In 1956, when the cold war was at its peak, America deployed a "secret sonic weapon", as a newspaper headline put it at the time. That weapon was Dizzy Gillespie, a famed jazz musician, who was given the task of changing the world’s view of American culture through rhythm and beat. Crowds poured into the street to dance. Cultural diplomacy died down after the cold war ended. But the attacks of September 11th 2001 convinced the State Department to send out America’s musicians once again to woo hearts and minds with melody.
Rhythm Road, a program run by the State Department and a non-profit organization, Jazz at Lincoln Centre, has made informal diplomats out of both musicians and audiences. Since it began in 2005, musicians have travelled to 96 countries. One band went to Mauritania, a country in northwestern Africa, after last year’s coup; many depart for countries that have strained relationships with America. The musicians travel to places where some people have never seen an American.
Jazz, so participants in the program, is well-suited to diplomacy. It is collaborative, allowing individuals both to harmonize and play solo—much like a democracy, says Ari Roland, who plays bass for a band that left New York to tour the Middle East on March 31st. Jazz is also a reminder of music’s power. It helped break down racial barriers, as enthusiasts of all colors gathered to listen to jazz when segregation was still the law of the land.
The State Department spent 10 million U.S. dollars on cultural diplomacy programs in the year to September 30th 2008. But most expect funding for the initiative to increase under Barack Obama, who pledged his support for cultural diplomacy during his campaign. Rhythm Road now sends out hip-hop and bluegrass bands as well.
There are some dissenters. Nick Cull, the director of the Public Diplomacy Program at the University of Southern California, thinks that these diplomatic projects would be more productive if they were not administered by the same agency that oversees the country’s foreign-policy agenda. And there is also clamor for Mr. Obama to appoint a secretary of culture in his cabinet. What good, they ask, is sending American culture abroad, when the country is not giving it proper attention at home
The Rhythm Road program ______.

A:only involves professional musicians B:is a cultural and political program C:aims at America’s opponent countries D:sends out mainly bands of Jazz music

Some people do not like anything to be out of place; they are never late for work; they return their books on time to the library; they remember people’s birthdays; and they pay their bills as soon as they arrive. Mr. Hill is such a man.
Mr. Hill works in a bank, and lives alone. The only family he has is in the next town: his sister lives there with her husband, and her son, Jack. Mr. Hill does not see his sister, or her family, from one year to the next, but he sends them Christmas cards, and he has not forgotten one of Jack’s seventeen birthdays.
Last week Mr. Hill had quite a surprise. He drove home from the bank at the usual time, driving neither too slowly nor too fast; he parked his car where he always parked it, out of the way of other cars, and he went inside to make his evening meal. Just then, there was a knock at the door. He opened the door, to find a policeman standing on the door-step.
"What have I done wrong" Mr. Hill asked himself. "Have I driven on the wrong side of the road Has there been some trouble at the bank Have I forgotten to pay an important bill"
"Hello, Uncle," said the policeman, "My name is Jack./

A:only remembers one of Jack’s seventeenth birthdays B:always sends Jack something on his birthday C:has forgotten all of Jack’s birthdays D:has forgotten Jack’s seventeenth birthday

Some people do not like anything to be out of place; they are never late for work; they return their books on time to the library; they remember people’s birthdays; and they pay their bills as soon as they arrive. Mr. Hill is such a man.
Mr. Hill works in a bank, and lives alone. The only family he has is in the next town: his sister lives there with her husband, and her son, Jack. Mr. Hill does not see his sister, or her family, from one year to the next, but he sends them Christmas cards, and he has not forgotten one of Jack’s seventeen birthdays.
Last week Mr. Hill had quite a surprise. He drove home from the bank at the usual time, driving neither too slowly nor too fast; he parked his car where he always parked it, out of the way of other cars, and he went inside to make his evening meal. Just then, there was a knock at the door. He opened the door, to find a policeman standing on the door-step.
"What have I done wrong" Mr. Hill asked himself. "Have I driven on the wrong side of the road Has there been some trouble at the bank Have I forgotten to pay an important bill"
"Hello, Uncle," said the policeman, "My name is Jack./

A:only remembers one of Jack’s seventeenth birthdays B:always sends Jack something on his birthday C:has forgotten all of Jack’s birthdays D:has forgotten Jack’s seventeenth birthday

Some people do not like anything to be out of place; they are never late for work; they return their books on time to the library; they remember people’s birthdays; and they pay their bills as soon as they arrive. Mr. Hill is such a man.
Mr. Hill works in a bank, and lives alone. The only family he has is in the next town: his sister lives there with her husband, and her son, Jack. Mr. Hill does not see his sister, or her family, from one year to the next, but he sends them Christmas cards, and he has not forgotten one of Jack’s seventeen birthdays.
Last week Mr. Hill had quite a surprise. He drove home from the bank at the usual time, driving neither too slowly nor too fast; he parked his car where he always parked it, out of the way of other cars, and he went inside to make his evening meal. Just then, there was a knock at the door. He opened the door, to find a policeman standing on the door-step.
"What have I done wrong" Mr. Hill asked himself. "Have I driven on the wrong side of the road Has there been some trouble at the bank Have I forgotten to pay an important bill"
"Hello, Uncle," said the policeman, "My name is Jack./
Mr. Hill ______.

A:only remembers one of Jack’s seventeenth birthdays B:always sends Jack something on his birthday C:has forgotten all of Jack’s birthdays D:has forgotten Jack’s seventeenth birthday

Passage Three
Some people do not like anything to be out of place; they are never late for work; they return their books on time to the library; they remember people’s birthdays; and they pay their bills as soon as they arrive. Mr. Hill is such a man.
Mr. Hill works in a bank, and lives alone. The only family he has is in the next town: his sister lives there with her husband, and her son, Jack. Mr. Hill does not see his sister, or her family, from one year to the next, but he sends them Christmas cards, and he has not forgotten one of Jack’s seventeen birthdays.
Last week Mr. Hill had quite a surprise. He drove home from the bank at the usual time, driving neither too slowly nor too fast; he parked his car where he always parked it ,out of the way of other cars, and he went inside to make his evening meal. Just then, there was a knock at the door. He opened the door, to find a policeman standing on the door-step.
"What have I done wrong" Mr. Hill asked himself. "Have I driven on the wrong side of the road Has there been some trouble at the bank Have I forgotten to pay an important bill"
"Hello, Uncle," said the policeman, "My name is Jack."

A:only remembers one of Jack's seventeenth birthdays B:always sends Jack something on his birthday C:has forgotten all of Jack's birthdays D:has forgotten Jack's seventeenth birthday

Passage Three

A:only remembers one of Jack’s seventeenth birthdays B:always sends Jack something on his birthday C:has forgotten all of Jack’s birthdays D:has forgotten Jack’s seventeenth birthday

Passage Three Some people do not like anything to be out of place; they are never late for work; they return their books on time to the library; they remember people’s birthdays; and they pay their bills as soon as they arrive. Mr. Hill is such a man. Mr. Hill works in a bank, and lives alone. The only family he has is in the next town: his sister lives there with her husband, and her son, Jack. Mr. Hill does not see his sister, or her family, from one year to the next, but he sends them Christmas cards, and he has not forgotten one of Jack’s seventeen birthdays. Last week Mr. Hill had quite a surprise. He drove home from the bank at the usual time, driving neither too slowly nor too fast; he parked his car where he always parked it ,out of the way of other cars, and he went inside to make his evening meal. Just then, there was a knock at the door. He opened the door, to find a policeman standing on the door-step. "What have I done wrong" Mr. Hill asked himself. "Have I driven on the wrong side of the road Has there been some trouble at the bank Have I forgotten to pay an important bill" "Hello, Uncle," said the policeman, "My name is Jack."

A:only remembers one of Jack's seventeenth birthdays B:always sends Jack something on his birthday C:has forgotten all of Jack's birthdays D:has forgotten Jack's seventeenth birthday

Passage Three

A:only remembers one of Jack’s seventeenth birthdays B:always sends Jack something on his birthday C:has forgotten all of Jack’s birthdays D:has forgotten Jack’s seventeenth birthday