Showing off in London

A man in black clothes jumps high into the air. Before he lands, he strikes（摆出）a pose. Sometimes, he carries a red fan. With long white sleeves（袖子）, he spreads his arms like wings. His dance is eye-catching, often attracting crowds.

He is Chinese dancer Ma Jiaolong. Since 2020, he’s made short videos of himself dancing in London. He has performed at the city’s parks and iconic landmarks（标志性建筑物）like Tower Bridge. The 35-year-old has nearly 5 million followers on Tik Tok（Douyin）, where he shares his videos.

Classical Chinese dance combines（结合）martial arts（武术）movements with those of traditional Chinese opera. He started to learn it at 12. “I was attracted by the dancers who play ancient heroes through the movements of classical Chinese dance,” said Ma.

Later, Ma studied at the Beijing Dance Academy. Since 2019, he has been teaching classical Chinese dance at Goldsmiths, University of London.

Two years ago, Ma had to give online classes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In his small home, he could only make small moves. One day, he took his wife’s suggestion and danced at Greenwich Park, a popular tourist spot. She recorded Ma. He then made the video, added music and sent it to friends. “Surprisingly, they loved it, which inspired me to share it online,” said Ma.

Later, Ma made more short videos. He added his dance moves with dazzling（令人赞叹的）action. People are often curious about his performances. So, while dancing, he likes to communicate with them. As his videos went viral（走红）, he received messages from people around the world.

“Now, making and sharing short videos has become a part of my life, and most importantly, a way to introduce classical Chinese dance to more people, especially overseas views,” said Ma.

Music has always been an important part of Chinese people’s life. People enjoy listening to music at home and in concerts halls. As time goes by，   music changes.

Traditional music is part of our culture， so it often stays with us for a long time. Many of the traditional Chinese songs have been around for many years. Young musicians learn songs from older musicians and the music changes only very little. Modern Chinese music， which is loved by many young people， however， is mainly pop music. That means the songs will be popular for a short time and then replaced by new songs. Today’s musicians write new songs every year and we hear new songs on the radio every day.

Before radio and TV were invented， music could only be heard live — that is you had to go places where musicians gave performances. The best musicians were very busy， so it was difficult and often expensive to hear really good music. For most people， the best chance to hear good music was during a festival or at a wedding. Today， people hear music all the time. Radio and TV play songs every day and night and you can even hear music played on the street.

One thing that hasn’t changed very much is what the songs are about. Both modern and traditional Chinese songs are about love and life. Some songs tell stories about past and some are about the news or the future. All of the songs have something to do with what it means to be a human being.

Music， traditional or modern， Chinese or international， seems to be a world language that everybody can understand and enjoy. Music changes and styles come and go， but nothing changes our love for good music.

Where did you go yesterday? Did you hear music at any of those places? There is a good chance that you did. Today most stores and restaurants play music. You might ever hear music in an office or on a farm.

Scientists believe that music influences the way people behave. According to some scientists, the sound of western classical music (Mozart and Bach)   makes people feel richer. When a restaurant plays classical music, people spend more money on food and drinks. When the restaurant plays modern music, people spend less money. With no background music, people spend even less.

Scientists also believe that loud, fast music makes people eat faster. People actually chew their food faster when the music gets faster. Some restaurants play fast music during their busy hours. This gets people to eat faster and leave quickly. Restaurants can make more money this way.

Some scientists think that music makes you think and learn better. They say that music helps students to be more alert (警觉的). It is true that people learn better when they are relaxed. And listening to music can help you relax.

The next time you hear music somewhere, be careful. It might change the way you behave.

Title: Music and 【小题1】