Performing Arts:

dance, music, opera, theatre and musical theatre, magic, illusion, mime, spoken
word, puppetry, circus arts, performance art, recitation and public speaking

TEXT 1

Questions 40-50

Of all modern instruments, the violin is apparently one of the simplest. It consists in

essence of a hollow, varnished wooden sound box, or resonator, and a long neck, covered

with a fingerboard, along which four strings are stretched at high tension. The beauty of

Line design, shape, and decoration is no accident: the proportions of the instrument are

(5) determined almost entirely by acoustical considerations. Its simplicity of appearance is

deceptive. About 70 parts are involved in the construction of a violin. Its tone and its

outstanding range of expressiveness make it an ideal solo instrument. No less important,

however, is its role as an orchestral and chamber instrument. In combination with the

larger and deeper-sounding members of the same family, the violins form the nucleus

(10) of the modern symphony orchestra.

The violin has been in existence since about 1550. Its importance as an instrument

in its own right dates from the early 1600's, when it first became standard in Italian

opera orchestras. Its stature as an orchestral instrument was raised further when in 1626

Louis XIII of France established at his court the orchestra known as Les vinq-quatre

(15) violons du Roy (The King's 24 Violins), which was to become widely famous later in

the century.

In its early history, the violin had a dull and rather quiet tone resulting from the fact

that the strings were thick and were attached to the body of the instrument very loosely.

During the eighteenth and nineteenth century, exciting technical changes were inspired

(20) by such composer-violinists as Vivaldi and Tartini. Their instrumental compositions

demanded a fuller, clearer, and more brilliant tone that was produced by using thinner

strings and a far higher string tension. Small changes had to be made to the violin's
 internal structure and to the fingerboard so that they could withstand the extra strain.

Accordingly, a higher standard of performance was achieved, in terms of both facility

(25) and interpretation. Left-hand technique was considerably elaborated, and new fingering

patterns on the fingerboard were developed for very high notes.

40. The word "standard" in line 12 is closest in meaning to

(A) practical (B) customary (C) possible (D) unusual

41. "The King’s 24 Violins" is mentioned in line 15 to illustrate

(A) how the violin became a renowned instrument.

(B) the competition in the 1600's between French and Italian orchestras.

(C) the superiority of French violins.

(D) why the violin was considered the only instrument suitable to be played by royalty.

42. What is the main idea presented in paragraph 3?

(A) The violin has been modified to fit its evolving musical functions.

(B) The violin is probably the best known and most widely distributed musical instrument in the
world.

(C) The violin had reached the height of its popularity by the middle of the eighteenth century.

(D) The technique of playing the violin has remained essentially the same since the 1600's.

43. The author mentions Vivaldi and Tartini in line 20 as examples of composers whose music

(A) inspired more people to play the violin. (B) had to be adapted to the violin.

(C) demanded more sophisticated violins. (D) could be played only by their students.

44. The word "they" in line 23 refers to

(A) Civaldi and Tartini (B) thinner strings and a higher string tension

(C) small changes (D) internal structure and fingerboard

(A) struggle (B) strength (C) strategy (D) stress

46. The word "accordingly" in line 24 is closest in meaning to

(A) However (B) Consequently (C) Nevertheless (D) Ultimately

47. According to the passage, early violins were different from modern violins in that early violins

(A) were heavier. (B) broke down more easily.

(C) produced softer tones. (D) were easier to play.

48. According to the passage, which of the following contributes to a dull sound being produced by a
violin?

(A) A long fingerboard (B) A small body

(C) High string tension (D) Thick strings

49. Which of the following terms is defined in the passage?

(A) resonator (line 2) (B) solo (line 7)

(C) left-hand technique (line 25) (D) fingering patterns (lines 25-26)

50. All of the following are mentioned in the passage as contributing to the ability to play modern violin
music EXCEPT

(A) more complicated techniques for the left hand.

(B) different ways to use the fingers to play very high notes.

(C) use of rare wood for the fingerboard and neck.

(D) minor alterations to the structure of the instrument.

Questions 1-9

The term "folk song" has been current for over a hundred years, but there is still a

good deal of disagreement as to what it actually means. The definition provided by the

International Folk Music Council states that folk music is the music of ordinary people,

Line which is passed on from person to person by being listened to rather than learned from

(5) the printed page. Other factors that help shape a folk song include: continuity (many

performances over a number of years); variation (changes in words and melodies either

through artistic interpretation or failure of memory); and selection (the acceptance of a

song by the community in which it evolves).

When songs have been subjected to these processes their origin is usually impossible

(10) to trace. For instance, if a farm laborer were to make up a song and sing it to a couple of

friends who like it and memorize it, possibly when the friends come to sing it themselves

one of them might forget some of the words and make up new ones to fill the gap, while

the other, perhaps more artistic, might add a few decorative touches to the tune and

improve a couple of lines of text. If this happened a few times there would be many

(15) different versions, the song's original composer would be forgotten, and the song would

become common property. This constant reshaping and re-creation is the essence of folk

music. Consequently, modern popular songs and other published music, even though

widely sung by people who are not professional musicians, are not considered folk music.

The music and words have been set by a printed or recorded source, limiting scope for

(20) further artistic creation. These songs' origins cannot be disguised and therefore they

belong primarily to the composer and not to a community.

The ideal situation for the creation of folk music is an isolated rural community. In

such a setting folk songs and dances have a special purpose at every stage in a person’s

life, from childhood to death. Epic tales of heroic deeds, seasonal songs relating to

calendar events, and occupational songs are also likely to be sung.

(A) Themes commonly found in folk music

(B) Elements that define folk music

(C) Influences of folk music on popular music

(D) The standards of the International Folk Music Council

2. Which of the following statements about the term "folk song" is supported by the passage?

(A) It has been used for several centuries.

(B) The International Folk Music Council invented it.

(C) It is considered to be out-of-date.

(D) There is disagreement about its meaning.

3. The word "it" in line 8 refers to

(A) community (B) song (C) acceptance (D) memory

4. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage as a characteristic of the typical folk song?

(A) It is constantly changing over time.

(B) It is passed on to other people by being performed.

(C) It contains complex musical structures.

(D) It appeals to many people.

5. The word "subjected" in line 9 is closest in meaning to

(A) reduced (B) modified (C) exposed (D) imitated

6. The author mentions the farm laborer and his friends (lines 10-14) in order to do which of the
following?

(A) Explain how a folk song evolves over time

(B) Illustrate the importance of music to rural workers

(C) Show how subject matter is selected for a folk song

(D) Demonstrate how a community chooses a folk song

(A) Audiences prefer songs composed by professional musicians.

(B) Singers dislike the decorative touches in folk song tunes.

(C) Numerous variations of folk songs come to exist at the same time.

(D) Folk songs are not considered an important form of music.

8. The word "essence" in line 16 is closest in meaning to

(A) basic nature (B) growing importance

(C) full extent (D) first phase

9. The author mentions that published music is not considered to be folk music because

(A) the original composer can be easily identified.

(B) the songs attract only the young people in a community.

(C) the songs are generally performed by professional singers.

(D) the composers write the music in rural communities.

TEXT 3

Questions 1-9

Composers today use a wider variety of sounds than ever before, including many

that were once considered undesirable noises. Composer Edgard Varese (1883-1965)

called this the "liberation of sound...the right to make music with any and all sounds."

Line Electronic music, for example – made with the aid of computers, synthesizers, and

(5) electronic instruments – may include sounds that in the past would not have been

considered musical. Environmental sounds, such as thunder, and electronically generated

hisses and blips can be recorded, manipulated, and then incorporated into a musical

composition. But composers also draw novel sounds from voices and nonelectronic

instruments. Singers may be asked to scream, laugh, groan, sneeze, or to sing phonetic
(10) sounds rather than words. Wind and string players may lap or scrape their instruments.

A brass or woodwind player may hum while playing, to produce two pitches at once; a

pianist may reach inside the piano to pluck a string and then run a metal blade along it. In

the music of the Western world, the greatest expansion and experimentation have involved

percussion instruments, which outnumber strings and winds in many recent compositions.

(15) Traditional percussion instruments are struck with new types of beaters; and instruments

that used to be couriered unconventional in Western music – tom-toms, bongos,

slapsticks, maracas – are widely used.

In the search for novel sounds, increased use has been made in Western music of

microtones. Non-Western music typically divides an interval between two pitches more

(20) finely than Western music does, thereby producing a greater number of distinct tones,

or microtones, within the same interval. Composers such as Krzysztof Penderecki create

sound that borders on electronic noise through tone clusters – closely spaced tones played

together and heard as a mass, block, or band of sound. The directional aspect of sound has

taken on new importance as well. Loudspeakers or groups of instruments may be placed

(25) at opposite ends of the stage, in the balcony, or at the back and sides of the auditorium.

Because standard music notation makes no provision for many of these innovations,

recent music scores may contain graphlike diagrams, new note shapes and symbols, and

novel ways of arranging notation on the page.

1. What does the passage mainly discuss?

(A) The use of nontraditional sounds in contemporary music

(B) How sounds are produced electronically

(C) How standard musical notation has been adapted for nontraditional sounds

(D) Several composers who have experimented with the electronic production of sound

2. The word "wider" in line 1 is closest in meaning to

(A) more impressive (B) more distinctive

(C) more controversial (D) more extensive

(A) criticized electronic music as too noiselike

(B) modified sonic of the electronic instruments he used in his music

(C) believed that any sound could be used in music

(D) wrote music with environmental themes

4. The word "it" in line 12 refers to

(A) piano (B)string (C) blade (D) music

5. According to the passage, which of the following types of instruments has played a role in much of the
innovation in Western music?

(A) String (B) Percussion (C) Woodwind (D) Brass

6. The word "thereby" in line 20 is closest in meaning to

(A) in return for (B) in spite of

(C) by the way (D) by that means

7. According to the passage, Krzysztof Penderecki is known for which of the following practices?

(A) Using tones that are clumped together

(B) Combining traditional and nontraditional instruments

(C) Seating musicians in unusual areas of an auditorium

(D) Playing Western music for non-Western audiences

8. According to the passage, which of the following would be considered traditional elements of Western
music?

(A) Microtones (B) Tom-toms and bongos

(C) Pianos (D) Hisses

9. In paragraph 3, the author mentions diagrams as an example of a new way to

(A) chart the history of innovation in musical notation

(C) design and develop electronic instruments

(D) indicate how particular sounds should be produced

TEXT 4

Questions 41-50

The development of jazz can be seen as part of the larger continuum of American

popular music, especially dance music. In the twenties, jazz became the hottest new

thing in dance music, much as ragtime had at the turn of the century, and as would

Line rhythm and blues in the fifties, rock in the fifties, and disco in the seventies.

(5) But two characteristics distinguish jazz from other dance music. The first is

improvisation, the changing of a musical phrase according to the player's inspiration.

Like all artists, jazz musicians strive for an individual style, and the improvise or

paraphrase is a jazz musician's main opportunity to display his or her individuality.

In early jazz, musicians often improvised melodies collectively, thus creating a kind of

(10) polyphony. There was little soloing as such, although some New Orleans players,

particularly cornet player Buddy Bolden, achieved local fame for their ability to improvise

a solo. Later the idea of the chorus-long or multichorus solo took hold. Louis Armstrong's

instrumental brilliance, demonstrated through extended solos, was a major influence in

this development.

(15) Even in the early twenties, however, some jazz bands had featured soloists.

Similarly, show orchestras and carnival bands often included one or two such "get-off"

musicians. Unimproved, completely structured jazz does exist, but the ability of the

best jazz musicians to create music of great cohesion and beauty during performance

has been a hallmark of the music and its major source of inspiration and change.

(20) The second distinguishing characteristic of jazz is a rhythmic drive that was initially

called "hot" and later "swing". In playing hot, a musician consciously departs from
 strict meter to create a relaxed sense of phrasing that also emphasizes the underlying

rhythms. ("Rough" tone and use of moderate vibrato also contributed to a hot sound.)

Not all jazz is hot, however, many early bands played unadorned published arrangements

(25) of popular songs. Still, the proclivity to play hot distinguished the jazz musician from

other instrumentalists.

41. The passage answers which of the following questions?

(A) Which early jazz musicians most influenced rhythm and blues music?

(B) What are the differences between jazz and other forms of music?

(C) Why is dancing closely related to popular music in the United States?

(D) What instruments comprised a typical jazz band of the 1920's?

42. Which of the following preceded jazz as a popular music for dancing?

(A) Disco (B) Rock (C) Rhythm and blues (D) Ragtime

43. According to the passage, jazz musicians are able to demonstrate their individual artistry mainly by

(A) creating musical variations while performing.

(B) preparing musical arrangements.

(C) reading music with great skill.

(D) being able to play all types of popular music.

44. Which of the following was the function of "get-off" musicians (line 16)?

(A) Assist the other band members in packing up after a performance

(B) Teach dance routines created for new music

(C) Lead the band

(D) Provide solo performances in a band or orchestra

(A) sorrow (B) fame (C) unity (D) vibration

46. The word "initially" in line 20 is closest in meaning to

(A) at first (B) shortly (C) alphabetically (D) in fact

47. The word "consciously" in line 21 is closest in meaning to

(A) carelessly (B) easily (C) periodically (D) purposely

48. The word "unadorned" in line 24 is closest in meaning to

(A) lovely (B) plain (C) disorganized (D) inexpensive

49. Which of the following terms is defined in the passage?

(A) "improvisation" (line 6) (B) "polyphony" (line 10)

(C) "cornet player” (line 11) (D) "multichorus” (line 12)

50. The topic of the passage is developed primarily by means of

(A) dividing the discussion into two major areas.

(B) presenting contrasting points of view.

(C) providing biographies of famous musicians.

(D) describing historical events in sequence.

TEXT 5

Questions 31-40

There are many theories about the beginning of drama in ancient Greece. The one

most widely accepted today is based on the assumption that drama evolved from ritual.

The argument for this view goes as follows. In the beginning, human beings viewed
Line the natural forces of the world, even the seasonal changes, as unpredictable, and they

(5) sought, through various means, to control these unknown and feared powers. Those

measures which appeared to bring the desired results were then retained and repeated

until they hardened into fixed rituals. Eventually stories arose which explained or

veiled the mysteries of the rites. As time passed some rituals were abandoned, but

the stories, later called myths, persisted and provided material for art and drama.

(10) Those who believe that drama evolved out of ritual also argue that those rites

contained the seed of theater because music, dance, masks, and costumes were almost

always used. Furthermore, a suitable site had to be provided for performances, and

when the entire community did not participate, a clear division was usually made

between the "acting area" and the "auditorium". In addition, there were performers,

(15) and, since considerable importance was attached to avoiding mistakes in the enactment

of rites, religious leaders usually assumed that task. Wearing masks and costumes, they

often impersonated other people, animals, or supernatural beings, and mimed the desired

effect – success in hunt or battle, the coming rain, the revival of the Sun – as an actor

might. Eventually such dramatic representations were separated from religious

(20) activities.

Another theory traces the theater's origin from the human interest in storytelling.

According to this view, tales (about the hunt, war, or other feats) are gradually

elaborated, at first through the use of impersonation, action, and dialogue by a narrator

and then through the assumption of each of the roles by a different person. A closely

related theory traces theater to those dances that are primarily rhythmical and

gymnastic or that are imitations of animal movements and sounds.

31. What does the passage mainly discuss?

(A) The origins of theater (B) The role of ritual in modern dance

(C) The importance of storytelling (D) The variety of early religious activities
32. The word "they" in line 4 refers to

(A) seasonal changes (B) natural forces

(C) theories (D) human beings

33. What aspect of drama does the author discuss in the first paragraph?

(A) The reason drama is often unpredictable.

(B) The seasons in which dramas were performed.

(C) The connection between myths and dramatic plots.

(D) The importance of costumes in early drama.

34. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a common element of theater and ritual?

(A) Dance (B) Costumes (C) Music (D) Magic

35. The word "considerable" in line 15 is closest in meaning to

(A) thoughtful (B) substantial (C) relational (D) ceremonial

36. The word "enactment" in line 15 is closest in meaning to

(A) establishment (B) performance (C) authorization (D) season

37. The word "they" in line 16 refers to

(A) mistakes (B) costumes (C) animals (D) performers

38. According to the passage, what is the main difference between ritual and drama?

(A) Ritual uses music whereas drama does not.

(B) Ritual is shorter than drama.

(C) Ritual requires fewer performers than drama.

(D) Ritual has a religious purpose and drama does not.

(A) No one really knows how the theater began. (B) Myths are no longer represented dramatically.

(C) Storytelling is an important part of dance. (D) Dramatic activities require the use of costumes.

40. Where in the passage does the author discuss the separation of the stage and the audience?

(A) Lines 8-9 (B) Lines 12-14 (C) Lines 19-20 (D) Lines 22-24