COMPREHENSION

III. SKIMMING FOR THE MAIN IDEAS

Quickly read to find the main idea of each paragraph, and then circle the letter of the best answer.

1. Paragraph 1 is mainly about

a. what rock music means to young people.

b. the first appearance of rock and roll in America.

c. the change from "rock and roll" to simply "rock."

2. The main topic of paragraph 2 is

a. the life of Elvis Presley as the "king" of rock and roll.

b. the origin of rock and roll music.

c. the difference between rock and roll and African dance music.

3. The main topic of paragraph 4 is

a. how San Francisco became the center of rock in the 1960s.

b. the growing popularity of rock music in the 1960s.

с. the contributions of the British to the development of rock music.

4. The last paragraph is mainly about

a. the continuing popularity of rock music.

b. how America is reflected in rock music.

c. the appeal of rock music to older generations.

IV. SCANNING FOR DETAILS

Reread the passage quickly to find key words and phrases from the questions. Then write the correct answer on the line.

1. Early rock and roll was strongly influenced by______, a dance music of African-Americans.

2. The most successful early rock and roll performer was ________.

3. ________is considered the year that rock and roll was born.

4. The first big hit of the new style of music called rock and roll was performed by_________.

5. Unlike early rock and roll, rock music of the 1960s made use of ______and sound equipment.

6. In the 1960s, _________was the leading center of rock music.

7. In the 1970s and early 1980s, there was great _______ progress in the production of rock music.

8. Rock music has always appealed to young people because _______.

9. were the first British rock group to be successful in the United States.

10. The rock music of the late 1970s emphasized _____and helped produce the rock styles of the 1980s and 1990s.

V. ORDERING EVENTS

Number the sentences to show the correct order.

Synthesizers and sophisticated instruments started being used to produce rock music.

The Beatles made their first hit recordings.

Early rock groups began to break up.

Bill Haley and His Comets performed "Rock Around the Clock."

Heavy metal performers became popular.

British groups like the Rolling Stones found success in the United States.
_____ Elvis Presley became the "king" of rock and roll.

VI. MAKING INFERENCES AND CONCLUDING

Information is not always stated directly in a passage. Sometimes we make guesses—inferences or conclusions—from the information that is in the reading. The answers to these questions are not directly stated in the passage. Circle the letter of the best answer.

1. From the passage, we can conclude that that

a. groups outside the United States did not have much influence on rock music.

b. rock music does not appeal to a wide audience,
с. rock music will continue to change.

2. We can infer from the passage that

a. rock music lost its popularity for a while in the 1970s.

b. modern inventions had an effect on rock music,
с. all rock music is loud and energetic.

3. The writer seems to say that

a. rock music is not popular outside the United States.

b. rock music was played in England before it was played in America,
с. American culture is diverse.