Question

Opera for Beginners

Many people think that opera is boring, difficult to understand and unpleasant to listen to. They only see strange people singing in a foreign language and wearing funny costumes. They're too quick to judge and a lot of people have believed stupid ideas about opera without ever actually seeing one. If one takes opera seriously, with an open heart, and goes to several good live performances, I don't see any reason why he or she would dislike or hate it. The following tips can help you learn to enjoy opera.

First of all, if you are new to opera, start with a short, well-known title, such as The Marriage of Figaro by Mozart. In the beginning, avoid difficult operas with complex storylines. If your first experience is not fun, then you will expect all operas to be boring. Moreover, before going to a performance, do a little bit of homework: learn the story of the opera. If you know about the main characters and the story before you start watching, it will be much easier to understand what is happening on the stage. Finally, the most important way to enjoy opera is to keep an open mind. If you believe that you will enjoy watching opera, then you will most likely enjoy it. Think of opera as a live TV show. Opera shows the same things—love and hate, good and evil and humans and nature—that are found in many of today's popular movies and best-selling novels. In fact, many of these movies and novels use stories copied from famous operas!

Opera is full of catchy, wonderful melodies （旋律）. It's full of drama and laughter. It's full of wonder and life. Opera can be fun to watch, and it allows the audience to experience different cultures. Many people have enjoyed it for hundreds of years, and by following the tips above, you can enjoy it, too. Indeed, opera will change the minds of the people who once hated it. And most importantly, as one of the most diverse art forms out there, opera helps you appreciate different performance styles from all over the world.

1.Many people think that opera is boring because ______.

A.it is like a TV show B.they know little about it

C.they dislike its storylines D.its music style is old-fashioned

2.Which is a good way for beginners to enjoy opera?

A.To start with a long opera. B.To learn to sing an opera.

C.To master a foreign language. D.To get familiar with an opera's story.

3.Many famous operas, popular movies, and best-selling novels ______.

A.have the same writer B.share a similar story

C.teach people about lifestyles D.help people keep an open mind

4.What does the underlined word “diverse” in the last paragraph probably mean?

A.Various. B.Humorous. C.Ancient. D.Exciting.

Answer

1.B

2.D

3.B

4.A

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。歌剧对于初学者来说有点困难，这篇文章介绍了可以帮助你学会欣赏歌剧的技巧。

1.

推理判断题。根据第一段中Many people think that opera is boring, difficult to understand and unpleasant to listen to. They only see strange people singing in a foreign language and wearing funny costumes.“许多人认为歌剧乏味、难懂、听起来不舒服。他们只看到奇怪的人用外语唱歌和穿着滑稽的服装。”由此可知，许多人认为歌剧很无聊，因为他们对歌剧知之甚少。故选B。

2.

细节理解题。根据第二段中First of all, if you are new to opera, start with a short, well-known title, such as The Marriage of Figaro by Mozart. In the beginning, avoid difficult operas with complex storylines.“首先，如果你是歌剧新手，你可以从一个简短而知名的标题开始，比如莫扎特的《费加罗的婚姻》。开始的时候，避免有复杂故事情节的难演歌剧。”由此可知，初学者欣赏歌剧的好方法是“熟悉一部歌剧的故事。”故选D。

3.

推理判断题。根据第二段中Think of opera as a live TV show. Opera shows the same things—love and hate, good and evil and humans and nature—that are found in many of today's popular movies and best-selling novels. In fact, many of these movies and novels use stories copied from famous operas!“把歌剧想象成电视直播节目。歌剧所表现的东西——爱与恨、善与恶、人与自然——与当今许多流行电影和畅销小说中所表现的一样。事实上，这些电影和小说中的许多故事都是从著名的歌剧中抄袭来的。”由此可知，许多著名的歌剧、流行的电影和畅销的小说都有类似的故事。故选B。

4.

词义猜测题。根据最后一段最后一句中opera helps you appreciate different performance styles from all over the world.“歌剧帮助你欣赏来自世界各地不同的表演风格。”由此可知，歌剧是“最多样化的艺术形式之一。”所以句中划线词diverse的意思是“多样性的”。故选A。