0600自考高级英语上册

高级英语上册Lesson1:RockSuperstars:WhatDoTheyTellUsAboutOurselvesandOurSociety?Rockisthemusicofteenagerebellion.---JohnRockwell,rockmusiccriticByaman’sheroesyeshallknowhim.---RobertPennWarren,novelistItwasmid-June,1972,theChicagoAmphitheaterwaspacked,sweltering,rocking.Onstage,MickJaggeroftheRollingStoneswassinging“MidnightRambler.”CriticDonHeckmanwastherewhenthesongended.“Jagger,”hesaid,“grabsahalf-gallonjugofwaterandrunsalongthefrontplatform,sprinklingitscontentsoverthefirstfewrowsofswelteringlisteners.Theysurgetofollowhim,eagertobetouchedbyafewbaptismaldrops”.ItwaslateDecember,1973,Some14,000screamingfanswerecrunchinguptothefrontofthestageatCapitalCenter,outsideWashington,D.C.AliceCooper,America’ssingingghoul,wasendinghisact.Heendsitbypretendingtoendhislife–withaguillotine.His“head”dropsintoastrawbasket.“Ooh,”gaspedagirldressedinblack.“Oh,isn’tthatmarvelous?”Fourteen-year-oldMickPerliewastheretoo,buthisparentsweren’t.“Theythinkhe’ssick,sick,sick,”Mikesaid.“Theysaytome,‘Howcanyoustandthatstuff?’”ItwaslateJanuary,1974.InsidetheNassauColiseuminUniondale,NewYork,BobDylanandTheBandweretuningforaconcert.Outside,inthepouringrain,fanChrisSingerwaswaitingtogetin.“Thisispilgrimage,”Chrissaid,“Ioughttobecrawlingonmyknees.”Howdoyoufeelaboutallthisadulationandheroworship?WhenMickJagger’sfanslookathimasahighpriestoragod,areyouwiththemoragainstthem?DoyoushareChrisSinger’salmostreligiousreverenceforBobDylan?Doyouthinkhe–orDylan–ismisguided?DoyourejectAliceCooperassick?Orareyoudrawnsomehowtothisstrangeclown,perhapsbecauseheactsoutyourwildestfantasies?Thesearen’tidlequestions.Somesociologistssaythatyouranswerstothemcouldexplainalotaboutwhatyouarethinkingandaboutwhatyoursocietyisthinking–inotherwords,aboutwhereyouandyoursocietyare.“Musicexpresseditstimes,”sayssociologistIrvingHorowitz.Horowitzseestherockmusicarenaasasortofdebatingforum,aplacewhereideasclashandcrash.HeseesitasaplacewhereAmericansocietystrugglestodefineandredefineitsfeelingsandbeliefs.“Theredefinition,”Horowitzsays,“isataskuniquelyperformedbytheyoung.Itistheyalonewhocombineinventionandexaggeration,reasonandmotion,wordandsound,musicandpolitics.”ToddRundgren,thecomposerandsinger,agrees.“Rockmusic,”hesays,“isreallyasociologicalexpressionratherthanamusicalforce.EvenElvisPresleywasn’treallyagreatmusicalforce.It’sjustthatElvismanagedtoembodythefrustratedteenagespiritofthe1950s.”OfcoursePresleyhorrifiedadultAmerica.Newspaperseditorializedagainsthim,andTVnetworksbannedhim.ButElvismayhaveprovedwhatHorowitzandRundgrenbelieve.WhenheappearedontheEd.SullivanSundaynightvarietyshowinfrontofmillions,akindof“debate”tookplace.Mostoftheolderviewersfrowned,whilemostoftheyoungerviewersapplauded.BetweenElvisandAlice,rockcriticssay,anumberofrockstarshavehelpedoursocietydefineitsbeliefsandattitudes.BobDylantouchedanerveofdisaffection.Hespokeofcivilrights,nuclearfallout,andloneliness.Hespokeofchangeandofthebewildermentofandoldergeneration.“Something’shappeninghere,”hesang.“Youdon’tknowwhatitis,doyou,Mr.Jones?”Othersenteredthedebate.TheBeatles,Horowitzsaid,urgedpeaceandpiety,withhumorandmaybealittlehelpfromdrugs.TheRollingStones,arrogantstreet-fightingmen,demandedrevolution.TheJeffersonAirplane’s“WeCanBeTogether”andVolunteers(GotaRevolution)”weretwofurtherstatementsofradicalyouth.Butpoliticswasn’ttheonlysubjectdebatedinthehardrockofthesixties.Feelings,alwaysapartofanymusicalstatement,wereamajorsubject.JanisJophinsangofhersadness.TheBeatlesshowedtherewerearangeofemotionsbetweenloveandhate.ThencameTheBand,mixingthemoretraditionalideasofcountryandwesternmusicintothemoreradical”city”ideasofthehardrock.Thiscountryelement,Horowitzfeels,helpeditsaudienceexpressanurgeto“getawayfromitall,”to“gobacktotheoldday.”OneofthebestcurrentexamplesofwhatHorotwitzistalkingaboutisJohnDenver.Hismostnotablesongs–“SunshineonMyShoulders”,“RockyMountainHigh”,and“CountryRoad”–combinethemusicaldriveandpoweroffolkrock,whilethelyricscelebratethesimplejoysof“thegoodolddays.”Thelistcouldgoonandon.Likeallartists,theserockmusiciansmirrorfeelingsandbeliefsthathelpusseeandformourown.Whatdowegivetheminreturn?Applauseandpraise,ofcourse.Inone1972,nationalopinionpoll,morethan10percentofthehighschoolboysand20percentofthegirlssaidtheirherowasarocksuperstar.Wealsogivethemmoney.“Thefastestwaytobecomeamillionairethesedays,”saysForbes,abusinessmagazine,“istobecomearock‘n’rollstar.”Today’sheroes–someofthem,anyway–tellustheyenjoytheirrewards.“AndIlaughedtomyselfatthemenandtheladies.Whoneverconceivedofusbillion-dollarbabies.”Theparticular“culturehere”whosingsthatisAlicecooper.Thebigquestionremains:Whyisheaculturehero?Whatdoeshe–oranyothercurrentrocksuccess–tellusabouthisfans?Aboutourselvesandoursociety?Whereitis,whereitwas,whereit’sheading?Lesson2:FourChoicesforYoungPeopleShortlybeforehisgraduation,JimBinns,presidentoftheseniorclassatStanfordUniversity,wrotemeaboutsomeofhismisgivings.“Morethananyothergeneration,”hesaid,“ourgenerationviewstheadultworldwithgreatskepticism…thereisalsoanincreasedtendencytorejectcompletelythatworld.”Apparently