For the most part, you are probably only exposed to the music that is played on your favorite radio stations and TV shows, music Web sites, or the music that your friends and family members enjoy. While you probably know a lot about your favorite type of music, it can be a rewarding experience to enlarge your horizons (眼界), discovering artists and types of music that you’re not familiar with. Who knows, you might discover you like certain types of music you never even considered.
Have you ever wondered about the history and influences of your favorite types of music? For example, did you know that rock ’n’ roll originated (起源) from the blues, and that the blues began as a form of musical expression for African Americans during slavery(奴隶制度)? Did you know that most hip-hop is heavily influenced by early rhythm blues and jazz?
There are many fun ways to learn about different musical styles and their historical roots. For example, if you like hip-hop, listen to some of your favorite CDs and take note of the samples the performers used to create the songs. There is a possibility that the artist used parts of older songs to create the music. You can go to the library or online to learn more about the artists and listen to more of their music by checking out CDs from the library or downloading songs online for a small fee.
You can learn so much about culture and history just by paying attention to different types of music and what is being expressed in the songs. There are so many different styles of music to learn about, and you owe (欠) it to yourself to make an effort to listen to and learn about them.
1.The main topic of this passage is _______.
A. creating music
B. performing music
C. enjoying your favorite music
D. learning about music
2.What music did African Americans use to express their feelings of being slaves?
A. Rock ’n’ roll. B. The blues.
C. Hip-hop. D. Jazz.
3.How can you learn about culture and history through music?
A. By writing down the names of the music
B. By creating music from older songs yourself.
C. By caring about what is being expressed in music.
D. By keeping a record of fees after downloading songs online.
4. By saying the underlined sentence in the last paragraph, the author probably means that _______.
A. you should try harder to learn about music
B. you should return something to music
C. you should borrow music CDs from others
D. you should buy music CDs yourself
Have you ever seen a movie in which a building was burned down or a bridge was destroyed? Have you seen films in which two trains crashed or a ship into the ocean? If , you may have wondered how these things could happen without the actors and actresses in the film.
The man who knows the is the “special-effects” man. He has one of the most important in the film industry. He may be ordered to a flood or to make a battlefield explode. But he may also be told to create a effect which is much less exciting, just as important to the success of the film.
In a for one movie there was a big glass bowl filled with water in which small fish were swimming. The director of the movie the fish to stop swimming suddenly they seemed to stare at (盯着看) an actor. Then the director wanted the fish to staring and swim. But fish can’t be ordered to do anything. It was quite a .
The special-effects man thought about the problem for a long time. The result was an idea for the fish with a harmless use of electricity. he applied electricity to the fish bowl causing the fish to be absolutely . Then he rapidly reduced the amount of , allowing the fish to be free. Thus he got the humourous effect the wanted.
In other parts of movie making there are also special-effects men who have developed skills in creating certain kinds of effects. Jim White, who has been a special- effects man for thirty-two years, is best known for his with ships and airplanes.
1.A. buried B. sank C. fell D. dropped
2.A. so B. such C. possible D. necessary
3.A. telling B. harming C. protecting D. organizing
4.A. news B. question C. message D. secret
5.A. films B. jobs C. factories D. companies
6.A. prevent B. fight C. pour D. create
7.A. terrible B. peaceful C. funny D. special
8.A. or B. as C. though D. only
9.A. scene B. step C. stage D. room
10.A. ordered B. wanted C. decided D. doubted
11.A. while B. since C. so that D. even if
12.A. return B. continue C. stop D. start
13.A. success B. failure C. problem D. disappointment
14.A. controlling B. operating C. driving D. lighting
15.A. As a result B. Above all C. First D. Immediately
16.A. pure B. interesting C. still D. quiet
17.A. fish B. water C. electricity D. bowl
18.A. actor B. actress C. director D. special-effects man
19.A. fast B. particular C. humorous D. careful
20.A. imagination B. work C. repair D. design
They are studying the of Jazz in America.
A. origins B. arrival C. causes D. custom
When she was asked how she had managed to live _______ with the man she hated so much, she didn’t ______ to the question.
A. at peace; respond B. in peace; answer
C. with peace; make an answer D. in peace; respond
The couple felt most angry about the way _____ the waiter of the hotel treated them.
A. by which B. in which
C. for which D. with which
---Any advice for me?
---You’d better the timetable to see when the train leaves.
A. consult B. recommend C. remind D. request
