How musical are you?

    Yvonne: Hello, I'm Yvonne Archer¹, this is 6 Minute English – and I'm delighted thatRob has joined me today! Hello Rob.
    Rob: Hello Yvonne, nice to be here.
    Yvonne: To start the New Year, BBC Radio 3 ran a Mozart festival, playing 12 days ofthe genius' classical music. Now, many people believe that we need to bemusical to enjoy classical music. So Rob, what makes someone musical in youropinion?
    Rob: Hmm – well, I don't think it's just about playing musical instruments. I thinkit's somebody who appreciates and understands the rhythm of a piece of musicor a song.
    Yvonne: OK – that means that you'll probably find today's question quite interesting.
    Are you ready?
    Rob: Absolutely.
    Yvonne: Listen to these two pieces of music, and, ignoring the pitch – that's the keythey're played in – tell me whether they'rea) exactly the same orb) differentInsert 1: BBC Learning English music testYvonne: Well?
    Rob: Hmm, it's tricky² but I do think they're different. Yes, a different beat in thesecond piece of music there.
    Yvonne: OK, we'll find out whether you're right or wrong later on, Rob. Now that's thesort of question you might be asked in BBC Radio 3's online test to find outabout people's musical abilities.
    Rob: Hmm - that sounds like fun.
    Yvonne: It does. Dr Lauren Stewart of Goldsmith University is one of the scientistsrunning the Radio 3 project. So, is the traditional description of musical peopleas people who can play a musical instrument or who've had formal musictraining a good one?
    Insert 2: Dr Lauren StewartWe think that this is far too narrow, and even just being immersed in our very musical worldengenders people with a very sophisticated level of musicality that they probably aren't evenaware of. So if people can choose the right music for a social occasion, know how musicaffects their moods and emotions - we say that that's already a sophisticated skill.
    Yvonne: Dr Lauren Stewart says our view of what makes someone musical is toonarrow – it's just too limited. So many people who don't play a musicalinstrument or haven't had formal music training could actually be reallymusical too.
    Rob: Mm, and she also says that we're 'immersed' in a 'very musical world' – we'resurrounded by lots of music – and that can also make us musical.
    Yvonne: I agree with her. We do live in a very musical world. Even the BBC LearningEnglish office is musical – think of all those musical ring tones on our mobilephones.
    Rob: Yes, they can be great fun – but they can also be very annoying too! Anyway,Dr Stewart says all that music helps to engender³ us with music skills – musicskills that become a natural part of who we are.
    Yvonne: We also heard how lots of us probably have a very sophisticated, or advanced,level of musicality, but we don't even know – we're not aware of it. Rob, canyou tell us how Dr Stewart explains 'musicality' please?
    Rob: Mm, certainly. Well, a part of musicality is an understanding of how music canchange the way we feel – how it can affect our moods and emotions. And ittakes a sophisticated level of musicality to be able to choose music for a socialoccasion, such as a wedding.
    Yvonne: So being musical isn't only about playing an instrument, getting the beat, all ofthat kind of stuff. And even if we think we're tone-deaf – totally incapable⁴ ofhumming a few notes in a tune⁵ – we may still do quite well on that test.
    Rob: That's good to know! So we'll have a go later on then, Yvonne?
    Yvonne: Definitely!
    Rob: But I wonder whether some people are simply born musically gifted?
    Yvonne: Well, that's what the scientists running the project hope to find out. And asBBC Radio 3 presenter⁶ Petroc Trelawny explains, there's also another reasonwhy they want as many people as possible to take that online test…Insert 3: Petroc TrelawnyActually, maybe it'll debunk⁷ some of the myths about music being frightening andalarming. I think people are often put off by classical music because they think they'regonna make a fool of themselves. This, hopefully, will prove that we've all got it in us.
    Yvonne: So Petroc Trelawny hopes the test results will prove that we're all born withmusical abilities. But he also hopes the test will debunk some of the myths –the stories that aren't true - about music being frightening and alarming. Rob,what does Petroc mean by 'debunk'?
    Rob: He means to destroy and break down the ideas that make people afraid ofmusic, especially classical music. And I agree that many people are put off byclassical music – they don't even listen to it - partly because they think theywon't understand it.
    Yvonne: And that's a real shame, isn't it? Because I think it's perfectly⁸ possible to listento music that's totally new to us or isn't from our own culture, and still enjoy itin our own way. Now, earlier Rob, I asked you whether two pieces of musicyou'd listened to were the same or different. Here's a brief reminder⁹ of whatyou heard:
    Insert 5: Extract from BBC Learning English music testRob: I do think they're different.
    Yvonne: And Rob, you were wrong.
    Rob: Oh dear, I'm a failure!
    Yvonne: Sorry. No! You're still musical in my eyes.
    Rob: That's good!
    Yvonne: So, why not go to BBC Radio 3's website to find out how musical you are?
    Join us again soon for more "6 Minute English".
    Both: Goodbye!

1 archer   

n.射手，弓箭手

参考例句：

• The archer strung his bow and aimed an arrow at the target.弓箭手拉紧弓弦将箭瞄准靶子。
• The archer's shot was a perfect bull's-eye.射手的那一箭正中靶心。

2 tricky   

adj.狡猾的，奸诈的；(工作等)棘手的，微妙的

参考例句：

• I'm in a rather tricky position.Can you help me out?我的处境很棘手，你能帮我吗？
• He avoided this tricky question and talked in generalities.他回避了这个非常微妙的问题，只做了个笼统的表述。

3 engender   

v.产生，引起

参考例句：

• A policy like that tends to engender a sense of acceptance,and the research literature suggests this leads to greater innovation.一个能够使员工产生认同感的政策，研究表明这会走向更伟大的创新。
• The sense of injustice they engender is a threat to economic and political security.它们造成的不公平感是对经济和政治安全的威胁。

4 incapable   

adj.无能力的，不能做某事的

参考例句：

• He would be incapable of committing such a cruel deed.他不会做出这么残忍的事。
• Computers are incapable of creative thought.计算机不会创造性地思维。

5 tune   

n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整

参考例句：

• He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子，并在钢琴上弹给我们听。
• The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。

6 presenter   

n.（电视、广播的）主持人，赠与者

参考例句：

• Most people think being a television presenter is exciting.很多人认为当电视节目主持人是一件刺激的事情。
• The programme dispensed with its most popular presenter.这个节目最受欢迎的主持人被换掉了。

7 debunk   

v.揭穿真相，暴露

参考例句：

• let's debunk some of the most common falsehoods.让我们来揭穿一些最常见的谬误吧。
• Sequences of maps can also debunk misconceptions.一系列的地图，也有助于厘清错误概念。

8 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

9 reminder   

n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示

参考例句：

• I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
• It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。