Question

No one knows exactly when jazz was invented, or by whom. But it is said that it began in the early 1900s. Jazz was a new kind of music, for America and the world, and New Orleans was its birthplace.

Who were the jazz pioneers? Most were blacks. This music was not written down, and at first only blacks played it. It was hard for white musicians to learn the new style. But soon they, too, were playing jazz.

The popularity of this music spread. From New Orleans, it traveled up the Mississippi to Chicago, then to Kansas City and New York. By the 1920s, there were many jazz musicians, both black and white. Many of them were famous. One man was better than the rest. His name was Louis Armstrong.

Louis Armstrong was a born musician. He was not only talented（有才能的） but also hard-working. He also had a good sense of humor and a big, good-natured smile. These personal qualities were valuable in his rise to fame. After he became famous, he traveled around the world. It seemed that everyone wanted to hear Louis play. But life was not always easy, especially at the beginning.

Louis Armstrong was born in 1900 in New Orleans. His father never went to school and his mother could hardly read. When Louis was still a kid, his parents separated, and Louis lived with his mother. How hard their life was can readily be imagined. And yet Louis smiled through everything. He later wrote, “My whole life has been happiness. Life was there for me and I accepted it. Whatever happened has been beautiful to me. I love everybody.”

1.What can we know exactly from the first paragraph?

A. Who invented jazz.

B. Where jazz was invented.

C. When jazz was invented.

D. Why jazz was invented.

2.The underlined word “they” in Paragraph 2 refers to “        ”.

A. Jazz pioneers.            B. New styles.

C. White musicians.          D. Black musicians.

3.What made Louis Armstrong become the best jazz musician?

A. His talent and hard work.

B. His family background.

C. His good sense of humor.

D. His big, good-natured smiles.

4.Which of the following best expresses Louis Armstrong’s attitude (态度) to life?

A. He laughs best who laughs last.

B. Failure is the mother of success.

C. When you smile, the world smiles back.

D. Without music, life is a journey through a desert.

5.What is the passage mainly about?

A. The development of jazz.

B. The influence of jazz on Americans.

C. The achievements of Louis Armstrong.

D. The development of jazz and its best musician.

Answer

1.B

2.C

3.A

4.C

5.D

【解析】

试题分析：这篇短文主要讲述了爵士乐的发展，以及在爵士乐方面最好的音乐家阿姆斯特朗的故事。

1. New Orleans was its birthplace.”可知爵士乐是在新奥尔良出现的。故选B。

2. was hard for white musicians to learn the new style.”可知“they”指的是这些白人音乐家。故选C。

3.细节理解题。根据第四段“Louis Armstrong was a born musician. He was not only talented but also hard-working. ”可知他是一个与生俱来的音乐家。故天赋和努力工作是他成功的主要因素。选A。

4.细节理解题。根据短文最后一段“How hard their life was can readily be imagined. And yet Louis smiled through everything.”可知阿姆斯特朗小时候生活很艰辛，但是他仍旧笑对生活。故选项C最好的表达了他的生活态度。

5.

考点：考查人物传记类短文阅读。