Module 4 Music Born in America

跟蹤導(dǎo)練（一）

閱讀理解

Although classical music has had fame at times for being old-fashioned or difficult to get into， it has become clear in recent years that the classical style has a widespread influence on music， pop culture and people in general.

Some people think that classical music has a positive influence on the brain development. Although there isnt any real scientific evidence to support a direct connection， there are a few positive effects of playing classical music at home for a baby. Most babies tend to fall asleep faster when listening to classical music. And sleep is beneficial for child brain development. In addition， if the other members enjoy the music， the babys environment will probably be happier and more peaceful.

Classical music not only affects brain development but also makes a difference to both pop music and modern music. Classical music directly influences pop culture. For example， Ode to Joy， made by Beethoven， has become a common piece of music on television and in movies. Classical music also has had an influence on modern music. Many bands and artists display a clear classical music influence in their work， from hip hop artists to rockers， and more artists. Many of the rules of music theory， developed in the Baroque period （巴洛克時(shí)期） by composers like Bach， are still in use today.

Fans of classical music often talk about the abilities of classical music to emotional influence on the listener. Many people feel happier and more peaceful after listening to only a few minutes of classical music. Of course， this might depend on the composer and the listener; most people will find Beethoven or Handel more calming than Wagner or Stravinsky.

1. How do most babies feel when listening to classical music according Paragraph 2？

A. Upset. B. Safe. C. Peaceful.? D. Energetic.

2. Which aspect of modern music has been affected by classical music？

A. The depth of lyrics. B. The rules of music theory.

C. The way of writing songs. D. The length of a piece of music.

3. What benefit can classical music bring to listeners？

A. It can promote brain development. B. It can inspire new ideas.

C. It can improve listeners imagination. D. It can make listeners happy and peaceful.

4. Where is the text most likely from？

A. A magazine. B. A guidebook. C. A novel. D. A diary.

閱讀七選五

Music is often targeted at teenagers. Because teenagers go through big changes and start making life-affecting decisions in their teens， people naturally wonder what effects music has on teenagers. Does it lead to violence？ Help test scores？ Teach them valuable lessons？ 1

Music can help students improve academic performance. Studying music involves math and science， so students often improve in these areas. 2 According to a report， students who took part in music performance scored 41 points higher in math than those who did not take part in music performance.

Being a teenager can be rough emotionally. Music is an especially emotional art form covering every type of emotion. 3 As music is a way to express emotions， many teenagers might try to make their own music， which can create healthy emotional expression.

4 Thus， listening to music can teach teenagers a lot about their own culture and other cultures. They can learn musical traditions， musical instruments， history lessons and more. Plus， as listening to music is a fun activity， this can often be a more interesting way to learn about a culture， rather than simply reading a textbook.

Music tastes and interests can often bring people together， especially teenagers. 5 As well， music is often enjoyed at concerts and dance clubs where teenagers often hang out. Typically， the people attending these concerts and dance clubs already share a common interest， so a connection can be easily made.

A. Music is often related with culture.

B. This improvement can benefit them in tests.

C. Music greatly improves teenagers learning abilities.

D. While there are negative effects， there are many positive effects， too.

E. If they can find a song that matches their mood， they will feel comfortable.

F. Rap music presents a new vocabulary teenagers wont learn in an English class.

G. Two teenagers who like the same style of music are easily to start up a friendship.

1. ___________? 2.___________ ? 3. ___________? 4. ___________? 5. ___________

跟蹤導(dǎo)練（二）

完形填空

Before reading McCartys story I had thought that a smile just invited unwanted attention. Afterwards I had a1opinion. I found that smiling could2myself and the people around me.

Recently I became a（n）3in my sons school. The more I drove， the more I heard the other drivers4about a new crossing guard， the person who5the flow of traffic so that cars can get in and out of the school area6and safely. The guard， not having much7 ， seemed unsure when he made a decision， which often?8long lines of heavy traffic. Most days he looked worried. I saw cars pass by him with the9drivers. I wanted to do something just to make the guard10 .

Then I realized I did have the11to change at least one interaction in his day. One morning when the crossing guard gave me a（n）12to pull into the school， I moved my car forward. Then， just before I began my13 ， I gave him a big smile. He saw me， and then his face14 . He smiled back at me as I continued my turn.

Thats it. Thats all it took. I knew I had made a15in his day. And even though I have not16to this man， I know he17me because we smile to each other every time he sees me behind the wheel.

Now， I18smile toward people around me. I cant speak for the people who have19these smiles， but I can say my life is so much20 ， so much more joyous， that I cant imagine how I lived without such a smile. I hope I can make others share their happiness just as freely.

1. A. poor B. new C. strong D. popular

2. A. change B. protect C. educate D. surprise

3. A. teacher B. cleaner C. driver D. adviser

4. A. ask B. argue C. learn D. complain

5. A. separates B. controls C. breaks D. notices

6. A. quickly B. closely C. quietly D. calmly

7. A. interest B. discussion C. experience D. consideration

8. A. drew B. cut C. followed D. caused

9. A. careless B. impatient C. drunk D. dangerous

10. A. relaxed B. proud C. excited D. clear

11. A. truth B. message C. power D. choice

12. A. address B. order C. report D. sign

13. A. work B. turn C. test D. plan

14. A. softened B. reddened C. darkened D. hardened

15. A. speech B. mistake C. decision D. difference

16. A. explained B. mentioned C. spoken D. admitted

17. A. believes B. recognizes C. supports D. admires

18. A. always B. never C. hardly D. sometimes

19. A. sent B. enjoyed C. collected D. received

20. A. easier B. longer C. brighter D. busier

跟蹤導(dǎo)練（三）

閱讀理解

A

Laguna Beach Festival of Arts

Festival Store

Plenty of people attend Laguna Beach Festival of Arts just to admire the works of art. However， for serious art buyers， attending early in the season means a lot， since excellent pieces often sell early. Weekdays are less busy but there are fewer artists present. They often meet crowds in the evening that show up for the Pageant （盛會(huì)） of the Masters. Some artists may negotiate prices at the end of the season. If you just want souvenirs of your visit， a variety of products are available in the Festival Store.

Fun Activities

Part of the fun of the festival comes from the activities that go on during the event. Tours and art workshops are available every day. Weekends are full of live music and special events. To get best value for the money you spend during the week， Thursday is the day to go for art talks by participating artists and evening jazz.

Food & Drinks

Food and drinks are sold at the snack bar. Tivoli Terrace cafe and restaurants are on site for more formal dining. Picnics are welcome during art talks or music shows， and there are tables set up in the courtyard for you to enjoy your homemade or take-away food. But alcohol is forbidden here. On Thursdays， central tables are reserved for ticket holders.

Cost of the Tickets

Entrance admission： $60 per person （the Pageant of the Masters and live music shows included）

Joint pass： $120 per person （free of charge for all the performances）

Notes： Since there are many visitors on the weekends， the ticket office may be crowded. For faster service， call free number 24 hours a day.

For more information visit www.lagunabeachfestivalofarts.com.

1. What should one do to buy some good pieces of art in the festival？

A. Go there on weekdays. B. Turn to artists for advice.

C. Go there as soon as it starts. D. Show up for the Pageant of the Masters.

2. What can all visitors do in the courtyard？

A. Drink alcohol. B. Have a formal dinner.

C. Eat at central tables as they like. D. Appreciate music while eating.

3. How much should a couple pay at least to see live music shows？

A. $60. B. $120. C. $180. D. $240.

B

A study of 500，000 songs released （發(fā)行） in the UK between 1985 and 2015 showed that pop music had decreased in happiness and increased in sadness.

In a report published in the journal Royal Society Open Science， researchers at the University of California examined hundreds of thousands of songs and classified them by their mood. “ ‘Happiness is going down， ‘sadness is going up， and at the same time， songs are becoming more ‘danceable and more ‘party?like，” co?author Natalia L. Komarova told The Associated Press.

The study found songs in 2014 like Stay with Me by Sam Smith， Whispers by Passenger and Unmissable by Gorgon City have a “l(fā)ow happiness” trend. However， tracks from 1984 like Glory Days by Bruce Springsteen， Would I Lie to You？ by Eurythmics and Freedom by Wham have a “high happiness” trend. “The public seems to prefer happier songs， even though more and more unhappy songs are being released each year，” the researchers wrote.

Apart from the emotional trends， researchers discovered that dances and pop were the most successful styles of music and that there was a “clear downward” trend， with the popularity of rock beginning in the early 2000s. “So it looks like， while the overall mood is becoming less happy， people seem to want to forget it all and dance，” Komarova wrote in an email.

It was also found that the “maleness” of songs—the frequency of male singers in popular music—had decreased during the last 30 years. “Successful songs are characterized by a larger percentage of female artists compared to all songs，” they wrote.

This discovery appears at a time when the conversation around sex equality in the music industry is at its height， with more male artists and songwriters.

4. Why do the researchers examine lots of songs？

A. To find songs for dances and parties. B. To choose songs for a journal.

C. To know better about songs. D. To release more songs.

5. Whose music style tends to bring you more happiness？

A. Gorgon Citys. B. Sam Smiths.

C. Natalia L. Komarovas. D. Bruce Springsteens.

6. What can we learn about songs over the past 30 years？

A. Rock became popular in the early 2000s.

B. Fewer songs were written by female artists.

C. Fewer unhappy songs came to light every year.

D. Pop music were more popular with male singers.

7. What can be the best title for the text？

A. Pop Music Is Getting Sadder B. Music Calls for Sex Equality

C. Pop Music Has a Long History D. Music Industry Is Going Down

跟蹤導(dǎo)練（四）

完形填空

I opened my eyes to find doctors standing by my hospital bed. They had some1news.

They told me that my brother Adams healthy cells were beginning to2in my bone marrow （骨髓）. I was showing3of progress. I was able to walk around4without assistance， and my blood counts were going in the right direction.

It was “graduation” day. The5were sending me to the Hope Room， a halfway house sponsored by the American Cancer Society. I would live there for the next three months，6by my boyfriend， Seamus.

Rolling out of the7in a wheelchair， I took my first breath of8air in weeks. But before I could enjoy this moment， my mother helped me put on a face mask. I shot her an9look， but I know she was10 . For the immediate future， anywhere I wanted to go in public I would need to wear gloves and a11 . No subways， no crowds. However， I can12my freedom， even if cancer continues to limit my choices. My new13means not being waken up every couple of hours by a nurse with14in her hand. Its not seeing doctors with their masks and their caring， and not being15 ? to an IV （靜脈注射） machine 24 hours a day.

Freedom now is being able to eat a home-cooked16and then fighting to keep it down. Freedom also means being17with my loving mother and boyfriend. Freedom is the18to take the medicines on time. Freedom also means returning to the hospital several times a week to19follow-up examinations. But all is well20 . I love every one of my family and I love Seamus.

1. A. valuable B. exciting C. interesting D. bad

2. A. work B. fight C. decline D. disappear

3. A. actions B. signs C. features D. manners

4. A. simply B. quietly C. slowly D. properly

5. A. friends B. doctors C. parents D. relatives

6. A. cared for B. operated on C. dealt with D. taken up

7. A. school B. office C. hospital D. home

8. A. fresh B. dusty C. thick D. thin

9. A. frightened B. delighted C. embarrassed D. annoyed

10. A. kind B. right C. honest D. worried

11. A. hat B. scarf C. coat D. mask

12. A. create B. abandon C. enjoy D. share

13. A. idea B. freedom C. need D. choice

14. A. books B. bills C. flowers D. pills

15. A. devoted B. addicted C. connected D. applied

16. A. meal B. salad C. dessert D. snack

17. A. bored B. patient C. satisfied D. familiar

18. A. possibility B. ability C. acceptability D. responsibility

19. A. receive B. settle C. arrange D. avoid

20. A. considerate B. useful C. amazing D. worth

跟蹤導(dǎo)練（五）

閱讀理解

There are some songs you can listen to over and over again. But why？ Music experts gave these explanations for why we keep playing them again and again.

One of the main reasons certain songs resonate （產(chǎn)生共鳴） with us is the way we connect them with a part of ourselves. A songs lyrics， beats and other characteristics can show different feelings and attitudes. Each time we re-experience our favorite music， were sort of strengthening our sense of who we are， where we belong and what we value.

Pablo Ortiz， professor of music composition at the University of California， Davis， also noted that certain songs can connect us to a time in our past because they carry a certain feeling. “Whenever you listen to a song that you used to listen to when you were 15， for example， the feeling about that period in your life comes back completely，” he said. “The sound is abstract enough to go directly to the part of your brain that governs the feeling.”

Laura Taylor， a composer and sound designer， offered insight into how some songs are intentionally designed to make you play them more and more. “While we are doing recording， we keep the stereo （立體聲的） field a little more narrow. When we get to the sing-along part， theres a wall of guitars or a wall of keyboards. These help create a simple melody that doesnt take a lot of effort to engage with.”

Whatever the reason behind your most frequently played music， its likely that those songs make you feel something. People love to listen to songs repeatedly because that helps them recover a certain feeling. It could be sadness or happiness. Songs always help.

1. What can we learn about music from Paragraph 2？

A. It contributes to mental health. B. It inspires us to develop better taste.

C. It is connected to our sense of identity. D. It can improve our personal relationships.

2. What is Pablos explanation for music repetition？

A. It helps our brains work better.

B. It makes us recall the good old days.

C. It reminds us of some certain moments.

D. It makes people forget some bad experiences.

3. How could people create catchy songs that may be played repeatedly？

A. By adding humor to the lyrics. B. By bringing in voices of children.

C. By reducing the use of instruments. D. By making them easy to sing along with.

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

A. The Importance of Having a Hobby

B. The Characteristics of Popular Music

C. How to Choose Music Suitable for You？

D. Why Do We Love Repeating the Same Songs？

語法填空

Since my retirement from teaching music， I1（spend） a good deal of time painting as an artist. I actually began drawing when my father died， so perhaps I was trying2（recover） to recover from the loss of my father，3maybe it was just paintings that brought back memories of him.

4some strange reasons， I had been waiting until my retirement to start to do watercolors again， but as soon as I walked out of the school door for the last time， I picked up my brushes and rediscovered Andrew Wyeth，5quickly became my favorite artist. I had looked through all the art books I had on my shelves and found his watercolors to be the6（close） to how I thought good watercolors should look. So I painted landscapes around Minnesota for three years and tried out many other7（type） of painting. However， watercolors remained my first8（choose）， and I think I did my best work there，9（display） my paintings at a number of art shows.

I think it10（wonder） to have some time doing what I want to do. As Confucius once said， “At seventy I can follow my hearts desire.”

1. ___________ 2. ___________ 3.___________4.___________5. ___________

6.___________7.___________8. ___________ 9. ___________ 10.___________

短文改錯(cuò)

There is a famous song called Never Say Never， which is one of my favorite song. The lyrics tell people no matter what happens， never give it up. And then you will be successful. I stick to believe those words. But last week， I watch a TV show in which the host asked people learn to give up sometimes. He explained that he met a boy who were not good at math but extreme skilled in drawing. Therefore， he suggested the boy give up the major and learn drawing. But now， the boy is a famous painter. It proves that giving up is not always the bad thing， because your potential is which really gives you the chance to succeed.

跟蹤導(dǎo)練（六）

語法填空

Malls are popular places for Americans to go. Some people spend so much time at malls1 ? they are called “mall rats”. Mall rats shop until they drop in at the hundreds of stores under one roof.

People like malls for many2（reason）. They feel safe because malls have police stations or private security guards. Parking is usually free， and the atmosphere inside is always fine. The newest malls have beautiful rest areas3waterfalls and large green trees.

The4（large） mall in the United States is the Mall of America in Minnesota.5has 350 stores， 8 night clubs， and a 7-acre park！ There6（be） parking spaces for 12，750 cars. About 750，000 people shop every week.

The first indoor mall in the United States7（build） in 1965 in Edina， Minnesota. Now people shop in malls， of course. They also eat in food houses that have food from all over the world. They see movies here. Some people even get their daily exercise by8（do） the new sport of mall walking. Others go to malls9（meet） friends. In a word， now people can10（actual） live in their favorite shopping center.

1.___________2. ___________ 3. ___________ 4.___________5. ___________

6. ___________ 7. ___________ 8. ___________ 9.___________10.___________

書面表達(dá)

音樂被公認(rèn)為全人類共同的語言，是我們生活中必不可少的一部分。請(qǐng)寫一篇關(guān)于音樂的英語短文，談?wù)勀銓?duì)音樂的認(rèn)識(shí)。內(nèi)容包括：

1﹒音樂的重要性;

2﹒你所知道的音樂類型;

3﹒你最喜歡的音樂類型（說明理由）。

注意：

1﹒詞數(shù)100左右;

2﹒可以適當(dāng)增加細(xì)節(jié)，以使行文連貫。

背景大鏈接

The Legend of John Denver

約翰·丹佛傳奇

John Denver was one of the most popular musical artists during the 1970s. He was known for his songs about the beauty of nature. He was also a human rights and environmental activist.

He was born Henry John Deutschendorf， Junior in 1943 in Roswell， New Mexico. Johns grandmother gave him his first musical instrument when he was seven years old. When he began performing， he changed his last name to Denver.

In 1965， John Denver joined the band called the Chad Mitchell Trio. He later left the group to perform alone. His first hit record was Take Me Home， Country Road in 1971.

He had a very successful career with hit songs like “Sunshine on My Shoulders” “Annies Song” and “Thank God Im a Country Boy”. This song， “Rocky Mountain High”， is one of the official songs of Colorado.

John Denver sold more than ten million albums around the world. He received many music industry awards. He is one of the most famous musicians in the history of American music. He used his popularity to support environmental causes.

In 1997， John Denver was killed at the age of 54 when the plane he was piloting crashed.

約翰·丹佛是20世紀(jì)70年代最受歡迎的音樂藝術(shù)家之一。他以演唱描述自然之美的歌曲著名，同時(shí)也是一位人權(quán)以及環(huán)境保護(hù)主義運(yùn)動(dòng)家。

約翰·丹佛1943年出生于美國的新墨西哥州羅斯維爾城，原名亨利·約翰·得奇道夫二世。7歲時(shí)，祖母送給他第一件樂器。他開始表演生涯后，改名為丹佛。

1965年，約翰·丹佛加入樂隊(duì)查德·米歇爾三重唱。后來他離開樂隊(duì)單飛，于1971年發(fā)行第一張熱銷唱片《鄉(xiāng)村路帶我回家》。

約翰·丹佛因演唱的《肩上陽光》《安妮的歌曲》《感謝上帝我是個(gè)鄉(xiāng)下孩子》等曲目紅遍美國。丹佛的歌曲《高高的洛基山》是科羅拉多州的官方歌曲之一。

約翰·丹佛的唱片全球銷量過千萬，他獲獎(jiǎng)無數(shù)，是美國音樂史上最為著名的音樂家之一。他利用自己的影響力支持環(huán)保事業(yè)。

1997年，約翰·丹佛因飛機(jī)失事身亡，終年54歲。