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The Development of Ballet
Ballet is a dance form that has a long history. The fact that it survives to this day shows that it has adjusted as times have changed.
Ballet began in the royal courts during the Renaissance. At that time it became common for kings and queens，as well as other nobility，to participate in pageants that included music，poetry，and dance. As these entertainments moved from the Italian courts to the French ones，court ladies began participating in them. Though their long dresses prevented much movement，they were able to perform elaborate walking patterns. It was not until the 1600s that women dancers shortened their skirts，changed to flat shoes，and began doing some of the leaps and turns performed by men.
It was also in the 1600s that professional ballet began. King Louis XIV of France，himself a devoted dancer，founded the Royal Academy of Dance. The five basic feet positions from which all ballet steps begin were finalized. In the late 1700s another important change occurred. Ballet began to tell a story on its own. It was no longer simply dance to be performed between acts of plays. Elaborate wigs and costumes were eliminated. By the early 1800s dancers learned to rise on their toes to make it appear that they were floating.
Classical ballet as we know it today was influenced primarily by Russian dancing. The Russians remained interested in ballet when it declined in other European countries in the mid -1800s. One of the most influential figures of the early 20th century was Sergei Diaghilev. His dance company，the Ballets Russes，brought a new energy and excitement to ballet. One of his chief assistants，George Balanchine，went on to found the New York City Ballet in 1948 and to influence new generations of dancers.
词汇：
adjust v. 调整
eliminate v. 淘汰
pageant n. 盛会
influential adj. 有影响力的
注释：
1. At that time it became common for kings and queens，as well as other nobility，to participate in pageants that included music，poetry，and dance. 在那时，芭蕾舞在国王、王后以及贵族之间变得普遍，并且与音乐、诗歌以及舞蹈一起参与到盛会的表演。
2. It was not until the 1600s that women dancers shortened their skirts，changed to flat shoes，and began doing some of the leaps and turns performed by men. 直到17世纪女舞者缩短了她们的裙子，改穿平底鞋，并且通过男舞者的帮助开始做一些跳跃和转圈动作。
3. The five basic feet positions from which all ballet steps begin were finalized. 由此正式确定了 脚的5个基本位置，这 5个外开的位置成为发展芭蕾舞技术的基础。
练习：
1. This passage deals mainly with _____.
A) famous names in ballet
B) French versus Russian ballet
C) the way ballet developed
D) why ballet is no longer popular
2. An important influence in early ballet was_____.
A) Balanchine
B) Marie Antoinette
C) Diaghilev
D) Louis XIV
3. You can conclude from this passage that ballet_____.
A) is a dying art
B) will continue to change as new people and ideas influence it
C) is only currently performed in Russia and the United States
D) is often performed by dancers with little training
4. The information in this passage is presented_____.
A) through the story of one dancer
B) by describing various positions and steps
C) by listing reasons why ballet has succeeded
D) in chronological order
5. The word pageants means_____.
A) dances
B) instructors
C) kings
D) elaborate shows
答案与题解：
1. C 本题问的是:这篇文章主要讲述的是，A、B、D 选项都是文章的一部分，而本文主要讲的就是芭蕾舞的发展，因此 C 是正确答案。
2. D 本题问的是:对于早期芭蕾舞最重要的影响是，本文第三段提到"在 17 世纪，专业的芭蕾舞蹈团应运而生""法国国王路易十四建立了皇家舞蹈学院"，因此 D 是正确答案。
3. B 本题问的是:从这篇文章你可以总结出芭蕾，A 、C、D 选项在文中没有提到，结合本文最后一段可以看出 B 选项是正确的，芭蕾将随着新的人物和新的想法而改变。
4. D 本题问的是:本文的信息是通过何种方式介绍的。本文从芭蕾舞的起源开始一直介绍到 芭蕾舞的现况，因此选择 D，按照时间前后的顺序。
5. D 本题问的是:单词 pageant 的汉语意思是什么，正确答案是 D ，盛大的表演。
