Young musicians in African countries are creating a new kind of pop music. The tunes and the rhythms of their music combine African traditions with various forms of music popular today, such as hip-hop, rap, rock, jazz, or reggae. The result is music that may sound familiar to listeners anywhere in the world, but at the same time is distinctly African. It is different also in another way: Many of the songs are very serious and they deal with important social or political issues inAfricatoday.

    Eric Wainaina is one of these African musicians. He grew up inNairobi,Kenya, in a family of musicians. As a teenager, he listened to pop music from theUnited States, and later he moved toBostonto study at the Berklee College of Music. Now he has produced a CD inKenya. Eric"s most popular song, "Land of ‘A Little Something’” is aboutKenya"s problem of bribery, or paying others for illegal favors. He wants people to listen to his songs and think about how to makeKenyaa better place to live.

    Another musician who writes serious songs is Witness Mwaijaga fromTanzania. Her own experiences have helped her understand the suffering of many African women. At the age of fifteen she lost her home, but she was luckier than other homeless young people. She could make a living by writing songs and singing on the street. By the time she was eighteen years old, she had become a star. Her songs are written in rap or hip-hop style about the problems that she sees inTanzania, especially AIDS and the lack of rights for women ¹.

    Baaba Maal, fromSenegal, also feels that pop music must go beyond entertainment. He says that inSenegal, storytellers have always been important people. In the past, they were the ones who kept the history of their people alive. Baaba believes that songwriters now have a similar responsibility. They must write about the world around them and help people understand how it could be better. The words of his songs are important, in fact. They speak of peace and cooperation among Africans, as well as the rights of women, love for one" s family, and saving the environment ².

    One ofSouth Africa"s most popular musicians is Brenda Fassie. She is sometimes compared to Madonna, the American pop star, because she likes to shock people in her shows. But she also likes to make people think. She became famous in the 1980s for her simple pop songs against apartheid. Now that apartheid has ended, her songs are about other issues in South African culture and life. To sing about these, she uses local African languages and a new pop style called kwaito.

    In recent years, people outside ofAfricahave also begun to listen to these young musicians. Through music, the younger generation of Africans are connecting with the rest of the world and, at the same time, influencing the rest of the world. 

词汇： 

reggae /"regei/ n. 瑞格舞（西印度群岛的舞曲）

bribery ["braɪbərɪ] n. 行贿，贿赂

apartheid [əˈpɑ:tˌhaɪt, -ˌheɪt] n. 种族隔离

注释：

1. Her songs are written in rap or hip-hop style about the problems that she sees in Tanzania,especially AIDS and the lack of rights for women.她用嘻哈和说唱的风格写歌，歌曲的内容是坦桑尼亚的各种问题，特别是艾滋和女性权利的缺失。

2. They speak of peace and cooperation among Africans, as well as the rights of women, love forone"s family, and saving the environment.他倡导在非洲要和平与协作，同时也包括妇女权利、热爱家庭和保护环境。

For people outside of Africa, African pop music is____.

A:the same as other pop music B:not usually very interesting C:entirely strange to them D:both familiar and different

Passage Two
Country music is an American popular-music style. In its current form, country music is a combination of two separate musical traditions: the styles of the Southeastern states and the music of the Southwest, especially Texas. Both styles influenced and were influenced by the blues and by the black rural dance music.
The first country artists to be widely known achieved popularity in the late 1920s. The music of these performers was heard throughout tile south during the 1920s and 30s on radio programs.
By the 1950s, country music had become a significant force in pop music. Regular appearances on the radio show made stars of many performers. The singer-songwriter Hank Williams wrote four million-seller songs in 1950, seven in 1951, and four more in 1953.
By the 1970s, "some country musicians began combining country music with electric instruments, creating a country rock sound.

A:rock music B:blues C:black music D:Southern music

Passage Two
Country music is an American popular-music style. In its current form, country music is a combination of two separate musical traditions: the styles of the Southeastern states and the music of the Southwest, especially Texas. Both styles influenced and were influenced by the blues and by the black rural dance music.
The first country artists to be widely known achieved popularity in the late 1920s. The music of these performers was heard throughout tile south during the 1920s and 30s on radio programs.
By the 1950s, country music had become a significant force in pop music. Regular appearances on the radio show made stars of many performers. The singer-songwriter Hank Williams wrote four million-seller songs in 1950, seven in 1951, and four more in 1953.
By the 1970s, "some country musicians began combining country music with electric instruments, creating a country rock sound.

A:rock music B:blues C:black music D:Southern music

Passage Two Country music is an American popular-music style. In its current form, country music is a combination of two separate musical traditions: the styles of the Southeastern states and the music of the Southwest, especially Texas. Both styles influenced and were influenced by the blues and by the black rural dance music. The first country artists to be widely known achieved popularity in the late 1920s. The music of these performers was heard throughout tile south during the 1920s and 30s on radio programs. By the 1950s, country music had become a significant force in pop music. Regular appearances on the radio show made stars of many performers. The singer-songwriter Hank Williams wrote four million-seller songs in 1950, seven in 1951, and four more in 1953. By the 1970s, "some country musicians began combining country music with electric instruments, creating a country rock sound.

A:rock music B:blues C:black music D:Southern music

{{B}}第二篇{{/B}}

A:how to compose music B:how to enjoy music C:how to judge music D:how to perform music