湖南常宁市2017高考英语阅读理解一轮练习及答案 Word版含解析.docVIP

湖南常宁市2017高考英语阅读理解一轮练习及答案 阅读理解训练 (2015·河北省普高质监) Martha Graham, born in 1894, was one of the most famous dancers and creators of dance, whose influence on dance has been compared with the influence Picasso had on the modern visual arts, Stravinsky had on music, or Frank Lloyd Wright had on architecture. She created almost two hundred dance pieces. She is often called the Mother of Modern Dance. Earlier in her life, however, Martha did not know that she would become a dancer. At that time, the dancers were looked down on. So Marthas parents didnt approve of her desire to dance at the beginning. Until 1916, she began her studies at the newly created Denishawn School of Dancing and Related Arts, founded by Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn, where Graham worked very hard to improve her ability to dance because she was considered too old to begin dancing. In 1936, Graham made her defining work, “Chronicle”， which signaled the beginning of a new era in modern dance. The dance brought serious issues to the stage for the general public in a dramatic manner. Influenced by the Wall Street Crash of 1929, the Great Depression that followed, and the Spanish Civil War, it focused on depression and isolation, reflected in the dark nature of both the set and costumes. Graham continued to dance past the age of seventy. Once again, she was met with criticism from people who came to watch her shows. But she didnt give up. Her last completed ballet was 1990s Maple Leaf Rag. “A Dancers World” is an introduction to Graham and her work. She tells about her dances and her dance group shows some of their methods. Martha Graham received many awards during her lifetime, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in nineteen seventy-six. She was the first dancer to receive the countrys highest civilian honor. She died in 1991 at the age of ninety-six. In 1998, Time magazine listed her as the “Dancer of the Century” and as one of the most important people of the twentieth century. 文章大意：本文是一篇记叙文。文章主