Music comes in many forms; most countries have a style of their own. The US is well known for jazz (爵士乐), which has gained world-wide popularity.
In contrast to classical (古典的) music, which follows formal European traditions, jazz is natural and free-form. It is full of energy, expressing the moods, interests, and feelings of the people. It has a modern sound that makes people very excited. In the 1920s jazz sounded like America. And So it does today.
The origins of this music are as interesting as the music itself. Jazz was produced by American blacks, who were brought to the Southern States as slaves. They were sold to plantation owners (种植园主) and forced to work long hours in the cotton and tobacco fields. This work was hard and life was short. When a Negro died, his friends and relatives formed a group to carry the body to the cemetery.
A band often went with them. On the way to the cemetery the band played slow and sad music. But on the way home the mood changed. Spirits lifted. Everybody was happy. Death had removed one of their members, but the living were glad to be alive. The band played happy music, which made everyone want to dance. It was an early form of jazz.
Music has always been important in their lives. Coming mainly from West Africa, the black men who were brought to America already possessed a rich musical tradition. This music centered on religious ceremonies (宗教的仪式) in which dancing, singing, clapping and stamping (顿足) to the beat of a drum were important forms of musical expression. As these people settled in to their fields, they made up work songs. Singing made the hard work go faster.
Another musical form that helped to develop jazz was the blues. Blues songs always describe something sad — an unhappy love affair, a money problem, bad luck. To this day, the expression “feeling blue” means being sad.
1.Through jazz, people can express______.
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A． their moods |
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B． their feelings |
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C． their interests |
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D． all the above |
2.Which of the following is true according to the text?
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A．Jazz follows European traditions. |
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B．Jazz always describes something sad. |
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C．Jazz was first produced by black slaves. |
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D．Blues made the hard work of those slaves go faster. |
3.The underlined sentence “Spirits lilted,” suggested that______.
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A．everybody was feeling blue |
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B．everybody was still in a sad mood |
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C．everybody became happy |
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D．people’s souls went to the heaven |
4.What should be the best tide for this passage?
A. A Light Music.
B. Black men’s Music.
C. The Origin of the Jazz Music.
D. The Popular Music—Jazz in the U.S.A.
5.Why did the band play happy music on the way home from the cemetery?
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A．Because they felt happy for the dead men. |
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B．Because they were glad that they themselves were still alive. |
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C．Because they would have a big dinner after they returned home. |
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D．Because they hated that dead man |
Americans have contributed to many art forms, but Jazz a type of music, is one that was not started in the United States. Blacks, who sang and played the music of their homeland, created jazz.
Jazz is a mixture of the music of Africa, the work songs the slaves sang and religious(宗教的) music. Improvisation is an important part of jazz. This means that musicians make the music up as they go along, or create the music on the spot. This is why a jazz song might sound a little different each time it is played
Jazz bands formed in the late 1800s. They played in bars and clubs in many towns and cities of the South, especially in New Orleans. New Orleans is an international seaport, and people from all over the world came to New Orleans to hear jazz.
Jazz became more and more popular. By the 1920s, jazz was popular all over the United States. By the 1940s, you could hear jazz not only in clubs and bars, But in concert halls as well. Today, people from all over the world play jazz. Jazz musicians from the United States, Asia, Africa, South America, and Europe meet and share their music at festivals on every continent. In this way jazz continues to grow and change.
1.What can be the best title of the passage?
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A．American Art Forms |
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B．The Development of Jazz |
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C．The Music of Black Americans |
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D．The Birthplace of Jazz |
2.Which of the following is true?
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A．Jazz is now popular all over the world. |
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B．Jazz is now a kind of religious music. |
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C．Jazz is now played only in bars and clubs. |
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D．Jazz is now played in the same way as before. |
3.From the text it can be inferred that
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A．New Orleans is the place where jazz was first produced |
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B．the American people are all jazz lovers |
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C．jazz is merely sung by the black when working |
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D．jazz may become more popular as time goes on |
4.It took about _____years to make jazz popular in the United States.
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A．200 |
B．120 |
C．80 |
D．40 |
American cities are 1 other cities around the world. In every country, cities reflect the 2 of the culture. Cities contain the very 3 side of a society: opportunities for education, employment and so on. They also 4 the very worst parts of a society: violent crime, racial discrimination and poverty. American cities are changing, just 5 American society.
After World War Ⅱ， the population of 6 large American cities decreased; ___7 , the population in many Sun Belt cities increased. Los Angeles and Houston are cities 8__ population increased. These population moving to and from the city reflect the changing values of American society.
During this time, in the 9 1940s and early 1950s, city people became wealthier. They had more children. They needed more 10 . They moved out their flats in the city to buy their own houses. They bought houses in the 11 , areas near a city where people live. These are areas without many offices or factories. During the 1950s the American “dream” was to have a house on the outskirts.
Now things are changing. The children of the people who 12 the cities in the 1950s are now adults. They, 13 their parents, want to live in the cities. 14 continue to move to cities in the Sun Belt. Cities are 15 and the population is increasing in 16 states as Texas, Florida and California. Others are moving to more 17 cities of the Northeast and Midwest, such as Boston, Baltimore and Chicago.
Many young professionals, doctors and lawyers are moving back into the city. They prefer the city 18 the suburbs because their jobs are there; they are afraid of the fuel shortage; or they just 19 the excitement and opportunities which the city offers. A new class is moving into the cities---a wealthier, 20 mobile class.
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— I must apologize for ________ ahead of time.
— That's all right.
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A．letting you not know |
B．not letting you know. |
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C．letting you know not |
D．letting not you know |
He _________ the country record at the sports meeting.
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A．failed to break |
B．failed to breaking |
C．failed breaking |
D．failed broken |
________ the normal condition, he can read 150 words a minute.
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A．Below |
B．Under |
C．With |
D．In |
