Question

John Coltrane was born in North Carolina in 1926 and raised in the small farm town of High Point. As a young boy, he spent a great deal of time listening to the music of the black Southern church. Coltrane’s father sewed clothes and could also play several musical instruments for his own enjoyment. The young Coltrane grew up in such a musical environment. And he discovered jazz by listening to the recordings of such jazz greats as Count Basie and Lester Young.

When John was thirteen, he asked his mother to buy him a saxophone. People realized almost immediately that the young man could play the instrument very well. John learned by listening to the recordings of the great jazz saxophone players, Johnny Hodges and Charlie Parker.

In 1943 John and his family moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He studied music for a short time at the Granoff Studios and at the Ornstein School of Music. He served for a year in a Navy band in Hawaii. When he returned, he began playing the saxophone in several small bands.

In 1948, Coltrane joined trumpet player Dizzy Gillespie’s band. Seven years later, Coltrane joined the jazz group of another trumpet player, Miles Davis.Then he began experimenting with new ways to write and perform jazz music, and explored many new ways of playing the saxophone.Some people did not like this new sound, while others said it was an expression of modern soul and represented an important change. By 1965, Coltrane became one of the most famous jazz musicians in the world. He was famous in Europe and Japan, as well as in the United States. He was always trying to produce a sound that no one had produced before. Some of the sounds he made were beautiful. Others were like loud screams. Miles Davis said Coltrane was the loudest, fastest saxophone player that ever rived.

Many people could not understand his music. But they listened anyway. Coltrane never made his music simpler to become more popular. He continued to perform and record even as he suffered from liver cancer. He died in 1967 at the age of forty in Long Island, New York.

1._______ play(s) the most important role in John Coltrane’s love of music.

A. The musical environment in which he was brought up

B. His father’s musical instruments

C. The church music he listened to

D. The recordings of jazz greats

2.John’s success in music is largely due to his______.

A. hard work    B. creativity

C. family     D. performing style

3.We can learn from the passage EXCEPT that______.

A. John performed several musical instruments for fun when he was young

B. his mother bought him a saxophone in 1939

C. in his early twenties John joined Gillespie’s band

D. John went on to perform in spite of his illness

4.The correct order of the following events is______.

a. John moved to Philadelphia

b. John joined the group of Miles Davis.

c. John served in a Navy band

d. John became a famous jazz musician

e. John got his first saxophone

A.d—a—e—b—c          B.e—d—a—b—c

C.a—d—e—c—b          D.e—a—c—b—d

Answer

1.A

2.B

3.A

4.D

【解析】

试题分析：约翰克特兰是爵士乐历史上最伟大的萨克斯管演奏家之一。他从小生活在音乐的环境中，由于受到了音乐的熏陶，他很快就能熟练地演奏萨克斯管。约翰克特兰的作品让人难以理解，但是人们却非常愿意听。约翰克特兰于1967年去世，享年40岁。

1.he spent a great deal of time listening to the music...Coltrane’s father...could also play several musical instruments...The young Coltrane grew up in such a musical environment.”可知，Coltrane的生长环境使他喜欢上了音乐，故选A。

2.almost immediately that the young man could play the instrument very well.”可知，Coltrane很快就能够熟练地弹奏萨克斯，说明他在音乐方面很有天赋，故选B。

3.Coltrane’s father sewed clothes and could also play several musical instruments for his own enjoyment.”可知，Coltrane的父亲会弹奏几种乐器，并经常弹奏乐器来获得乐趣，并非是Coltrane小时候会弹奏乐器，故选A。

4.When John was thirteen, he asked his mother to buy him a saxophone.”可知，Coltrane得到第一个萨克斯排在最前面，排除A、C；根据第三段“In 1943 John and his family moved to Philadelphia”可知，他们一家之后搬到了费城，排除B，故选D。

考点：人物类短文阅读