1．George Gershwin，born in 1998，was one of America's greatest composers．He published his first song when the was eighteen years old．During the next twenty years he wrote more than five hundred songs．
Many of Gershwin's songs were first written for musical plays performed in theatres in New York City．These palys 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 way-from jazz to country．
In the 1920s there was a debate in the United States about jazz music．Could jazz，some people asked，be considered serious music？In 1924jazz 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．And in that short time，he composed a piece for piano and orchestra which he called Rhapsody 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 1928，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 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 sill remains one of his most famous works．
George Gershwin died in 1937，just days after doctors learned he had brain cancer．He was only 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．
61．Many of Gershwin's musical works wereD．
A．written about New Yorkers B．Composed for Paul Whiteman
C．played mainly in the countrysideD．performed in various ways
62．What do we know about the concert organized by Whiteman？B
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．
63．What did Gershwin do during his stay in Paris？A
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
64．What do we learn from the last paragraph？B
A．Many of Gershwin's works were lost
B．The death of Gershwin was widely reported
C．A concert was held in memory of Gershwin
D．Brain cancer research started after Gershwin's death．
65．Which of the following best describes Gershwin？
A．Talented and productiveB．Serious and boring
C．popular and unhappy D．Friendly and honest．
分析 本文是一篇人物传记．文章主要讲述了美国著名作曲家乔治•格什温的生平以及他在音乐方面的巨大贡献．
解答 61．答案D 细节理解题 从第二段的"Over the years they have been sung and played in every possible way-from jazz to country．"可知，乔治•格什温的音乐作品是以各种形式演唱或演奏的．故选D．
62．答案B 推理判断题．根据第三段的"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．"可知，这个音乐会充分证明爵士音乐流行的同时，也可以庄重严肃的．
63．答案A 细节理解题．从第四段的第二句"He applied to study composition （作曲）with the well-known musician Nadia Boulanger，but she rejected him．"可知B项不正确；从第四段的"When it was first performed，critics were divided over the music．"可知，不是格什温与评论家争辩，故C项不正确；文中没有提到他音乐风格的改变，故D项不正确；从第四段的最后一句"It still remains one of his most famous works．"可知A项是正确的．
64．答案B 推理判断题．从最后一段的"Newspapers all over the world reported his death on their front pages．"可知，世界各地的报纸对格什温的去世进行了广泛的报道．故选B．
65．答案A 推理判断题．从全文看乔治•格什温创作了很多的音乐，其演奏的形式多样化，并得到观众赞赏，这体现了他是一位很有才华，且多产的作曲家．故选A．
点评 做阅读题时，首先需要通读全文，把握文章的主旨大意；其次，快速浏览后面的题目，并结合问题到文中相应的段落去寻找答案；另外，在平时的阅读训练中，要学会找文章的中心段，或段落的中心句，并加以概括，从而提炼出文章或段落的主旨大意．
