Module 4 Music Born in America

跟踪导练（一）

阅读理解

Although classical music has had fame at times for being old-fashioned or difficult to get into， it has become clear in recent years that the classical style has a widespread influence on music， pop culture and people in general.

Some people think that classical music has a positive influence on the brain development. Although there isn’t any real scientific evidence to support a direct connection， there are a few positive effects of playing classical music at home for a baby. Most babies tend to fall asleep faster when listening to classical music. And sleep is beneficial for child brain development. In addition， if the other members enjoy the music， the baby’s environment will probably be happier and more peaceful.

Classical music not only affects brain development but also makes a difference to both pop music and modern music. Classical music directly influences pop culture. For example， Ode to Joy， made by Beethoven， has become a common piece of music on television and in movies. Classical music also has had an influence on modern music. Many bands and artists display a clear classical music influence in their work， from hip hop artists to rockers， and more artists. Many of the rules of music theory， developed in the Baroque period （巴洛克时期） by composers like Bach， are still in use today.

Fans of classical music often talk about the abilities of classical music to emotional influence on the listener. Many people feel happier and more peaceful after listening to only a few minutes of classical music. Of course， this might depend on the composer and the listener; most people will find Beethoven or Handel more calming than Wagner or Stravinsky.

1. How do most babies feel when listening to classical music according Paragraph 2？

A. Upset. B. Safe. C. Peaceful.  D. Energetic.

2. Which aspect of modern music has been affected by classical music？

A. The depth of lyrics. B. The rules of music theory.

C. The way of writing songs. D. The length of a piece of music.

3. What benefit can classical music bring to listeners？

A. It can promote brain development. B. It can inspire new ideas.

C. It can improve listeners’ imagination. D. It can make listeners happy and peaceful.

4. Where is the text most likely from？

A. A magazine. B. A guidebook. C. A novel. D. A diary.

阅读七选五

Music is often targeted at teenagers. Because teenagers go through big changes and start making life-affecting decisions in their teens， people naturally wonder what effects music has on teenagers. Does it lead to violence？ Help test scores？ Teach them valuable lessons？ 1

Music can help students improve academic performance. Studying music involves math and science， so students often improve in these areas. 2 According to a report， students who took part in music performance scored 41 points higher in math than those who did not take part in music performance.

Being a teenager can be rough emotionally. Music is an especially emotional art form covering every type of emotion. 3 As music is a way to express emotions， many teenagers might try to make their own music， which can create healthy emotional expression.

4 Thus， listening to music can teach teenagers a lot about their own culture and other cultures. They can learn musical traditions， musical instruments， history lessons and more. Plus， as listening to music is a fun activity， this can often be a more interesting way to learn about a culture， rather than simply reading a textbook.

Music tastes and interests can often bring people together， especially teenagers. 5 As well， music is often enjoyed at concerts and dance clubs where teenagers often hang out. Typically， the people attending these concerts and dance clubs already share a common interest， so a connection can be easily made.

A. Music is often related with culture.

B. This improvement can benefit them in tests.

C. Music greatly improves teenagers’ learning abilities.

D. While there are negative effects， there are many positive effects， too.

E. If they can find a song that matches their mood， they will feel comfortable.

F. Rap music presents a new vocabulary teenagers won’t learn in an English class.

G. Two teenagers who like the same style of music are easily to start up a friendship.

1. ___________   2. ___________   3. ___________  4. ___________   5. ___________

跟踪导练（二）

完形填空

Before reading McCarty’s story I had thought that a smile just invited unwanted attention. Afterwards I had a 1 opinion. I found that smiling could 2 myself and the people around me.

Recently I became a（n） 3 in my son’s school. The more I drove， the more I heard the other drivers 4 about a new crossing guard， the person who 5 the flow of traffic so that cars can get in and out of the school area 6 and safely. The guard， not having much 7 ， seemed unsure when he made a decision， which often  8 long lines of heavy traffic. Most days he looked worried. I saw cars pass by him with the 9 drivers. I wanted to do something just to make the guard 10 .