Unit 21 Music

扩展资料

Categories of music

　　Music is often divided into several categories (种类), or groups. Some of the categories are: classical music, traditional music, rock music, and jazz music. The first kind, classical, refers to orchestra music (管弦乐) that originated (起源) in Europe a few hundred years ago. Most of the original classical music was composed, or written in Italy, Germany, Austria, or Russia. Classical music is usually played by a variety of string and wind instruments.

　　The second type of music is traditional music. It comes from a particular culture. Every culture has its own special forms of traditional music. For example, “blue” music is one kind of traditional music in the United States and “enka” music is one kind of traditional music in Japan. Each traditional music has its own special instruments.

　　Another kind of music is rock' music. It is generally a loud kind of music, played with a strong beat. Rock musicians often use electric instruments. Rock music probably began in Europe about 30 or 40 years ago. It became very popular, especially among young people, during the 1960s and 1970s.

　　The fourth kind of music is jazz. Jazz probably comes from Africa. Jazz has a different kind of rhythm (节奏) from other kinds of music. A variety of-musical instruments are used to play this kind of music, especially wind instruments.

　　Of course, there are other categories of music. In addition, many kinds of music are combinations (结合体)of classical and traditional, or classical and jazz, or rock and jazz, and so on.

Attitude Is Everything

　　Jerry was the kind of guy you love to hate. He was always in a good mood and always had something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!" 

　　He was a unique manager because he had several waiters who had followed him around from restaurant to restaurant. The reason the waiters followed Jerry was because of his attitude. He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, Jerry was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation. 

　　Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Jerry and asked him, "I don't get it! You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?" 

　　Jerry replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, 'Jerry, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood.' I choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life." 

　　"Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested. 

　　"Yes, it is," Jerry said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people will affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live life."

　　I reflected on what Jerry said. Soon thereafter, I left the restaurant industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.

　　Several years later, I heard that Jerry did something you are never supposed to do in a restaurant business: he left the back door open one morning and was held up at gunpoint by three armed robbers. While trying to open the safe(保险柜）, his hand, shaking from nervousness, slipped off （忘记，遗漏）the combination (开启号码锁的号码组合). The robbers panicked and shot him.

　　Luckily, Jerry was found relatively quickly and rushed to the local trauma （创伤，外伤）center. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Jerry was released from the hospital with fragments of the bullets still in his body. 

　　I saw Jerry about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins. Wanna see my scars（伤疤）?" I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the robbery took place. 

　　"The first thing that went through my mind was that I should have locked the back door," Jerry replied. "Then, as I lay on the floor, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live, or I could choose to die. I chose to live." 

　　"Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked. 

　　Jerry continued, "The paramedics （护理人员）were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the emergency room and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read, 'He's a dead man.' "I knew I needed to take action." 

　　"What did you do?" I asked. 

　　"Well, there was a big, burly （魁梧的，结实的）nurse shouting questions at me," said Jerry.

　　"She asked if I was allergic （过敏的）to anything. 'Yes,' I replied. The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Bullets!' 

　　Over their laughter, I told them. 'I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead." 

　　Jerry lived thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully. 
Attitude, after all, is everything.

破案的一段对话

　　这是有关伦敦警察群策群力破案的一段对话

　　Gentleman Jim是一个犯人。在他要寄给妻子的磁带里，他讲述了一系列美丽的人和美好的事。警方怀疑他的话语中隐藏着某种秘密。Gentleman Jim的磁带里到底隐藏着什么秘密呢？相信读完对话后你就可以破案。

　　Very Beautiful Story

　　Inspector: Morning, Sergeant. What have you got for me today?

　　Sergeant: We’ve got that tape from Gentleman Jim, sir. It was sent to us yesterday. They want to know if it’s all right to send it to his wife.

　　Inspector: And is it?

　　Sergeant: I don’t know sir. I’m sure there’s a message hidden in the tape, but I don’t know what it is. It’s been examined by half the police force in London, and nothing was found. But there is something very peculiar about that tape.

　　Inspector: Well, what is it?

　　Sergeant: Well, sir, he talks about happy memories and things. And really, Inspector, I don’t think Gentleman Jim really feels like that about anything. I don’t think he means any of it. I’m sure there is something else on the tape, and it’s hidden in what he says. But I can’t find it.

　　Inspector: The tape is all right, is it? It wasn’t damaged or made changes with when Gentleman Jim recorded the message?

　　Sergeant: The tape was carefully examined by three different experts, and they didn’t find anything. Whatever it is, it’s in the words.

　　Inspector: Well, I think I’d better listen to this tape, and see if I can find this mystery message.

　　Sergeant: Right you are sir, it’s waiting for you.

　　Jim: Hello my dear wife. I want you to listen very carefully to this recording. Play it over and over again, and enjoy all the beautiful things I want to remind you about. Don’t worry about me, just think about the beautiful things, and I’m sure you will be very happy, and you will find something very comforting in my words. Are you ready? I want to remind you of some really happy memories. Do you remember the day when we first met? You were very beautiful. There was a lot of sunshine that day, do you remember? There aren’t many girls who are very beautiful, are there? But you were lovely. And our children. They’re very beautiful. Two lovely girls, and a handsome boy, although they’re all in prison now. I remember when our son was small; he had lovely blue eyes, and very beautiful gold curly hair. Do you remember the toys he used to play with? I remember his toy bear, and also some very beautiful bricks, which he used to play with on the bedroom floor. Those were happy days. Do you remember, dear wife, the first dance we went to? You wore a blue dress and you looked very beautiful in the moonlight, and we danced until the morning, and then I took you home on my motorbike. Your mother was waiting for us, and she looked very beautiful. The next day I asked you to marry me. I don't think your mother was very pleased. She wanted us to buy the house next to her, do you remember? But we wanted a bigger house, with a very beautiful garden and we found one. I like our house very much. I remember coming home one day in the winter, and looking at our house. It looked very beautiful under the white snow, and I knew that you were waiting in the kitchen with a cup of hot soup, and my dear friend Ginger. Poor Ginger. He has been in prison too. He says that you are very beautiful. The important thing in prison is to have happy memories. And I've got wonderful memories. Do you remember Ginger's cat? It was a very beautiful big black cat. Ginger liked it very much. He bought it fish to eat, and a very beautiful red ribbon, which he tied around its neck. I always liked Ginger's cat... I'm sorry I did not want to see you when you came. I wanted to send you this message instead. When I come home, I will buy you some expensive perfume, or very beautiful rose. Play this recording many times, and think carefully about my words. Think about what came after all these beautiful things, and walk into the country, sit down beside the river, under a very beautiful tree, and think about me.

　　Your loving Gentleman Jim.

　　Inspector: Is that all?

　　Sergeant: Yes, that's all.

　　Inspector: You're quite right. There is something very peculiar about that message. Look, I've written some questions for you.

　　Inspector: Well, I think Gentleman Jim has hidden a message in the tape.

　　Sergeant: Yes, sir, so do I. He keeps telling his wife to play the message over and over again.

　　Inspector: He tells her that she'll find something comforting. What do you think he means by that?.

　　Sergeant: Well, sir, perhaps there is money hidden somewhere, and this message tells his wife where to look.

　　Inspector: I wish he'd tell us where to look. Then perhaps we'd find the message.

　　Sergeant: I think he has told us. Inspector.

　　Inspector: What do you mean?

　　Sergeant: Well, did you notice that he keeps saying the same words over and over again?

　　Inspector: Yes, of course. He says everything is very beautiful.

　　Sergeant: Mm, that's right. And he tells his wife to think about these beautiful things. That　must be a clue.

　　Inspector: Well, what does he say? His wife is beautiful, the girls are beautiful, his son is beautiful, the bricks were beautiful...

　　Sergeant: That's a very funny thing to say.

　　Inspector: Yes, it is. But wife, girls, son, bricks. It doesn't make any sense. “Very beautiful bricks,” he said. It's nonsense!

　　Sergeant: Just a minute. Do you remember what Gentleman Jim said at the end of the recording?

　　Inspector: What was that?

　　Sergeant: He said, “Think about what came after all these beautiful things.” I think that's the answer. Inspector. Play it again, and every time he says “very beautiful” write down the next word. I think we'll find Gentleman Jim's message.

　　Inspector: Right Sergeant. That's very clever of you. Well done!

　　①inspector 检查员

　　②sergeant 警官

　　③I’m sure there’s a message hidden in the tape. 肯定磁带里有某种信息。

　　④I’m don’t think he means any of it. 我认为他根本不是那个意思。

　　⑤mystery message. 神秘信息

　　⑥You will find something very comforting in my words. 你会从我的话里找到安慰。

　　⑦That must be a clue. 那一定就是线索。

　　⑧That’s very funny thing to say. 那样说太滑稽了。

　　⑨It doesn’t make any sense. 那完全没有意义。

　　⑩Well done! 太棒了！

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