听写

Music comes in many forms; most countries have a style of their own. Poland has its polkas. Hungary has its czardas. Brazil is famous for the bossa nova. Caribbean countries for the merengue, and Argentina for the tango. The U.S. is known for jazz, a completely (1) type of music that has gained worldwide popularity.

Jazz is America’s contribution to popular music. In contrast to (2) music, which follows formal European traditions, jazz is spontaneous and free-form. It bubbles with energy, expressing the moods, interests, and emotions of the people. Brash, uninhibited, exciting, it has a (3) sound. In the 1920s, jazz sounded like America. And so it does today.

The origins of this music are as interesting as the music itself. Jazz was invented by African Americans, as they are called today, who were brought to the (4) states as slaves. Music has always been important in African-American life. Coming mainly from West Africa, the blacks who were brought to America already (5) a rich musical tradition. This music centered on religious ceremonies in which dancing, singing, clapping, and stamping to the beat of a (6) were important forms of musical and rhythmic expression. As these people settled into their new life in the (7) of the South, music retained its importance. In the fields, they made up work songs. Singing made the hard work go faster. And as the people were converted to Christianity, they composed lovely spirituals which have become a (8) part of American music.

Another musical form which contributed to jazz was the blues. Blues songs always describe something sad - an unhappy love affair, a money problem or bad luck. To this day, the expression “feeling blue” means being sad or (9).

In fact there was hardly any activity or social event that could not be set to music. Weddings, births, christenings, (10), picnics, parades - all had their musical accompaniment.