2014年PETS3公共英语考试三级阅读精选6
2014年PETS3公共英语考试三级阅读精选6
Read the following text. Choose the best word or phrase for each numbered blank and mark A, B,C or D on ANSWER SHEET 1.
Text
Rhythm and blues, or R&B, is a _____ 26 of music that came out of the jazz, blues and gospel music that was being _____ 27 by African Americans _____ 28 the 1930s and 1940s. Over the years,the term has commonly been used to describe _____ _____29 popular music this community was played at the time. This more upbeat, exciting type of music caught on _____ 30 a big way, and for the first time, African Americans _____ 31 their own style of commercial music.
In the late 1930s, many big bands broke up _____ 32 smaller units and formed "jump blues" bands _____33 played loud music with a strong dance beat, quickly 34 popular in the dance halls at the time.
Early R&B _____ 35 were those of Count Basic, Louis Jordan and Lionel Hampton. Basie had a hit in 1937 with One O'clock Jump, _____ 36 Jordan had a string of hits from the late 1930s through the 1940s. By the mid 1940s, R.M. Blues by Roy Milton and The Honey dripper by Joe Liggin each _____37 one million copies.
The new music style _____ 38 to evolve and was gaining_____ 39 rapidly. In Annapolis, more than 50,000 people _____40 up to a concert with seating for 8,000. There was a traffic _____ 41 for seven hours.
Rhythm and blues has come a long way 42 American African musicians of the mid 20th century developed their own style of 43 music based on some more conservative styles at the time. R&B had huge success in the 1950s and 1960s before making an even 44 comeback as contemporary R&B 45 the 1980s on.
26. A.style, B.form C.way D.group
27. A.shown B.enjoyed C.played D.made
28. g.at a.in C.on D.for
29. A.whenever B.whichever C.whatever D.however
30. A.with a.for C.at D.in
31. A.have B.having C.had D.have had
32. A.to a.in C.with D.into
33. A.which B.what C.who D.they
34. A.become B.became C.becoming D.have become
35. A.groups B 1 musicians C.players D.bands
36. A.but B.while C.however D.yet
37. A.sold B.sells C.has sold D.had sold
38. A.kept B.began C.continued D.stopped
39. A.famous B.popularity C.success D.development
40. A.turned B.went C.took D.joined
41. A.accident B.gathering C.jam D.crowd
42. A.when B.before C.after D.since
43. A.sad B.classic C.light D.lively
44. A.big B.bigger C.biggest D.more bigger
45. A.from B.in C.after D.since
参考译文
节奏布鲁斯音乐(R&B)，是一种从爵士乐、布鲁斯和福音音乐中演变来的音乐风格，在20世纪30年代和40年代被美国黑人演奏。随着时间流转，R&B已经普遍被用来指当时那个美国黑人群体所演奏的任何流行乐。这种更加活泼、更激动人心的音乐大为流行起来，美国黑人也第一次有了自己的、商业化的音乐风格。
在20世纪30年代末，很多大型乐队纷纷解散，分裂成一个个小的组合。一些乐队的音乐形成了“跳跃布鲁斯”的风格，演奏一些响亮、有着很强舞蹈节奏感的音乐，而这种音乐风格很快就在当时各大舞厅中迅速流行起来。
早期的融R&B乐队有贝西伯爵，路易斯?约旦和莱昂内尔一汉普顿的乐队。1932年贝西伯爵的音乐“l点钟跳跃”获得了巨大成功，而从20世 纪30年代末到整个40年代，约旦也取得了一系列的成功。在40年代中期，罗伊?米尔顿的音乐“R.M.布鲁斯”和乔?里金斯的“甜蜜乐音”则分别大卖了100万张唱片。
这一新音乐风格继续发展并迅速流行起来。在安纳波利斯，5万多人出现在一个仅能容纳8千人的音乐会现场，并且造成了一次长达7小时的交通堵塞.
自从20世纪中期美国黑人音乐家在当时保守风格的环境中发展出他们自己的活波音乐风格以来，节奏布鲁斯音乐已经经历了一段很长的发展时闽。R&B在上世纪50年代和60年代取得了巨大的成功，之后从80年代起，当代R&B音乐又重新流行起来。
