Strange Instruments

千奇百怪的乐器。People around the world make music in a wide variety of ways.

Bagpipes
Usually associated with Scotland, bagpipes are used in folk music throughout Europe and even in southwest Asia and northern Africa. The name bagpipe comes from a bag that the player pumps or blows air into and then squeezes to push air out through several pipes. One pipe with finger holes produces the melody, while others produce a sustained drone, which is the harmony.

Hurdy-Gurdy
This medieval European instrument has a crank that makes a wheel inside the instrument spin and rub against a set of strings. Some strings controlled by keys produce a melody, while others make a drone like a bagpipe or a distinctive buzzing sound.

Didgeridoo
Same 2,000-year-old Australian aboriginal cave paintings show people playing this wind instrument, but some claim that it originated 40,000 years ago. Didgeridoos are long wooden tubes made from hollow trees. Players use a technique called circular breathing, inhaling through their noses while they blow into the instrument.

Glass Armonica
American inventor Benjamin Franklin observed that rubbing one's wet fingers over the rims of glasses produced a variety of notes, depending on the glasses' sizes. This observation inspired his "glass armonica," a long tube with wine glasses mounted along it. Pressing a foot pedal spins the tube so that the player can create intricate melodies by touching the glasses.

Grammar Tips:
Usually associated with Scotland, bagpipes are used to folk music throughout Europe and even in southwest Asia and northern Africa.
"usually associated with" Scotland -
Although bagpipes are usually associated with Scotland they are used to folk music throughout Europe and even in Southwest Asia and northern Africa.
Usually associated with teenager girls, anorexia is an eating disorder that affects all ages.
Usually associated with  Asian cuisines, tofu is used to a wide variety of cooking from hungers to meat sauces to fruit shakes.

Vocabulary Tips:
sustained -（ 过去分词当用）持久的，持续的。 sustain-持续
*A sustained applause followed the singer's excellent performance.
*The government's sustained effort in helping the poor proved to be effective. 长期努力。。有效的成果
inhale - 吸入，吸气。"in"- 有“进来”之意。breath in
*The patient was hospitalized because she inhaled too much smoke.
exhale -呼出，呼气。 "ex"-有“出去”之意 breath out
*The doctor told me when to exhale during the X-ray exam.
intricate- 复杂而又精细的many small little piece that work together.
*The intricate designs on these Persian carpets are really fascinating.
*The intricate escape plan eventually failed because one of the inmates told the warden.

Chat Room:
Bagpipes are used in folk music. 苏格兰的风笛
folk music - 民俗音乐
classical music -古典音乐。
classical 古典/ classic  经典- 经典的作品，音乐，名著，杰出的事物。
classical music, classical composers - 巴哈，莫扎特都是古典音乐作曲家。
classic -well known, very popular.
classic music-披头四的 "Yesterday" is a classic music.

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