Many artists late in the last century were in search of a means to express their individuality. Modern dance was one of the ways some of these people sought to free their creative spirit. The beginnings of modem dance were happening before Isadora Duncan, but she was the first person to bring the new dance to general audiences and see it accepted and acclaimed.
Her search for a natural movement form sent her to nature. She believed movement should be as natural as the swaying of the trees and the rolling waves of the sea. Her great contributions are in three areas.
First, she began the expansion of the kinds of movements that could be used in dance. Before Duncan danced, ballet was the only type of dance performed in concerts. In the ballet the feet and legs were emphasized, with virtuosity (技巧高超) shown by complicated, codified positions and movements. Duncan performed dance by using all her body in the freest possible way. Her dance stemmed from (源自) her soul and spirit. She was one of the pioneers who broke tradition so others might be able to develop the art.
Her second contribution lies in dance costumes (服装). She discarded corset, ballet shoes, and stiff costumes. These were replaced with flowing clothes, bare feet, and unlimited hair. She believed in the natural body being allowed to move freely, and her dress displayed this ideal.
Her third contribution was in the use of music. In her performances she used the symphonies (交响乐) of great masters, including Beethoven and Wagner, which was not the usual custom.
She was as exciting and eccentric in her personal life as in her dance.
小题1:. The best title for the passage would be“_________”.
A．Dance in the Twentieth Century
B．Artists of the Last Century
C．Natural Movement in Dance
D．A Pioneer in Modern Dance小题2: According to the passage, nature meant_________ to Duncan.
A．something to conquer
B．a model for movement
C．a place to find peace
D．a symbol of disorder小题3: The paragraph following the passage most probably discusses_________.
A．Duncan’s further contribution to modern dance
B．The music customarily used in ballet
C．other aspects of Duncan’s life
D．audience acceptance of the new form of dance
小题1:D
小题2:B
小题3:C
题目分析:本文是一篇人物传记，介绍了美国著名舞蹈家，现代舞的创始人---伊莎多拉·邓肯（Isadora Duncan，对于舞蹈的贡献。她的舞蹈动作摆脱了对辉煌而空洞的动作技巧的依赖，随兴而发，经常有即兴创作，她为现代舞发展成为一种重要的舞蹈艺术铺平了道路。
小题1:D主旨大意题。本文是介绍了美国著名舞蹈家，现代舞的创始人，世界上第一位披头赤脚在舞台上表演的舞蹈家，由此判断D选项内容可以概括文章中心，选D。
小题2:B词义猜测题。根据文章第二段内容 She believed movement should be as natural as the swaying of the trees and the rolling waves of the sea.可以推测她想要探索的是一种能够能够特别自然的舞蹈动作，故选B。
小题3:C推理判断题。文章讲述了她在舞蹈方面的成绩，由文章末段She was as exciting and eccentric in her personal life as in her dance.可以推测作者在下文要介绍的是她生活的其他方面，选C。