Language points
1 For lack of a better terminology, one might name these: （1) the
sensuous plane, （2) the expressive plane， （3) the sheerly musical plane. (Para 1)
The expression for lack of a better terminology is used to introduce rather inexact terms. It means since we don’t have any exact terms, I’m going to use these rather rough terms.
The word sensuous suggests physical pleasure which relates to your physical senses rather than to your emotions and thoughts。 A plane is a level of thought， development or existence.
The word sheer is used to emphasize the amount or degree of something。 The sheerly musical plane refers to the level of the musical material，
melodies， rhythms， harmonies etc。 The sheer pleasure （Para 2, Line 2） means great or pure pleasure.
2 The only advantage to be gained from mechanically splitting up the listening process into these hypothetical planes is … （Para 1） The word hypothetical means to be based on situations or events that seem possible rather than on actual ones。 Here, the planes are not real， they are just part of a model for analysis and discussion.
3 One turns on the radio while doing something else and absent-mindedly bathes in the sound。 A kind of brainless but attractive state of mind is engendered by the mere sound appeal of the music. （Para 2）
To bathe means to swim or wash yourself in a bath, river or lake。 To bathe in the sound means to immerse yourself in the sound， like in water。
To engender means to cause a feeling or attitude to exist。 The expression
engendered by the mere sound appeal means to be created only by the appeal
or attraction of the sound。
4 Music allows them to leave it 。。. dreaming because of and apropos of the music yet never quite listening to it. （Para 3）
The expression apropos of means relating to； it is used to introduce something else about the subject you are talking about。 The expression is derived from French， and the final —s is silent in pronunciation。 5 ..。 but you must not allow it to usurp a disproportionate share of your interest. The sensuous plane is an important one in music .。。 but it does not constitute the whole story. （Para 4）
To usurp means to take a job or position that belongs to someone else without having the right to do this.
The sentence you must not allow it to usurp a disproportionate share of your interest means don’t let it take up a wrong amount of your interest.
The expression it does not constitute the whole story means there is more to it than this.
6 Here, immediately， we tread on controversial ground. (Para 5)
The expression we tread on controversial ground contains a metaphor: These are ideas that some people will probably disagree about or not approve of. 7 Composers have a way of shying away from any discussion of music’s expressive side. （Para 5）
To shy away from something means to avoid someone or be unwilling to do something because you are nervous, afraid or not confident.
8 Is it pessimistically sad or resignedly sad; is it fatefully sad or smilingly sad？ （Para 6）
The word resignedly means with resignation, accepting that something unpleasant must happen or that you cannot change it。 The whole sentence gives nuances – shades of meaning – of different kinds of sadness: sadness which has a feeling of pessimism （things are bad and we can’t change them easily)， sadness to which we may feel resigned – we accept it, sadness that we feel is part of our fate – we can’t avoid it and it is part of our life， and sadness that also has humour, so we smile even though we feel sad.
9 It is very important for all of us to become more alive to music on its sheerly musical plane. (Para 9）
To become / be alive to something means to know that something is happening and realize how important it is.
10 After all, an actual musical material is being used .。. He must hear the melodies, the rhythms, the harmonies, the tone colors in a more conscious fashion. （Para 9)
The musical materials refer to the elements of music, usually discussed under the headings of melody (the tune), rhythm (the effects of time or duration of the beats of music, the pulse）， harmony (how the notes of music combine with each other in chords or sequences of notes)， tone color （how the precise sound of notes can vary）， and form （how the music is organized with all the elements and patterns of repetition and variation）。
11 Perhaps an analogy with what happens to us when we visit the theater
will make this instinctive correlation clearer. (Para 11）
An analogy is a comparison between two situations， processes etc， that is intended to show that the two are similar. That the two things are
analogous means the same things are true of or relevant to both of them。
Dealing with unfamiliar words
4 Match the words in the box with their definitions. 1 to make up or form something （constitute)
2 happening or done at the same time （simultaneously）
3 able to do something because you have the knowledge， skill， or experience that is needed （qualified)
4 a regular pattern of sounds in music that you can show by moving， hitting your hands together， or hitting a drum or other surface (rhythm) 5 to receive or obtain something from something else （derive) 6 someone who writes music， especially classical music (composer） 7 as much as is needed （sufficiently）
5 Complete the paragraph with the correct form of the words in Activity 4。
Johann Sebastian Bach is possibly the greatest (1) composer the world has ever known. His Well-Tempered Clavichord （2) constitutes one of the most complete works for keyboard ever written. It is （3) simultaneously both a series of technical exercises which explore the possibilities of the keyboard， and a masterpiece of expressive feeling。 Although he was a highly (4) qualified musician （as an organist and a choirmaster)， he was not considered to be （5） sufficiently “modern” by the generation which followed him, and he was soon forgotten。 But his music was rediscovered in the 19th century, for its perfect sense of （6) rhythm and harmony. Indeed， many of the great composers of the 20th century， such as Stravinsky, （7） derived a lot of their musical ideas from him。
6 Replace the underlined words with the correct form of the words and expressions in the box。 You may need to make other changes。
1 Shh! They’re about to announce the winner of this year’s International Piano Competition. (proclaim）
2 It’s quite easy to make a comparison between poetry and music. (analogy) It’s quite easy to make an analogy between poetry and music.
3 We are amazed by her ability to express herself with great clearness and simplicity. (clarity）
4 How many artists have given up everything for the cause of their art? （for the sake of)
5 Internet emerges as a powerful and effective force in advertising new products。 (potent）
6 I enjoyed the performance， but I thought the clothes the actors were wearing were a bit silly. (costumes）
7 Answer the questions about the words and expressions.
1 If you split something up， do you (a） divide it into parts, or （b) put the parts together？
2 If you do something absent—mindedly， are you （a) thinking about what you are doing， or （b） thinking about something else？
3 Do you look for consolation (a） after a piece of bad news, or (b） after a piece of good news?
4 If you are treading on controversial ground, are you （a) taking a risk, or (b） making everybody happy?
5 If you shy away from something, do you （a） keep close to it, or （b） keep your distance from it?
6 If you pin something down， are you （a） able to examine it carefully， or （b) unable to examine it carefully？
7 If you know the melody of a piece of music， are you familiar with （a) the tune, or (b) the meaning of the music?
8 Is an instinctive reaction to something (a） automatic， or (b) one which follows a lot of thought？
Reading and interpreting
8 Work in pairs and choose the best answer to the questions。 1 Which is the writer's main purpose？
（a) To show how complex listening to music is. （b) To get people to listen to music more.
（c） To discourage some people from listening to music。 (d） To get people to think about how they listen to music. 2 Who does the writer address as you？ （a) Musicians. （b） Theatregoers. (c) Composers。
（d) Intelligent music lovers。
9 Check (¸） the statements you agree with。
√ 1 The analysis the writer makes is a fair and accurate one。
Yes， I think this is a reasonable analysis of listening to music。 2 He describes the sensuous listener in negative terms.
He does mention some negative aspects of sensuous listening but he says several times that we listen in all three ways， so I don't think he is actually negative about this way.
√ 3 He thinks all great music is expressive.
He doesn’t actually say this, but this seems to be his point of view. 4 He thinks most listeners are not intelligent enough。
No， he doesn’t say this. He says most listeners are not conscious enough of the third plane, but that doesn't mean they aren’t intelligent。
√ 5 He is probably a professional musician.
I guess this is true because of his knowledge of Stravinsky and Bach, and his insights into the effective way of listening to music。
√ 6 He is probably a good teacher。
I think so because of his way of explaining the three planes and because of the way he uses the analogy of the theatre， which non-musician might appreciate。
Active reading (2)
Language points
1 We know his work includes paintings of religious and mythological themes， domestic interiors and landscapes. (Para 2)
Domestic interiors are the inside of households with the rooms， furniture
and decorations。
Landscapes are paintings of an area of land, showing the scenery sometimes
with people but the focus mostly on nature。
2 While Griet goes about her duties， she attracts the attention not only of a butcher’s boy， Pieter， but also of the painter himself。 (Para 6） To go about her duties means to do the work that she is supposed to do。
Being on duty means to be working at the moment； being off duty means to
be not working at the moment.
3 Despite their different backgrounds and class， he invites her into his studio and engages her in his world. （Para 6)
To engage her in his world means to help her to take an interest,
understand or take part in what he does.
4 Vermeer recognizes Griet as having visual talent and artistic promise, and takes her on as his studio assistant. (Para 7)
The expression she has artistic promise means she shows the sign that she is likely to be successful as an artist in the future.
5 Her role is to grind paints and develop the colours which Vermeer will use for his paintings ..。(Para 7)
To grind paints means to break something into very small pieces or powder by crushing it between two surfaces or using a machine。 In Vermeer’s time， artists made their own paints by grinding up different colours and mixing the powder with water or other substances。 This task was often done by an apprentice or assistant。
6 Catharina has long been forbidden to enter the studio， so the apprenticeship takes place in secret. （Para 7)
The apprenticeship refers to employment as an apprentice to work for someone， or a company， usually for low pay， in order to learn the type of work they do. In the 16th and 17th centuries, it was normal for people to learn how to be an artist by serving as an apprenticeship. 7 The film shows very effectively the tension 。。. for the portrait commissioned by his patron。 （Para 12）
To commission means to ask someone officially to do some work for you.
Commissioning a work of art means asking the artist to produce a particular
work of art in exchange for paymentDealing with unfamiliar words 5 Match the words in the box with their definitions。
1 someone who looks at a picture, photograph， or piece of art （viewer) 2 a painting， drawing or photograph of someone， especially of their face only （portrait）
3 relating to people’s homes and family life （domestic） 4 the inside part of something， especially a building or vehicle （interior）
5 as a result （consequently）
6 to start to employ someone or use their services （engage)
7 to officially ask for a piece of work to be done for you （commission) 6 Complete the paragraph with the correct form of the words in Activity 5。
In the beginning it was only the rich and famous who had their （1) portraits painted。 But from the Renaissance onwards things changed。
Firstly, the growing importance of the middle classes led many ordinary people to (2) commission paintings， often of members of their family。 Secondly, artists became interested in showing scenes of (3) domestic life, set in the (4） interiors of ordinary houses， and (5) consequently they began to (6） engage ordinary people， such as servant girls， as models。 Part of the mystery for (7) viewers today concerns the identity of these models， in masterpieces such as Leonardo’s
Mona Lisa and Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring.
Additional activity
7 Replace the underlined words with the correct form of the words and expressions in the box。
1 He changed his religion from Protestantism and became a Catholic。 （converted)
2 One of the assistant’s jobs was to break into a powder the paints. (grind)
3 The newspaper started to change the fact so that it was no longer true ever since it existed, and the local
government was definitely one of the victims。 （distort）
4 You don’t have to make a hole in your ears to be able to wear these earrings. （pierce）
5 The lives of artists have often been linked to shocking events and situations. （scandals)
6 One of the most striking aspects of the painting is the turban she is wearing on her head. (features)
7 I'll finish the painting this evening， so from now until then you can have a break. (in the meantime)
8 Answer the questions about the words and expressions.
1 Are exotic clothes likely to be （a） ordinary, or (b） unusual？ 2 Is a sitter someone who (a） is being painted, or (b） spends a lot of time sitting down?
3 Is a conventional sense of beauty one which is (a） shared and understood by most people， or (b） different from what is shared and understood by most people？
4 Is an enigmatic expression one which is full of (a) good humour, or (b) mystery?
5 If you have a volatile personality, do you get angry (a） quickly, or （b) only when you can't tolerate？
6 If you are wary of something, are you (a） excited about it， or (b）
careful and nervous about it？
7 If you show something explicitly, do you (a） make its meaning very clear so there is no doubt about it， or (b） leave its meaning unclear？ 8 If a woman tries to keep her modesty， does she （a) cover her hair and body to avoid any sexual feeling in men， or (b) talk and act with good grace？
9 Is jealousy the feeling you get when you think someone you love （a） is attracted to somebody else， or （b） doesn't love you any more？
Language in use
word formation: compound nouns
1 Form compound nouns to indicate: 1 a writer of songs （songwriter） 2 a director of films (film director)
3 a scarf you wear around your head （headscarf） 4 a pack you carry on your back (backpack） 5 a stick you use to make your lips red （lipstick) 6 a lace you use to tie up your shoe （shoelace） 7 polish that you put on your nails （nail polish)
might have been / done
2 Rewrite the sentences using might have been / done . 1 It’s possible that the artist and the model became lovers. The artist and the model might have been lovers.
2 It’s possible that Catharina was never jealous of the model. Catharina might never have been jealous of the model。 3 It’s possible that the model became Vermeer’s assistant。 The model might have become Vermeer’s assistant。
4 It's possible that Vermeer painted other masterpieces which have since been lost。
Vermeer might have painted other masterpieces which have since been lost. 5 It's possible that Vermeer died in poverty. Vermeer might have died in poverty。
may be due to the fact that …
3 Complete the sentences with your own ideas using may be due to the fact
that …
1 The young pianist’s musical genius may be due to the fact that his mother played the piano a lot while she was pregnant, so he has always heard music from day one.
2 The late arrival of the train may be due to the fact that there were severe storms last night。
3 The misunderstanding may be due to the fact that she speaks very little Chinese and I don’t speak much Spanish。
4 The book's enormous popularity may be due to the fact that it has been aggressively marketed on TV and it was discussed in several prime time TV shows.
5 His dislike of music may be due to the fact that he was exposed to loud rock music for many hours a day when he was quite small。
insist that …
4 Rewrite the sentences using insist that …
1 I met an old friend who refused to let me go before I had a drink with him.
I met an old friend， who insisted that I have a drink with him before he let me go.
2 The customs people refused to let me through unless I signed a document they gave me.
The customs people insisted that I sign a document they gave me before they let me through.
3 We refused to let him start the concert before having an hour’s rest。 We insisted that he have an hour’s rest before he started the concert. 4 They refused to publish the book until he changed some of the things he had written.
They insisted that he change some of the things he’d written before they published the book。
5 She refused to let me see the painting until I apologized for what I had done.
She insisted that I apologize for what I had done before she let me see the painting。
collocations
5 Read the explanations of the words. Answer the questions.
1 appeal This word means the quality that something has that makes people like it or want it.
(a） If a radio station wants to widen its appeal， what does it need to do？
It needs to appeal to a wider audience by having more popular programmes。 (b） Are games and sports that have a popular appeal liked by many people or a few people？
They are liked by many people.
(c) When an organization makes an appeal for money， what does it do？ It asks people to give money， probably for a charity.
(d) How would the police launch an appeal to the public for information? They would have a special event like a TV broadcast in which they ask the public to come forward with any relevant information.
2 qualified This word can mean thoroughly trained for a particular job. (a) If you are a highly qualified doctor， what do you have？ You have lots of medical qualifications.
(b） If a job advertisement asks for fully qualified engineers， what does it expect？
It expects people with degrees in engineering and work experiences to apply. （c) If someone is well qualified to give an opinion， who are they? They are expert on the topic for which they are asked to give an opinion. 3 engage This word can mean to start to employ someone or use their services。
(a） If you get engaged to someone, what are you planning to do？ You are planning to get married with the person。
（b) If government forces have engaged with rebels， what is happening? The government forces are fighting the rebels.
（c） If you engage someone in conversation， what do you do? You talk to them and try to interest them in a conversation。
4 convert This word can mean to change from one system， use, or method to another。
(a） Where can you convert pounds into dollars?
You can exchange the money in banks, at the airport， according to the current exchange rate。 You should be sure to check the exchange rate because it can change from day to day。
（b） What useful piece of furniture do some sofas convert into?
They convert into beds so that people can use them for overnight guests。 （c） What would a farmer have to do to convert to organic food production methods？
They would have to stop using artificial methods of food production and
start to use more natural ones.
5 grind When you grind something, you break it into small pieces or powder, by using a machine or by crushing it between two hard surfaces。 （a） What happens to coffee， spices or pepper when you grind it？ The beans or seeds become powder.
(b） Did you know that 20 per cent of people grind their teeth at night? No， the number of the proportion sounds horrible。
(c) If the traffic grinds to a halt, does it stop suddenly or slowly? It stops slowly and will probably become a traffic jam unless it gets moving again quickly。
6 Translate the paragraphs into Chinese.
1 Listen, if you can, to the 48 fugue themes of Bach’s Well—Tempered Clavichord. Listen to each theme, one after another. You will soon realize
that each theme mirrors a different world of feeling. You will also soon realize that the more beautiful a theme seems to you the harder it is to find any word that will describe it to your complete satisfaction. Yes， you will certainly know whether it is a gay theme or a sad one. You will be able, in other words, in your own mind, to draw a frame of emotional feeling around your theme. Now study the sad one a little closer。 Try to pin down the exact quality of its sadness。 Is it pessimistically sad or resignedly sad; is it fatefully sad or smilingly sad?
可能的话,你不妨听听的《平均律钢琴曲集》中的48个赋格主题。依次地、一个个地听听其中的每一个主题，你很快就会意识到每个主题都反映了一个不同的情感世界，你很快也会意识到你越觉得某个主题美妙，就越难找到令你完全满意的字眼来描述它。是的，你当然知道那个主题是欢快的还是悲伤的。换句话说，你能够在脑海中勾勒出那个主题的情感框架。那么就更仔细地听一下这个悲伤的主题吧,要明确悲伤的性质。是悲观厌世的悲伤,还是无可奈何的悲伤？是时运不济的悲伤，还是强颜欢笑的悲伤？
2 We know less about the Girl with the Pearl Earring than any of Vermeer’s works。 Indeed, the unexplainable lack of background information may even contribute to the worldwide popularity the painting enjoys。 With so much mystery, the painting has been the theme of first, a novel and later， a film, both of which attempt to answer some of the questions about the painting, as well as one， which is immediately more appropriate to the medium of the novel or the film: Are her wide eyes and enigmatic half-smile innocent or seductive？
我们对《戴珍珠耳环的少女》的了解比对维梅尔的其他作品都少。实际上，这种无法解释的背景资料的缺失甚至会使得该画更受欢迎。正因为如此神秘，这幅画先是成了一部小说的主题，而后又被一部电影所采纳。它们都试图揭开有关这幅画的一些谜题，其中一个
是：女孩那双睁得大大的眼睛，以及那一丝神秘的微笑，到底是天真还是诱惑？像小说或电影这类媒介更适合作出回答。
7 Translate the paragraphs into English。
1 随着婚礼的临近，苏珊变得非常焦虑.她说不清楚是什么让自己如此烦恼。在同好友凯特
长谈了一次后,她才意识到,尽管自己已经28岁了,但在情感方面还不够成熟,还没有为婚姻做好准备，也不知道这桩婚姻是否会给自己带来美满的家庭生活。（pin down；
guarantee）
As the wedding ceremony was approaching, Susan had become quite anxious. She could not pin down what exactly was troubling her. After a long talk with her close friend Kate， she realized that, although she was 28 years old, she was not emotionally mature enough to be ready for marriage and she was not sure whether the marriage would guarantee her a happy family life. 2 她知道中国学生总是不愿意表达自己的情感和想法,这不仅仅因为他们对自己的英语口语
不够自信，还因为他们相信稳重是一种美德。因此她特意设计了一些简单的话题,鼓励学生参与讨论，让他们增强自信心,拉近彼此间的距离。（shy away； engage sb in)
She knew that Chinese students had a way of shying away from revealing their feelings or opinions, due not merely to their lack of confidence in spoken English， but to their belief in the virtue of modesty。 So she specially conceived a couple of simple topics and encouraged them in the discussion, in order that they might become more confident and closer with each other.
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