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例文1 笔记栏 N) R8 }- j* u/ J5 t9 _: {; h
"Popular art" has a number of meanings, impossible
; Z% U6 ^/ N/ d6 m. H$ _to define with any precision, which range from folklore/ [- \( R( B" ^. P! V
to junk. The poles are clear enough, but the middle
4 r" C) x8 D( w! t/ wtends to blur. The Hollywood Western of the 1930's, for7 a7 f6 e6 S: p8 t
(5) example, has elements of folklore, but is closer to junk
/ a( W$ |5 [+ W* P' o' W4 Othan to high art or folk art. There can be great trash, ( L# [7 f3 Y5 K+ X& n
just as there is bad high art. The musicals of George
5 j# `$ b; Z% e0 @0 Q+ @Gershwin are great popular art, never aspiring to high / ]; C0 |2 ], g7 \" z/ _
art. Schubert and Brahms, however, used elements of
0 R3 l; h- x2 B; G# f(10) popular music—folk themes—in works clearly intended - [' n* e7 J" @ s; R1 c$ F
as high art. The case of Verdi is a different one: he took
: ~3 I1 N1 e$ Ya popular genre—bourgeois melodrama set to music (an
: C; z; o7 b" \# M( _accurate definition of nineteenth-century opera)—and,/ a: J. @$ c5 ?: l
without altering its fundamental nature, transmuted it
8 Q) @/ [6 X$ ]# O4 @(15) into high art. This remains one of the greatest achieve- [+ v* t1 e7 y$ F+ A4 W
ments in music, and one that cannot be fully appreciated; @5 s' `; Z! @
without recognizing the essential trashiness of the genre.
* {+ G# E I! @ m* uAs an example of such a transmutation, consider
5 R6 m) e9 j: I7 R$ twhat Verdi made of the typical political elements of
1 N+ @( G; f6 A9 c(20) nineteenth-century opera. Generally in the plots of these
; t, @5 p9 f, V6 Joperas, a hero or heroine—usually portrayed only as an
! W# }. M) ^+ H8 Findividual, unfettered by class—is caught between the
9 \8 k* B0 Z2 k( Q7 bimmoral corruption of the aristocracy and the doctri-
4 h8 y& J+ |. r; q% o1 M" \& }. Dnaire rigidity or secret greed of the leaders of the prole-' p8 i/ T6 O' e. G: l2 o* K5 A+ C
(25) tariat. Verdi transforms this naive and unlike formula-
- w- q" m' d1 otion with music of extraordinary energy and rhythmic* C. l2 d1 g/ D
vitality, music more subtle than it seems at first hearing.
* d9 U7 H; ^2 S2 Y0 e3 w+ S4 aThere are scenes and arias that still sound like calls to 7 u5 l6 C: Z3 k+ X" t: `* F2 E
arms and were clearly understood as such when they * [* z+ [ M- m4 w: Q
(30) were first performed. Such pieces lend an immediacy to
# Q9 ]* W* _. X$ hthe otherwise veiled political message of these operas
6 O( ?- q* D$ W, S+ Pand call up feelings beyond those of the opera itself.. \ Q9 t7 @5 _4 f1 s1 W
Or consider Verdi's treatment of character. Before
9 t1 C4 D! Z, Z wVerdi, there were rarely any characters at all in musical
: c. f' w/ E, q(35) drama, only a series of situations which allowed the - m8 ?+ d" `+ o Y F
singers to express a series of emotional states.Any2 e: ~+ a3 j9 S* ^# s( H, W! C
attempt to find coherent psychological portrayal in these+ ?, s* m" `& s$ }8 L& c2 o
operas is misplaced ingenuity. The only coherence was
, E% h6 X3 \8 [- w* \- e& u0 Mthe singer's vocal technique: when the cast changed, new/ F. S6 \, S' s9 K. N8 I5 l @
(40) arias were almost always substituted, generally adapted
: U8 }# H4 T1 |' @( F3 O" q$ Sfrom other operas. Verdi's characters, on the other hand,2 k3 y p3 a; r2 l
have genuine consistency and integrity, even if, in many $ P, n* E, u* i2 o1 r% z ^
cases, the consistency is that of pasteboard melodrama. ; |. D. r2 s3 b2 ?3 a% Q9 D" w6 V
The integrity of the character is achieved through the
7 F v+ F8 y& h. Z6 }. m! f(45) music: once he had become established, Verdi did not1 o. @4 @7 _' a& X
rewrite his music for different singers or countenance
- G) H7 e5 R; [6 k) B) Yalterations or substitutions of somebody else's arias in ' A2 e( E% N) r1 V
one of his operas, as every eighteenth-century composer 7 Z4 u% B- P" z0 L5 r5 ~, H
had done. When he revised an opera, it was only for ( b0 N# o0 D9 W+ J
(50) dramatic economy and effectiveness.
o& ?9 h B' F' M1.According to the passage, all of the following characterize musical drama before Verdi EXCEPT
/ R, c% _& D/ {5 ?3 X3 |: N) g(A) arias tailored to a particular singer's ability.
: A1 k+ z3 n' U# P(B) adaptation of music from other operas.
! _, o; C: R. S$ N/ N(C) psychological inconsistency in the portrayal of characters.& p* i: @0 R [2 |
(D) expression of emotional states in a series of dramatic situations.
$ n8 i4 m7 J9 m6 V0 c(E) music used for the purpose of defining a character.
! d, `. J8 q @- C5 b2.It can be inferred that the author regards Verdi's revisions to his operas with) S. Q1 Y$ J: t) `+ L+ g0 f
(A) regret that the original music and texts were altered.% _ p3 m: f( m! F+ z: {
(B) concern that many of the revisions altered the plots of the original work.
: `% ?5 c# w. j+ f( U% ~6 N, J(C) approval for the intentions that motivated the revisions.
; o) C' ^! f# F# L) Q& P" [5 H" v(D) puzzlement, since the revisions seem largely insignificant.( q" U' W. T- E) R4 I
(E) enthusiasm, since the revisions were aimed at reducing the conventionality of the operas' plots.
# n( @2 a" F9 B" d6 k+ N2 _3. According to the passage, one of Verdi's achievements within the framework of nineteenth
, @7 f8 C: Z _% h-century opera and its conventions was to
# j& N1 @# h9 W3 T6 E(A) limit the extent to which singers influenced the musical compositions and performance of his operas.
5 H0 r/ u* c0 {8 C Y) @(B) use his operas primarily as forums to protest both the moral corruption and dogmatic rigidity of the political leaders of his time.
1 q2 E0 v) D: F% N" o- j, a(C) portray psychologically complex characters shaped by the political environment surrounding them.% X' {( H& u3 w! ]0 h" B
(D) incorporate elements of folklore into both the music and plots of his operas.
( L; n1 N1 K# I5 n(E) introduce political elements into an art form that had traditionally avoided political content.
3 [, x* J% P/ M7 S$ T; }4.Which of the following best describes the relationship of the first paragraph of the passage to the passage as a whole?
' A: @ t4 V! l0 ]* ?5 F/ v(A) It provides a group of specific examples from which generalizations are drawn later in the passage.% Q% F( u! r5 f N0 e# o
(B) It leads to an assertion that is supported by examples later in the passage.
8 C4 F, @* T' s- ^$ S% k(C) It defines terms and relationships that are challenged in an argument later in the passage.) Q# F( F( V- l" p. {6 e. Q
(D) It briefly compares and contrasts several achievements that are examined in detail later in the passage.
5 H: B% V8 @& k/ ]6 n(E) It explains a method of judging a work of art, a method that is used later.
! r2 N0 o5 p$ Z8 a5.It can be inferred that the author regards the independence from social class of the heroes and heroines of nineteenth-century opera as.5 k6 L0 J3 Q, h2 R5 e" ~% E
(A) an idealized but fundamentally accurate portrayal of bourgeois life.0 s" z$ q0 B' A" A% Q: H( O" f) s% X
(B) a plot convention with no real connection to political reality.
% P. R" S$ W: p$ ` C(C) a plot refinement unique to Verdi.; v# I% h1 o1 h$ \7 x
(D) a symbolic representation of the position of the bourgeoisie relative to the aristocracy and the proletariat.
k* h4 w- ]: |(E) a convention largely seen as irrelevant by audiences.; `7 C$ B# ~& H' _3 y; E
4 n9 q- F) @9 k# T! t- A2 b( @
: `0 C& j. R7 r4 S6 o7 p例文2 笔记栏
4 @$ Z- y8 C0 Z, `$ `* @Recently some scientists have concluded that mete-
1 u1 g' D( F o& i# J; T& Korites found on Earth and long believed to have a
$ f8 K, S4 s; r% c3 AMartian origin might actually have been blasted free of
/ B* E1 B9 x) BMars's gravity by the impact on Mars of other meteor-
* R! l6 \ l8 l: a. f$ h0 \5 @/ D(5) ites. This conclusion has led to another question:* \' A& [, Y/ i `: D
whether meteorite impacts on Earth have similarly
3 h. a0 ?% M6 C! t1 S2 i! E1 idriven rocks from this planet to Mars.
- n" p, L( P4 u0 WAccording to astronomer S.A. Phinney, kicking a9 E j$ S) A; h) s _# K
rock hard enough to free it from Earth's gravity would N. g$ P0 s, s& i% `
(10) require a meteorite capable of making a crater more
f' n5 Y; s, \8 q0 U' N; mthan 60 miles across. Moreover, even if Earth rocks- k M; c: R4 F2 L2 [! F' f4 _
were freed by meteorite impact, Mars's orbit is much& ~! R) l! o( |( p8 c
larger than Earth's, so Phinney estimates that the prob-
# p1 r+ @, l4 A5 c, y6 C! kability of these rocks hitting Mars is about one-tenth as
4 m- U* q# \. ]( F6 Q/ \(15) great as that of Mars's rocks hitting Earth. To demons-) g! y- O% a* \+ |7 b2 Y
trate this estimate, Phinney used a computer to calcu-
4 W7 G! M* ~, b7 A8 m) ulate where 1,000 hypothetical particles would go if
7 `# B! p8 ]! `; k" jejected from Earth in random directions. He found that2 x6 T2 }; A o! B) R& w
17 of the 1,000 particles would hit Mars. $ q3 T8 ~9 T' F3 g3 ?. I
17. The passage is primarily concerned with
$ e) W7 v+ T$ o) O5 d4 v9 @! l: ^(A) presenting an argument to support a particular hypothesis.( V- Y* R# r! O3 p* I' P
(B) suggesting an answer to a theoretical question.
2 Z8 Y5 _4 x; D4 }(C) questioning the assumptions of a research project.4 O: ?/ ]! P6 h. N, V# F* {) {% g
(D) criticizing experimental results./ \' v1 T5 a7 {) h: m6 T3 M- x9 E
(E) explaining the origin of certain scientific data.
6 |# l7 a, P- Z) u& J- q8 ?0 _$ x8 o: a
18. According to the passage, which of the following events may have initiated the process that led to the presence on Earth of meteorites from Mars?+ R$ q/ x' U4 z& ~4 L% z
(A) A meteorite struck the Earth with tremendous velocity.
5 D8 ]% ^& H' c. A. [4 U(B) A meteorite collided with Mars.1 Y: _; M+ J5 X# q! y9 Z
(C) Approximately 1,000 rocks were ejected from Mars.
5 c" Q9 `% t7 C2 T5 {+ a(D) The orbits of Earth and Mars brought the planets to their closest points.
9 a7 Z: m8 H- V) X7 p: Z( U1 K" u(E) Rocks from a meteorite impact broke free of Earth's gravity.: r- E2 A0 y' C2 d6 E X. ]& U
19. The passage suggests that which of the following is true concerning the probability that a rock, if ejected from Mars, will hit the Earth?
$ i) N2 y8 U* ^; n6 Y5 z/ \9 F2 i(A) The probability is increased when particles are ejected from Mars in random directions.
0 b& B( [0 @- W, P# V' g8 }(B) The probability is increased by the presence of large craters on the surface of Mars./ U8 t7 u8 \; y7 t) Q) L
(C) The probability is decreased when Mars's orbit brings the planet close to Earth.
. T5 d6 {6 j, k; j, G(D) The probability is greater than the probability that a rock from Earth will hit Mars.; H I* {& [4 S- M# c2 g, C
(E) The probability is less than the probability that a rock from Earth will escape Earth's gravity.1 ]( q% ]# Y2 F# e
1 I9 |& O( |$ E$ {* y/ M- ^9 w20. Which of the following, if true, would cast most doubt on Phinney's estimate of the probability of Earth rocks hitting Mars?
/ q, U1 W7 n8 o: s(A) Rather than going in random directions, about 25 percent of all particles ejected from Earth go in the same direction into space.
- Z' m( d1 ?: t7 x/ J# F3 _(B) Approximately 100 meteorites large enough to make a noticeable crater hit the Earth each year.) t+ v( @$ q6 [: t9 e' }! U
(C) No rocks of Earth origin have been detected on Mars.; @5 W( W2 w) c, B4 S$ `
(D) The velocity of rocks escaping from Earth's gravity is lower than the velocity of meteorites hitting the Earth.$ E# l) x$ W0 ]! k ]' i# o5 |* P
(E) No craters more than 60 miles across have been found on Mars. |
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