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1、2021年高考英语二轮专题复习阅读理解12AGeorge Gershwin, born in 1898, was one of Americas greatest composers. He published his first song when he was eighteen years old. During the next twenty years he wrote more than five hundred songs. Many of Gershwins songs were first written for musical plays performed in theat
2、res in New York City. These plays were a popular form of entertainment in the 1920s and 1930s. Many of his songs have remained popular as ever. Over the years they have been sung and played in every possible wayfrom jazz to country. In the 1920s there was a debate in the United States about jazz mus
3、ic. Could jazz, some people asked, be considered serious music? In 1924 jazz musician and orchestra leader Paul Whiteman decided to organize a special concert to show that jazz was serious music. Gershwin agreed to compose something for the concert before he realized he had just a few weeks to do it
4、. And in that short time, he composed a piece for piano and orchestra which he calledRhapsody in Blue. Gershwin himself played the piano at the concert. The audience were thrilled when they heard his music. It made him world-famous and showed that jazz music could be both serious and popular. In 192
5、8, Gershwin went to Paris. He applied to study composition(作曲)with the well-known musician Nadia Boulanger, but she rejected him. She was afraid that classical study would ruin his jazz-influenced style. While there, Gershwin wrote An American in Paris. When it was first performed, critics(评论家)were
6、divided over the music. Some called it happy and full of life, to others it was silly and boring. But it quickly became popular in Europe and the United States. It still remains one of his most famous works. George Gershwin died in 1937, just days after doctors learned he had brain cancer. He was on
7、ly thirty-nine years old. Newspapers all over the world reported his death on their front pages. People mourned the loss of the man and all the music he might have still written. （1）Many of Gershwins musical works were.A.written about New YorkersB.composed for Paul WhitemanC.played mainly in the cou
8、ntrysideD.performed in various ways（2）What do we know about the concert organized by Whiteman?A.It attracted more people to theatres.B.It proved jazz could be serious music.C.It made Gershwin leader of the orchestra.D.It caused a debate among jazz musicians.（3）What did Gershwin do during his stay in
9、 Paris?A.He created one of his best works.B.He studied with Nadia Boulanger.C.He argued with French critics.D.He changed his music style.（4）What do we learn from the last paragraph?A.Many of Gershwins works were lost.B.The death of Gershwin was widely reported.C.A concert was held in memory of Gersh
10、win.D.Brain cancer research started after Gershwins death.（5）Which of the following best describes Gershwin?A.Talented and productive.B.Serious and boring.C.Popular and unhappy.D.Friendly and honest.BIn 1812, the year Charles Dickens was born, there were 66 novels published in Britain. People had be
11、en writing novels for a centurymost experts date the first novel to Robinson Crusoe in 1719but nobody wanted to do it professionally. The steam-powered printing press was still in its early stages; the literacy(识字) rate in England was under 50%. Many works of fiction appeared without the names of th
12、e authors, often with something like “By a lady.”Novels, for the most part, were looked upon as silly, immoral or just plain bad. In 1870, when Dickens died, the world mourned him as its first professional writer and publisher, famous and beloved, who had led an explosion in both the publication of
13、novels and their readership and whose characters from Oliver Twist to Tiny Tim were held up as moral touchstones. Today Dickens greatness is unchallenged. Removing him from the pantheon(名人堂) of English literature would make about as much sense as the Louvre selling off the Mona Lisa. How did Dickens
14、 get to the top? For all the feelings readers attach to stories, literature is a numbers game, and the test of time is extremely difficult to pass. Some 60,000 novels were published during the Victorian age, from 1837 to1901; today a casual reader might be able to name a half-dozen of them. Its part
15、ly true that Dickens style of writing attracted audiences from all walks of life. Its partly that his writings rode a wave of social, political and scientific progress. But its also that he rewrote the culture of literature and put himself at the center. No one will ever know what mix of talent, amb
16、ition, energy and luck made Dickens such a distinguished writer. But as the 200th anniversary of his birth approaches, it is possible and important for our own cultureto understand how he made himself a lasting one. （1）Which of the following best describes British novels in the 18th century?A.They were difficult to understand.B.They were popular among the rich.C.They were seen
