4．Jerome Kern is often called the father of American musical theater．Kern is remembered for the hundreds of songs he wrote for musical plays and movies．Music historians say that Kern gave artistic importance to American popular music for the first time．And，they say，he led the development of the first truly American theater music．
Jerome Kern was born into a middle-class family in New York City in 1885．Jerome's mother，Fanny，loved the piano．She began to teach Jerome how to play when he was very young．He became a fair piano player but not so good that anyone expected him to become a great musician．
Jerome was a quiet boy and not a top student．When he completed high school，his father said he would have to work in the family's store．Mr．Kern said his son could never make money writing music．But he later came to believe that Jerome might do better in music than in business after all．So he let the boy go to Europe to study music，as almost all serious young musicians did at the time．
Jerome Kern began his career as a songwriter in theaters in London and New York．Success came quickly．By the early 1920s，Kern was a successful young composer for Broadway musical comedies．In one three-year period alone，he wrote music for 19shows．
Other people wrote the words for Kem's songs．Kern wrote only the music．And he worked with each song until he was satisfied that the music was perfect．He almost never changed his music to fit the words．One of Kern's best-loved songs is"Smoke Gets in Your Eyes，"sung by Dinah Washington．
67．Which of the following elements is of little help in Jerome's success？C
A．His mother's influence．
B．His years of devotion．
C．His father's encouragement．
D．His studying music in Europe．
68．The underlined word"composer"in paragraph 4can be replaced byA．
A．songwriter B．singer C．musician D．playwright
69．Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage？D
A．Everyone expected him to become a great musician when he was young．
B．Not only did Kern write the words for the songs，he also wrote the music．
C．There is no possibility that Jerome Kern would change his music to fit the words．
D．Kern succeeded shortly after he began his career in theaters in London and New York．
70．The passage is mainly talking aboutD．
A．Jerome Kem's daily life
B．The great contributions made by Kern
C．Some famous songs written by Kern to us
D．Jerome Kem's life and main achievements．
分析 本文属于记叙文阅读，作者通过这篇文章向我们介绍了Jerome Kem的生平和主要成就，他出生于一个中产阶级家庭，受母亲的影响他喜欢上了音乐，去欧洲学习音乐，在他成功后不久，他在伦敦剧院和纽约开始了他的职业生涯．
解答 67．C 细节理解题，根据第三段Mr．Kern said his son could never make money writing music．But he later came to believe that Jerome might do better in music than in business after all．可知父亲的鼓励对Jerome的成功没有什么帮助，故选C．
68．A 词义猜测题，根据第四段Kern was a successful young composer for Broadway musical comedies．In one three-year period alone，he wrote music for 19 shows．可知Kern 是一个成功的年轻作曲家，他为19个表演写了音乐，故选A．
69．D 细节理解题，根据第四段Jerome Kern began his career as a songwriter in theaters in London and New York．可知克恩成功后不久，他在伦敦剧院和纽约开始了他的职业生涯，故选D．
70．D 主旨大意题，通读全文可知本文主要向我们介绍了Jerome Kem的生平和主要成就，故选D．
点评 考查学生的细节理解和推理判断能力．做细节理解题时一定要找到文章中的原句，和题干进行比较，再做出正确选择．在做推理判断题时不要以个人的主观想象代替文章的事实，要根据文章事实进行合乎逻辑的推理判断．
