TF阅读真题第894篇Jazz

Jazz

 

Jazz music, an art form original to the United States, originated in the southern city of New Orleans at the turn of the twentieth century. It combined the elements of various music styles, including ragtime, folk songs, religious hymns, blues, and swing, into a commercially and artistically successful genre. New Orleans was a unique city for a variety of reasons. The location of the city at the end of the Mississippi River and as a major port city provided a great deal of commerce and trade nationally and internationally. The population was diverse with a small percentage of white citizens in power, while most white citizens and all black citizens were at the lower end of the social and economic ladder. There was also a unique class of mixed- race people in New Orleans referred to as Creoles, who were very proud of their French heritage. The Creoles were responsible for the entertainment neighborhood of the community that is still known today as the French Quarter. Bars, nightclubs, and other entertainment outlets were the typical businesses found in the Creole section of town. Traders, merchants, and travelers were attracted to the nightlife of the French Quarter much in the same way tourists are attracted there today.

The Creoles looked to talented black musicians to provide music for these establishments, and the opportunity for employment and music making was attractive to the performers. Most of these musicians were limited in their education and relied on their ear to perform. Musicians would get together and begin to play in a free, improvisatory fashion (spontaneously changing with each performer). None of this music was recorded and was probably a highly improvised variation of a single melody, known as monophony. When the musicians would attempt to perform the melody, mistakes, restrictions of their instruments or their abilities, the range, timbre, and flexibility differences between instruments, and creativity would make the monophony so varied that it would often be referred to as heterophony-music created by a number of musicians performing the same melody, with each player applying slight improvisation of the melody. This loose, highly rhythmic, improvisatory music became highly regarded in New Orleans, and soon jazz musicians and their music began to spread to other United States cities along or not far from the Mississippi River, such as Memphis, Kansas City, and Chicago.

The original jazz music of New Orleans is lost to us since it was never recorded or notated, but much of what is referred to commonly as Dixieland jazz(based on the popular name, Dixie, for the southern United States) was the style of music popular in the northern city of Chicago in the 1920s. Many of the musicians, such as King Oliver and his young protege, Louis Armstrong,were recruited from New Orleans and were featured in nightclubs and speakeasies (unlawful liquor-selling establishments) that were part of the culture of Chicago in the 1920s, when the sale of alcoholic beverages was prohibited. This music began to attract a larger audience primarily through the rising popularity of the phonograph (an early sound- recording device). The first pieces of music to be recorded and sold for a considerable profit were “Dixie Jass Band One-Step” and “Livery Stable Blues” on each side of a 78- rpm record. These tunes were recorded in 1917 by a group of white musicians led by cornet player Nick La Rocca in New York City. The group was called “The Original Dixieland Jazz Band,” but they were neither original, Dixieland in style, nor from New Orleans. This record sold over a million copies and set a standard for how New Orleans jazz was supposed to sound. This music was a fair copy of the music being performed in Chicago by black musicians at the time. The later recordings of King Oliver and Louis Armstrong were stronger examples of the style, but this recording does mark an important era in jazz music and the beginnings of successful commercialization of popular music in the United States.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

Jazz music, an art form original to the United States, originated in the southern city of New Orleans at the turn of the twentieth century. It combined the elements of various music styles, including ragtime, folk songs, religious hymns, blues, and swing, into a commercially and artistically successful genre. New Orleans was a unique city for a variety of reasons. The location of the city at the end of the Mississippi River and as a major port city provided a great deal of commerce and trade nationally and internationally. The population was diverse with a small percentage of white citizens in power, while most white citizens and all black citizens were at the lower end of the social and economic ladder. There was also a unique class of mixed- race people in New Orleans referred to as Creoles, who were very proud of their French heritage. The Creoles were responsible for the entertainment neighborhood of the community that is still known today as the French Quarter. Bars, nightclubs, and other entertainment outlets were the typical businesses found in the Creole section of town. Traders, merchants, and travelers were attracted to the nightlife of the French Quarter much in the same way tourists are attracted there today.

According to paragraph 1, all of the following were true of New Orleans at the beginning of the twentieth century EXCEPT:

Negative Factual Information Questions否定事实信息题

AIt was an important center of trade both within the United States and with other countries

BIts citizens who had power lived in the same parts of town as people of lower status did.

CIts citizens included a unique group of people with a French heritage.

DIt had a highly popular entertainment district.

 

2

Jazz music, an art form original to the United States, originated in the southern city of New Orleans at the turn of the twentieth century. It combined the elements of various music styles, including ragtime, folk songs, religious hymns, blues, and swing, into a commercially and artistically successful genre. New Orleans was a unique city for a variety of reasons. The location of the city at the end of the Mississippi River and as a major port city provided a great deal of commerce and trade nationally and internationally. The population was diverse with a small percentage of white citizens in power, while most white citizens and all black citizens were at the lower end of the social and economic ladder. There was also a unique class of mixed- race people in New Orleans referred to as Creoles, who were very proud of their French heritage. The Creoles were responsible for the entertainment neighborhood of the community that is still known today as the French Quarter. Bars, nightclubs, and other entertainment outlets were the typical businesses found in the Creole section of town. Traders, merchants, and travelers were attracted to the nightlife of the French Quarter much in the same way tourists are attracted there today.

Paragraph 1 mentions which of the following about present-day visitors to New Orleans?

Factual Information Questions事实信息题

AThey still include mostly merchants and artists.

BThey often come from a variety of different cultural backgrounds.

CThey are particularly drawn to the establishments in the French Quarter.

DThey still arrive in the city mostly by traveling on the Mississippi River.

 

3

The Creoles looked to talented black musicians to provide music for these establishments, and the opportunity for employment and music making was attractive to the performers. Most of these musicians were limited in their education and relied on their ear to perform. Musicians would get together and begin to play in a free, improvisatory fashion (spontaneously changing with each performer). None of this music was recorded and was probably a highly improvised variation of a single melody, known as monophony. When the musicians would attempt to perform the melody, mistakes, restrictions of their instruments or their abilities, the range, timbre, and flexibility differences between instruments, and creativity would make the monophony so varied that it would often be referred to as heterophony-music created by a number of musicians performing the same melody, with each player applying slight improvisation of the melody. This loose, highly rhythmic, improvisatory music became highly regarded in New Orleans, and soon jazz musicians and their music began to spread to other United States cities along or not far from the Mississippi River, such as Memphis, Kansas City, and Chicago.

Why does the author provide the information that most of the musicians working in Creole establishments “were limited in their education and relied on their ear to perform”?

Rhetorical Purpose Questions修辞目的题

ATo explain why the Creoles had difficulty finding talented musicians to employ.

BTo provide one reason why there were so many variations of the same melody played by the musicians

CTo suggest that the musicians had to limit themselves to playing their favorite melodies

DTo contrast the way Creole musicians played with the way black musicians played

 

4

The Creoles looked to talented black musicians to provide music for these establishments, and the opportunity for employment and music making was attractive to the performers. Most of these musicians were limited in their education and relied on their ear to perform. Musicians would get together and begin to play in a free, improvisatory fashion (spontaneously changing with each performer). None of this music was recorded and was probably a highly improvised variation of a single melody, known as monophony. When the musicians would attempt to perform the melody, mistakes, restrictions of their instruments or their abilities, the range, timbre, and flexibility differences between instruments, and creativity would make the monophony so varied that it would often be referred to as heterophony-music created by a number of musicians performing the same melody, with each player applying slight improvisation of the melody. This loose, highly rhythmic, improvisatory music became highly regarded in New Orleans, and soon jazz musicians and their music began to spread to other United States cities along or not far from the Mississippi River, such as Memphis, Kansas City, and Chicago.

The word “slight” in the passage is closest in meaning to

Vocabulary Questions词汇题

ASignificant

BOriginal

CSmall

DAdditional

 

5

The Creoles looked to talented black musicians to provide music for these establishments, and the opportunity for employment and music making was attractive to the performers. Most of these musicians were limited in their education and relied on their ear to perform. Musicians would get together and begin to play in a free, improvisatory fashion (spontaneously changing with each performer). None of this music was recorded and was probably a highly improvised variation of a single melody, known as monophony. When the musicians would attempt to perform the melody, mistakes, restrictions of their instruments or their abilities, the range, timbre, and flexibility differences between instruments, and creativity would make the monophony so varied that it would often be referred to as heterophony-music created by a number of musicians performing the same melody, with each player applying slight improvisation of the melody. This loose, highly rhythmic, improvisatory music became highly regarded in New Orleans, and soon jazz musicians and their music began to spread to other United States cities along or not far from the Mississippi River, such as Memphis, Kansas City, and Chicago.

According to paragraph 2, all of the following statements about early jazz are true EXCEPT:

Negative Factual Information Questions否定事实信息题

AIt involved a misunderstanding of monophony by some musicians.

BIt developed in part because of the limitations of the musicians’ instruments and skills.

CIt was viewed very positively in New Orleans.

DIt spread when New Orleans musicians traveled to other cities in the general area of the Mississippi River.

 

6

The original jazz music of New Orleans is lost to us since it was never recorded or notated, but much of what is referred to commonly as Dixieland jazz(based on the popular name, Dixie, for the southern United States) was the style of music popular in the northern city of Chicago in the 1920s. Many of the musicians, such as King Oliver and his young protege, Louis Armstrong,were recruited from New Orleans and were featured in nightclubs and speakeasies (unlawful liquor-selling establishments) that were part of the culture of Chicago in the 1920s, when the sale of alcoholic beverages was prohibited. This music began to attract a larger audience primarily through the rising popularity of the phonograph (an early sound- recording device). The first pieces of music to be recorded and sold for a considerable profit were “Dixie Jass Band One-Step” and “Livery Stable Blues” on each side of a 78- rpm record. These tunes were recorded in 1917 by a group of white musicians led by cornet player Nick La Rocca in New York City. The group was called “The Original Dixieland Jazz Band,” but they were neither original, Dixieland in style, nor from New Orleans. This record sold over a million copies and set a standard for how New Orleans jazz was supposed to sound. This music was a fair copy of the music being performed in Chicago by black musicians at the time. The later recordings of King Oliver and Louis Armstrong were stronger examples of the style, but this recording does mark an important era in jazz music and the beginnings of successful commercialization of popular music in the United States.  

In stating that King Oliver and Louis Armstrong “were recruited from New Orleans,”the author means that they were

Rhetorical Purpose Questions修辞目的题

Asent away from New Orleans

Bhighly trained in a style from New Orleans

Chopeful to travel away from New Orleans

Dhired for their skill to come from New Orleans

 

7

The original jazz music of New Orleans is lost to us since it was never recorded or notated, but much of what is referred to commonly as Dixieland jazz(based on the popular name, Dixie, for the southern United States) was the style of music popular in the northern city of Chicago in the 1920s. Many of the musicians, such as King Oliver and his young protege, Louis Armstrong,were recruited from New Orleans and were featured in nightclubs and speakeasies (unlawful liquor-selling establishments) that were part of the culture of Chicago in the 1920s, when the sale of alcoholic beverages was prohibited. This music began to attract a larger audience primarily through the rising popularity of the phonograph (an early sound- recording device). The first pieces of music to be recorded and sold for a considerable profit were “Dixie Jass Band One-Step” and “Livery Stable Blues” on each side of a 78- rpm record. These tunes were recorded in 1917 by a group of white musicians led by cornet player Nick La Rocca in New York City. The group was called “The Original Dixieland Jazz Band,” but they were neither original, Dixieland in style, nor from New Orleans. This record sold over a million copies and set a standard for how New Orleans jazz was supposed to sound. This music was a fair copy of the music being performed in Chicago by black musicians at the time. The later recordings of King Oliver and Louis Armstrong were stronger examples of the style, but this recording does mark an important era in jazz music and the beginnings of successful commercialization of popular music in the United States.  

Which of the following can be inferred from paragraph 3 about The Original Dixieland Jazz Band?

Inference Questions推理题

AIt was established in Chicago but became famous in New York City.

BIts music was slow to gain popularity.

CSome of its earliest music was recorded in New Orleans.

DIts name led to the incorrect belief that it represented the jazz of New Orleans.

 

8

The original jazz music of New Orleans is lost to us since it was never recorded or notated, but much of what is referred to commonly as Dixieland jazz(based on the popular name, Dixie, for the southern United States) was the style of music popular in the northern city of Chicago in the 1920s. Many of the musicians, such as King Oliver and his young protege, Louis Armstrong,were recruited from New Orleans and were featured in nightclubs and speakeasies (unlawful liquor-selling establishments) that were part of the culture of Chicago in the 1920s, when the sale of alcoholic beverages was prohibited. This music began to attract a larger audience primarily through the rising popularity of the phonograph (an early sound- recording device). The first pieces of music to be recorded and sold for a considerable profit were “Dixie Jass Band One-Step” and “Livery Stable Blues” on each side of a 78- rpm record. These tunes were recorded in 1917 by a group of white musicians led by cornet player Nick La Rocca in New York City. The group was called “The Original Dixieland Jazz Band,” but they were neither original, Dixieland in style, nor from New Orleans. This record sold over a million copies and set a standard for how New Orleans jazz was supposed to sound. This music was a fair copy of the music being performed in Chicago by black musicians at the time. The later recordings of King Oliver and Louis Armstrong were stronger examples of the style, but this recording does mark an important era in jazz music and the beginnings of successful commercialization of popular music in the United States.  

According to paragraph 3, the successful commercialization of popular music in the United States began with

Factual Information Questions事实信息题

Athe recording of the tunes “Dixie Jass Band One-Step” and “Livery Stable Blues”

Brecordings of original Dixieland jazz performed in New Orleans

Crecordings of jazz music by black musicians in Chicago

Dthe recording of the music of King Oliver and Louis Armstrong late in their careers

 

9

Jazz music, an art form original to the United States, originated in the southern city of New Orleans at the turn of the twentieth century. ⬛It combined the elements of various music styles, including ragtime, folk songs, religious hymns, blues, and swing, into a commercially and artistically successful genre. ⬛New Orleans was a unique city for a variety of reasons. ⬛The location of the city at the end of the Mississippi River and as a major port city provided a great deal of commerce and trade nationally and internationally. ⬛The population was diverse with a small percentage of white citizens in power, while most white citizens and all black citizens were at the lower end of the social and economic ladder. There was also a unique class of mixed- race people in New Orleans referred to as Creoles, who were very proud of their French heritage. The Creoles were responsible for the entertainment neighborhood of the community that is still known today as the French Quarter. Bars, nightclubs, and other entertainment outlets were the typical businesses found in the Creole section of town. Traders, merchants, and travelers were attracted to the nightlife of the French Quarter much in the same way tourists are attracted there today.

Look at the four squaresthat indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage

The place of origin of this special mix of different types of music was not accidental.Insert Text Questions句子插入题

Where would the sentence best fit？Click on a square  sentence to the passage.

10

Jazz was born in the diverse city of New Orleans and combined many music styles.

Prose Summary Questions概要小结题

Select 3 answers

AMusicians from around the world came to New Orleans, and the city’s people in power had plenty of money to spend on music and other entertainment.

BNew Orleans’s status as a major port and its location on a river resulted in melodies in early jazz music that included river themes and international tunes.

CJazz was not recorded or written down until some white musicians from New York used the phonograph to record Chicago-style jazz tunes that became very popular.

DJazz was invented by talented black musicians working at establishments that entertained large numbers of merchants and other travelers visiting New Orleans.

EAs New Orleans musicians improvised together, they each introduced small changes to the melody, and the resulting musical style soon spread to Chicago and other places.

FThe Original Dixieland Jazz Band contributed to jazz’s popularity by introducing a new style, but the group was also criticized for commercializing the music