Music education hasn’t changed much since the 1970s. Students are still taught to read notation(乐谱)so they can recite compositions that they would never listen to on their MP3 players or play with friends. Playing music enriches life. The question is: Why do schools teach music in a way that turns off so many young people rather than catch their imagination? Can we do a better job of using the power of music to get kids excited about school?
The experience of an organization called Little Kids Rock suggests the answer is yes — if we change the way music is taught. Little Kids Rock has helped music programs in over a thousand public schools and served 150,000 children. The organization has given 30,000 free instruments out, mainly guitars, and trained 1,500 teachers to run music classes in which students quickly experience the joys of playing their favorite songs, performing in bands(乐队), and writing their own music.
The key to Little Kids Rock is that it teaches children to play music the way many musicians learn to play it — not by notation, but by listening, imitation(模仿)and meaningful experimentation. “The knowledge you need to get started playing rock music is very limited,” explains Dave Wish, the founder of Little Kids Rock. “In high school, my friend Paul taught me a couple of chords(和弦)and my life was changed forever. On the first day of class, Little Kids Rock teachers place guitars in the hands of their students and get them practicing chords that will enable them to play thousands of songs. The kids decide what songs they want to learn and the class is off and running. Their progress is surprising. Within a year, eight and nine-year-olds are playing musical instruments, and giving concerts, even performing their own songs.
One of the biggest advantages that music offers is the ability to encourage students who are otherwise bored by school. “I’ve had students start coming back to school because of this program,” said Adkison Thomas, who heads up music for the Dallas Independent School District. He added, “One of the best things is that the teachers discover a new side of their students. They see kids become successful who weren’t before.”The expression “turn off” in Paragraph 1 means “______”.
| A.make kids feel cool |
| B.make kids feel bored |
| C.make kids feel confident |
| D.make kids feel nervous |
How did Little Kids Rock help the school?
| A.By writing music for kids. |
| B.By playing kids’ favorite songs. |
| C.By making instruments for school. |
| D.By training teachers for music classes. |
Little Kids Rock is successful because ______.
| A.it encourages kids to experience music |
| B.it helps kids learn from great musicians |
| C.it allows kids to decide how to learn music |
| D.it offers musical programs all over the country |
What does the writer want to tell us?
| A.Learning music is a good way to become successful. |
| B.Teaching in a proper way does good to students’ development. |
| C.It’s necessary for students to practice a lot in learning music. |
| D.It’s important for teachers to discover the new sides of students. |
(Some classmates are talking about their weekend.)
Linda: I stayed at home and studied over the weekend. I studied for my English test on Saturday. Yesterday I wrote a geography paper. In the evening I talked to my pen pal (笔友) on the phone. What did you do?
Tim: I had a good time. On Saturday morning I played tennis, in the afternoon I went to the beach, and in the evening I went to Nancy’s birthday party. On Sunday I went to the mountains with my friends.
Mary: Oh, your weekend was great. But mine was boring. I stayed at home the whole (全)weekend. I cleaned my room and washed my clothes. I even watered the flowers. And only in the evening I watched TV for a short time. Did you go out, Dave?
Dave: No, I didn’t. I stayed at home and watched TV on Saturday. Yesterday I watched a movie on TV, Fearless. It was very exciting.Which of the following statements about Linda is NOT true?
| A.Linda had a pen pal. |
| B.Linda had a geography test on Sunday. |
| C.Linda had English and geography at school. |
| D.Linda was busy with her studies over weekend. |
What did Tim do on Sunday evening?
| A.He had a phone call. |
| B.He went to Nancy’s birthday party. |
| C.He watched TV at home. |
| D.The passage doesn’t tell us about it. |
Who stayed at home and did some housework?
| A.Linda. | B.Tim. | C.Mary. | D.Dave. |
Who only watched TV over weekend?
| A.Dave. | B.Mary. |
| C.Both Dave and Mary. | D.No one. |
Only one of them left home over weekend. Who was it?
| A.Linda. | B.Tim. | C.Mary. | D.Dave. |
What do we do when we go camping? First, we make a plan(计划). We take food, clothing, a knife, and things for cooking and eating. We take things to keep us away from insects(昆虫) and the sun.
Then we put everything into the car and we drive to the woods. We look for a place for campers(露营者) and we look for a good place for our tent(帐篷). The place should have a lot of moving air(流动的空气). This will keep some insects away. High land with water on both sides of it is good. Then we put up our tent. We put everything into the tent, and we are ready for fun. We can swim in the lake, walk in the woods, climb a mountain, row a boat, or go fishing.
In the evening we come back to the tent, and we make a big fire because it can keep the insects away. We sit around the fire and talk. We may tell interesting stories or we may sing songs.
At night we lie down on the grass. We can look up at the stars. It is a busy day, so we try to go to sleep early.
Everything is dark. Everything is quiet. We hope we won’t hear music from the radio in the next tent. We hope it won’t rain.Before going camping we should first ______.
| A.make a plan |
| B.take some food |
| C.take things to keep us warm |
| D.take something for cooking and eating |
We go to camp ______.
| A.by bus | B.by car |
| C.by bike | D.on foot |
Campers can take part in(参加) ______ activities.
| A.one or two | B.only a few |
| C.many | D.two or three |
In the evening we make a fire because ______.
| A.it is cold at night |
| B.it can keep us warm |
| C.it can keep the insects away |
| D.it is dark and quiet |
Campers like to ______ at night.
| A.hear music from the radio | B.go to sleep early |
| C.have rain | D.be busy |
Do you like playing soccer? If you do, you may want to join the school soccer team. Read on and see how to join the school soccer team.
The first step(步骤)is to know the information(信息) about the team. You can find more information by asking these questions. How many students are there in the soccer team? How many new players do they need? How often do they play soccer?
The second step is to practice. Practice soccer with your friends or your family. Only good players can join the school soccer team. So you need to practice your “skill.”
The third step is to study hard. If you always get bad grades in the exam, your teachers and parents won’t let you join the soccer team.
The last step is to relax. Don’t be too nervous(紧张). You can take a deep breath(深呼吸) and keep smiling. Believe in yourself and you can be the best player.Which is not the suitable(适当的) question according to the second paragraph(段)?
| A.How often do they play soccer? |
| B.Can I join the school team? |
| C.How many students are there in the soccer team? |
| D.How many new players do they need? |
Which step is about studying hard?
| A.The first step. | B.The second step. |
| C.The third step. | D.The last step. |
If you always get bad grades in the exam, ___ won’t let you join the soccer team.
| A.your teachers and parents |
| B.your classmates and friends |
| C.your parents and friends |
| D.your teachers and your classmates |
What does the underlined word “skill” mean in Chinese?
| A.锻炼 | B.技能 | C.实践 | D.方法 |
What’s the main idea of the passage?
| A.It’s about how to join the school soccer team. |
| B.It’s about how to be a good soccer player. |
| C.It’s about how to get good grades in the exam. |
| D.It’s about how to make more friends at school. |
Let’s look at the picture. The boy’s name is John. The girl in a white blouse is his sister, Rose. The other one in a yellow blouse is his sister, Mary. John and his sisters are students in No. 11 Middle School. The two sisters are in Class Three, Grade One, but John is in Class Two, Grade Two. The man and woman are their father and mother. The man is a worker and the woman is a teacher. The old man and the old woman are John’s grandfather and grandmother. The family is a big one. There are ______ people in the family.
| A.five | B.six | C.seven | D.eight |
Mary is in a _____ blouse and Rose is in a ______ one.
| A.yellow; white | B.white; yellow |
| C.yellow; blue | D.black; red |
John’s sisters are _____.
| A.not students | B.in the same class |
| C.in Grade 2 | D.in different middle schools |
The sisters’ _____ is a teacher.
| A.father | B.grandfather |
| C.mother | D.grandmother |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A.The family is a big one. |
| B.John and his sisters are in the same school. |
| C.The man’s son is in Grade 2. |
| D.The two girls have two brothers. |
It’s a lovely girl.She gas long and black hair. She is quite tall and thin. Her eyes are bright and black. She is 13 years old.
She is good at singing. She likes listening to music. She is S.H.E.’s fan(迷). Do you know Conan? He is a little detective(侦探).The lovely girl also likes him.
Oh, sorry. I forget to tell you who the girl is. It’s me. I’m a lovely girl. You can call me Kacely or Kacelin.Now I study at No.1 Middle School. I’m in Class 1, Grade 7. Every day, I get up at 6:00 a.m. The classes begin at 7 o’clock. After school, I usually play football with my friends. I like playing football and I am good at it.
I like school,so I want to be a teacher when I grow up.Kacely has _______ hair.
| A.long and yellow | B.short and black |
| C.long and black | D.long and white |
Conan is a _____ .
| A.policeman | B.teacher |
| C.doctor | D.detective |
Kacely is a _____.
| A.student | B.teacher |
| C.worker | D.detective |
Kacely plays football_____.
| A.before school | B.at home |
| C.after school | D.at lunchtime |
Kacely wants to be a ______when she grows up.
| A.teacher | B.doctor |
| C.singer | D.superstar |