2026年真题12

Listen to a talk in a music class. Hip hop is one of the world's most popular musical genres. I want to discuss a characteristic feature of this art form, sampling. Sampling refers to the reuse of a part of an existing song in a new composition. Hip hop artists might write a song that uses part of a vocal track or a drum beat, or some other sound from an existing song. For example, the singer Beyoncé's 2003 hit Crazy in Love uses a melody from a 1970 release by the band The Shy Lights. Sampling was especially common in the early days of hip hop, before the landmark 1991 US District Court case Grand Upright Music Limited versus Warner Brothers Records Inc. The ruling in that case required artists to obtain permission to use samples in their recordings. Before that legal decision, sampling had been a relatively cheap and easy practice. It continued afterward, down to today, but in a more limited way. Critics often argue that sampling is a less creative approach than traditional music making, but I'd respond that all art, especially music, is referential. In creating a new work, all artists borrow in one manner or another from existing works of art. Hip hop creativity comes in finding unusual sources or putting recognizable material into new contexts. But now I'd like to know what you think. Let's examine the Sonic collage that is Paul's Boutique, the 1989 album from the Beastie Boys, which utilizes A remarkable number of samples.

Listen to a talk in an architecture class. Have you ever thought about how ancient concrete structures like Roman amphitheatres and aqueducts have managed to last for thousands of years, while modern concrete buildings seem to fall apart and need replacing after just a few decades? For a long time, researchers thought the secret to Roman concrete's durability was volcanic ash. That makes sense, since volcanic ash was a major ingredient, and it was explicitly described as such by architects and historians who were writing at the time. But it turns out the real secret was actually tiny chunks of calcium carbonate. These formed because the Romans used dry, quick lime in their mix instead of the way we make concrete today called Portland cement, where lime gets mixed with water first, then blended with everything else. When cracks show up in Roman concrete and water gets in, those calcium carbonate bits react with the water and seal up the cracks. So the concrete basically heals itself, fixes the cracks, and gets stronger over time. Funny thing is, researchers have noticed these chunks in Roman concrete for ages, but they just figured they were a production flaw, like someone didn't mix the ingredients well enough. Anyway, considering how short lived modern concrete is, and the fact that making it is bad for the environment, it's pretty exciting to think we might be able to use some of these ancient Roman tricks in future construction.

Listen to a talk in a biology class. The phenomenon of animal migration is a fascinating subject in biology. Migration involves the regular, often seasonal movement of animals from one region to another, typically in search of food, breeding grounds, or better climates. This behavior is observed in a wide variety of species, including birds, mammals, fish, and insects. One of the most well known examples is the migration of monarch butterflies. These butterflies travel thousands of miles from North America to central Mexico to escape the cold winter. This journey involves multiple generations, as no single butterfly makes the round trip. Another remarkable example is the migration of humpback whales. These massive creatures travel from their feeding grounds in polar waters to warmer tropical regions where they breed and give birth. Birds like the Arctic tern undertake one of the longest migrations, traveling from the Arctic to the Antarctic and back each year. Despite their differences in size, species and reasons for migrating, they all migrate vast distances with precision. They navigate like seasoned human pilots flying transcontinental routes, only without aircraft, instruments or GPS. Of course, migration is not without its challenges. Animals must navigate vast distances, often facing predators, adverse weather and human made obstacles like buildings and roads. Protecting habitats and reducing human interference can help maintain the delicate balance that allows migration to occur. Understanding animal migration provides insight into the complex behaviors and survival strategies of various species.

Listen to a talk in an archaeology class. For decades, archaeologists believed that complex societies and the monumental architecture, the large buildings signifying them, only emerged after agriculture, and that farming was essential for societal development. After all, before agriculture developed, people tended not to settle in a single place, but moved from place to place in search of food. We call such people nomadic hunter gatherers. They were continuously on the move to hunt and collect food. And for people who aren't settled, it was more practical to live in small mobile groups rather than in complex societies. Or so it was believed. But the excavation of the ancient site of Gobekli Tepe through a wrench in this whole story. Gobekli Tepe, dating back about 11,000 years, consists of multiple massive pillars arranged in circles and is considered the world's oldest known temple. Remarkably, it predates the earliest evidence of agriculture in the area by several thousand years. This suggests spiritual practices, not agriculture, may have caused early communities to form. Many scholars interpret the site as a ceremonial center, a periodic gathering place for nomadic hunter gatherers. More recently, archaeologists there did find traces of things like food processing areas, stone tools for grinding grains, as well as actual plant residues. { 1:52 } Yet these residues come from local wild grains, not domesticated crops, and the structures may not indicate year round habitation. So while Gobekli Tepe might have hosted temporary gatherings, the evidence still supports the idea that spiritual practices played a central role in early societal development.