In the early part of the twentieth century, racism was widespread in the United States. Many African Americans were not given equal opportunities in education or employment. Marian Anderson (1897-1993) was an African American woman who gained fame as a concert singer in this climate of racism. She was born in Philadelphia and sang in church choirs during her childhood. When she applied for admission to a
local music school in 1917, she was turned down because she was black. Unable to attend music school, she began her career as a singer for church gatherings. In 1929, she went to Europe to study voice and spent several years performing there. Her voice was widely praised throughout Europe. Then she returned to the US in 1935 and became a top concert singer after performing at Town Hall in New York City.
Racism again affected Anderson in 1939. When it was arranged for her to sing at Constitution Hall in Washington, DC, the Daughters of the American Revolution opposed it because of her color. She sang instead at the Lincoln Memorial for over 75 000 people. In 1955, Anderson became the first black soloist to sing win the Metropolitan Opera of New York City. The famous conductor Toscanini praised her voice as “heard only once in a hundred years”. She was a US delegate to the United Nations in 1958 and won the UN peace prize in 1977. Anderson eventually triumphed over racism.
【小题1】According to this passage, what did Marian Anderson do between 1917 and 1929?
| A．She studied at a music school. | B．She sang for religious activities. |
| C．She sang at Town Hall in New York. | D．She studied voice in Europe. |
【小题2】Toscanini thought that Marian Anderson .
| A．had a very rare voice | B．sang occasionally in public |
| C．sang only once in many years | D．was seldom heard by people |
【小题3】Anderson’s beautiful voice was first recognized .
| A．at the Lincoln Memorial | B．in Washington, DC. |
| C．in Europe | D．at the United Nations |
【小题4】This passage shows that Anderson finally defeated racism in the US by .
| A．protesting to the government | B．appealing to the United Nations |
| C．demonstrating in the streets | D．working hard to perfect her art |
