Question

Violin prodigies（神童）, I learned, have come in distinct waves from distinct regions. Most of the great performers of the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries were born and brought up in Russia and Eastern Europe. I asked Isaac Stern, one of the world’s greatest violinists, the reason for this phenomenon. “ It’s very clear, “ he told me. “ They were all Jews and Jews at the time were severely oppressed and ill-treated in that part of the world. They were not allowed into the professional fields, but they were allowed to achieve excellence on a concert stage.” As a result, every Jewish parent’s dream was to have a child in the music school because it was a passport to the West.

Another element in the emergence of prodigies, I found, is a society that values excellence in a certain field and is able to nurture(培育) talent. Nowadays the most nurturing societies seem to be in the Far East. “ In Japan, a most competitive society with stronger discipline than ours,” says Isaac Stern, “ children are ready to test their limits every day in many fields, including music. When Western music came to Japan after World War II, that music not only became part of their daily lives, but it became a discipline as well.” The Koreans and Chinese, as we know, are just as highly motivated as the Japanese.

That’s a good thing, because even prodigies must work hard. Next to hard work, biological inheritance plays an important role in the making of a prodigy. J. S. Bach, for example, was the top of several generations of musicians, and four of his sons had significant careers in music.

 

59. Jewish parents in Eastern Europe longed for their children to attend music school because_____.   

   A. it would allow them access to a better life in the West

   B. Jewish children are born with excellent musical talent

   C. they wanted their children to enter into the professional fields

   D. it would enable the family to get better treatment in their own country

60. Nurturing societies as mentioned in the passage refer to societies that_____.

   A. enforce strong discipline on students who want to achieve excellence

   B. treasure talent and provide opportunities for its full development

   C. encourage people to compete with each other

   D. promise talented children high positions

61. Japan is described in the passage as a country that attaches importance to_____.

   A. all-rounded development

   B. the learning of Western music

   C. strict training of children

   D. variety in academic studies

62. Which of the following contributes to the emergence of musical prodigies according to the passage?

   A. A natural gift.                        B. Extensive knowledge of music.

   C. Very early training.                 D. A prejudice-free society.

Answer 1

本文主要记叙分析为什么犹太人会出现音乐神童的历史原因。

59. A  

解析：考查细节理解。问在东欧为什么犹太父母希望他们的孩子能进入音乐学校。根据文章第一段的陈述: “ It’s very clear,”  “ They were all Jews and… but… to achieve excellence on a concert stage.”可知A项符合题意。因为那是他们通往西方生活的一种方式。

60. B  

解析：考查综合理解。问对文章中所提到的 “ Nurturing societies”怎样理解，根据文章的第二段中对 “ Nurturing societies”所下的定义“ a society that values excellence in a certain field and is able to nurture talent”。

61. C  

解析：考查分析归纳。问文中所提到的日本国是重视什么的国家。根据文中第二段 “ In Japan, a most competitive society with stronger discipline than ours”, “ children are ready to test their limits every day in many fields”可知。

62. A  

解析：考查细节理解。根据文中第三段 “Next to hard work, biological inheritance plays an important role in the working of a prodigy”可知biological inheritance对天才的出现其重要作用。