【正确答案】 A、B

【答案解析】[解析] 1-5 M1: Every jazz player knows what he or she means by improvisation. And all writers know what they mean by improvisation. The result, of course, is a lot of confusion and disagreement about what improvisation really is. We hear about the different types of improvisation--free improvisation and controlled improvisation and collective improvisation. What does it all mean? Yes, Mary? W: My dictionary says improvise means "to compose or recite without preparation." M1: That's true, but it tells us only part of the story. As we know, musicians learn how to play their instruments before they can improvise. So they do have some preparation. M2: Maybe a better definition is "composing and performing at the same time." M1: That tells us another part of the story. Let's try to understand it more by looking at history. Improvisation is as old as music itself. In the beginning, music was largely improvisational, supplied on the spur of the moment by prehistoric people who "made" music for work, play, war, love, worship, and so on. Music was not separate from everyday life. Rather, music was a force that communicated the relationship of people to nature, and people to each other. Two thousand years ago, the practice of improvisation was widespread among the ancient Greeks. The Greeks based their improvisations on what we might call stock melodies--a collection of tunes known by all musicians. In sixteenth-century Italy, organists had contests for improvising. The ability to improvise in a fugal style--several melodies going at the same time--was a standard requirement for all appointments to organ positions. So, these "cutting" contests were like job interviews. M2: Did some of the early jazz musicians also have that kind of contest? M1: Yes, some of them did. With jazz, improvisation has always been important. Actually, the early jazz musicians were very similar to the ancient Greeks in the ways they were making a music that was partly their own and partly derived from the stock melodies in their environment. In most cases, African-American jazz musicians improvised on the European melodies they heard popular white bands playing. W: Were they really just creating music, without any preparation except hearing other musicians? M1: I'm glad you asked that. There were a number of jazz musicians who had played in army bands, and they had training of one kind or another. It was these trained military bandsmen who were responsible for the rise of jazz improvisation. 1. According to the discussion, why is improvisation difficult to define? Improvisation is difficult to define because there are several kinds: We hear about the different types of improvisation--free improvisation and controlled improvisation and collective improvisation. Also, people disagree about what improvisation is: Every jazz player knows what he or she means by improvisation. And all writers know what they mean by improvisation. The result, of course, is a lot of confusion and disagreement about what improvisation really is.

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】[解析] How does the professor develop the topic of improvisation? The professor discusses the history of improvisation. He says: Let's try to understand it more by looking at history. (2.6)

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】[解析] Why does the professor say this: "The Greeks based their improvisations on what we might call stock melodies--a collection of tunes known by all musicians. In sixteenth-century Italy, organists had contests for improvising." The professor's purpose is to provide historical examples of improvisation, that of ancient Greeks and sixteenth-century Italian organists.

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】[解析] Based on the information in the discussion, indicate whether each phrase below describes prehistoric people or jazz musicians. Prehistoric people: Improvised music for work, play, and war: In the beginning, music was largely improvisational, supplied on the spur of the moment by prehistoric people who "'made "' music for work, play, war A Jazz musicians: Combined their own music with stock melodies: ... the early jazz musicians were very similar to the ancient Greeks in that they were making a music partly their own and partly derived from the stock melodies A Prehistoric people: Used music as a force to show relationships: ...music was a force that communicated the relationship of people to nature, and people to each other A Jazz musicians: Improvised on the music of other bands: ...African-American jazz musicians improvised on the European melodies they heard popular white bands playing.

【正确答案】 D

【答案解析】[解析] What point does the professor make about early jazz improvisation? The professor says: There were a number of jazz musicians who had played in army bands, and they had training of one kind or another It was these trained military bandsmen who were responsible for the rise of jazz improvisation.