题干

   At the moment, when looking round the world, we can find all kinds of dance performances are being offered. There are many competitions, and the dancers might be quite confused (困惑的) Which is of high standard and good quality, and which is not worth going to? First of all it has clearly got to be distinguished (区分) between the different styles of dance and the purposes of such competitions. When a person wants to learn classical ballet, he or she would never dream of going to a ballroom teacher. Such a teacher might even have been a world champion in his ballroom dancing, but he would definitely not be experienced in teaching proper classical ballet.

People in Britain and the USA are taking more interest in modern dance. Dance classes of all kinds are popular; a large number of audiences go to watch modern dance companies. And perhaps the most popular modern dance company in Britain is the Ballet Rambert.

The Ballet Rambert is Britain’s oldest dance company which began in 1926. In the 1960s the company lacked the money to go on staging big productions. The directors wanted to encourage new talent and to keep up their high standards. A change of direction was necessary. They decided to give the ballet a “new look” in 1966. The purpose was to provide a chance for new talent and to show dance as a contemporary art form. And although some of the company’s previous fans disliked the change, new audiences came to see the productions.

The modern dance pieces and modern music found unexpected popularity. In the 21st century the Ballet Rambert was a great success in London’s West End. The company became a focus for new, progressive talent in the art.

The Ballet Rambert has managed to make modern dance popular while creating original productions. It can claim to be the oldest dance company in Britain and at the same time one of the most modern!

【小题1】If a person wants to learn classical ballet, he or she will probably go to ________.
A.the Ballet RambertB.a ballroom teacher
C.a world championD.a qualified school
【小题2】The underlined phrase “new talent” in Para. 3 probably means ________.
A.new productionsB.new audiences
C.talented directorsD.gifted young dancers
【小题3】From the passage we know that the Ballet Rambert ________.
A.has succeeded in making modern dance popular
B.wanted to become the oldest dance company
C.was once a popular dance company
D.changed old dances into new ones
【小题4】This passage is mainly about ________.
A.the popularity of modern dance
B.the introduction to new modern dancers
C.the development of the Ballet Rambert
D.the high standards of dance performances
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同类题2

   Need inspiration?Happy background music can help people get the creative juice flowing.

Simone Ritter, at Radboud University Nijmegen in the Netherlands, and Sam Ferguson at the University of Technology Sydney, Australia, have been studying the effect of silence and different types of music on how we think.

They divided 155 volunteers into five groups. Four of these were each given a type of music to listen to while taking a series of tests, while the fifth group did the tests in silence. The tests were produced to judge two types of thinking: divergent thinking, which refers to the process of creating new ideas, and convergent thinking, which is how we find the best solution to a problem. Ritter and Ferguson found that people were more creative when listening to music they thought was positive, coming up with more special ideas than the people who worked in silence.

"We also performed other types of music that were sad, anxious and calm, and didn't see this effect, " says Ferguson. "It seems that the type of music present is important, rather than just any music." In addition, no type of music helped convergent thinking, suggesting that it's better to solve problems in silence.

Ritter and Ferguson write that their finding could be used to improve creative thinking in places like educational institutions or laboratories, but Irma at the University of Helsinki in Finland, says happy music may help creativity by setting off the release of dopamine, a brain chemical involved in pleasure and relief." Dopamine also increases creative thinking and goal-directed working, "says Irma. And she also thinks happy music may not help convergent thinking because this kind of thinking relies more on logic and less on creativity.

【小题1】How does happy background music help people work?
A.By making people enjoy the juice.
B.By influencing people's behavior.
C.By inspiring people to work more.
D.By improving people's creativity.
【小题2】What can we learn from the passage?
A.Dopamine can direct our convergent thinking.
B.Divergent thinking helps find the best solution.
C.Divergent thinking helps produce the new ideas.
D.Dopamine can reduce our divergent thinking.
【小题3】What could be the best title for the passage?
A.Happy Music Makes You Lively
B.Happy Music Excites Your Creativity
C.Happy Music Keeps You Clever
D.Happy Music Simplifies Your Work

同类题4

   Music is a language which speaks to everyone — from the day we are born we hear music of some kind of our lives. But there are as many different kinds of music as there are different languages, and it is impossible to describe them all. Here are just a few well-known types.

Classical music is serious Western European music from the Middle Ages to the present (1500 to today) and it was often written for a large orchestra, or for a small group of players. Many instruments can be used. A lot of music was also written to be sung — as opera. Classical music is very popular and schools often teach this type of music.

Jazz developed in the Southern United States at the beginning of last century. The black people of these states, who were originally slaves from Africa, had their own rhythms. Jazz brought classical music and African rhythms together.

Blues was originally black country music from the Southern United States at the beginning of last century. It is slow, usually sad music which is often sung by one person with a guitar.

Rhythm and Blues (R&B) developed from the blues in America in the 1940s. It became faster and more complex and used more instruments, eg. saxophones (萨克斯管), guitars, pianos, drums. The music was often about city life and white musicians started playing it as well.

Musicians in the 1950s developed rock ‘n’ roll from Rhythm and Blues and it became popular with young people. It spread to Europe in the 1960s and is now known in most countries. A lot of pop music comes from rock ‘n’ roll.

Pop music developed from rock ‘ n’ roll in America and Britain in the 1960s and is now in every country. The name is used for most commercial (商业的) music, which we can buy on records and hear on “pop radio”. It is usually played by groups who often use electronic instruments and make videos to go with their records.

【小题1】Which of the following started in the Southern United States?
A.Rhythm and Blues.B.Jazz.
C.Rock ‘n’ roll.D.Pop music.
【小题2】When did rock ‘n’ roll become popular with the young?
A.In the 1950s.B.In the 1940s.
C.In the 1960s.D.In the 1970s.
【小题3】How does the author develop the introduction?
A.By time and people.B.By time and explanations.
C.By questions and events.D.By analysis and reasons.
【小题4】What is the text mainly about?
A.How music developed in America.
B.How music spread around the world.
C.Music — an international language.
D.Six types of music and their history.