Rock and roll

Rock and roll is a style that (1) arose in the United States in the mid-1950s and through both the assimilation and (2) evolution of other styles and the gradual broadening of the name itself came to be the (3) dominant form of Popular music, (4) spreading to Europe and other parts of the world. Although rock music (5) utilized a wide variety of instruments, the basic elements were one or several vocalists, an assortment of heavily amplified electriс guitars (including bass, rhythm, and lead), and drums. Among the other instruments that could be used were the electric piano, electric organ, and music synthesizer, (6) along with horns, woodwinds, and minor percussion^: instruments. In its early stages, it was a fundamentally simple style, relying on heavy, dance-oriented rhythms, common melodies and harmonies, and lyrics sympathetic to its audience's (7) concerns — young love, the stresses of (8) adolescence, and automobiles. In its maturity rock (9) tended to exhibit more complexity, and serious critics of music paid attention to some of its most (10) talented exponents.

The (11) roots of rock lay in the styles of U.S. music known as rhythm and blues and country music. In the early 1950s both styles were outside the (12) mainstream of popular music. They were reported separately in trade journals, and in radio broadcasting they were played only on small stations for their respective minority audiences. In 1953, as an experiment, Alan Freed, a Cleveland disc jockey, began a program of rhythm and blues, then played only to black (13) audiences. It (14) succeeded in drawing a large number of listeners and gave currency to the term he had adopted (though not (15) invented) for the music — rock and roll, or rock'n'roll. In the resulting form that (16) emerged in 1955-56 with the rise to fame of Chuck Berry, Bill Haley and the Comets, and, particularly, Elvis Presley, a quick-tempo version of (17) traditional rhythm and blues was used to (18) express emotional urgency and enthusiasm, and the lyrical content of popular music was adapted to (19) mirror the concerns of a young audience. This highly rhythmic, sensual music struck a responsive chord in the newly affluent postwar teenage audience. The charismatic Presley achieved an (20) overwhelming popularity with his combination of country-and-western and blues elements with resonant and skillful vocals.

	A evoked	B came up	C evolved
	A development	B advance	C decay
	A prevailing	B front	C major
	A expanding into	B rumouring	C extending over
	A employed	B applied	C adapted
	A coupling with	B together with	C in combination with
	A opinions	B problems	C interests
	A the teens	B age	C youth
	A was apart	B was apt	C was inclined
	A gifted	B clever	C sensible
	A origin	B source	C reason
	A dominancy	B commonness	C prevalence
	A auditorium	B listeners	C public
	A thrived on	B succedent	C did well in
	A provided	B contrived	C devised
	A arouse	B originated	C went
	A innovative	B conventional	C established
	A show	B convey	C impress
	A reflect	B reply	C represent
	A immence	B tremendous	C strong

Exercise 11. Read and translate the text. Fill in the gaps with appropriate words.

The Beatles is the English musical group that (1)_______ worldwide popularity in the 1960s. The four members of the group were all born in Liverpool. (2)______ came from a working-class (3)_______, and all had had (4)______ in various other rock groups before they started performing together. The group began in the pairing of McCartney and Lennon in 1956, joined by Harrison in 1957; the three (5)______ the name the Beatles in 1960, performing at clubs in Liverpool and in Hamburg, which served as a proving ground for popular musicians of the period. In 1962 the group, under the management of Brian Epstein, signed a recording contract and (6)______ Starr from another band. The (7)______ commercial release (1962—63) of such songs as "Love Me Too," "Please Please Me," "She Loves You," and "I Want To Hold Your Hand" made them the most popular rock group in England, and early in 1964 what soon came to be called "Beatlemania" struck the United States with the release there of the two last-named records and their first television appearance on the "Ed Sullivan Show".

The Beatles' music, originally inspired by such U.S. performers as Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, and Bill Haley, recaptured much of the freshness and excitement of the earliest days of rock and roll and, in (8)______ with the simple but engaging lyrics of Lennon and McCartney, kept the group (9)________ of popularity charts (10)______ several years. They (11)______ recognition from the music industry in the form ot awards for performances and songs and from Queen Elizabeth II, who named each of them to membership in the Order of the British Empire. Their long hair and tastes in dress proved influential throughout the world. With a ( 12 ) ______ financial basis — any single record or album of ( 13 ) ______ was virtually guaranteed sales of more than a million — they ( 14 ) _______ free experiment with new musical forms and arrangements. The result was a ( 15 ) _______ of songs ranging from ballads such as "Yesterday" to complex rhythm tunes like "Paperback Writer", from children's songs such as "Yellow Submarine" to songs of social comment, including "Eleanor Rigby". Their public performances ended in 1966.

( 16 ) ______, the pressures of their public lives, together with their giowing outside interests, led to the group's ( 17 ) ______ in 1971, although ( 18 ) _____ that they might reunite persisted. McCartney produced solo albums and in 1971 formed his own band, Wings. Harrison worked ( 19 ) ______ and with Lennon and Starr in the 1970s. Starr appeared in films and showed some adulation to country music, Lennon continued as a musician with his wife, Yoko Ono, and as a political activist. He was ( 20 ) ______ in 1980.

Exercise 12. Read and translate the text.

Jazz

Americans have contributed to many art forms, but jazz, a type of music, is the only art form that was created in the United States. Jazz was created by black Americans. Jazz is a mixture of many different kinds of music. It is a combination of the music of West Africa, the work songs the slaves sang, and religious songs. Jazz bands formed in the late 1800s. They played in bars and clubs in towns and cities of the South, especially New Orleans.

New Orleans is an international seaport, and people from all over the world come to New Orleans to hear jazz. Improvisation is an important part of jazz.This means that the musicians make the music up as they go along or create the music on the spot. This is why a jazz song might sound a little different each time it is played.

Jazz became more and more popular. By the 1920s, jazz was popular all over the U.S. By the 1940s, you could not only hear jazz in clubs and bars but in concert halls as well. Today, people from all over the world play jazz. Jazz musicians from the U.S., Asia, Africa, South America, and Europe meet and share their music at festivals on every continent. In this way jazz continues to grow and change.

12.1. Choose the best variant.

1. Americans were the first to perform jazz music. It was _______in the States.

a. contributed b. created c. improvised

2. Many ships come to New Orleans because it is a big _______.

a. seaport b. continent c. harbor

3. The black slaves sang and played the music of the place they were born. West Africa was their _________.

a. combination b. homeland c. nature

4. When you join with others and give ideas to create something, you _________.

a. improvise b. contribute c. arrive

5. Jazz musicians from all over the world meet at _________ to play and share their music.

a. festivals b. concert halls c. theatres

6. Jazz musicians create music as they go along. They invent music __________.

a. to grow and change b. by chance c. on the spot

12.2. Answer the questions.

1. What is jazz?

a. Jazz is a type of music.

b. Jazz is a mixture of many different kinds of music.

c. Jazz is a combination of the music of West Africa.

2. When did jazz become popular in the United States?

a. It became popular in the late 1800s.

b. By the 1920s, jazz was popular all over the United States.

c. By the 1940s, you could hear jazz in clubs, bars, and concert halls.

3. Who plays jazz today?

a Jazz musicians from the United States, Asia, Africa, South America, and Europe meet and share their music at festivals on every continent.

b. People all over the world play jazz.

12.3. Replace one word in each sentence.

1. Blacks were brought to Africa as slaves.

2. They sang the music of their bands.

3. Jazz festivals formed in the late 1800s.

4. West Africa is an international seaport.

5. Improvisation is an important spot of jazz.

6. Jazz became popular all over the continent.

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