閱讀理解

A

As is true in all cultures， Americans first hear music in the context of family life. Much of that music comes from the records on the family radio or television， and this “canned” music is especially important in developing childrens musical taste. People often say they were very strongly influenced by the kind of music they heard before they were old enough to have their own records or choose the station on the family radio. There is usually some live music in the family as well.

Many mothers and grandmothers sing lullabies （催眠曲） ， for example. These can be important since in America， as elsewhere， lullabies not only lull a baby to sleep but promise， praise and teach cultural values. Sometimes lullabies are the only songs in a foreign language that American children with strong ethnic （種族的） backgrounds hear， since people often fall back on old， familiar languages for intimate （親密的） songs.

Another important family context is the automobile， where families learn songs and sing together on weekends and vacations. This is not as surprising as it appears， for the family car has become one of the basic centers of family experience， and it is one of the important places where the families gather for an extended period of time without outside disturbance. The family used to have to choose between making their own music in the car and being force fed by the radio， but the invention of automobile cassette recorders and eight-track playback machines allows a family to have more control over what they hear when they drive.

1. What do the underlined words “‘canned music” in Paragraph 1 refer to？

A. The music children hear in a car.

B. Recorded music instead of live music.

C. Modern music young people can enjoy.

D. The music passed down from older generations.

2. The music children first hear is important in ________ .

A. learning language

B. developing their mind

C. knowing about cultural values

D. shaping their likes and dislikes in music

3. According to the passage lullabies are usually sung in ________ .

A. American English B. a familiar language

C. an African language D. the parents native language

4. What does the invention of automobile cassette recorders allow a family to do？

A. To spend a longer time on vacation in the car.

B. To have more choices in the music they hear.

C. To enjoy music without being disturbed.endprint

D. To have another place to get together.

B

Louis Armstrong had two famous nicknames. Some people called him Bagamo. They said his mouth looked like a large bag. Musicians often called him Pops， as a sign of respect for his influence on the world of music.

Born in 1901 in New Orleans， he grew up poor， but lived among great musicians. Jazz was invented in the city a few years before his birth. Armstrong often said， “Jazz and I grew up together.” Armstrong showed a great talent for music when he was taught to play the cornet（短號） at a boys home. In his late teens， Armstrong began to live the life of a musician. He played in parades， clubs， and on the steamboats that traveled on the Mississippi River. At that time， New Orleans was famous for the new music of jazz and was home to many great musicians. Armstrong learned from the older musicians and soon became respected as their equal. In 1922 he went to Chicago. There， the tale of Louis Armstrong began. From then until the end of his life， Armstrong was celebrated and loved wherever he went. Armstrong had no equal when it came to playing the American popular song.

His cornet playing had a deep humanity（仁愛） and warmth that caused many listeners to say， “Listening to Pops just makes you feel good all over.” He was the father of the jazz style and also one of the best-known and most admired people in the world. His death， on July 6， 1971， was headline news around the world.

5. Why was Armstrong called Pops？

A. He looked like a musician.

B. He showed an interest in music.

C. He traveled to play modern music.

D. He was a musician of much influence.

6. How is Paragraph 2 developed？

A. By space. B. By comparison.

C. By time. D. By examples.

7. Which statement is TRUE about Armstrong？

A. His tale began in New Orleans.

B. He was born before jazz was invented.

C. His music was popular with his listeners.

D. He learned popular music at a boys home.

8. Which can be the best title for the text？

A. The Making of a Musician

B. The Father of the Jazz Style

C. The Spread of Popular Music

D. The Invention of the Jazz Musicendprint