1、Music is the utmost pleasure in life;music is the clear spring of life;music is the furnace of temperamental refinement.Xian Xinghai音乐，是人生最大的快乐；音乐，是生音乐，是人生最大的快乐；音乐，是生活中的一股清泉；音乐，是陶冶性情的活中的一股清泉；音乐，是陶冶性情的熔炉。熔炉。冼星海冼星海这句话出自中国著名音乐家冼星海。这句话意在说明音乐不仅可以让人身心愉悦，还能陶冶情操。Learning objectivesBy the end of this section
2、,you will be able to:1.find out the key information from the two posters;2.describe how you feel when listening to the pieces of music mentioned in the posters;3.share with peers what you know about musical instruments,famous musical pieces and well-known musicians.Unit 2 The universal language Welc
3、ome to the unit&Reading()Lead-inWhat are the names of the two pieces of music?What musical instrument is used in each piece?The name of the first piece of music is Moonlight on the Second Spring and it is played on the erhu.The name of the second piece is Symphony No.41(the Jupiter Symphony),and it
4、is played on the piano.Listen to two pieces of music,and answer the following questions.Read the two posters on page 15 carefully,and fill in the following table.Music timeHistoryFamous musiciansErhuInvented in China in the Tang DynastyNameHua Yanjun(A Bing)NationalityMasterpiece(s)PianoNameFrdric F
5、ranois ChopinNationalityMasterpiece(s)Liu TianhuaChineseChineseMoonlight on the Second Springl Moon Nightl Birdsong over Empty MountainWolfgang Amadeus MozartInvented in Italy in the early 18th centuryAustrianPolishl Symphony No.41(the Jupiter Symphony)l Piano Concerto No.23Minute WaltzThe erhu is a
6、 kind of traditional Chinese musical instrument invented in the Tang Dynasty.Hua Yanjun and Liu Tianhua were two well-known erhu artists and composers.The most famous piece of music created by Hua Yanjun is Moonlight on the Second Spring.Liu Tianhua was famous for Moon Night and Birdsong over Empty
7、Mountain.Describe the two instruments using your own words based on the table above.The piano was invented in Italy in the early 18th century.Mozart was an Austrian composer,famous for Symphony No.41 and Piano Concerto No.23.Chopin was a Polish composer and pianist,famous for the Minute Waltz.Hua Ya
8、njun,also known as A Bing,was a native artist of Wuxi.At an early age,he learnt Taoism music.Showing a talent for music,he was soon able to play a variety of musical instruments.He lived a very poor life and later became blind.In order to make a living,he played the erhu while begging on the street.
9、All through his life,he composed many pieces of music and his most famous one is Moonlight on the Second Spring.It is said that the“Second Spring”in the title of the piece refers to the Huishan Spring,where A Bing often performed to make money.What else do you know about the four musicians mentioned
10、 in the two posters?DiscussionA Bings Moonlight on the Second Spring awakens feelings of sadness in me at first.Listening to the soft sound of the erhu reminds me of the composers tough life.But as the piece continues and the erhu gets stronger,I imagine A Bing becoming more determined because he wo
11、uldnt give up hope.By the end,my sadness is replaced with admiration for A Bings amazing talent.When I listen to Liu Tianhuas popular piece Moon Night,an image of a beautiful quiet moon night appears in my mind.The sounds of the erhu cause me to feel peaceful but at the same time excited.I imagine t
12、hat the composer longed for a beautiful future.The gentle sounds of the erhu in Liu Tianhuas Birdsong over Empty Mountain make me feel very relaxed and happy.I am immediately transported to the mountains where the sweet sounds of birds singing can be heard.Search online for the pieces of music menti
13、oned in the posters.How do you feel when listening to them?Mozarts Symphony No.41 fills me with so much energy and enjoyment.I felt so struck and amazed by it that I didnt realize the music had ended when it did.It is fun to listen to.The uplifting and joyful music of Mozarts Piano Concerto No.23 fe
14、els light and positive.In the piece,the tone of the piano solo changes to a melancholic one,but that does not last long before the music becomes cheerful again.The genius of Mozart is clearly displayed in this piece.I would like to listen to his other piano concertos and experience more of his amazi
15、ng talent.In Chopins Minute Waltz,some parts of the piece are played very energetically.It slows down for a while before it picks up the pace again.I find the music not only interesting to listen to,but also fun to dance to.Search online for the pieces of music mentioned in the posters.How do you fe
16、el when listening to them?The dizi(Chinese bamboo flute)is a classical Chinese woodwind instrument that is a staple of Chinese folk music.It is also commonly used in Chinese opera and the modern Chinese orchestra today.Zhang Weiliang is one of the leading performers on the dizi and he launched the C
17、hinese Bamboo Flute Orchestra.I was deeply moved by his musical piece Tears for Flowers when I first listened to it.The violin is a very popular musical instrument which has been around for hundreds of years.Nowadays,there are electronic violins that can create the most amazing sounds and music piec
18、es.However,I am a big fan of the more classical violin pieces,like The Four Seasons by Antonio Vivaldi.He uses the violin to describe each of the four seasons very well.“Spring”is my favourite of the four-part piece.What other musical instruments and famous musical pieces or musicians do you know ab
19、out?Reading(I)Learning objectivesBy the end of this section,you will be able to:1.give a brief introduction to Butterfly Lovers and country music;2.listen to Butterfly Lovers and express your understanding of it;3.analyse the writing techniques of the two emails;4.use personification to describe you
20、r favourite piece of music.Lead-inListen to a piece of music,do you know the name of this piece?Butterfly LoversWhat do you know about the Butterfly lovers?The Butterfly Lovers is a Chinese legend of a tragic love story of a pair of lovers,Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai,whose names form the title of t
21、he story in Chinese.Pre-readingDiscuss the topic of“music”by answering the following questions before reading the two emails.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 m
22、usic 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 writers experiences of listening to different types of country music.It could include his opi
23、nions and feelings as well as what it taught him about American culture.1.What information do you think the emails contain according to the subjects?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
24、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 b
25、ecome a landmark gala performance.2.Have you watched a music performance live or on TV?What was it like?While-readingRead the emails and write down the main idea of each paragraph.Alices emailPara.1:I watched a performance of Butterfly Lovers last night.Para.2:_Para.3:_ _Harrys emailPara.1:_Para.2:_
26、 _Para.3:_Para.4:You should listen to some country music.The story and music of Butterfly Lovers work well together.Butterfly Lovers illustrates how wonderfully Chinese and Western musical elements can mix.My host family introduces me to country music.Country music has a long history and it often fe
27、atures certain specific instruments and lyrics that leave you deep in thought.Country music suggests a peaceful and simple life in rural America.Read the first email and fill in the following table.The plotCharacteristics of the musicAtmosphere created by the musicThe two lovers first meet.happyl l
28、Liang falls sick and dies.l ZhuexcitingThe two lovers spend three years at school together.weeps bitterly and jumps into Liangs grave.The lovers are separated because Zhus father forces her to marry another man.The couple transform into butterflies and fly away to be together forever.light and pleas
29、antfast and cheerfuldramatic with heavier notestaking a softer turn and ending on a bittersweet noteas if whispering to the audienceangry and sadCan you summarize the story of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai based on the table?Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai are schoolmates,who are in love with each other
30、.But they are torn apart by their families because Zhus father forces her to marry another man.Angry and sad,Liang Shanbo falls sick and dies.Overcome with sorrow,Zhu Yingtai jumps into Liangs grave and they become two butterflies and fly away to be together forever.Read the second email and fill in
31、 the following mind map about country music.Country musicHistory born out of blues and folk music became popular:time:_ place:_Examples The musician:_ The song:_ _Characteristics tunes:_ lyrics:_ themes:hardship,heartbreak and hopeThe typical instrument(s)_in the 1940sin the south of Americathe guit
32、areasy to singdeep in thoughtJohn Denver“Take Me Home,Country Roads”Read the second email again and answer the questions below.1.Why is Harrys life in Nashville interesting?Harry is interested in music.His host family in Nashville are big fans of American country music and Nashville is the place whe
33、re country music originated,so Harry can always rely on them to introduce him to some great songs.2.How does John Denver show the countryside surroundings?He uses simple tunes and beautiful natural images to show the countryside surroundings.Read the emails again carefully and complete the notes bel
34、ow.The violin concerto Butterfly Lovers takes us through the story of a young couple(1)_.This beautiful piece of music expresses different moodsfirst light and pleasant,then(2)_,next dramatic with heavier notes and finally bittersweet.The piece is a perfect combination of Chinese and Western musical
35、 elementsit is played on(3)_ such as the violin but has its roots in Chinese Yue Opera.torn apart by their familiesfast and cheerfulWestern instrumentsCountry music grew out of such music types as(4)_.It became popular in the south of America in the 1940s and then spread across the nation.The tunes
36、are easy to sing,and the lyrics often leave you deep in thought.Most of the songs are about(5)_.Country music makes you think of the green fields and(6)_.the blues and folk musichardship,heartbreak and hopesimple life of the countrysideDiscuss and answer the following questions.1.How does Alice supp
37、ort her opinion that Butterfly Lovers deserves to be heard?Alice introduces this violin concerto by describing how the different parts of the music are connected to the story.She considers her experience to be an amazing journey.Alice ends off by adding an interesting aspect about the musicit is a c
38、ombination of Chinese and Western musical elements.Alices interpretation of the Butterfly Lovers violin concerto supports her opinion that it deserves to be heard.Post-reading2.Why does Harry quote“Take Me Home,Country Roads”in his email?One of the features of country music is that it shows the peac
39、eful green fields and simple life of the countryside through its simple tunes and beautiful lyrics.To support his viewpoint,Harry quotes part of the lyrics from“Take Me Home,Country Roads”,which is a typical example.By reading the lyrics,Stephen is able to imagine the beautiful image of the rural Am
40、erican countryside.3.Does Harry give a good introduction to country music?Why or why not?In my opinion,Harry gives a very good introduction to country music.He introduces it from different aspects,such as its history,the instruments used and the characteristics of its tunes and lyrics.He uses a typi
41、cal example of American country music to support his introduction,namely the singer John Denver,and his famous song“Take Me Home,Country Roads”.Work in pairs to discuss the following questions.1.The violin concerto Butterfly Lovers is a combination of Chinese and Western musical elements.What do you
42、 think of this combination?I think this combination is quite successful.By composing Chinese music using Western instruments,the composers show that music has no boundaries.2.What can you know about rural America from“Take Me Home,Country Roads”?I can know that rural America has natural beauties lik
43、e the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Shenandoah River,which is like heaven.3.Both Alice and Harry enjoyed their experiences of music from another culture.What do you think of Alices opinion that“music is indeed a universal language”?I agree that music is a universal language.Sometimes we can still connect with the feelings expressed in a foreign language song without fully understanding its lyrics.It is a form of communication that does not require words.Write an email to recommend a piece of traditional Chinese music to your foreign friends.
