Imagine having the opportunity to sing together with hundreds of other people while you are at home alone. You can do this in a virtual choir. Virtual choir members record themselves while they perform alone on video. These videos are uploaded onto the Internet, and then they are put together into one video that you can see online—a virtual choir. Anyone can take part in a virtual choir from anywhere—all you need is a video camera and an Internet connection. A virtual choir enables people to add their voices to those of other individuals and become part of the global community. It has proved to be a positive influence on the lives of many people.
The virtual choir was the idea of award-winning composer and conductor Eric Whitacre. He fell in love with Mozart’s classical music when he sang for the university choir. Moved by this music, he said, “It was like seeing color for the first time.“ Over ten years after his graduation, Whitacre’s original compositions began to become quite popular among choirs and singers. This led to the creation of the virtual choir.
In 2009,Whitacre received a video of a girl who was singing one of his works. Inspired, he asked his fans to make videos, which he then joined together into one performance. His first virtual choir, “Lux Aurumque”, had 198 singers from 12 different countries. It has received millions of views on the Internet. Since then, the virtual choir has become a worldwide phenomenon. Whitacre’s next effort was the virtual Youth Choir for UNICEF, which was first seen on stage on 23 July 2014 in the UK. Altogether, 2,292 young people from 80 countries joined in to sing Whitacre’s song “What If”.
The virtual choir is a wonderful way for people around the world to sing with one voice and thus make the world a better place.
【小题1】Which of the following is a virtual choir?| A．Many members performing on their own. |
| B．Hundreds of people singing together on a stage. |
| C．Many people singing online together at the same time. |
| D．Individual singing videos combined into one on the Internet. |
| A．The popularity of Whitacre’s composition. |
| B．The encouragement of Whitacre’s professor. |
| C．Whitacre’s desire of being a famous composer. |
| D．Whitacre’s love for communication with others. |
| A．He had thousands of his fans make videos. |
| B．He joined nearly two hundred videos together. |
| C．He made his first virtual choir on stage in the UK. |
| D．He asked a girl to sing his work to make it popular. |
| A．To advertise Whitacre’s music composition. |
| B．To introduce the influence of the virtual choir. |
| C．To persuade people to join Whitacre’s choir team. |
| D．To appeal to netizens to compose their own music. |
In 2006, one of the biggest music feuds(积怨) in history ended when Apple (the iPad and iPhone company) and Apple Corps (The Beatles' record label) settled their differences. The argument had been over the ''apple'' logos they both have as part of their trademarks(商标). Shortly after, The Beatles' music was launched for download. While the band's hit songs didn't make as big an impact as commentators(评论员) lad predicted, the event still led to plenty of press coverage.
But iTunes isn't the only technology linked to The Beatles. The Beatles: Rock Band is a video game for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii which allows you to become The Beatles. Released in 2009, the game includes a drum kit, guitar and microphone so you can sing and play along to your favourite songs. Not surprisingly, the game was a huge success, selling more than two million units. A remastered box set of all The Beatles' albums was released on the same day, which also sold well.
Films about The Beatles are also popular. Recent movies include Nowhere Boy, which is a film about the life of John Lennon. It's directed by Sam Taylor-Wood and stars Aaron Johnson and Kristin Scott Thomas.
Magazines and newspapers are still often filled with Beatles stories, and the zebra crossing near Abbey Road recording studios(where the 1969 album of the same name was recorded), was ranked Grade II listing in 2010, which means it’ll be protected. This followed similar recognition for Abbey Road studios itself.
And the future for The Beatles? Well, the band could still top the charts as there are unreleased tracks that still haven't seen the light of day. A strange experimental track called Carnival of Light, and a 27-minute jam of Helter Skelter have never been heard by the public.
Will they ever be released?
【小题1】According to the passage, The Beatles' hit songs in 2006 ______| A．did not have ''apple'' logos | B．were not well received as expected |
| C．couldn't be downloaded | D．had a bad impact on commentators |
| A．To show the increasing popularity of video games. |
| B．To highlight the technological application of The Beatles. |
| C．To promote the online sales of technological devices. |
| D．To emphasize the music talent of the rock band. |
| A．a member of The Beatles | B．the director of Nowhere Boy |
| C．a game developer | D．the lead actor of Nowhere Boy |
| A．the road was in bad state and needed protection |
| B．the road was a desirable place t report Beatles stories |
| C．the road made it difficult to recognize Abbey Road studios |
| D．the road was of historic importance and deserved attention |
| A．Classical music. | B．Unreleased songs. | C．Strange works. | D．Public curiosity. |
It says 1.1 billion teenagers and young adults are at risk of permanently damaging their hearing by listening to “too much, too loudly”.
It said audio devices(音频设备), concerts and bars were causing a “serious threat”.
WHO figures show 43 million people aged 12-35 have hearing loss and the number is increasing. In that age group, the WHO said, half of the people in rich and middle-income countries were exposed to unsafe sound levels from personal audio devices. Meanwhile 40% were exposed to damaging levels of sound from clubs and bars.
The proportion of US teenagers with hearing loss went from 3.5% in 1994 to 5.3% in 2006.
“What we’re trying to do is raise awareness of the problem that is not talked about enough, but has the potential to do a lot of damage that can be easily prevented,” said Dr Etienne Krug, the WHO’s director for injury prevention.
The full report argued: “While it is important to keep the volume down, limiting the use of personal audio devices to less than one hour a day would do much to reduce noise exposure.”
Dr Krug said: “That’s a rough recommendation, it is not by the minute, to give an idea to those spending 10 hours a day listening to an mp3-player. But even an hour can be too much if the volume（音量）is too loud.”
【小题1】What might be the main cause of hearing loss according to the passage?
| A．Listening to music frequently. |
| B．Listening to music at concerts. |
| C．Listening to too much and too loud music. |
| D．Listening to music from poor audio devices. |
| A．3.5%. | B．5.3%. | C．40%. | D．50 %. |
| A．Safe noise exposure is based on the limitation to both volume and time. |
| B．One hour of exposure to loud music a day will do no damage to hearing. |
| C．With proper volume, one can listen to an mp3-player for 10 hours a day. |
| D．It will be OK to be exposed to loud noise from personal audio devices. |
| A．Away from music |
| B．How to enjoy music |
| C．Risk of hearing loss |
| D．Warning of hearing damage |
Throw on some headphones, turn up the tunes, and what happens? Your toes and fingers start to tap. Then your head and shoulders begin to bob. Music has taken over, and your body is now along for the ride.
It’s obvious that music influences you physically, but in fact, it can also play a role in your mood, brain development, and even learning.
One of the first things that happens when music enters our brains is causing the pleasure centers to give out dopamine（多巴朘）, a chemical that makes you feel happy.
Beyond entertaining you, however, even in terms of brain development, music can play a key role. According to some studies, learning to play music is believed to increase gray matter（灰白质）volume in certain areas of the brain, just like how physical exercise can enlarge muscles. As a result, musicians often experience improvement in brain functions like learning and memory.
Most the beneficial effects of music on the brain are not limited to any single style（种类）Whether you’re listening to the classic country sounds of Johnny Cash, or The Beatles’ powerful rock music, the results can be the same.
But In other cases, the style of music matters. When it comes to the best music for learning, for example, experts recommend different kinds for different purposes. Exciting music can provide an energy boost and get your brain ready for learning. Once it’s time to concentrate, however, soothing genres can help you stay calm and focused. Finally, each person may develop an approach to studying and music that’s particularly suits them.
Whether you listen to your music streaming app, or enjoy going to live concerts, music is having an active influence on your brain. So, put in your headphones, start your favorite album, and feel your dopamine levels rising.
【小题1】Why does the author describe people’s body movement when they listen to music?| A．To introduce the topic of the text. | B．To tell how exciting music can be. |
| C．To give an example of music lover. | D．To provide background information. |
| A．Music helps people feel happier when they learn. |
| B．Learning to play music helps to enlarge the muscles. |
| C．Music provides more learning opportunities for people. |
| D．Learning to play music can increase gray matter volume. |
| A．Spread. | B．Disappearance. | C．Increase. | D．Stop. |
| A．How does Music Influence Your Brain? | B．What Advantages does Music Have? |
| C．How Important Is Music Education? | D．Why Not Start Playing Music Now? |
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