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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，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 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 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.

　　詞匯：

　　adjust v. 調(diào)整

　　eliminate  v. 淘汰

　　pageant  n. 盛會

　　influential adj. 有影響力的

　　注釋：

　　1. At that time it became common for kings and queens，as well as other nobility，to participate in pageants that included music，poetry，and dance. 在那時，芭蕾舞在國王、王后以及貴族之間變得普遍，并且與音樂、詩歌以及舞蹈一起參與到盛會的表演。

　　2. 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. 直到17世紀女舞者縮短了她們的裙子，改穿平底鞋，并且通過男舞者的幫助開始做一些跳躍和轉(zhuǎn)圈動作。

　　3. The five basic feet positions from which all ballet steps begin were finalized. 由此正式確定了 腳的5個基本位置，這 5個外開的位置成為發(fā)展芭蕾舞技術的基礎。

　　練習：

　　1. This passage deals mainly with _____.

　　A) famous names in ballet

　　B) French versus Russian ballet

　　C) the way ballet developed

　　D) why ballet is no longer popular

　　2. An important influence in early ballet was_____.

　　A) Balanchine

　　B) Marie Antoinette

　　C) Diaghilev

　　D) Louis XIV

　　3. You can conclude from this passage that ballet_____.

　　A) is a dying art

　　B) will continue to change as new people and ideas influence it

　　C) is only currently performed in Russia and the United States

　　D) is often performed by dancers with little training

　　4. The information in this passage is presented_____.

　　A) through the story of one dancer

　　B) by describing various positions and steps

　　C) by listing reasons why ballet has succeeded

　　D) in chronological order

　　5. The word pageants means_____.

　　A) dances

　　B) instructors

　　C) kings

　　D) elaborate shows

　　答案與題解：

　　1. C 本題問的是:這篇文章主要講述的是，A、B、D 選項都是文章的一部分，而本文主要講的就是芭蕾舞的發(fā)展，因此 C 是正確答案。

　　2. D 本題問的是:對于早期芭蕾舞最重要的影響是，本文第三段提到"在 17 世紀，專業(yè)的芭蕾舞蹈團應運而生""法國國王路易十四建立了皇家舞蹈學院"，因此 D 是正確答案。

　　3. B 本題問的是:從這篇文章你可以總結(jié)出芭蕾，A 、C、D 選項在文中沒有提到，結(jié)合本文最后一段可以看出 B 選項是正確的，芭蕾將隨著新的人物和新的想法而改變。

　　4. D 本題問的是:本文的信息是通過何種方式介紹的。本文從芭蕾舞的起源開始一直介紹到 芭蕾舞的現(xiàn)況，因此選擇 D，按照時間前后的順序。

　　5. D 本題問的是:單詞 pageant 的漢語意思是什么，正確答案是 D ，盛大的表演。

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