A
On a dark winter day in Russia in 1896, Sergei Prokofiev sat by a piano next to his mother. She was helping him compose (作曲) his first piece of music. Sergei was only five years old.
He had overheard his parents discussing a terrible famine (饥荒) in India. The picture Sergei had of those hungry people in his mind caused him to write a story, in the form of musical notes. Sergei could not read music, so he picked out a tune on the piano keys, and his mother recorded the notes. Sergei titled it “Indian Gallop”.
Sergei’s mother began giving him piano lessons for 20 minutes a day, and his ability grew quickly. She had a great love for music, too, and Sergei often lay awake in bed at night and listened to her play the piano.
Sergei’s parents found a famous music teacher for him. The teacher shouted at Sergei when he didn’t practice reading and playing music. Sergei later wrote, “I wanted to compose great musical plays, and instead I was given all sorts of boring tasks. ” Yet he persisted with his studies and grew up to be a great composer.
In 1936 a children’s theater asked Sergei to write music that would teach children about different instruments. He was happy and wrote the piece in a week, calling it Peter and the Wolf.
Sergei’s Peter and the Wolf was enjoyed by children as well as adults. The first time Sergei played the piece on the piano, the children listening to it loved it so much that they made him play the ending three extra times. He was excited.
Today Sergei Prokofiev is remembered not only for his contributions (贡献) to classical music, but also for his sense of fun.
【文章大意】本文是记叙文。文章主要介绍了前苏联著名作曲家谢尔盖·普罗科菲耶夫。
21. When he was five, Sergei _________.
A. could read music
B. experienced a famine
C. created his first composition
D. wrote a story about his parents
【解析】选C。细节理解题。根据第一段中的“She was helping him compose his first piece of music. Sergei was only five years old. ”以及第二段介绍Sergei完成他的作曲并将其命名为“Indian Gallop”可知, Sergei在五岁时就创作出他人生的第一支乐曲。
22. The piece of music Peter and the Wolf _________.
A. was a great success
B. was one of Sergei’s early works
C. was written to teach children about the piano
D. was played three extra times when first played
【解析】选A。推理判断题。根据倒数第二段中的“Sergei’s Peter and the Wolf was enjoyed by children as well as adults. ”和“the children listening to it loved it so much that they made him play the ending three extra times”可推测, 《彼得和狼》这支乐曲大获成功。
23. What’s the text mainly about?
A. The greatest 20th-century composer.
B. Sergei’s contributions to music.
C. Musical plays in Russia.
D. Sergei’s musical stories.
【解析】选D。主旨大意题。通读全文可知, 文章主要讲述了与Sergei的音乐有关的故事。
