Armstrong’s gift was obvious from the start of his career. His earliest recordings—first with a band led by his former teacher, Joe “King” Oliver, and then with his own band-earned Armstrong international fame for technical originality （独创性）. He freed his playing from the ordinary rhythms of early jazz by creating musical phrases that seemed to oppose the pulse of a song, only to combine them in the place later. His deep and rough voice became as special as his cornet（短号）playing, especially in his scat performances. Scat is a singing style in which meaningless syllables（音节）are repeated without preparation. Armstrong’s scat was among the earliest ever recorded.

　　By 1930, Armstrong had turned to more commercial, less experimental jazz. Some musicians criticized（批评）him for this. But others insisted that the real power of Armstrong’s art lay in its grace and sensitivity, fine qualities of the heart which remained in his music.

　　In the following years, Armstrong traveled around the world as the leading “goodwill ambassador（大使）”of American jazz music. The gentleness and great attraction of “Satchmo” filled his music and made him one of the world’s most beloved performers for over forty years.

　　1．Which of the following best tells what this passage is about?

　　A．Armstrong’s personal attraction.

　　B．Armstrong’s best work.

　　C．A praise for Armstrong’s contribution to jazz.

　　D．A comparison of Armstrong’s music with that of earlier musicians.

　　2．Why was “Satchmo” criticized by some of his workmates in the 1930s?

　　A．For making fewer recordings.

　　B．For losing interest in music.

　　C．For giving up his scat performances.

　　D．For turning his attention away from making changes

　　3．Which of the following is not mentioned as one of the reasons for Armstrong’s success?

　　A．His technical originality.

　　B．His personality.

　　C．His early experiences in “King” Oliver’s band.

　　D．His recordings were the first ever made.

　　4．According to the author, what made Armstrong the “goodwill ambassador” of American jazz music?

　　A．His world travels.

　　B．His attraction and sensitivity.

　　C．His scat singing.

　　D．His preference for commercial, less experimental jazz.

　　Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong（1900 ～ 1971）, an African-American musician, is one of the most important figures in the history of jazz. In the 1920s, this trumpeter, singer and bandleader began exploring the boundaries （分界）of jazz technique and style. Masters of jazz today admit their debt to this pioneer.

　　Armstrong’s gift was obvious from the start of his career. His earliest recordings—first with a band led by his former teacher, Joe “King” Oliver, and then with his own band-earned Armstrong international fame for technical originality （独创性）. He freed his playing from the ordinary rhythms of early jazz by creating musical phrases that seemed to oppose the pulse of a song, only to combine them in the place later. His deep and rough voice became as special as his cornet（短号）playing, especially in his scat performances. Scat is a singing style in which meaningless syllables（音节）are repeated without preparation. Armstrong’s scat was among the earliest ever recorded.

　　By 1930, Armstrong had turned to more commercial, less experimental jazz. Some musicians criticized（批评）him for this. But others insisted that the real power of Armstrong’s art lay in its grace and sensitivity, fine qualities of the heart which remained in his music.

　　In the following years, Armstrong traveled around the world as the leading “goodwill ambassador（大使）”of American jazz music. The gentleness and great attraction of “Satchmo” filled his music and made him one of the world’s most beloved performers for over forty years.

　　1．Which of the following best tells what this passage is about?

　　A．Armstrong’s personal attraction.

　　B．Armstrong’s best work.

　　C．A praise for Armstrong’s contribution to jazz.

　　D．A comparison of Armstrong’s music with that of earlier musicians.

　　2．Why was “Satchmo” criticized by some of his workmates in the 1930s?

　　A．For making fewer recordings.

　　B．For losing interest in music.

　　C．For giving up his scat performances.

　　D．For turning his attention away from making changes

　　3．Which of the following is not mentioned as one of the reasons for Armstrong’s success?

　　A．His technical originality.

　　B．His personality.

　　C．His early experiences in “King” Oliver’s band.

　　D．His recordings were the first ever made.

　　4．According to the author, what made Armstrong the “goodwill ambassador” of American jazz music?

　　A．His world travels.

　　B．His attraction and sensitivity.

　　C．His scat singing.

　　D．His preference for commercial, less experimental jazz.

Whether you admit or not, music is rooted in our daily life, weaving its beauty and emotion through our thoughts, activities and memories. So if you’re interested in music theory, music appreciation, Beethoven, Mozart, artists and performers, we hope you’ll spend some time here and learn from those music articles of note for all ages and tastes.
When I first started studying the history of music, I did not realize what I was getting into. I had thought that music history was somewhat of an unimportant pursuit（追求）. In fact, I only took my history of classical music class because I needed the credits（学分）. I did not realize how really attractive music history was. You see, in our culture many of us do not really learn to understand music. When I began to learn about the history of Western music, however, it changed all that for me.
When most of us think about the history of music, we think of the history of rock music, we assume that the history is simple because the music is simple. In fact, neither is the case, The history of music, whether you’re talking about classical music, rock music, jazz music, or any other kind, is never simple.
Even when the class was over, I would not stop learning about the history of music. It had attracted my interest, and I wanted more.
【小题1】What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?