In 1935, the clarinetist and bandleader Benny Goodman, aged just twentysix, lef
题型：不详难度：来源：
In 1935, the clarinetist and bandleader Benny Goodman, aged just twentysix, left New York with his fourteenpiece “swing” band and, traveling in a ragtag group of cars, headed for the huge Palomar Ballroom in Los Angeles. It was not an easy trip. There were half a dozen dismal, sparsely attended onenighters and three weeks at a dance hall in Denver, where the band was forced to play waltzes, tangos, and novelty numbers. On the opening night at the Palomar, the band played ballad numbers in the first set, and there was little response from the dancers. Then one of the musicians said, if they were going to bomb again they might well do it in style. So Goodman called for his hot, often uptempo arrangements, many of them by the ingenious black bandleader and arranger Fletcher Henderson, and the kids stopped dancing, clustered around the bandstand, and began roaring. Before the weeks at the Palomar were over, it was clear that Goodman had suddenly made jazz—still a suspect and largely subliminal American folk music, despite the brilliant inventions during the previous decade of Jelly Roll Morton and others—into a popular music.
Goodmans surprising ways continued. In 1936, he shook up the white entertainment establishment by hiring two black musicians—the elegant pianist Teddy Wilson and the plunging vibraphonist Lione Hampton. (To be sure, Wilson and Hampton did not play in the band; instead, they appeared with Goodman and the drummer Gene Krupa during intermissions.) A year later, when the band went into the Paramount Theater in New York for three weeks, legions of kids appeared, and a screaming, dancing riot nearly took place. It was the first great American show frenzy, and it prepared the way for the Sinatra frenzy of 1947, and for all the Beatles frenzies, and for all the mindless rockborne frenzies of the Seventies and Eighties.
Then, on the night of January 16, 1938, Goodman, challenging the longhairs, took his band into a soldout Carnegie Hall. The big band played a dozen numbers, the trio two numbers, and the quartet five numbers. Despite the immediate rumblings from Olin Downes, the Timess classical music critic (“The playing last night, if noise, speed and beat, all old devices, are heat, was “hot” as it could be, but nothing came of it all, and in the long run it was decidedly monotonous”), Goodmans concert moved jazz even further up the American popular register. ［412 words］
小题1: This passage is mainly
A a general review of Jazz music.
B a biography of Benny Goodman.
C about the origin of American folk music.
D about how jazz became popular in America.
小题2: Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
A The bands first music show in Los Angles was an immediate success.
B Goodman is considered the father of Jazz music.
C Benny Goodman was unknown to public when he left New York.
D The band scheduled to play waltzes, tangos and novelty numbers at a dance hall in Denver.
小题3: It could be inferred from the passage that
A Jazz is a style of music native to America.
B Classic music had become outdated at Goodmans time.
C Morton and Goodman were contemporaries.
D Goodman was the first bandleader who hired Black musicians in 1930s.
小题4: The phrase “shake up” (Line 1,Paragraph 2) in the context probably means
A to give a very unpleasant shock.
B to make changes to an organization.
B to get rid of a problem.
D to point out, designate.
小题5: Towards Goodmans music show frenzy, Olin Downes, the classical music critic has
A approving attitude. B satirizing attitude.
C regretting mind. D exaggerated tone. |
答案
小题1:D
小题2:C
小题3:A
小题4:B
小题5:B |
解析
“if noise, speed and beat, all old devices, are heat”是插入语。despite: 介词，意为：不管，不顾；the Times: 美国《时代》杂志；in the long run: 最后，终究；register 此处意为：记录。
【译文】 尽管美国《时代》杂志古典乐评论家Olin Downes 立即发出批评怨言，（“如果噪音、快速的音乐节奏和节拍以及所有的旧乐器就意味着热烈，昨天晚上的演出很‘热’，却毫无意义，终究无疑是单调乏味”），Goodman 的音乐会推进了爵士乐在美国通俗乐中的地位。
■全文精译
爵士乐的流行
1935年，只有26岁的单簧管演奏者兼乐队指挥 Benny Goodman率领由14件乐器组成的“摇摆”乐队，乘坐不甚显耀的车队离开纽约，前往（head for）洛杉矶巨大的巴罗默演奏厅。这是一次艰难的跋涉（be not an easy trip）。有六、七场（half a dozen）沉闷的（dismal）夜间演出，观众寥寥无几（sparsely attend）。乐队又在丹弗的一家舞厅演出了三个星期，不得已（be forced to）演奏了华尔兹、探戈及一些新奇的乐曲。在巴罗默首场演出晚会上，乐队首先演奏了芭蕾曲，却没有得到舞友的回应。一位乐师说：要想制造爆炸性效果就制造点新花样吧！Goodman便要求（call for）乐队演奏狂热、快速的改编乐曲，其中许多曲子是这位天才的黑人乐队指挥和乐曲改编者Fletcher Henderson演奏的。年轻人们都不跳舞了，他们全欢呼着围到了演奏台周围。很清楚，在帕罗马几个星期的演出结束前，Goodman突然将爵士乐——尽管在此前10年中Jelly Roll Morton和其他人都有卓越的创作，爵士乐当时仍然没有为人们所接受、在很大程度上仍然是潜意识的美国民间音乐——变成了一种通俗音乐。
Goodman令人惊奇的方式继续着。1936年，他邀请两位黑人乐师——优雅的钢琴演奏家（the elegant pianist）和专注的（the plunging）电颤琴演奏家Lione Hampton——加盟，这极大地影响了（shake up）白人娱乐圈。（而事实上（to be sure），两位黑人乐师都没有在乐队中演奏，只是在演奏间歇时同Goodman和鼓手Gene Krupa一起露露面。）一年后，当乐队入驻纽约市派拉蒙剧院演奏三周，大群年轻人到场，他们尖叫着、狂舞着，几乎发生了混乱。那是美国第一次由于演出引发的狂热现象（show frenzy），它为后来出现的1947年的西纳特拉狂热、披头士合唱队狂热和70、80年代忘我的摇滚乐产生的狂热铺平了道路。
接着，1938年1月16日晚，Goodman率领乐队进入已卖出的卡耐基大厅，对古典音乐发起挑战。庞大的乐队演奏了十多首乐曲、两曲三重奏、五曲四重奏。尽管美国《时代》杂志古典音乐评论家Olin Downes立即提出批评（“昨天晚上的演奏，如果噪音、快速的音乐节奏和节拍以及所有的旧乐器就意味着热烈，昨天晚上的演出很“热”，却毫无意义（nothing come of it all），终究无疑是单调乏味（monotonous）”）， Goodman的音乐会进一步提高了爵士乐在美国通俗乐中的影响 |
举一反三
Development of a widely accepted chronology for the arrival of humans has been equally difficult, and it was only with the development of optically stimulated luminescence dating that a human presence in Australia was confirmed at 53,000 to 60,000 years ago. Older dates for a human presence in Australia have now been shown to be erroneous .
The importance of Australia as a separate natural laboratory in which to test extinction theories lies in the fact that humans arrived there much earlier than they arrived in the other continental areas (the Americas and northern Eurasia) that experienced substantial megafaunal extinction. What Miller et al. have shown is that the extinction of Genyornis occurred simultaneously across southeastern Australia (indeed probably right across the continent) about 50,000 years ago. This is very close to the presently accepted time of arrival of humans in Australia. It was also a period of modest climate change, well before the dramatic climatic fluctuations of the terminal Pleistocene. The data of Miller et al., therefore, support those who see human hunting rather than climate as causing the extinction of the megafauna.
Genyornis was a ponderous bird, around 80 to 100 kg in weight, about twice as heavy as the living emu and cassowary. It was an inhabitant of Australias inland plains and some coastal regions, but its legs were relatively short and thick, suggestion that it was a slower runner than the emu. Proponents of humancaused extinction suggest that it is just such characteristics that made the megafauna vulnerable to human hunting.
A new school of thought has recently established itself in the extinction debate. It advocates the idea that a combination of human impact and climate change was responsible for the extinction of the worlds megafauna. The new Genyornis data also weaken that argument, for the following reason. Fifty thousand years ago, Australia was experiencing mild cooling; 11,000 to 12,000 years ago, the Americas were experiencing rapid warming. These disparate climatic conditions, all coincident with megafaunal extinction, suggest that whatever was happening with climate, it was bad for the big animals. Under these conditions, the hybrid model becomes indistinguishable from the humancaused extinction model for the influence of climate becomes extremely weak, and only the arrival of humans is important in predicting extinction.
小题1: The last word “megafauna” in Paragraph 2 most probably means
A birds. B plants.
C big animals. D small animals.
小题2: Genyornis was vulnerable to human hunting because it was
A a delicacy. B very weak.
C very small in size. D clumsy.
小题3: How many models have been put forward for the extinction of Genyoris?
A One. B Two.
C Three. D Four.
小题4: That Australia experienced mild cooling and the Americas rapid warming suggests that
A the climatic conditions were unfit for Genyornis to live.
B Genyornis were highly adaptable to different climatic conditions.
C The two climatic conditions were both bad for Genyornis.
D The climatic conditions had nothing to do with the extinction of Genyoris.
小题5: The selection is mainly about
A the debate over the time of the human presence in Australia.
B the relationship between the human presence and magafaunal extinction.
C the relationship between human activities and climatic changes.
D the debate over factors causing megafaunal extinction. |
There is probably no field of human activity in which our values and lifestyles are shown more clearly and strongly than they are in the clothes that we choose to wear.The dress of an individual is a kind of “sign language” that communicates a set of information and is usually the basis on which immediate impressions are formed.Traditionally,a concern for clothes was considered to be an affair of females,while men took pride in the fact that they were completely lacking in clothes consciousness(意识).
This type of American culture is by degrees changing as man dress takes on greater variety and color.Even as early as 1955,a researcher in Michigan said that men attached rather high importance to the value of clothing in daily life. White collar workers in particular viewed dress as a symbol(象征)of ability,which could be used to impress or influence others,especially in the work situation.The white collar worker was described as extremely concerned about the impression his clothing made on his superiors(上司).Although blue collar workers were less aware(察觉到的)that they might be judged on the basis of their clothing,they recognized that any difference from the accepted pattern of dress would be made fun of by fellow workers.
Since that time,of course,the patterns have changed:the typical office worker may now be wearing the blue shirt,and the laborer a white shirt;but the importance of dress has not become less.Other researchers in recent years have helped to prove its importance in the lives of individuals at various age levels and in different social and economic status groups(阶层).
小题1:The passage tells us that _______.| A．our values and lifestyles are in no field of human activity | | B．the clothes that we choose to wear have something to do with our values and lifestyles | | C．our values and lifestyles are from the sign language | | D．the clothes we choose to wear depend on a set of information and immediate impression |
小题2:Traditionally,people usually thought that _______.| A．men cared very much for clothes | | B．women were concerned greatly about what they wore while men didn’t | | C．both men and women paid great attention to their clothes | | D．neither men nor women showed interest in clothes |
小题3:Blue collar workers pay attention to their clothes because _______.| A．they are concerned about the impression their clothes make on their superiors | | B．they know very clearly that people will judge them on the basis of their clothing | | C．they want to impress and influence others | | D．they don’t want to be laughed at |
小题4:Which of the following can best explain the underlined sentence in the second paragraph?| A．Men thought the value of clothing in daily life was very important. | | B．Men didn’t pay attention to the importance of the value of clothing in daily life. | | C．Men thought little of the importance of the value of clothing in daily life. | | D．Men were concerned little about the value of clothing in daily life. |
小题5:The passage mainly suggests that _______.| A．now men pay more attention to their clothes than women do | | B．women always like beautiful dresses | | C．people have paid more and more attention to the importance of dress | | D．American culture is changing greatly |
|
Science is a dominant theme in our culture. Since it touches almost every facet of our life, educated people need at least some acquaintance with its structure and operation. They should also have an understanding of the subculture in which scientists live and the kinds of people they are. An understanding of general characteristics of science as well as specific scientific concepts is easier to attain if one knows something about the things that excite and frustrate the scientist.
This book is written for the intelligent student or lay person whose acquaintance with science is superficial; for the person who has been presented with science as a musty storehouse of dried facts; for the person who sees the chief objective of science as the production of gadgets; and for the person who views the scientists as some sort of magician. The book can be used to supplement a course in any science, to accompany any course that attempts to give an understanding of the modern world, or – independently of any course – simply to provide a better understanding of science. We hope this book will lead readers to a broader perspective on scientific attitudes and a more realistic view of what science is, who scientists are, and what they do. It will give them an awareness and understanding of the relationship between science and our culture and an appreciation of the roles science may play in our culture. In addition, readers may learn to appreciate the relationship between scientific views and some of the values and philosophies that are pervasive in our culture.
We have tried to present in this book an accurate and up-to-date picture of the scientific community and the people who populate it. That population has in recent years come to comprise more and more women. This increasing role of women in the scientific subculture is not an unique incident but, rather, part of the trend evident in all segments of society as more women enter traditionally male-dominated fields and make significant contributions. In discussing these changes and contribution, however, we are faced with a language that is implicitly sexist, one that uses male nouns or pronouns in referring to unspecified individuals. To offset this built-in bias, we have adopted the policy of using plural nouns and pronouns whenever possible and, when absolutely necessary, alternating he and she. This policy is far form being ideal, but it is at least an acknowledgment of the inadequacy of our language in treating half of the human race equally.
We have also tried to make the book entertaining as well as informative. Our approach is usually informal. We feel, as do many other scientists, that we shouldn’t take ourselves too seriously. As the reader may observe, we see science as a delightful pastime rather than as a grim and dreary way to earn a living.
小题1:According to the passage, ‘scientific subculture’ means
[A] cultural groups that are formed by scientists.
people whose knowledge of science is very limited.
[C] the scientific community.
[D] people who make good contribution to science.
小题2:We need to know something about the structure and operation of science because
[A] it is not easy to understand the things that excite and frustrate scientists.
Science affects almost every aspect of our life.
[C] Scientists live in a specific subculture.
[D] It is easier to understand general characteristics of science.
小题3:The book mentioned in this passage is written for readers who
[A] are intelligent college students and lay person who do not know much about science.
are good at producing various gadgets.
[C] work in a storehouse of dried facts.
[D] want to have a superficial understanding of science.
小题4:According to this passage,
[A] English is a sexist language.
only in the scientific world is the role of women increasing rapidly.
[C] women are making significant contributions to eliminating the inadequacy of our language.
[D] male nouns or pronouns should not be used to refer to scientists.
小题5:This passage most probably is
[A] a book review.
the preface of a book.
[C] the postscript of a book.
[D] the concluding part of a book.
Vocabulary
subculture 亚文化群（指在一个社会或一种文化内具有独特性的一群人）
superficial 肤浅的，浅薄的，表面的
lay person 外行，门外汉，俗人
musty 发毒的，老朽的，陈腐的
gadget 小玩意儿，小配件，新发明
pervasive 渗透的，弥漫的，遍布的
populate 居住于……中，在……中占一席之地
implicit 含蓄的，内含的
unspecified 未特别提出的
offset 抵消，补偿 |
It looked like a typical business meeting. Six men, neatly dressed in white shirts and ties filed into the boardroom of a small Jakarta company and sat down at a long table. But instead of consulting files or hearing reports, they closed their eyes and began to meditate, consulting the spirits of ancient Javanese kings. Mysticism touches almost every aspect of life in Indonesia and business is no exception. One of the meditators said his weekly meditation sessions are aimed mainly at bringing the peace of mind that makes for good decision-making. But the insight gained from mystic communication with spirits of wise kings has also helped boost the profits of his five companies.
Mysticism and profits have come together since the 13th century introduction of Islam to Indonesia by Indian Moslem merchants. Those devout traders, called ‘Wali Ullah’ or ‘those close to God, ’ energetically spread both trade and religion by adapting their appeals to the native mysticism of Java. Legends attribute magic power of foreknowledge to the Wali Ullah. These powers were believed to be gained through meditation and fasting.
Businessman Hadisiko said his group fasts and meditates all night every Thursday to become closer to God and to contact the spirits of the great men of the past. ‘If we want to employ someone at the managerial level, we meditate together and often the message comes that this man can’t hole onto money or he is untrustworthy. Or maybe the spirits will tell us he should be hired.’ Hadiziko hastened to add that his companies also hold modern personnel management systems and that formal qualifications are essential for a candidate even to be considered. Perspective investments also are considered through mystic meditation. ‘With the mind relaxed and open, it is easier to be objective in judging the risk of a new venture. Meditation and contact with the wisdom of the old leaders sharpens your own insight and intuition. Then you have to apply that intuition to the information you have and work hard to be successful. ’ Mystic meditation helped reverse a business slide his companies experienced in the mid-1980. Operating with normal business procedures, he lost more than $ 3 millions in that year alone. Meditation brought back his peace of mind. Putting the right persons in the right jobs and gaining confidence in his business decisions were the keys to a turning around that has brought expansion and profitability. The mysticism in Handspike’s boardroom is part of a growing movement in Indonesia called Kebatinan – the ‘search for the inner self.’
One of his managers, Yusuf Soemado, who studied business administration at Harvard University, compared the idea of mystic management to western system of positive thinking. ‘Willpower and subconscious mind are recognized as important factors in business. Such approaches as psycho-cybernetics, Carnegie’s think and growth rates, or the power of positive thinking are western attempts to tap the same higher intelligence that we contact through meditation,’ he said.
小题1:What is the most important factor in their doing business?
[A] Mysticism.
Religion.
[C] Meditation.
[D] Investment.
小题2:Whom do they consult?
[A] The spirits of ancient Javanese kings.
Wali Ullah.
[C] Old Kings.
[D] Carnegie.
小题3:Why did Hadisike hasten to add ‘his companies also hold modern personnel management systems…’?
[A] He thought Mysticism was not so good as expected.
To show they too focused on qualifications.
[C] To show they hired qualified persons.
[D] To show the possibility of combination of the scientific management with religion.
小题4:According to the passage, the function of the meditation is
[A] to gain profit from the god.
to gain peace of mind to make decision.
[C] to gain foreknowledge.
[D] to gain objective conclusion.
小题5:What does ‘operating with normal business procedures’ refer to?
[A] Adopting the western way of doing business.
Ordinary way of doing business without meditation and fasting.
[C] Contact with God.
[D] Putting right persons in the right jobs.
Vocabulary
file into 鱼贯而入，排队进去
Jakarta 雅加达
meditate 沉思，冥想，反省
Java 爪哇
Javanese 爪哇的
mysticism 神秘主义
boost 促进，增加，提高
devout 虔诚的，热诚的
appeal (to) 向……呼吁，求助于，魅力
legend 传说，神话
fasting 禁食，斋戒
hold onto 抓紧，保住
personnel management system 人事管理制度
perspective investment 远景投资
venture （商业）投机，风险
sharpen 使……敏锐/尖锐，磨尖
business slide 买卖/企业滑坡，下滑
turn around （生意）好转，转变
subconscious 下意识的，潜意识的
cybernetics 控制论
Carnegie 卡耐基
tap 开拓，选择 |
The way we do things round here
Some years ago, I was hired by an American bank. I received a letter from the head of the Personnel Department that started, “Dear John, I am quite pleased that you have decided to join us.” That “quite” saddened me. I thought he was saying “We’re kind of pleased you decided to join us although I wish we had hired someone else.” Then I discovered that in American English “quite” sometimes means “very”, while in British English it means “fairly”.
So the first lesson about working in other countries is to learn the language and by that I don’t just mean the words people speak. It is body language, dress, manners, ideas and so on. The way people do things highlights many of the differences we see between cultures.
Some of these differences may be only on the surface--- dress, food and hours of work--- while others may be deeper and take longer to deal with. Mostly, it is just a question of getting used to the differences and accepting them, like the climate (气候), while getting on with business.
Some of the differences may be an improvement. People are more polite; the service is better; you ask for something to be done and it happens without having to ask again. However, other differences can be troubling, like punctuality (准时). If you invite people to a party at 7 o’clock your guests will consider it polite to turn up exactly on time in Germany, five minutes early in the American Midwest, an hour early in Japan, 15 minutes afterwards in the UK, up to an hour afterwards in Italy and some time in the evening in Greece. I prefer not to use the word “late” because there is nothing wrong with the times people arrive. It is simply the accepted thing to do in their own country.
小题1:The author was unhappy as mentioned in Paragraph 1 because he thought _____.| A．the American bank didn’t think much of him | | B．the American bank might hire another person | | C．it’s difficult to get used to American culture | | D．it’s easy to misunderstand Americans |
小题2:The word “highlights” in Paragraph 2 probably means _______.| A．encourages | B．helps to narrow | C．increases | D．draws attention to |
小题3:According to the author, what should we do with most cultural differences?| A．Ask the native people for help. | B．Understand and accept them. | | C．Do things in our own way. | D．Do in-depth research. |
小题4:When invited to a party the people who are usually punctual（准时的）are ______.| A．Italians | B．Germans | C．Greeks | D．the British |
|
最新试题
热门考点