(
课件网) Unit 2 The universal language Musical instruments come in a wide range of types. Read the posters below about two important musical instruments and the musicians, and discuss the following questions in pairs. Search online for the pieces of music mentioned in the posters. How do you feel when listening to them What other musical instruments and famous musical pieces or musicians do you know about A great way to learn about a new culture is through its music. The emails below are written by two exchange students who are discovering new music in their host countries. Before you read the emails, think about the following questions: What information do you think the emails contain according to the subjects Butterfly Lovers in the first email may refer to a famous musical piece in China, which is based on a Chinese legend about two lovers. The email may contain information of the music the writer heard and her feelings. What she learnt about Chinese culture through the music would also be included. The second email about “Country music”, a type of music popular in America, may contain the writer's experiences of listening to different types of country music. It could include his opinions and feelings as well as what it taught him about American culture. Have you watched a music performance live or on Tv What was it like I recall watching the Spring Festival Gala one year. It was fantastic. I was greatly impressed by the performance of a popular Chinese folk singer and a famous foreign singer when they sang“Jasmine Flower”. It is a traditional song that is well known and has been performed by many artists. It was special to watch these two famous singers sing it together. They looked beautiful and the foreign singer seemed very relaxed while singing in Chinese. It has become a landmark gala performance. Hi Lucy So glad to get your email. I hope everything is fine with you. Last night I watched a performance of Butterfly Lovers, a beautiful violin concer to composed by He Zhanhao and Chen Gang. It's a piece that really deserves to be heard. Butterfly Lovers Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai The music took me through the twists and turns of a classic story about a young couple torn apart by their families. When the two lovers, Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, first meet, the music is light and pleasant, as if whispering to the audience. It is followed by a fast and cheerful section which represents their three happy years of school. Then the music gets dramatic with heavier notes and that is when the lovers are separated because Zhu's father forces her to marry another man. Angry and sad, Liang falls sick and dies. Zhu weeps bitterly over the loss of her love. Overcome with sorrow, she jumps into his grave. Finally, during the most exciting part, the music takes a softer turn and ends on a bittersweet note, telling us how the couple transform into butterflies and fly away to be together forever ... ...
