Join the club to begin your English language learning journey with me!
British Council Academic Reading Practice Test Two Passage Two Answer Explained
Miles Davis - Icon and iconoclast
You can find the passage in here.
I would recommend you open both the passage and my website together after you have tried to solve the passage. This approach can help you become familiarized with the pattern of answers and paraphrasing that Cambridge utilizes to create the IELTS reading tests.
Questions 14-19
Reading Passage 2 has six paragraphs, A–F.
Choose the correct heading for paragraphs A–F from the list of headings.
14. Paragraph A
The answer is viii. > Davis’ unique style of trumpet playing
In paragraph A, these early lessons, paid for and supported by his father, had a profound effect on shaping Davis’ signature sound.
15. Paragraph B
The answer is iii. > An education in two parts
In paragraph B, His enrollment in the prestigious Julliard School of Music was short-lived, however – he soon dropped out, criticizing what he perceived as an over-emphasis on the classical European repertoire and a neglect of jazz. Davis did later acknowledge, however, that this time at the school was invaluable in terms of developing his trumpet-playing technique and giving him a solid grounding in music theory.
16. Paragraph C
The answer is i. > A legacy is established
In paragraph C, although it received little acclaim at the time (the liner notes to one of Davis’ later recordings call it a ‘spectacular failure’), in hindsight The Birth of Cool has become recognized as a pivotal moment in jazz history, cementing – alongside his 1958 recording, Kind of Blue – Davis’ legacy as one of the most innovative musicians of his era.
17. Paragraph D
The answer is ix. > Personal and professional struggles
In paragraph D, after returning from a stint in Paris, Davis suffered from prolonged depression, which he attributed to the unravelling of a number of relationships, including his romance with a French actress and some musical partnerships that ruptured as a result of creative disputes. Davis was also frustrated by his perception that he had been overlooked by the music critics, who were hailing the success of his collaborators and descendants in the ‘cool’ tradition, such as Gerry Mulligan and Dave Brubeck, but who afforded him little credit for introducing the cool sound in the first place.
18. Paragraph E
The answer is iv. > Branching out in new directions
In paragraph E, in the latter decades of his career, Davis broke out of exclusive jazz settings and began to diversify his output across a range of musical styles.
19. Paragraph F
The answer is vi. > Change necessary to stay creative
In paragraph F, he firmly believed that remaining stylistically inert would have hampered his ability to develop new ways of producing music.
Questions 20–26
Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in Reading Passage 2?
Yes – if the statement agrees with the views of the writer
No – if the statement contradicts the views of the writer
Not Given – if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this
20. Davis’ trumpet teacher wanted him to play with vibrato.
The answer is NO.
In paragraph A, whereas most trumpeters of the era favored the use of vibrato (a wobbly quiver in pitch inflected in the instrument’s tone), Davis was taught to play with a long, straight tone, a preference his instructor reportedly drilled into the young trumpeter with a rap on the knuckles every time Davis began using vibrato.
21. According to Davis, studying at Julliard helped him to improve his musical abilities.
The answer is YES.
In paragraph B, Davis did later acknowledge, however, that this time at the school was invaluable in terms of developing his trumpet-playing technique and giving him a solid grounding in music theory.
22. Playing in jazz clubs in New York was the best way to become famous.
The answer is NOT GIVEN.
In paragraph B, Much of his early training took place in the form of jam sessions and performances in the clubs of 52nd Street, where he played alongside both up-and-coming and established members of the jazz pantheon such as Coleman Hawkins, Eddie ‘Lockjaw’ Davis, and Thelonious Monk.
23. The Birth of Cool featured music that was faster and louder than most jazz at the time.
The answer is NO.
In paragraph C, in contrast to popular jazz styles of the day, which featured rapid, rollicking beats, shrieking vocals, and short, sharp horn blasts, Davis’ album was the forerunner of a different kind of sound – thin, light horn-playing, hushed drums and a more restrained, formal arrangement.
24. Davis’ personal troubles had a negative effect on his trumpet playing.
The answer is NOT GIVEN.
In paragraph D, the early 1950s, in particular, were a time of great personal turmoil.
25. Davis felt that his contribution to cool jazz had not been acknowledged.
The answer is YES.
In paragraph D, Davis was also frustrated by his perception that he had been overlooked by the music critics, who were hailing the success of his collaborators and descendants in the ‘cool’ tradition, such as Gerry Mulligan and Dave Brubeck, but who afforded him little credit for introducing the cool sound in the first place.
26. Davis was a traditionalist who wanted to keep the jazz sound pure.
The answer is NO.
In paragraph E, in the latter decades of his career, Davis broke out of exclusive jazz settings and began to diversify his output across a range of musical styles.