Question

    Many kids start humming tunes like “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” as their first songs, but Nygel Witherspoon was an exception. He preferred Finnish composer Jean Sibelius’s Violin Concerto in D Minor.

So when Nygel Witherspoon began to hum the very difficult concerto(协奏曲), his family guessed that he should have music lessons. He was, however, just 3 years old.

“He was calm, with an ability to focus.” recalled David Holmes, Witherspoon’s cello(大提琴) teacher from age 3 to l6.

Witherspoon is a familiar name in his hometown. He has inherited his talent from both sides of his family, including his aunt, the late jazz vocalist Shirley Witherspoon.

The 17-year-old doesn’t see himself as competitive. “I think it’s more important for students to have a supportive environment than a competitive one;” he said. “It’s great to have a support system, where you can be yourself and improve right along with others doing the same thing.”

Witherspoon’s love of music blossomed as he attended viola(中提琴) lessons with older siblings. Their teacher, David France, noticed that the little boy was a sponge(海绵).

“He’d absorb everything they did.” France said. Witherspoon was given a box violin, but he wanted to play “the big one”— the cello. He loved its size and tone. That’s when he was matched with his teacher Holmes.

Witherspoon’s drive is inspired by the connection music provides. He recalled that he and his siblings performed as a chambertrio(室内乐三重奏) at their grandmother’s nursing home. The positive reaction from residents gave him motivation.

“It’s so important, whether it’s hip-hop or classical,” he said. “Music is the universal language. It connects all of us.”

1.How was Witherspoon different from other kids when he was 3?

A.He began to teach himself music.

B.He was able to hum very difficult tunes

C.He had already made up his mind to learn violin

D.He could already play the songs he’d heard.

2.What does Witherspoon think is important for music learners?

A.Practicing hard.

B.Being very competitive.

C.Being in a supportive environment.

D.Having a good teacher from an early age.

3.What is France’s impression of Witherspoon?

A.He is a fast learner. B.He is a creative player.

C.He works very hard. D.He is open-minded.

4.What is the main purpose of the last two Paragraphs?

A.To compare Witherspoon’s performance with his siblings.

B.To show that motivation plays a big role in music studies.

C.To stress that music connects people.

D.To show how studying music helped Witherspoon overcome difficulties.

Answer

1.B

2.C

3.A

4.C

【解析】

这是一篇记叙文。文章介绍了Nygel Witherspoon从小到大对音乐的天赋以及他对音乐的认识：他认为音乐把人们联系在一起。

1.细节理解题。根据第二段中So when Nygel Witherspoon began to hum the very difficult concerto(协奏曲), his family guessed that he should have music lessons. He was, however, just 3 years old. 因此，当Nygel Witherspoon开始哼唱这首非常难的协奏曲时，他的家人认为他应该上音乐课。然而，他只有3岁。可知，Witherspoon与众不同的是当他3岁时就能哼唱非常难的协奏曲。故选B项。

2.细节理解题。根据第五段中“I think it’s more important for students to have a supportive environment than a competitive one;” he said. “It’s great to have a support system, where you can be yourself and improve right along with others doing the same thing.” 他说：“我认为对学生来说，一个支持性的环境比一个竞争性的环境更重要。有一个支持系统是很好的，在那里你可以做你自己，和做同样事情的人一起进步。”可知，Witherspoon认为对于音乐学习者来说，有一个支持性的环境是很重要的。故选C项。

3.推理判断题。根据第六段中Their teacher, David France, noticed that the little boy was a sponge(海绵). 他们的老师，David France注意到这个小男孩是一块海绵。以及第七段中“He’d absorb everything they did.” France said. France说：“他会吸收他们所做的一切。”可知，France认为Witherspoon能很快学习到教的东西，因此他是一个快速的学习者。故选A项。

4.推理判断题。根据倒数第二段中Witherspoon’s drive is inspired by the connection music provides. Witherspoon的动力来自音乐提供的联系。The positive reaction from residents gave him motivation. 居民们的积极反应给了他动力。以及最后一段“It’s so important, whether it’s hip-hop or classical,” he said. “Music is the universal language. It connects all of us.” “这很重要，不管是嘻哈还是古典音乐，”他说。“音乐是全世界的语言。它连接着我们所有人。”可知，由Witherspoon的话中可以发现最后两段的写作目的是谓语强调音乐把人们联系在一起。故选C项。