2013年北京师范大学英语考博英语真题答案及解析

北京师范大学北京师范大学 2013 年考博英语试题年考博英语试题 Part I: Reading comprehension (45%) Directions: Read the following passage carefully and then select the best answer from the four choices marked A,B,C and D by marking the corresponding letter on the ANSWER SHEET with a single line through the center. Passage 1 In contrast to rock musicians, jazz players prefer to spend their time with their music and tend to measure success by that single standard, as a trombonist once put it:”A jazz musician would rather play a good concert for three people than a bad one for three thousand.”All the same, with their fellow players, jazzmen are collegiate and gregarious, exchanging musical ideas in a spirit of mutual support or friendly competition, uniting in a collaborative effort to raise the level of their art. Even the greatest individualists have benefited from the talents of others. In this legendary band, Duke Ellington provided star soloists with the ideal framework for their abilities. At the same time, they inspired him with the rich material of their personal idioms and phrases, which found their way into his compositions. In fact, Ellington was so adept at recycling what he heard that one of them dismissed him as” not a composer but a compiler”. Ellingtons creative gifts were genuine and vast, but for much of his life he did receive crucial assistance not only from the involvement of his band, but from an actual day-in, day-out collaborator. In 1938 he met Billy Strayhorn, a young pianist-composer who was immediately brought into the ducal fold. Stryhorn became Ellingtons altered ego, contributing scores to the band but functioning even more importantly as a silent partner, completing pieces Ellington left unfinished, reworking others and acting as all-purpose comp(wechat:13370142852)oser-sometimes credited, more often not. Ellington provided Strayhorn with financial security, artistic respect and the creative medium of the Ellington band. Throughout their partnership-which lasted until Strayhorns death in 1967they never had a contract. Ellington simply paid all Strayhorns bills, never stipulated how much he should compose, and treated him as creative equal and friends, describing him as” my favorite human being”, Strayhorn, a homosexual bon vivant, brilliant but self-effacing, let Ellington take both the glory and the strain of stardom, while he relieved some of the artistic pressure with a talent comparable to the leaders own. Though occasionally there was discord over the matter of official composer credit in their joint works, Ellington always publicly acknowledged his colleagues contributions, and the many Strayhon originals in Ellingtons book speak for themselves, including the bands famous theme and greatest hit,” Take the Train”. Thought the young man was adept at imitating the ducal style, his own unique voice, full of subtle impressionist colors, influenced a generation of later jazz composers. 1. According to the article, jazzmen_. Compete fiercely with each other Are not sociable when they are with their fellow players Refuse to exchange ideas about music with their fellow players Collaborate a lot with their fellow players to improve the level of their art 2. Which of the following statements is TRUE about Duke Ellington? He refused to collaborate with but a few talented musicians. He had little natural talent but rather used others genius for his own purposes. He entered into a collaborative relationship with Billy Strayhorn that suited both men. He often utilized material from lesser known musicians without acknowledgement. 3. Of the StraytonEllington relationship, the author believes_. Both men were ultimately dissatisfied with their working arrangement. Strayhorn was respected and well compensated for his contributions to the band Strayhorn provided the bulk of the creative talent while Ellington received public recognition for their effort While their professional relationship was productive, their personalities often clashed, putting a strain on their relationship 4. The author feels jazz musicians_. Strive for commercial success over musical accomplishment Differ from rock musicians in their ability to raise the level of their music Are traditionally soloists who gain little from cooperative collaboration Gain much through mutual collaboration, although often individualist 5. It is indicated that Billy Strayhon_. Wrote many famous songs and often attributed to Duke Ellington Ended his work with Duke Ellington amid tension and frustration Struggled financially as he never received proper credit for his work Was basically known for integrating different jazz themes into a larger compilation 6. The title for this passage would be_. jazzmen Strayhorn and Ellington Walk Alone B A Classic Collaborative Effort during Jazzs Finest Hour C Strayhorn and Ellington: an Unequal and Frustration Collaboration Jazz is Never Played in Group: Ellington and Strayhorn Tell t