Question

    Agnes de Mille was a dancer and a choreographer (编舞). Early in her career, de Mille had created the choreography for a ballet called Three Virgins and a Devil. She thought it was good work, but nobody made much of it.

A few years later, de Mille choreographed a ballet named Rodeo. Again, she thought her work was solid, but it resulted in little commercial fame.

Then, in 1943, de Mille choreographed Oklahoma!, a musical show that enjoyed nearly instant success. In the coming years, Oklahoma! would run for an incredible 2,212 performances, both around the nation and abroad. In 1955, the film version won an Academy Award.

But the success of Oklahoma! didn’t bring her much happiness. She thought that her work on Oklahoma! was only average compared to some of her other creations. She later said, “After the opening of Oklahoma!, I suddenly had unexpected success for a work I thought was only fairly good, after years of neglect for work I thought was fine. I began to think that perhaps my entire scale of values was untrustworthy. I talked to Martha.”

Martha was Martha Graham, perhaps the most influential dance choreographer of the 20th century. (Although not as well-known by the general public, Graham has been compared to other creative geniuses like Picasso or Frank Lloyd Wright.)

During their conversation, de Mille told Martha Graham about her frustration. “I confessed that I had a burning desire to be excellent, but no faith that I could be.”

Graham responded by saying:

“There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open.”

1.What can be learned about de Mille’s ballet named Rodeo?

A.It earned her a large fortune. B.It made her rise to fame overnight.

C.It didn’t enjoy much success. D.It laid a solid foundation for her career.

2.How did de Mille feel about the great success of the musical Oklahoma!?

A.Relieved. B.Ashamed. C.Confused. D.Proud.

3.Picasso and Frank Lloyd Wright were mentioned in the passage to suggest that Martha Graham ______.

A.was outstanding in visual arts and architecture

B.enjoyed the same popularity as them

C.had been influenced greatly by them

D.was the most influential artist in her field

4.Which of the following statements best represents Graham’s words in this passage?

A.Comparing with others prevents you from maintaining uniqueness.

B.You should always keep yourself open to the urges that motivate you.

C.Your action reveals the inner landscape, which is the soul of music.

D.Choosing to be positive is going to determine how you live your life.

Answer

1.C

2.C

3.D

4.B

【解析】

这是一篇人物传记。讲述了Agnes de Mille在其所编的舞蹈Oklahoma获得成功之后，由于无法理解为什么之前她自认为更好的作品没有受到肯定，她对自己的世界观产生了怀疑。她和也许是20世纪最有影响力的舞蹈编舞的Graham讲述了自己的挫败感，Graham告诉她要对一切的激励保持开放的心态。

1.推理判断题。根据题干中的“Rodeo”，定位至第二段，根据第二段中的“Again, she thought her work was solid, but it resulted in little commercial fame.（再次，她认为她的工作是可以成功的，但它导致很少商业声誉。）”可知这一次还是没有取得成功。故选C。

2.细节理解题。根据题干中的“Oklahoma”，定位至第三段和第四段，根据第四段中的“I began to think that perhaps my entire scale of values was untrustworthy（我开始觉得我的整个价值观都不值得信任。）”由此可知，她的感觉是困惑不解的。故选C。

3.推理判断题。根据题干中的“Picasso and Frank Lloyd Wright”定位至第五段，根据第五段中的“perhaps the most influential dance choreographer of the 20th century.（也许是20世纪最有影响力的舞蹈编舞。）”以及“Graham has been compared to other creative geniuses like Picasso or Frank Lloyd Wright.（Graham曾被拿来和Picasso或Frank Lloyd Wright这样的有创造力的天才相提并论。）”由此可知，提到Picasso和Frank Lloyd Wright是为了表明Graham在编舞领域和Picasso和Frank Lloyd Wrigh在他们各自的领域一样，都享有最好的声誉。故选D。

4.推理判断题。根据题干中的“Graham’s words”定位至文章最后一段。从这一段中的“There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action,（有一种活力，一种生命力，一种能量，一种加速，通过你转化为动力）”以及最后一句“It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open.（保持你的明确和直接，保持渠道开放，这才是你的事。）”可知，Graham想表达的是应该让你自己对一些激励你的动力保持开放状态。故选B。