1、【 精品教育资源文库 】 Unit 5 Music . 阅读理解 A 2017 全国卷 Some of the worlds most famous musicians recently gathered in Paris and New Orleans to celebrate the first annual International Jazz Day. UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) recently set April 30 as a day to raise awa
2、reness of jazz music, its significance, and its potential as a unifying (联合 ) voice across cultures. Despite the celebrations, though, in the U S. the jazz audience continues to shrink and grow older, and the music has failed to connect with younger generations. Its Jason Morans job to help change t
3、hat. As the Kennedy Centers artistic adviser for jazz, Moran hopes to widen the audience for jazz, make the music more accessible, and preserve its history and culture. “Jaz z seems like its not really a part of the American appetite， ” Moran tells National Public Radios reporter Neal Conan. “What I
4、m hoping to accomplish is that my generation and younger start to reconsider and understand that jazz is not black and white anymore. Its actually color, and its actually digital.” Moran says one of the problems with jazz today is that the entertainment aspect of the music has been lost. “The music
5、cant be presented today the way it was in 1908 or 1958. It has to continue to move, because the way the world works is not the same， ” says Moran. Last year, Moran worked on a project that arranged Fats Wallers music for a dance party, “just to kind of put it back in the mind that Waller is dance mu
6、sic as much as it is concert music， ” says Moran. “For me, its the recontextualization. In music, where does the emotion (情感 ) lie? Are we, as humans, gaining any insight (感悟 ) on how to talk about ourselves and how something as abstract as a Charlie Parker record gets us into a dialogue about our e
7、motions and our thoughts? Sometimes we lose sight that the music has a wider context， ” says Moran, “so I want to continue those dialogues. Those are the things I want to foster.” 篇章导读：本文是一篇说明文。文章介绍了国际爵士乐日的设立以及爵士乐现在面临的问题，探讨了爵士乐的未来。 1 Why did UNESCO set April 30 as International JazzDay? A To remembe
8、r the birth of jazz. B To protect cultural diversity. C To encourage people to study music. 【 精品教育资源文库 】 D To recognize the value of jazz. 答案： D 细节理解题。根据第一段最后一句中的 “to raise awareness of jazz music, its significance, and its potential as a unifying (联合 ) voice across cultures”可知，设立国际爵士乐日是为了提高人们对爵士乐的
9、认识，故选 D 项 “ 认可爵士乐的价值 ” 。 2 What does the underlined word “that” in Paragraph 3 refer to? A Jazz becoming more accessible. B The production of jazz growing faster. C Jazz being less popular with the young. D The jazz audience becoming larger. 答案： C 指代判断题。第二段提到在美国爵士乐的听众数量正在减少，爵士乐未能受到年轻一代的欢迎，第三段首句提到 Ja
10、son Moran 的工作就是要帮助改变这一现象，由此可知that 指代 “ 爵士乐不受年轻人欢迎 ” 这一现象。故选 C。 3 What can we infer about Morans opinion on jazz? A It will disappear gradually. B It remains black and white. C It should keep up with the times. D It changes every 50 years. 答案： C 推理判断题。根据倒数第二段中 Jason Moran 的话可知，他认为世界的运作方式跟以前不一样了，爵士乐也应
11、该继续发展以顺应时代的变化。故选 C。 4 Which of the following can be the best title for the text? A Exploring the Future of Jazz B The Rise and Fall of Jazz C The Story of a Jazz Musician D Celebrating the Jazz Day 答案： A 标题判断题。文章介绍了国际爵士乐日的设立，讨论了爵士乐现在面临的问题，即未受到年轻一代的关注，且其娱乐方面的属性已经丢失，故 A 项 “ 探索爵士乐的未来 ” 作为标题最合适。 B Opera
12、 is an art form that celebrates the human voice. No other art form creates excitement and moves the heart in the way that opera does, especially when performed by a great singer. Opera is an important part of the Western classical music tradition. It uses music, words, and actions to bring a dramati
13、c story to life. Opera started in Italy at the end of the 16th century and later became popular throughout Europe. Over the years, it has responded to various musicals. In recent decades, much wider audiences have been introduced to opera through modern recording technology.Some singers have become
14、celebrities thanks to performing on radio, on TV, and in the cinema. However, in recent years, opera has been facing serious challenges. One current 【 精品教育资源文库 】 challenge to opera is economic. The shortage of money raises the broader question of how much should be paid to support opera singers and
15、 other artists. Society seems to accept the large salaries paid to business managers and the multimilliondollar contracts given to sports athletes. But what about opera singers? Somehow, people have the idea that artists can be creative only if they suffer in poverty, but this is unrealistic. If art
16、ists, including opera singers, lack the support they need, valuable talent is wasted. Not only the shortage of money, but also the way money is managed in the opera world has led to hardships. Principal singers are generally paid performance fees once they complete a show. They typically receive not
17、hing during the many weeks of rehearsal (排练 ) before a show starts. Another problem faced by opera is how to meet the demands of audiences who are influenced by popular entertainment. Pop singers are often judged as much on the basis of how they look as how they sound. These demands may be unrealist
18、ic and possibly harmful. Opera singers simply cannot make a sound big enough to fill a large theater or concert hall without a microphone if their body weight is too low. Emphasizing physical appearance over singing ability may cause audiences to miss out on the human voice at its best. There are no
19、 easy solutions to operas problems and there are many different opinions about the value of opera. However, every year many young people register for music courses with hopes and dreams of developing their talents in this special art form. The fact that opera has survived many obstacles and continue
20、s to attract the rising generation shows that it remains a respected art form full of value. 篇章导读：本文是一篇说明文。尽管歌剧适应了现代的技术和文化形式，取得了长足的发展，但是现代歌剧面临着资金短缺、演员收入没有保障、无法满足观众的需求等众多挑战。但毋庸置疑的是，歌剧一直是人类社会的艺术瑰宝。 5 Which of the statements is TRUE according to the passage? A Opera singers life stories are dramatic. B
21、 Opera will soon appear on TV and in films. C Opera fans thank celebrities for performing. D Opera develops by adapting to new conditions. 答案： D 推理判断题。由第一段最后两句可以判断，歌剧能够适应新的形势发展下去。故 D 项正确。 6 What can we know from Paragraphs 2 and 3? A Opera singers are financially insecure. B Opera singers waste thei
22、r valuable talent. C Opera singers get paid before the show. D Opera singers perform better if they are poor. 【 精品教育资源文库 】 答案： A 推理判断题。由第二段第三句和第三段第二、三句可以判断，歌唱演员的 收入是没有保障的。故 A 项正确。 7 What does the author try to say in Paragraph 4? A Popular culture has had a positive influence on opera. B Audiences
23、know best how opera should be performed. C Microphones should be used to make opera more enjoyable. D Opera singers voices should be valued more than their looks. 答案： D 推理判断题。由第四段最后一句可以判断，歌唱家的声音远比外在重要。故 D项正确。 8 What would be the best title for this passage? A The Economic Challenge to Opera B Opera Faced with the Difficulties C Opera as Part of Popular Culture D The Historical Context of Opera 答案： B 标题判断题。通读全文可知，第二段第一句为本文的主题句
