The Development of Ballet Ballet is a dance form that has a long history. The fact that it survives to this day shows that i

admin2013-06-25  57

问题                     The Development of Ballet
    Ballet is a dance form that has a long history. The fact that it survives to this day shows that it has adjusted as times have changed.
    Ballet began in the royal courts during the Renaissance. At that time it became common for kings and queens, as well as other nobility(贵族), to participate in pageants that included music, poetry, and dance. As these entertainments moved from the Italian courts to the French ones, court ladies began participating in them. Though their long dresses prevented much movement, they were able to perform elaborate(复杂的)walking patterns. It was not until the 1600s that women dancers shortened their skirts, changed to flat shoes, and began doing some of the leaps and turns performed by men.
    It was also in the 1600s that professional ballet began. King Louis XIV of France, himself a devoted dancer, founded the Royal Academy of Dance. The five basic feet positions from which all ballet steps begin were finalized. In the late 1700s another important change occurred. Ballet began to tell a story on its own. It was no longer simply dance to be performed between acts of plays. Elaborate wigs(假发)and costumes were eliminated. By the early 1800s dancers learned to rise on their toes to make it appear that they were floating.
    Classical ballet as we know it today was influenced primarily by Russian dancing. The Russians remained interested in ballet when it declined in other European countries in the mid-1800s. One of the most influential figures of the early 20th century was Sergei Diaghilev. His dance company, the Ballets Russes, brought a new energy and excitement to ballet. One of his chief assistants, George Balanchine, went on to found the New York City Ballet in 1948 and to influence new generations of dancers.
The word "pageants" in Paragraph 2 means______.

选项 A、dances
B、big shows
C、instruction
D、royal courts

答案D

解析 题意:第二段中的“pageants”一词是大型演出的意思。短文第二段第二句提到“在那时,对于国王、王后及其他贵族来说,参加pageants是很平常的事,这些pageants包括音乐、诗歌、舞蹈等形式”,由此推断pageants应该是比较大型的演出,故选D。
转载请注明原文地址:https://kaotiyun.com/show/kj1d777K
0

最新回复(0)