The guzheng is a traditional Chinese musical instrument. It belongs to the zither（齐特琴）family of string instruments. It is the parent of many musical instruments of some other countries.
The guzheng should not be confused with the guqin, another ancient Chinese zither but without bridges. Now the guzheng is zither with movable bridges and usually 21 strings, although it can have from 15-25 strings. The guzheng’s strings were formerly made of silk, though most players used metal strings by the 20th century. Since the mid-20th century most performers use steel strings. The guzheng has a large resonant cavity（共振腔）.
The guzheng has existed since the Warring States Period and became especially popular during the Qin dynasty. The number of strings on the guzheng has always fluctuated. There were as few as 6 to as many as 23 strings during the Tang dynasty. The earliest record of the guzheng belonged to the historian Sima Qian. Until 1961, the common guzheng had 16 strings, although by the mid-20th century 18-string guzheng were also in use. In 1961, Xu Zhenggao, together with Wang Xunzhi, introduced the first 21-string guzheng after two years of research and development. In 1960, they also invented the “S-shaped” left string rest, which was quickly adopted by all guzheng makers and is still used today. This curve allows for greater ease in tuning the strings and, combined with strings of different thickness, allows for greater resonance in both the deeper and the higher pitch（音调）ranges. The 21-string guzheng is the most commonly used one, but some traditional musicians still use the 16-string one.
1.We can infer from Paragraph 1 that ________.
A. the guzheng is a musical instrument originating from Japan
B. there is only one kind of string instrument in China
C. there are many kinds of guzheng in the world
D. many musical instruments in other countries are related to the guzheng
2.Which of the following material may NOT have been used to make the strings of the guzheng probably?
A. Silk B. Steel
C. Wood D. Copper
3.The underlined word “fluctuated” in paragraph 3 can be replaced by “________”.
A. jumped B. changed
C. flowed D. waved
4.Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
A. The guqing is an ancient Chinese zither with bridges.
B. The guzheng became espevially popular in the Tang Dynasty
C. All musicians don’t use the 21-string guzheng.
D. Xu Zhenggao invented the “S-shaped” left string rest himself.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题
The guzheng is a traditional Chinese musical instrument. It belongs to the zither（齐特琴）family of string instruments. It is the parent of many musical instruments of some other countries.
The guzheng should not be confused with the guqin, another ancient Chinese zither but without bridges. Now the guzheng is zither with movable bridges and usually 21 strings, although it can have from 15-25 strings. The guzheng’s strings were formerly made of silk, though most players used metal strings by the 20th century. Since the mid-20th century most performers use steel strings. The guzheng has a large resonant cavity（共振腔）.
The guzheng has existed since the Warring States Period and became especially popular during the Qin dynasty. The number of strings on the guzheng has always fluctuated. There were as few as 6 to as many as 23 strings during the Tang dynasty. The earliest record of the guzheng belonged to the historian Sima Qian. Until 1961, the common guzheng had 16 strings, although by the mid-20th century 18-string guzheng were also in use. In 1961, Xu Zhenggao, together with Wang Xunzhi, introduced the first 21-string guzheng after two years of research and development. In 1960, they also invented the “S-shaped” left string rest, which was quickly adopted by all guzheng makers and is still used today. This curve allows for greater ease in tuning the strings and, combined with strings of different thickness, allows for greater resonance in both the deeper and the higher pitch（音调）ranges. The 21-string guzheng is the most commonly used one, but some traditional musicians still use the 16-string one.
1.We can infer from Paragraph 1 that ________.
A. the guzheng is a musical instrument originating from Japan
B. there is only one kind of string instrument in China
C. there are many kinds of guzheng in the world
D. many musical instruments in other countries are related to the guzheng
2.Which of the following material may NOT have been used to make the strings of the guzheng probably?
A. Silk B. Steel
C. Wood D. Copper
3.The underlined word “fluctuated” in paragraph 3 can be replaced by “________”.
A. jumped B. changed
C. flowed D. waved
4.Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
A. The guqing is an ancient Chinese zither with bridges.
B. The guzheng became espevially popular in the Tang Dynasty
C. All musicians don’t use the 21-string guzheng.
D. Xu Zhenggao invented the “S-shaped” left string rest himself.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
语法填空
Confucius（孔子） is honored 1. setting the tone for much traditional Chinese music for thousands of years． He2.（think） to be a music teacher and a 3. （talent） musician who was able to play several instruments expertly． Perhaps for other people around the world， music was meant mainly for amusement． 4. during the time of the Zhou Dynasty about 500BC， music had an important role in making society stable．
How music was used and performed is expressed in several main Confucian books． Confucius taught that 5.（educate） somebody， you should start with poems， emphasize ceremonies， and finish with music．
Musical knowledge was 6. matter of higher learning． It is said that he thought of the six most important 7.（subject） to study， ranking music higher than the other five necessary subjects like writing and mathematics．
Music was so important because the ideal society was to be governed by ritual （礼制） functions， but not by law． In a culture 8. people function according to ritual， music is used to help govern them． So music wasn't really 9.（entertain）， but a means for musicians to accomplish political and social goals． Music is 10.（eventual） a means for social happiness．
高三英语语法填空困难题查看答案及解析
Peking Opera is 1.form of traditional Chinese theatre which combines music, vocal performance, mime, dance and acrobatics. It arose in the late 18th century and became 2.(full)developed and recognized by the mid-19th century. The form was extremely popular in the Qing Dynasty court and has come to be regarded as one of the 3.(culture) treasures of China. Major performance troupes(剧团) 4.(base)in Beijing and Tianjin in the north, and Shanghai in the south. It has also spread to other countries such as the United States and Japan.
Peking Opera comes5.four local operas, Hui Opera in Anhui, Han Opera in Hubei, Kun Opera in Jiangsu and Qingqiang in Shaanxi. It has drawn the merits of these local operas and created its own style.
Speech, song, dance and combat 6.(be)the four classic performing arts in Peking Opera, which are also the basic7.(skill)for performers and is usually trained since the performers are very young. There are many roles in Peking Opera, mainly Sheng, Dan, Jing, and Chou, each of 8.has its own costume and mask-paintings. Masks with different colors have different meanings, which is used to 9.(represent)the character of the roles and illustrate their emotional state.
No China trip is complete without 10.(watch)the classic Peking Opera! Enjoy the fantastic Peking Opera!
高三英语短文填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
British parents encourage their children to play musical instruments as part of a family tradition and not to raise their social status as Americans do, research says.
Dr. Aaron Reeves of the University of Oxford found that UK parents did not see musical achievement by their children as character building or useful in getting university places or jobs. Instead, it was usually only those parents who played instruments that encouraged their children to follow suit.
This contrasted with research carried out by other academics in America, he said. “Middle-class parents in the US appear to associate cultural practice with other benefits, such as developing specific characteristics and paving the way for educational success. Middle-class families are often marked by a pattern of ‘concerted cultivation’, where parents organize music-centred activities for their children, often in addition to school-based musical practice.”
Researchers had owed this to “parental anxiety over the declining fortunes of educated Americans. These parents have become increasingly worried about providing their children with skills and abilities enabling them to stand out from their competitors in the job market.”
By contrast, for British respondents, no such connection was made between what is considered as an overbearing parenting style and future educational or career possibilities. The parents interviewed here did not connect music with usefulness but rather they focused on the value of music as a family tradition and, to a lesser extent, as something valuable in its own right.
One Scottish parent, a chemist by profession, said during the interviews, “We’ve got two learning musical instruments. If we think it’s maybe worthwhile we try and encourage them, but we wouldn't force them.” A housewife said, “My son’s just turned five and I want him to do the guitar because his uncle does it, but it’s up to him.”
In some UK families, said Dr. Reeves, music was even “believed to be an obstacle to educational success, or at least secondary to it.”
1.What do British parents think of music learning?
A. Useful for job application. B. Helpful for character building.
C. Beneficial to further education. D. Worthwhile as a family tradition.
2.What does the underlined word “this” in Paragraph 4 refer to?
A. Cultural practice. B. Educational success.
C. Concerted cultivation. D. School-based musical practice.
3.What can be inferred from the text?
A. The future of American kids is not promising.
B. American parents hardly link music with success.
C. Music learning is a personal choice for British kids.
D. British parents show little concern about education.
4.What is the text mainly about?
A. Reasons for British music preference.
B. British parenting style in music education.
C. Americans’ attitude towards music learning.
D. Differences between British and American parents.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Probably no other musical instrument is as popular as the guitar around the world. Musicians use the guitar for almost all kinds of music. Country and western music would not be the same without a guitar. The traditional Spanish folk music called Flamenco could not exist without a guitar. The sound of American blues music would not be the same without the sad cry of the guitar. And rock and roll music would almost be impossible without this instrument.
Music experts do not agree about where the guitar was first played. Most agree it is ancient. Some experts say an instrument very much like a guitar was played in Egypt more than 1,000 years ago. Most experts say that the ancestor of the modern guitar was brought to Spain from Persia sometime in the 12th century. The guitar continued to develop in Spain. In the 1700s it became similar to the instrument we know today.
Many famous musicians played the instrument. The famous Italian violins Niccole Paganism played and wrote music for the guitar in the early 1800s. Franz Schubert used the guitar to write some of his famous works. In modern times Spanish guitarist Andres Segovia helped make the instrument extremely popular.
In the 1930s, Les Paul began experimenting to make an electric guitar. He invented the solid-bodied electric guitar in 1946. The Gibson Guitar Company began producing its famous Les Paul Guitar in 1952. It became a powerful influence on popular music. The instrument has the same shape and the same six strings (弦) as the traditional guitar, but it sounds very different. Les Paul produced a series of extremely popular recordings that introduced the public to this music. Listen to this Les Paul recording. It was the fifth most popular song in the United States in 1952. It is called “Meet Mister Callaghan.”
1.What can we infer from the first paragraph?
A． The guitar plays a very important role in music.
B． The choice of musical instrument is important for a band.
C． The guitar was the most popular musical instrument in the past.
D． Every musician likes playing music instrument with the guitar.
2.According to most experts, the guitar developed into a modern form like today in ________.
A. Egypt B. Persia C. Spain D. Italy
3.In Paragraph 3, the author introduces ________.
A. the method of playing the guitar
B. the exact time of the guitar’s origin
C. the way that the guitar was made
D. some musicians who played the guitar
4.Where does the passage probably come from?
A. A newspaper. B. A broadcast. C. A magazine. D. A history book.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Probably no other musical instrument is as popular as the guitar around the world. Musicians use the guitar for almost all kinds of music. Country and western music would not be the same without a guitar. The traditional Spanish folk music called Flamenco could not exist without a guitar. The sound of American blues music would not be the same without the sad cry of the guitar. And rock and roll music would almost be impossible without this instrument.
Music experts do not agree about where the guitar was first played. Most agree it is ancient. Some experts say an instrument very much like a guitar was played in Egypt more than 1,000 years ago. Most experts say that the ancestor of the modern guitar was brought to Spain from Persia sometime in the 12th century. The guitar continued to develop in Spain. In the 1700s it became similar to the instrument we know today.
Many famous musicians played the instrument. The famous Italian violinist Niccole Paganism played and wrote music for the guitar in the early 1800s. Franz Schubert used the guitar to write some of his famous works. In modern times Spanish guitarist Andres Segovia helped make the instrument extremely popular.
In the 1930s, Les Paul began experimenting to make an electric guitar. He invented the solid-bodied electric guitar in 1946. The Gibson Guitar Company began producing its famous Les Paul Guitar in 1952. It became a powerful influence on popular music. The instrument has the same shape and the same six strings (弦)as the traditional guitar, but it sounds very different. Les Paul produced a series of extremely popular recordings that introduced the public to this music. Listen to this Les Paul recording. It was the fifth most popular song in the United States in 1952. It is called “Meet Mister Callaghan.”
1.What can we infer from the first paragraph?
A. The guitar was the most popular musical instrument in the past.
B. The choice of musical instrument is important for a band.
C. The guitar plays a very important role in music.
D. Every musician likes playing music instrument with the guitar.
2.According to most experts, the guitar developed into a modern form like today in _____.
A. Egypt B. Persia
C. Italy D. Spain
3.In Paragraph 3, the author introduces ______.
A. the method of playing the guitar B. some musicians who played the guitar
C. the way that the guitar was made D. the exact time of the guitar’s origin
4.Where does the passage probably come from?
A. A broadcast B. A newspaper
C. A magazine D. A history book
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
In all the world’s cultures, people sing, play instruments, and celebrate with music. It plays such an important role in our lives that all fields focus on its study, including one looking at the biology of music. Experts find that because of the way our brains process music, learning to play an instrument or just listening to music can have a wide range of benefits.
Music education has received a lot of attention. Learning to play an instrument can help children improve math, science, and language skills. One study in Canada tracked children’s IQ scores for nine months, discovering that children who studied music had the biggest test score improvements. The secret may lie in the way reading music and playing notes use several areas of the brain, increasing our ability to learn school subjects. For example, reading notes improves spatial(空间的) reasoning skills, which are helpful in solving math problems like fractions(分数).
Music is also used for medical purposes, such as the treatment of diseases which affect memories. The secret lies in the way the brain processes music. One area near the forehead, the medical prefrontal cortex, connects music with memories stored in two other areas: the amygdale and hippocampus. That’s why an old song can remind you of something that happened years ago. For patients suffering from diseases like Alzheimer’s, listening to music can help unlock buried memories by strengthening musical pathways to memories.
With the evidence of music’s benefits, it’s no wonder some countries make music study a part of their education system. People are recognizing that more than just a form of entertainment, music is also great for the brain.
1.Scientists are studying music because .
A. music can be used for medical treatment.
B. music plays a very important role in our lives
C. our brain can process music in different ways
D. music education has received a lot of attention
2.According to the Canadian study, which children increased IQscores?
A. Those who already had high IQ scores.
B. Those who always played music.
C. Those who could not play any instrument.
D. Those who studied music for a period of time.
3.Which of the following is a kind of disease?
A. Spatial reasoning.
B. Alzheimer’s.
C. The amygdale and hippocampus.
D. The medial prefrontal cortex.
4.Which can be the best title for the text?
A. Music and health B. Music and the mind
C. Music and the education D. Music and instruments
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Probably no other musical instrument is as popular as the guitar. Musicians use the guitar for almost every kind of music. Country and western music would not be the same without a guitar. The traditional Spanish folk music called Flamenco could not exist without a guitar. The sound of American blues music would not be the same without the sad cry of the guitar. And rock and roll music would almost be impossible Without this instrument.
Some music experts say an instrument very much like a guitar was played in Egypt more than one thousand years ago. Some other experts say that the ancestor of the modern guitar was brought to Spain from Persia sometime in the twelfth century. The guitar continued to develop in Spain. In the 1700s, it became similar to the instrument we know today.
Many famous musicians played the instrument. The famous Italian violinist Niccolo Paganinni played and wrote music for the guitar in the early 1800s. Franz Schubert used the guitar to write some of his famous works. One kind of music for the guitar developed in the southern area of Spain called Adalusia. It will always be strongly linked with the Spanish guitar. It is called Flamenco.
In the 1930s, Les Paul began experimenting with ways to make an electric guitar. He invented the solid body electric guitar in 1946. The guitar has always been important to blues music. With the electric guitar, Les Paul helped make modern blues music possible. There have been many great blues guitarists. Yet, music experts say all blues guitar players are measured against one man and his famous guitar. That man is B. B. King. Every blues fan knows that years ago B. B. King named his guitar Lucille. Here B. B. King plays Lucille on his famous recording of “The Thrill Is Gone”. Lucille, B. B. King's large, beautiful black guitar, is important to American music. Visitors can see King's very first guitar at the Rock and Soul Museum in Memphis, Tennessee. The museum is the only permanent exhibit organized by the Smithsonian Institution outside Washington, D. C., and New York City.
1.Where did the modern guitar finally come into being?
A.Egypt. B.Spain.
C.Persia. D.Italy.
2.What do we know about Flamenco?
A.It is the name of a famous musician. B.It is related to Spanish guitar.
C.It is also called Adalusia. D.It is the name of a guitar.
3.What does the last paragraph mainly tell us?
A.The electric guitar promoted the development of the blues.
B.The musician B. B. King named his guitar Lucille.
C.The Rock and Soul Museum first opened in Memphis.
D.The exhibit was first organized by the Smithsonian Institution.
4.What would be the best title for this passage?
A.Traditional Folk Music B.Flamenco and Guitar
C.Violinist and Blues D.Guitar and Music
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Probably no other musical instrument is as popular as the guitar. Musicians use the guitar for almost every kind of music. Country and western music would not be the same without a guitar. The traditional Spanish folk music called Flamenco could not exist without a guitar. The sound of American blues music would not be the same without the sad cry of the guitar. And rock and roll music would almost be impossible without this instrument.
Some music experts say an instrument very much like a guitar was played in Egypt more than one thousand years ago. Some other experts say that the ancestor of the modern guitar was brought to Spain from Persia sometime in the twelfth century. The guitar continued to develop in Spain. In the 1700s, it became similar to the instrument we know today.
Many famous musicians played the instrument. The famous Italian violinist Niccolo Paganinni played and wrote music for the guitar in the early 1800s. Franz Schubert used the guitar to write some of his famous works. One kind of music for the guitar developed in the southern area of Spain called Adalusia. It will always be strongly linked with the Spanish guitar. It is called Flamenco.
In the 1930s, Les Paul began experimenting with ways to make an electric guitar. He invented the solid body electric guitar in 1946. The guitar has always been important to blues music. With the electric guitar, Les Paul helped make modern blues music possible. There have been many great blues guitarists. Yet, music experts say all blues guitar players are measured against one man and his famous guitar. That man is B. B. King. Every blues fan knows that years ago B. B. King named his guitar Lucille. Here B. B. King plays Lucille on his famous recording of “The Thrill Is Gone”. Lucille, B. B. King's large, beautiful black guitar, is important to American music. Visitors can see King's very first guitar at the Rock and Soul Museum in Memphis, Tennessee. The museum is the only permanent exhibit organized by the Smithsonian Institution outside Washington, D. C. , and New York City.
1.Where did the modern guitar finally come into being?
A.Spain. B.Egypt.
C.Persia. D.Italy.
2.What does the last paragraph mainly tell us?
A.The musician B. B. King named his guitar Lucille.
B.The Rock and Soul Museum first opened in Memphis.
C.The electric guitar promoted the development of the blues.
D.The exhibit was first organized by the Smithsonian Institution.
3.What would be the best title for this passage?
A.Traditional Folk Music B.Guitar and Music
C.Violinist and Blues D.Flamenco and Guitar
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Music is an international language. The songs that are sung or played by instruments are beautiful to all people everywhere.
Popular music in America is what every student likes. Students carry small radios with earphones and listen to music before class, after class, and at lunch. Students with cars buy large speakers and play the music loudly as they drive on the streets.
Adult drivers listen to music on the car radio as they drive to work. They also listen to the news about sports, the weather, politics, and activities of the American people. Most of the radio broadcast is music.
Pop or popular music singers make much money. They make a CD or tape which radio stations use in every state. Once the popular singer is heard throughout the country, young people buy his or her tapes. Some of the money from these tapes comes to the singer. Wherever the singer goes, all the young people want to meet him or her. Now the singer has become a national star.
There are other kinds of music that are important to Americans. One is called folk music. It tells stories about the common life of Americans. Another is called western or country music. This was started by cowboys who would sing at night to the cows they were watching. Today, any music about country life and the love between a country boy and his girl is called western or country music.
Serious music for the concert halls is called classical music. Music for instruments is called orchestra music (管弦乐), such as the symphonies (交响乐) of Beethoven. There is opera (歌剧) for singers. There is ballet (芭蕾舞剧) for dancers like the story of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai in China?
67. What can we know about music and people in America?
A. Student drivers carry small radios with earphones when they drive on the streets.
B. Students always listen to music before class, after class and at lunch.
C. Adult drivers only listen to news except music when they drive to work.
D. Adult drivers never listen to music when they drive to work.
68. How many kinds of music are mentioned in the passage?
A. Six. B. Eight. C. Five. D. Seven.
69. Country music ______.
A. is a kind of music that is popular in America
B. has nothing to do with folk music
C. is only sung by cowboys
D. is not played in the concert halls
70. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. All people in America like popular music.
B. Pop singers can get all the money from the tapes.
C. Now, western or country music is a little different from its beginning.
D. Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai is a kind of pop music.
高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析