Music is a language which speaks to everyone — from the day we are born we hear music of some kind of our lives. But there are as many different kinds of music as there are different languages, and it is impossible to describe them all. Here are just a few well-known types.

Classical music is serious Western European music from the Middle Ages to the present (1500 to today) and it was often written for a large orchestra, or for a small group of players. Many instruments can be used. A lot of music was also written to be sung — as opera. Classical music is very popular and schools often teach this type of music.

Jazz developed in the Southern United States at the beginning of last century. The black people of these states, who were originally slaves from Africa, had their own rhythms. Jazz brought classical music and African rhythms together.

Blues was originally black country music from the Southern United States at the beginning of last century. It is slow, usually sad music which is often sung by one person with a guitar.

Rhythm and Blues (R&B) developed from the blues in America in the 1940s. It became faster and more complex and used more instruments, eg. saxophones (萨克斯管), guitars, pianos, drums. The music was often about city life and white musicians started playing it as well.

Musicians in the 1950s developed rock ‘n’ roll from Rhythm and Blues and it became popular with young people. It spread to Europe in the 1960s and is now known in most countries. A lot of pop music comes from rock ‘n’ roll.

Pop music developed from rock ‘ n’ roll in America and Britain in the 1960s and is now in every country. The name is used for most commercial (商业的) music, which we can buy on records and hear on “pop radio”. It is usually played by groups who often use electronic instruments and make videos to go with their records.

   At the moment, when looking round the world, we can find all kinds of dance performances are being offered. There are many competitions, and the dancers might be quite confused (困惑的) Which is of high standard and good quality, and which is not worth going to? First of all it has clearly got to be distinguished (区分) between the different styles of dance and the purposes of such competitions. When a person wants to learn classical ballet, he or she would never dream of going to a ballroom teacher. Such a teacher might even have been a world champion in his ballroom dancing, but he would definitely not be experienced in teaching proper classical ballet.

People in Britain and the USA are taking more interest in modern dance. Dance classes of all kinds are popular; a large number of audiences go to watch modern dance companies. And perhaps the most popular modern dance company in Britain is the Ballet Rambert.

The Ballet Rambert is Britain’s oldest dance company which began in 1926. In the 1960s the company lacked the money to go on staging big productions. The directors wanted to encourage new talent and to keep up their high standards. A change of direction was necessary. They decided to give the ballet a “new look” in 1966. The purpose was to provide a chance for new talent and to show dance as a contemporary art form. And although some of the company’s previous fans disliked the change, new audiences came to see the productions.

The modern dance pieces and modern music found unexpected popularity. In the 21st century the Ballet Rambert was a great success in London’s West End. The company became a focus for new, progressive talent in the art.

The Ballet Rambert has managed to make modern dance popular while creating original productions. It can claim to be the oldest dance company in Britain and at the same time one of the most modern!

   I like music so much that I believe I can't live without it. I was once asked by a friend of mine why I took such a great interest in it. First I would like to go deep into my soul and find myself through the music I like. Actually，some people call it the process of looking for the purpose of life，but I consider it to find my own spirit rather than the purpose of life. And the other reason is that I can communicate with other people and share all the things we have with the help of music. In fact，the use of music as a communication tool has been kept by human beings for thousands of years.

My friend asked me for further explanation after hearing what I said. I told him that this can date back to the original time，and to the very beginning of the world. At the very beginning of human beings，our forerunners（先驱）already had a special hobby of music. You'll know exactly what I mean if you happen to know the musical sentence when Adam，the first man，said to the first woman Eve，“Madam，I'm Adam”，which may have the meaning when you read from the end to the beginning. Later on，Adam and Eve and their children began to enjoy the sound of nature as a result of the special hobby of music. They found interest in listening to the sound of wind and rain, the singing of birds, the howls of beasts as well as the simple songs they themselves made.

As time went by, people started to form different kinds of music, such as Eastern music, pop music, rock and roll and light music. People became more skillful at enjoying the music. They were not just paying attention to the words and melodies, but they went deep into the soul of a piece of music. They began to know the relationship between music and their own life. They realized the power of music and started to use music to show their feelings and emotions. At the same time, people who listened to music and found the right way of enjoying it were going deeper and deeper into their soul and spirit through music. They got the whole colourful world which was surrounded by music. They began to communicate with others and share their feelings with the help of music. Music has become a kind of language since then.

Nowadays, people take a greater interest in music than ever before. More and more people begin to like music because they want to find their soul deep in their spirit and also because they have a need to share their life with other people. It is said that music has become an exactly international language today. It is even believed that if there are creatures on other planets and all other ways can't help communicate with them, music will probably do!

   One British school is finding that allowing children to listen to music or even to have the TV on while studying is helping improve grades. When your teenager starts a family _____ by sitting in an armchair listening to music while doing his homework next time, why not _____ a simple experiment? Rather than taking the strict line of _____ him to go to his bedroom to get on with it _____ , let him do the homework the _____ he wants. You might well find that his essay is more interesting than _____ he’s done before.

___ the research of Millfield Prep School, around 20% of youngsters _____ best with background music, 10% do extremely well when allowed to ______ their work with short walks around the room while up to 80% can focus ______ if allowed to play with a small object.

The research has advised the school to adopt a complete ______ approach, analyzing pupils to discover which learning style ______ them best — then letting them do their work listening to music or ______ lying down. Doubtful (感到怀疑的) parents at first regarded the ______ as a layabout’s (懒汉) deed but many are now applying it at ______ where children are also allowed to do their work ______ the television on.

“I ______ to work on the floor with music on low, ” admits Susan, 13, a day girl. “______ my parents thought I was playing truant (偷懒), but my ______ persuaded them to look at my homework and when they saw it was okay, they ______.”

   The symphony ended and after much applause the audience moved out of the warmth of the hall and into the cold night air. It had been one of the best performances of recent months and you could feel the excitement as the crowd moved down the street. Taxis seemed to appear from nowhere to convey people home，while others sought out bars and restaurants. Everyone was chatting excitedly and the magic of the performance carried on in their minds.

This had been a traditional classic，with none of the clumsy notes so loved by the so-called modernists. The music had thrilled the soul and assisted in lifting the spirits to a higher level. Perhaps in these hard times someone might learn this valuable lesson. What was wanted was traditional works that attracted crowds，not the shameful and incomprehensible pieces that had left so many seats unoccupied for so long.

As the people left they seemed to carry some of the performances along with them. It was like the fragrance of a rose bush carried by a gentle wind，sweet and exciting，yet at a distance the source unknown. A few hummed（哼）the tunes as they walked along，spreading their enjoyment far and wide. Long into the night you could still feel the emotion of the music and as dawn rose over the city the next day，the last faint echoes（回声）still remained as people returned to work.

Critics are critics；they are never really interested in ordinary people and simple pleasures. Where was the skill in simply playing well to a fascinated audience？What was advanced by the performance of well-known overtures（序曲）？So，as would be expected，they used their usual phrases and quotations to belittle（贬低）the traditional classics. As a result，the pop returned. And within a week the concert hall was almost empty again.