Music comes in many forms; most countries have a style of their own. The US is well known for jazz (爵士乐), which has gained world-wide popularity.

In contrast to classical (古典的) music, which follows formal European traditions, jazz is natural and free-form. It is full of energy, expressing the moods, interests, and feelings of the people. It has a modern sound that makes people very excited. In the 1920s jazz sounded like America. And So it does today.

The origins of this music are as interesting as the music itself. Jazz was produced by American blacks, who were brought to the Southern States as slaves. They were sold to plantation owners (种植园主) and forced to work long hours in the cotton and tobacco fields. This work was hard and life was short. When a Negro died, his friends and relatives formed a group to carry the body to the cemetery.

A band often went with them. On the way to the cemetery the band played slow and sad music. But on the way home the mood changed. Spirits lifted. Everybody was happy. Death had removed one of their members, but the living were glad to be alive. The band played happy music, which made everyone want to dance. It was an early form of jazz.

Music has always been important in their lives. Coming mainly from West Africa, the black men who were brought to America already possessed a rich musical tradition. This music centered on religious ceremonies (宗教的仪式) in which dancing, singing, clapping and stamping (顿足) to the beat of a drum were important forms of musical expression. As these people settled in to their fields, they made up work songs. Singing made the hard work go faster.

Another musical form that helped to develop jazz was the blues. Blues songs always describe something sad — an unhappy love affair, a money problem, bad luck. To this day, the expression “feeling blue” means being sad.

1.Through jazz, people can express______.

2.Which of the following is true according to the text?

3.The underlined sentence “Spirits lilted,” suggested that______.

4.What should be the best tide for this passage?

A. A Light Music.

B. Black men’s Music.

C. The Origin of the Jazz Music.

D. The Popular Music—Jazz in the U.S.A.

5.Why did the band play happy music on the way home from the cemetery?

第二卷（满分50分）

    第一部分：完形填空（共20小题；每小题1分，满分20分）

While I was standing at the kitchen window, five-year-old Spencer, my oldest son, ran into the house   56   , “We need a doctor out here. Hurry, Mom.” “What’s wrong?” I asked. Spencer anxiously told me he had found a   57    bird that needed a doctor. At once, I seized a small plastic bag from the cupboard and took Spencer’s hand—   58   , that’s the sort of thing mothers do. While my son led me out of the door and   59   the bird, I explained that if the creature was indeed dead, a doctor couldn’t   60  .

When we arrived at the  61   scene, it was obvious that the baby bird was dead. Spencer and I could see the nest high up in the tree. My son and I    62   the probable age of the baby bird, its inability to fly well, and exactly how the   63   had caused its death. “I think its mummy and daddy really   64   him.” Spencer observed. I reached for my boy’s hand and tried to reduce his   65   by saying that I was sure they did, and that everything would return to    66   because the little bird had gone to Heaven to be with God and Pop—my dead grandfather. I made Spencer believe the bird’s mummy and daddy knew their little one would be   67   and loved. I told Spencer that Pop loved little birds and that I  68  he was in Heaven holding and playing with the baby bird  69  . I picked up the little creature’s body, slipped it into my plastic bag and  70  placed the bird in the rubbish bin.  71 was said about the matter for the rest of the day. Spencer went right back to play   72   he had never been interrupted.

At breakfast the next morning, Spencer mentioned it sadly to his father. Trying to    73  Spencer’s spirits and remind him that the little bird was really   74  , I asked our son to tell Daddy   75   the baby bird was. Spencer, looking serious faced at his dad, stated, “In the rubbish bin with Mama’s granddad, Pop.”

56. A. saying  B. screaming   C. declaring    D. telling

57. A. sick      B. wounded    C. dying  D. dead

58. A. in fact  B. at least       C. at most       D. after all

59. A. from    B. toward       C. over    D. of

60. A. come    B. save    C. help    D. support

61. A. accident       B. kitchen       C. danger       D. terror

62. A. wondered     B. discussed    C. studied       D. knew

63. A. fall       B. tree     C. wind   D. nest

64. A. hate      B. lose    C. miss    D. love

65. A. excitement   B. regret  C. sadness       D. disappointment

66. A. normal B. peace  C. life     D. safety

67. A. enjoyed       B. played C. treated       D. cared for

68. A. doubted       B. found  C. believed     D. feared

69. A. right away   B. right then   C. from now on     D. now and then

70. A. gently   B. heavily       C. happily      D. quickly

71. A. Nothing else B. Nobody else      C. Nothing     D. Something else

72. A. since    B. as if    C. even though       D. though

73. A. break    B. low     C. show   D. lift

74. A. dead     B. injured       C. OK     D. alive

75. A. where   B. what C. how    D. when