托福 听力加试 拉格泰姆音乐Ragtime Music.doc

托福机经听力加试拉格泰姆音乐Ragtime Music原文及试题
Now listen to part of a lecture in a music history class.
P: Often times we talk about the popularity of music, but we don't always think about the role that the instruments play in their popularity. To give you an idea of what I mean, just take Ragtime music for instance. Without the piano, Ragtime music certainly wouldn't have evolved in the late 1800's the way that it did. I mean...characteristics like the keys, and the chords, made the piano suitable for playing the separate parts of the music: the melodies, rhythms, harmonies, at the same time. So, with one hand you could play the melody, while playing the harmony with the other. All the while maintaining the rhythm, all characteristic of Ragtime music. In other words, the piano allowed musicians to create the lively sound of Ragtime music unlike any other instruments of their time.
And for about 20 years, Ragtime music was America's most popular music, particularly the piano rag, although some people didn't exactly embrace ragtime, young people in general especially liked it.
S: Kind of like Rock and Roll in the '50s?
P: Without a doubt. I mean of course Ragtime in 1900 didn't sound at all like Rock and Roll did in 1950, but I'd say that's a fair comparison. Ragtime generated the same kind of excitement that other kinds of music like Rock and eventually Rap did.
S: Really? Well, with Rock and Rap, I get why they are popular, but when it comes to Ragtime, well...I don't get it.
P: Ok, lets take a moment to look at what Ragtime music was about; it was fresh and new, it was the first kind of mainstream music that used African-American rhythms and that was exciting, and finally the music and even the lyrics reflected the restless energy and optimism of young people. Can you see how it could capture the spirit of American youth? Just like Rock would do 50 years later?
So, getting back to the piano, of all instruments. As I said before, its unique design was part of the appeal, which was well suited to the style and rhythm of Ragtime music, but there were other reasons why it was so popular. Remember, this was the time before the advent of the automobile. The piano was a symbol of respectability, a symbol of success. Other than a house, it had represented, for many families, their biggest single purchase, and even though not everyone could afford it, everyone wanted to enjoy. So, wherever you would go, restaurants, theaters, the main instrument used for indoor public musical entertainment, was the piano. But let's not leave out the sound quality.
Few people realize how powerful the pianos used at that time were, they used the big types of pianos then, before the smaller pianos like Spinets came into fashion. The Ragtime-era pianos could produce a sound that was so full, it would even resonate through the wooden floors of any building, be it a home, concert hall or whatever! This full sound itself had the listeners actually feeling these unique and exciting piano vibrations though their feet and bones.
S: Wow! I never thought of that. So...they...the piano and the ragtime style were perfect for each other.
P: Well... in a sense... yes. But granted, although the piano's sound quality was exceptional, there were benefits to using other instruments to play ragtime. For instance, events like parades, and park concerts, required instruments that were easier to transport, like the banjo and the comet. Nevertheless, the piano played such a fundamental role in Ragtime. In fact, its sound quality alone contributed to piano sales peaking in 1909—roughly the mid-point of the Ragtime-era. It's no coincidence that the number of published piano rags, or sheet music, also reached their peak their very same year.
S: It's too bad that Ragtime music isn't still around, I kind of liked some of the music from that era.
P: Well, just like all music, it went through some major transitions. It began as a fixed form of music; it always had to be played as written, but that was in the beginning. Eventually, it evolved into a form of music that's still around today. Can you guess what?
S: Hm...I'd say since its rhythm is a lot like jazz, that's got to be it.
P: You got it! You could almost say that jazz is an improvised kind of Ragtime music. So you see, because of jazz, we still have the remnants of Ragtime around.
中文大意:
介绍了一种流行于美国十九世纪左右名为Ragtime的音乐，like Rock & Roll在某一时期一样，那个年代年轻人很喜欢这种音乐。
此时，一位女学生说：With Rock & Roll I can see why it’s popular. But when it comes to Ragtime, well… I don’t get it!（有题）
Ragtime music为何会流行呢？因为融合拉丁美洲文化，表达年轻人心声(spirit of youth)（有题）。
然后讲到piano，说钢琴的sound quality很适合弹Ragtime Music（有题）。
那个年代，大家都没钱，就去public concert or restaurant这些地方听音乐，而piano声音够响亮，又和Ragtime music rhythm搭配的天衣无缝，使Ragtime music和钢琴两者相得益彰。
再加上，当时汽车还未普及所以买钢琴是当时家庭financial status的象征（有题），所以钢琴的销量和Ragtime的流行有关。
除了流动演出，例如parade 和 park concert，piano演奏时可能被其他乐器取代，because of transportation problem（有题）。
教授说其实Ragtime就是现在Jazz的前身，只不过Ragtime是固定的，但是Jazz是improvise（有题），因为演奏者不按牌理出牌，一首曲七个人弹，弹出七种调，ragtime这种音乐影响很深远啊！
题目:
第一题： What is the main idea of the lecture?
答案：（C）how does piano contribute to the ragtime music.
第二题：Why the music is popular?
答案：（C）it expressed the spirit of the young people.
第三题：Two reasons of using piano of ragtime.
答案：（C）sound quality.（D）they reflected their wealth and social status.
第四题：Why does the professor mention about parade and park concert?
答案：（B）to explain the piano might be replaced by other instruments sometimes.
第五题：What does the professor say about jazz?
答案：（A）Jazz is improvised form of Ragtime music.
第六题：重听题
Listen again to part of the lecture. Then answer the question.
Why does the student says this:
With Rock & Roll I can see why it’s popular. But when it comes to Ragtime, well… I don’t get it!
答案：（D）asks for explanation.