演奏) in California.

Things were _________ professionally for Mark because of his disability. But everything _________ when he started playing music from the heart.

“When I _________ chasing this fantasy dream of being a rock star and just started playing music to make money to support my family, everything started feeling good and _________ out for me, ” he shares.

Today, Mark _________ with his band, Big Toe, and also becomes a street-performer in California, where he makes quite good money _________ by passers-by.

1.

A．named

B．chosen

C．congratulated

D．recognized

2.

A．fingers

B．feet

C．hands

D．arms

3.

A．served

B．known

C．ignored

D．treated

4.

A．disability

B．courage

C．belief

D．pain

5.

A．picked out

B．set aside

C．took up

D．dealt with

6.

A．drum

B．violin

C．piano

D．guitar

7.

A．serious

B．curious

C．confident

D．particular

8.

A．family

B．party

C．band

D．society

9.

A．chances

B．difficulties

C．activities

D．comments

10.

A．tough

B．easy

C．interesting

D．encouraging

11.

A．formed

B．happened

C．changed

D．paused

12.

A．finished

B．enjoyed

C．began

D．stopped

13.

A．going

B．looking

C．working

D．spotting

14.

A．acts

B．performs

C．travels

D．moves

15.

A．raised

B．charged

C．thrown

D．donated