Question

Robert Todd Duncan was born in 1903 in the southern city of Danville，Kentucky.His mother was his first music teacher.As a young man，he continued his music study in Indianapolis，Indiana.

In 1930，he completed more musical education at Columbia University in New York City.Then he moved to Washington.For fifteen years，he taught music at Howard University in Washington.At that time，not many black musicians were known for writing or performing classical music.Teaching at Howard gave Duncan the chance to share his knowledge of classical European music with a mainly black student population.He taught special ways to present the music.These special ways became known as the Duncan Technique.

Besides teaching，Duncan sang in several operas with performers who were all black.But it seemed that he always would be known mainly as a concert artist.However，his life took a different turn in the middle 1930s.At that time，the famous American music writer George Gershwin was looking for someone to play a leading part in his new work Porgy and Bess.The music critic (評論家) of the New York Times newspaper suggested Todd Duncan.Duncan had almost decided not to try for the part as he knew it would not be easy to get it.But he changed his mind.He sang a piece from an Italian opera for Gershwin.He had sung only a few minutes when Gershwin offered him the part.He became famous because of the part in Porgy and Bess.

Todd Duncan gained fame as an opera singer and concert artist.But his greatest love in music was teaching.When he stopped teaching at Howard，he continued giving singing lessons in his Washington home until the week before his death.

50．What is this passage mainly about?

A．What Robert Todd Duncan loved most.

B．How Robert Todd Duncan became famous.

C．Robert Todd Duncan and his works of music.

D．A brief introduction to Robert Todd Duncan.

51．According to Paragraph 2，while teaching at Howard University，Duncan________.

A．found special ways to present music

B．opened doors for other black classical singers

C．had the chance to know many famous black musicians

D．became known for writing and performing classical  music

52．What happened to Duncan in the middle 1930s?

A．He gave up teaching at Howard University.

B．He was introduced by the New York Times in detail.

C．He was asked to be in charge of the opera Porgy and Bess.

D．He was given a big opportunity to become an opera singer.

53．We can infer that Robert Todd Duncan didn’t at first want  to try for the part mainly because________.

A．he was too busy to do it

B．he was not interested in it

C．he was not confident enough

D．he didn’t want to become famous

Answer 1

【語篇解讀】　本文介紹了美國音樂家Robert Todd Duncan。

50．D　主旨大意題。通讀全文，可知是對美國音樂家Robert Todd Duncan的簡介，故選D。

51．B　細(xì)節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)第二段的Teaching at Howard gave Duncan the chance to share his knowledge of classical European music with a mainly black student population.可知在霍華德大學(xué)教音樂，Duncan可以幫助別的黑人學(xué)習(xí)歐洲經(jīng)典音樂，故選B。

52．D　細(xì)節(jié)理解題。通讀第三段，可知1930年中旬，Duncan得到了一個唱歌劇的機會，故選D。

53．C　推理判斷題。根據(jù)第三段的Duncan had almost decided not to try for the part as he knew it would not be easy to get it.可知Duncan一開始不想去嘗試，是因為他覺得很難成功，說明他當(dāng)時不是很相信自己能得到這個機會，故選C。