Two areas where this continuing process is most clearly seen are clothing and music. Some people can still remember a time when T-shirts, jogging clothes, tennis shoes, denim jackets, and blue jeans were not common daily wear everywhere. Only twenty years ago, it was possible to spot an American in Paris by his or her clothes. No longer so: those bright colors, checkered jackets and trousers, hats and socks which were once made fun of in cartoons are back again in Paris as the latest fashion. ______4_______
The situation with American popular music is more complex because in the beginning, when it was still clearly American , it was often strongly resisted. Jazz was once thought to be a great danger to youth and their morals, and was actually outlawed in several countries. Today, while still showing its rather American roots, it has become so well established. Rock ‘n’ roll and all its variations, country & western music, all have more or less similar histories. They were first resisted, often in American as well, as being “low-class,” and then as “a danger to our nation’s youth.” _______5_______ And then the music became accepted and was extended and developed, and exported back to the U.S..
A. As a result, its American origins and roots are often quickly forgotten.
B. But this theory fails to explain why American films, music, and television programs are so popular in themselves.
C. American in origin, informal clothing has become the world’s first truly universal style.
D. The BBC, for example, banned rock and roll until 1962.
E. American food has become popular around the world too.
F. This spirit is variously described as being young and free, optimistic and confident, informal and disrespectful.
答案及解析:
1.文章标题分析:Happy Birthday to You
借助文章开头的语句进一步了解文章主题:
The main problem in discussing American popular culture is also one of its main characteristics: it(指代American popular culture) won’t stay American.