We lost two superstars in 1977. Neither man’s admirers have been able to understand the success of the other one. And this tells us something of the difference between the generations that the two singers represent.
There were similarities between Bing Crosby and Elvis Presley. Both reached fame while quite young and became very rich. Although neither one had any musical education, both developed their own musical styles—styles which were at first scorned by the critics and later studied as new forms in the art of popular song. Both men had successful movie careers despite a total lack of acting ability.
Both were creations of the microphone, which made it possible for singers with weak voices to be heard beyond the third row. With Bing the microphone was usually hidden; but Elvis brought it to the stage, took it from its support, stroked it, and pressed it to his lips.
The difference between the two men reflects the changing values in American life. Crosby’s music was soothing; Presley’s was disturbing. Crosby was singing to wartime America. His audiences had all the disturbances they could handle in their private lives; they did not want to buy more at the record shop and the movie theater.
Crosby’s admirers always said how “relaxed” he was, how “natural and easy-going.” When Presley began his career, the whole country had become relaxed and easy-going. Its young people, who had no memory of troubled times, found it boring. They were hungry for excitement. They welcomed Elvis, who was not soothing, and who was certainly not the kind of young man their parents would admire. Presley was loud, gaudy, and vulgar—and he was bringing something new and exciting.
It is probably too simple to explain each man in terms of changes in the economic and political situation. Something in the culture was also changing. Crosby’s songs were saying something; their “message” was as important to the audience as the music. The words were often sweet and sentimental; ordinary, perhaps, but Crosby—and Frank Sinatra after him—gave them life and meaning. People remembered them, sang them, and thought of them as true to life. Although many of Presley’s songs were, in fact, quite sentimental too, it was mostly the sound that moved the audiences. Rock and Roll was a “sound” event. Songs stopped being songs and turned into noise.
The Crosby generation has trouble with Rock and Roll because it makes the mistake of trying to understand the words. The Presley generation has trouble with Crosby because it finds the music unexciting and the words empty. The mutual lack of understanding may be a sign of how far we have come from troubled times, and how deeply we now distrust the value of words.
1. Both Crosby and Presley ________.
2. Their music was ________.
3. The difference between the two men ________ the changing values in American life.
4. Presley’s admirers found Crosby’s work ________.
5. This passage is chiefly about ________.
问题1选项
A.were good at acting
B.were not very good at acting
C.were incapable of acting
D.showed some ability of acting
问题2选项
A.criticized and then recognized as innovative
B.appreciated by the critics immediately
C.praised by the critics and then studied
D.developed by the critics
问题3选项
A.mirrors
B.disturbs
C.soothes
D.ruins
问题4选项
A.boring
B.easy-going
C.too relaxed
D.natural
问题5选项
A.the troubled times that Presley and Crosby and their audiences lived in
B.the contrast between Presley’s and Crosby’s music and their audiences
C.wartime America
D.noisy Rock and Roll
第1题:C
第2题:A
第3题:A
第4题:A
第5题:B
第1题:
【选项释义】
Both Crosby and Presley ________. 克罗斯比和普雷斯利都________。
A. were good at acting A. 擅长表演
B. were not very good at acting B. 不是很擅长表演
C. were incapable of acting C. 无法表演
D. showed some ability of acting D. 表现出一定的表演能力
【答案】C
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】根据选项中的acting可定位到第二段最后一句“尽管完全缺乏演技(despite a total lack of acting ability),两人的电影事业都很成功”,换言之,两人完全不擅长表演。比对选项,C选项恰好是此信息的同义转换,因此C选项正确。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“擅长表演”,文中说到两人不擅长表演,该选项属于反向干扰;
B选项“不是很擅长表演”文中说的是完全不擅长表演,属于曲解原文;
D选项“表现出一定的表演能力”,文中说的是完全没有表演能力,属于反向干扰。
第2题:
【选项释义】
Their music was ________. 他们的音乐是________。
A. criticized and then recognized as innovative A. 被批评后被认为是创新的
B. generated more stress than the workplace B. 立即受到评论家的赞赏
C. praised by the critics and then studied C. 受到评论家的赞扬,然后学习
D. developed by the critics D. 由评论家发展
【答案】A
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】根据选项提示词criticize可定位到第二段第二句,该处讲到“一开始被批评家们鄙视(first scorned by the critics),后来被当作流行歌曲艺术的新形式加以研究(studied as new forms)”。换言之,他们的音乐一开始是被批评的,后来被认为是歌曲的创新形式。比对选项,A选项恰好是此信息的同义转换,因此A选项正确。
【干扰项排除】
B选项“立即受到评论家的赞赏”,他们的音乐原文中讲到一开始是被评论家批评的。D选项反向干扰;
C选项“受到评论家的赞扬,然后学习”受到评论家的赞扬,是错误的。它是受到批评后再学习的。属于无中生有;
D选项“由评论家发展”,文中第二段第二句提到“两人自己发展的音乐(both developed their own musical styles)”可知,是这两人自己发展的音乐而不是评论家发展的。这属于张冠李戴。
第3题:
【选项释义】
The difference between the two men ________ the changing values in American life. 两人之间的差异________了美国生活中不断变化的价值观。
A. mirrors A. 反映
B. disturbs B. 打扰
C. soothes C. 安慰
D. ruins D. 毁灭
【答案】A
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】根据题干信息词changing values in American life可定位到第四段第一句。The difference between the two men reflects the changing values in American life.该处讲到“两人之间的差异反映了美国生活价值观的变化。”比对选项,A选项mirrors反映恰好是此信息的同义转换,因此A选项正确。
【干扰项排除】
B选项“打扰”、C选项“安慰”、D选项“毁灭”属于无中生有。
第4题:
【选项释义】
Presley’s admirers found Crosby’s work ________. 普雷斯利的崇拜者们认为克罗斯比的作品________。
A. boring A. 无聊的
B. easy-going B. 随和的;容易相处的
C. too relaxed C. 太过放松的
D. natural D. 自然的;不做作的
【答案】A
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】根据题干信息可定位到第五段第三句:Its young people, who had no memory of troubled times, found it boring.(年轻人没有动荡时期的记忆,觉得它很无聊。)根据上下文这里的it指的是Crosby’s work。比对选项,A选项恰好是此信息的同义转换,因此A选项正确。
【干扰项排除】
B“随和的”、C“太过放松的”、D“自然的”选项,原句为Crosby’s admirers always said how “relaxed” he was, how “natural and easy-going.”即这三个形容词是Crosby’s admirers用来形容Crosby’s work的。而不是Presley’s admirers认为的。这三个选项属于张冠李戴。
第5题:
【选项释义】
This passage is chiefly about ________. 这篇文章主要是关于________。
A. the troubled times that Presley and Crosby and their audiences lived in A. 普雷斯利、克罗斯比和他们的观众所处的动荡年代
B. the contrast between Presley’s and Crosby’s music and their audiences B. 普雷斯利和克罗斯比的音乐和他们的观众之间的对比
C. wartime America C. 战时的美国
D. noisy Rock’n’roll D. 吵闹的摇滚乐
【答案】B
【考查点】主旨大意题。
【解题思路】该篇文章主要讲述了在动荡时代的美国Presley和Crosby的音乐,以及大众对他们音乐的不同理解。因为所处时代的不同,他们的受众群体也不同。B选项正确。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“普雷斯利、克罗斯比和他们的观众所处的动荡年代”该篇内容主要讲二者的音乐而非他们所处的年代。属于张冠李戴;
C选项“战时的美国”,文中并没有提及战争时期的美国,该选项属于无中生有;
D选项“吵闹的摇滚乐”,摇滚乐只在文章后面所提及,这里属于以偏概全。