Let's face it — we all have some form of stress. Whether it's because of work, school reports【小题1】family, we could all use a break now and then. Yet in the rush of modern life, lots of us can't find time to just drop everything and take it easy.

Well, what if someone told you that by just【小题2】(play) music from classical composers like Mozart, Strauss, or Vivaldi, you might find your job a lot【小题3】(easy)? This has actually been found【小题4】(be)true.

Listening to classical music【小题5】(prove) to be helpful to learning and mind relaxation.

Various【小题6】(study) of children have shown that those who receive modern education often have improved their grades. Don Campbell, author of The Mozart Effect, has devoted【小题7】(he) to studying the effects of music 【小题8】the mind and body. He tells students that classical music playing in the background can help them concentrate for longer periods of time and memorize material more easily. He feels that Mozart's music has a balance that makes it【小题9】(especial) useful.

So the next time you feel yourself tired with work, or if you're just finding it difficult to concentrate, remember【小题10】power of music.

The Beatles is the name of a band formed in 1960.【小题1】members were from Liverpool, England. The Beatles did a lot to change the music and culture of the 1960s. Even today, their music continues to inspire youth all over the world.

The band was made up【小题2】 four young men: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. These four men never took music lessons. They taught themselves 【小题3】(play) music. They played rock and roll pop music and sold【小题4】(many) records in both England and America than any other singer or band of the 20th century. They had millions of fans all over the world.

The Beatles fans screamed hysterically during the band's concerts and during their travels to and from 【小题5】 (city) around the world. Often during a concert, the screaming was【小题6】loud that the band's music was 【小题7】(total) drowned out. That kind of excitement【小题8】(create) by the Beatles was called "Beatlemania" by newspapers and magazines.

Not only did the Beatles inspire people through their music, 【小题9】 they also set trends in their clothing, hairstyles, behavior, and language.

Although the band broke up in 1970, the Beatles' influence on pop culture 【小题10】(be) still great today and many people remain Beatles fans.

Understanding culture through music

Last night, I watched a performance of Butterfly Lovers, a piece that really deserves 【小题1】(hear).

The music took me through the twists and turns of a classic story about a young couple 【小题2】 (tear) apart by their families. When the two lovers, Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, first meet, the music is light and pleasant, as if 【小题3】(whisper) to the audience. It is followed by a fast and cheerful section which represents their three happy years of school. Then the music gets dramatic with 【小题4】(heavy) notes and that is when the lovers are separated 【小题5】 Zhu's father forces her to marry another man. Angry and sad, Liang falls and dies. Zhu weeps 【小题6】 (bitter) over the loss of her love. Overcome with sorrow, she jumps into his grave. Finally, during 【小题7】 most exciting part, the music takes a softer turn and ends on a bittersweet note, telling us how the couple transform 【小题8】 butterflies and fly away to be together forever.

Butterfly Lovers combines Chinese and Western musical elements: it 【小题9】(play) on Western instruments such as the violin, but more significantly, much of the music has its roots in Chinese Yue Opera. This unique 【小题10】 (combine) made me realize that music is indeed a universal language.